RMA or Squaretrade - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

My rear camera is having a similar problem that some xda members have had, which seems like a loose connection (I can get it to work when squeezing the tablet in the vicinity of the camera). Knowing the turn around time and apparent poor QC of Asus' RMA facilitators, I'm debating whether I should just make a claim through Square Trade instead. It would really suck to not know how long I will be without my tablet....
thoughts?

I think that we don't need any more RMA thread questions...sorry, but come on!

Seemed like a reasonable question to me - weighing which route to go. I would be in the same boat and would be interested in the pros/cons.

MRCANNADY said:
I think that we don't need any more RMA thread questions...sorry, but come on!
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Click to collapse
Made your quota for the day huh?
It's a reasonable question since I'm guessing he thinks Squaretrade would refund him the money instead of replacing the device. Only reason I would go with squaretrade vs RMA.
Basically if I had to choose I'd go Squaretrade in hopes of a refund (Not sure if you can find out before hand what they'd do) and wait on the 700. Otherwise I'd just RMA it and deal with Asus. I'd document with pictures the primes condition before shipping. I'd possible even take out shipping insurance on the package depending on the cost. Don't take any **** from the repair center if they try to claim it was damaged upon receipt. I know some members had problems with that early on, not sure if it's still a problem though. Overall I think there's been more positive RMA dealings then bad ones recently vs the beginning.
Anway, I'd say if you are looking for a refund type deal I'd go squaretrade. If you want to keep the Prime I'd just RMA and not have to use my squaretrade warranty.

Squaretrade..
You paid for it right? Why not use it. Nothing to lose there.
If u get a refund, def hold out for the 700 or atleast get one of the newer batches.
I hope you got the gps dongle lol wonder if it will work with the 700.

slybarman said:
Seemed like a reasonable question to me - weighing which route to go. I would be in the same boat and would be interested in the pros/cons.
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I am not at all knocking the question at all, but do we really need everyone was has an RMA question to create a thread??
@Nefariouss, let me know when you're done puckering up. I was not trying to insult the OP, but if people spent half the time using the search bar instead of just creating duplicate threads, more help could be found that way.
Thanks

Thanks for the replies, guys.
Seeing as the majority of the RMA threads are regarding wifi/gps, and since this wasn't about that, I thought it was a valid question.
Not necessarily looking for a refund (though I wouldn't complain if it was offered to me), I just wanted to see it was worth to wait a largely unpredictable amount of time to have the camera fixed through RMA, or if it would be more efficient to go the ST route.

I guess the one thing you lose if you go through squaretrade is the cost of the warranty itself. But, if you do get a refund instead of a repair, I agree that it would still be worthwhile to get into another tablet.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

I sent my tab in for rear camera replacement since I had it only showing green lines, and it came back fixed within 5 days of it being received. So it was quick and everything seems to be fixed 100%. I did this about a month ago.

lamboboy732 said:
I sent my tab in for rear camera replacement since I had it only showing green lines, and it came back fixed within 5 days of it being received. So it was quick and everything seems to be fixed 100%. I did this about a month ago.
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Did you send it ASUS for RMA or did you send it in to Square Trade?

Related

Sent the Prime in for RMA

Sent in my Prime for RMA. If you want more info on the process go ahead and ask away. If you're wondering if someone else asked the question in this thread, chances are they didn't because I'll be updating the OP with all the Questions and Answers.
How long did they say it would take?
7 days. I don't know if this is for repair, for for them to repair it and ship it back or what. I'm assuming repair
What do you need to have?
Your device and your serial number. Normally they ask if you have it on the device. If you don't, just make sure you have your warranty card. Keep it, though, when you send the device in and make sure to mention it's not on the device to them
What about GPS?
They said they'd fix it, but other threads suggest that it won't live up to our standards.
Dead/Stuck Pixels?
Fully covered. Mine had them, and they said they'd replace the screen.
What do I send?
Just the device. They'll also give you a checklist to fill out with info such as the RMA number, what's included, information regarding the problems, signature, dates, etc...
Scratched backs?
In the checklist I kindly requested a new backplate. Those things scratch pretty easily, and laying it down on a couple times makes it look like you're table is made out of sand paper. I'll keep ya informed about this one.
Where does it ship to?
Here's the address they tell you to ship it to:
ASUS Service Center
Attn: RMA Dept., RMA #_________________
4051 Freeport Parkway, Suite 200
Grapevine, TX 76051
USA Only, obviously.
Shipping cost?
You gotta foot it. It was around 20 dollars for me, I think, with Insurance via USPS.
Do they require the original box?
Nope. I shipped mine in the box (which was in another box to be safe) because I thought it'd be safer, but they didn't request the original packaging.
After-Reception Questions
Do they wipe the tablet?
I've attached the checklist to be included in the package for your reading pleasure
Questions? Please ask! If they're for after I get the device, you can post 'em too. I'll just copy them to the OP and answer them when I get it back.
Wrong about the pixels their has to be 5 or2 right next to reach other
I would RMA due to the pixels but I don't wanna have to spend 20 to ship then 30 to replace my screen protector and skin not worth it I have 6 pixels but they only show up on a black screen and who stares at those
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
No offense but grow a pair and stand up for yourself and demand a refund or replacement what's with you people accepting defective devices brand new out of the box?.... Obviously not talking about the GPS since everyone's doesn't work and that can't be fixed.
I just sent mine today. They told me 10 working days.
Wouldn't auto rotate, auto brightness, camera didn't work (due to firmware update), gps a bit off.
In the RMA Checklist I wrote, please install Ice Cream Sandwich.
Wordlywisewiz said:
Wrong about the pixels their has to be 5 or2 right next to reach other
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
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Coulda sworn their rep told me that if there was a single one they'd fix it. He could have been looking at the notebook one, though. Luckily mine is 2 right next to each other
jdbaker82 said:
No offense but grow a pair and stand up for yourself and demand a refund or replacement what's with you people accepting defective devices brand new units out of the box?.... Obviously not talking about the GPS since everyone's doesn't work and that can't be fixed.
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I tried, the representative just kept saying it wasn't in the warranty policy and when I requested to speak to his manager, I was on hold for 30 minutes (but the rep kept checking in to make sure I knew he hadn't just blown me off) until he told me that he'd try to transfer me. I got the answering machine, hopefully I get a call back and I will.
I don't understand why they can't shop you one then you shop yours back the turnaround is dumb but I'm not gonna send mine back it's perfect except the pixels but again I can't notice them except on the boot screen
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Did you send yours in the original box? I know for laptops they sometimes don't want you to send it in the original box because it has the serial numbers on it and they can't guarantee that you'll get the box back.
I started the RMA process on mine, but haven't sent it in yet. My just flat out never worked out of the box, would not boot etc... It sucks we have to pay for the shipping.
unxconformed said:
Did you send yours in the original box? I know for laptops they sometimes don't want you to send it in the original box because it has the serial numbers on it and they can't guarantee that you'll get the box back.
I started the RMA process on mine, but haven't sent it in yet. My just flat out never worked out of the box, would not boot etc... It sucks we have to pay for the shipping.
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They didn't specially request it, but I sent it in it anyway. Actually, I shipped it in it's box in a box (boxception).
King John said:
Coulda sworn their rep told me that if there was a single one they'd fix it. He could have been looking at the notebook one, though. Luckily mine is 2 right next to each other
I tried, the representative just kept saying it wasn't in the warranty policy and when I requested to speak to his manager, I was on hold for 30 minutes (but the rep kept checking in to make sure I knew he hadn't just blown me off) until he told me that he'd try to transfer me. I got the answering machine, hopefully I get a call back and I will.
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Click to collapse
All I'm saying is if it was me I wouldn't bother calling Asus I would be returning it directly to the store I bought it from and if it required speaking to corporate for whatever company you better believe it would get done.
I'am dying t know if they wipe and factory reset peoples tablets and you get it back set back to zero with all apps, settings, tweaks .... gone
---------- Post added at 03:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:14 PM ----------
King John said:
They didn't specially request it, but I sent it in it anyway. Actually, I shipped it in it's box in a box (boxception).
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I see what you did there
jdbaker82 said:
All I'm saying is if it was me I wouldn't bother calling Asus I would be returning it directly to the store I bought it from and if it required speaking to corporate for whatever company you better believe it would get done.
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I did. I called up Best Buy requested a return for a replacement. I wanted to make sure I'd actually get a replacement. After about 2 hours on the phone (while PHP scripting so not much time was lost) I finally got to a manager. They told me they had none. Didn't want to waste my time with shipping it there only to find out they had none.
Lock-N-Load said:
I'am dying t know if they wipe and factory reset peoples tablets and you get it back set back to zero with all apps, settings, tweaks .... gone
---------- Post added at 03:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:14 PM ----------
I see what you did there
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I actually wiped mine before I sent it in. But, in any case, if they do, it'll have the welcome screen. The rep asked me if they had permission to wipe it, so I assume they only do if they think they have to. I'll update the OP.
King John said:
I did. I called up Best Buy requested a return for a replacement. I wanted to make sure I'd actually get a replacement. After about 2 hours on the phone (while PHP scripting so not much time was lost) I finally got to a manager. They told me they had none. Didn't want to waste my time with shipping it there only to find out they had none.
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Click to collapse
No one has any but that will change in a few weeks wouldn't you have rather have a refund instead of paying money to ship off your already defective product hoping it will come back fixed with no problems? Not to mention who knows how long it will really take before you get it back we already know ASUS has their hands full. Then you can get a brand new one places like Best Buy are starting to receive their stocks.
jdbaker82 said:
No one has any but that will change in a few weeks wouldn't you have rather have a refund instead of paying money to ship off your already defective product hoping it will come back fixed with no problems? Then you can get a brand new one places like Best Buy are starting to receive their stocks.
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I didn't (and don't) have the time to wait for the new ones. I have a trip coming up in two and a half weeks. I'm wondering if I'll even have it by then. I could always return it after the fact.
King John said:
I didn't (and don't) have the time to wait for the new ones. I have a trip coming up in two and a half weeks. I'm wondering if I'll even have it by then. I could always return it after the fact.
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You got a better chance of getting one from Best Buy,Newegg, or Office Depot before getting it back from ASUS.
jdbaker82 said:
You got a better chance of getting one from Best Buy,Newegg, or Office Depot before getting it back from ASUS.
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Awwwwcrrrappp.... This trip is going to blow.
jdbaker82 said:
You got a better chance of getting one from Best Buy,Newegg, or Office Depot before getting it back from ASUS.
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I agree with him!
I just stopped my UPS to ASUS repair.
I bought another one on the Best Buy website and says I should have it by 1/9/12
I will return the defective one and get my money back.
Asus' Fremont facility is pretty fast and efficient with their RMA turnaround time. Having had to send my G73JW laptop to Asus twice before (once to their Indiana facility, once to Fremont), I speak from experience. If it went to Indiana, then I'd be more concerned as they take forever and aren't quite as organized. It took Indiana 2 months to get my laptop back to me, and Fremont a week from shipping it there to return. And, for the Canadians, they're supposed to have excellent RMA service at their facility. Be aware, however, that tracking the repair status online is rarely accurate.
I sent mine back too. I shipped it out Tuesday should arrive today. I had sever screen bleed on the right hand side and of course GPS. I'll update when I get some notice or when it returns!
King John said:
I didn't (and don't) have the time to wait for the new ones. I have a trip coming up in two and a half weeks. I'm wondering if I'll even have it by then. I could always return it after the fact.
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I doubt you'd be able to return it after they send it back to you, I can almost guarantee that you won't get the original box back.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium

RMA - Customer Induced Damage

Hi,
I have recently sent my prime back to solve a few issues I was having, I have commented on this before but only today my status has changed to:
"Waiting-[WF4] Wait for Customer Confirmation-CID\OOW"
Which means customer induced damage!!!
WTF is that all about, the unit was in pristine condition when it went back. How many other people have had a similar issue with the RMA?
Apparently they are going to call me very shortly, I believe at this point if they even attempt to pull that one I am simply going to demand a refund on my money and part ways with ASUS for good.
Kevin
kevinm2k said:
Hi,
I have recently sent my prime back to solve a few issues I was having, I have commented on this before but only today my status has changed to:
"Waiting-[WF4] Wait for Customer Confirmation-CID\OOW"
Which means customer induced damage!!!
WTF is that all about, the unit was in pristine condition when it went back. How many other people have had a similar issue with the RMA?
Apparently they are going to call me very shortly, I believe at this point if they even attempt to pull that one I am simply going to demand a refund on my money and part ways with ASUS for good.
Kevin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Others have reported the same thing, if you search you should find it. What was the reasons you sent it back? Did you take pictures of it before you boxed it up?
nunyabiz said:
Others have reported the same thing, if you search you should find it. What was the reasons you sent it back? Did you take pictures of it before you boxed it up?
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Click to collapse
This^ It is vital that anyone sending it in to ASUS to document their device thoroughly , pictures of the body, the screen on and off, front and back and all sides. ASUS is pulling this more often now, not only here in the US but elsewhere as well.
Now if you sent it in for a cracked screen it was even more vital that you documented your device before sending it in.
Was your device unlocked, rooted, overclocked?
Good luck, oh and if you have to, file a chargeback with your credit card disputing the fact they are saying it's CID, thats a last case scenerio though.
Get names, numbers and keep track of when you call and how many times and what they say so you have it all documented and if ASUS disputes your claims you can say lets hear the tapes, since they record your conversations.
MOST OF ALL KEEP IT CIVIL, DON'T YELL, SWEAR OR THREATEN, JUST BE FIRM BUT POLITE!
Hi,
That was the reason for making the thread I was hoping people who have had similar experience could post here and we could forward a link to Gary Key or at least to an ASUS customer representative.
I didn't take photos before it went away, to be fair you really shouldn't have too when dealing with a company like this!
Suppose I have a few darker pictures of when I sent them the screen bleed issues but you can hardly see the device really.
I sent it back for the following errors:
Quite bad back light bleed
Some keys on the dock didn't work
GPS poor (this wasn't a big concern at the time)
WIFI poor
System very laggy with lots of 'Wait' or 'Force Close' messages
There were a couple of other issues which I can't think of from the top of my head right now, but for a device costing £499 I expect pretty much perfection.
Ready2Mosh said:
This^ It is vital that anyone sending it in to ASUS to document their device thoroughly , pictures of the body, the screen on and off, front and back and all sides. ASUS is pulling this more often now, not only here in the US but elsewhere as well.
Now if you sent it in for a cracked screen it was even more vital that you documented your device before sending it in.
Was your device unlocked, rooted, overclocked?
Good luck, oh and if you have to, file a chargeback with your credit card disputing the fact they are saying it's CID, thats a last case scenerio though.
Get names, numbers and keep track of when you call and how many times and what they say so you have it all documented and if ASUS disputes your claims you can say lets hear the tapes, since they record your conversations.
MOST OF ALL KEEP IT CIVIL, DON'T YELL, SWEAR OR THREATEN, JUST BE FIRM BUT POLITE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No my device wasn't unlocked/rooted/overclocked or anything, had hardly installed much on it to be honest.
Kicking myself that I didn't take photos of it before hand now, but as I said you really don't expect to have to. I'll take this all the way to the european courts if I have to, I'd like to know how many other people have experienced this?
Just managed to get through the customer service team on the phone, they confirmed that is it showing as Customer induced damage from a slight dent on the top.
Again I wish I would of taken photos as there was nothing wrong with it when I sent it. How possible is it that it could of been damaged on transit? It did fly from UK to Czech. It was in a Jiffy bag which was then boxed up.
Got a manager calling me back within the next 48 hours to discuss this further.
Heres a similar case
I went looking for this when I read your story. Warranty repair pulled a worse one, just lookat the pics this guy was sent. Note that he ultimately got a full refund or relacement, I forget which, you NEED to read this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1461570
SmartAs$Phone said:
I went looking for this when I read your story. Warranty repair pulled a worse one, just lookat the pics this guy was sent. Note that he ultimately got a full refund or relacement, I forget which, you NEED to read this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1461570
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Click to collapse
Im sending a prime for RMA when I get some bubble wrap (for black screen of death issues), They say just mail the tablet without the original box and cords cause it may not be included when its return. Im going to take pics and videos of the prime and wrapping process and include pics of it in the box to make sure they know what the prime looked like when it went in. All the pix will have time stamp.
junrider said:
Im sending a prime for RMA when I get some bubble wrap (for black screen of death issues), They say just mail the tablet without the original box and cords cause it may not be included when its return. Im going to take pics and videos of the prime and wrapping process and include pics of it in the box to make sure they know what the prime looked like when it went in. All the pix will have time stamp.
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Click to collapse
For the "time stamp," use something like your phone that has a date/time that can't be easily altered. And I mean, physically set it next to your Prime when you take the picture, with the date/time showing on the phone. This would be the modern equivalent of placing a newspaper next to something to show that a picture was taken at least after a certain date.
kevinm2k said:
Hi,
I have recently sent my prime back to solve a few issues I was having, I have commented on this before but only today my status has changed to:
"Waiting-[WF4] Wait for Customer Confirmation-CID\OOW"
Which means customer induced damage!!!
WTF is that all about, the unit was in pristine condition when it went back. How many other people have had a similar issue with the RMA?
Apparently they are going to call me very shortly, I believe at this point if they even attempt to pull that one I am simply going to demand a refund on my money and part ways with ASUS for good.
Kevin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From quite a few thread, sounds like the various company that Asus hired to check and repair unit aren't doing business honestly.
Your best bet, might be to contact Gary Key on this forum, or someone from Asus directly.
As previous poster stated you can ways do a chargeback. However, this is not a guarantee either. I had to do this with a laptop a few years ago. Sent it in because it was shutting off all the time. They claimed I OCd it which I did not. Gave them my CC, they replaced the MB, and as soon I got it back I called my cc company and disputed the charge. Got CC refunded never heard back. Its pretty bad when manufactured become the scammers.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Spyderhd said:
As previous poster stated you can ways do a chargeback. However, this is not a guarantee either. I had to do this with a laptop a few years ago. Sent it in because it was shutting off all the time. They claimed I OCd it which I did not. Gave them my CC, they replaced the MB, and as soon I got it back I called my cc company and disputed the charge. Got CC refunded never heard back. Its pretty bad when manufactured become the scammers.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I suppose I could do something like that but its more out of pride then anything else, i'm not going to admit to a fault which I didn't cause, it wouldn't change anything at there end. They need to start taking more responsibility and care with the items they receive. People pay a lot of money for the devices, especially here in the UK.
I am happy to fight it out with there managers, but the longer its away the more inpatient i'm getting so the harder fight they are going to have. Don't half miss it though, having to use my laptop or girlfriends ipad 2 and it just isn't the same!!
A small update got an email stating the charges and pictures. It looks like somehow it has a really sharp deep dent on the LCD cover. By the looks of it , it really must of took a smack to it. They also stated they want another £125 of my money to fix it.
I'm sure this company is taking the piss. That was the last straw anyways I believe, there's no chance I'm going to accept an item back with damage like that and to be honest I don't think I want a product made by Asus again after this trouble.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
Keep fighting, don't give up.
Sent through the wormhole from my CoinInserted Sensation OG.
Lol this is ridiculous that we have to do this. My Prime has arrive since the 14th and still nothing. Called a few days after it arrived and they said they will get is "escalated" and it will update within 5 business days. Still nothing. Now their check RMA status website doesn't even work for me.
Meanwhile I read about how some guy dropped his iPad and brought it to an Apple store and they gave him a new one for free.
On the picture thing: You could print out a weather forecast from weather.com or some other time-sensitive thing that really can't be faked prior to the print out. Your clock/phone/time stamp can be changed by you, a weather forecast is a matter of record.
I put some government meeting that said "live" on a video while also taking video and pictures of the prime. This way they know exactly when that "meeting" took place.
After checking videos of unpacking they said they will accept the damage is from their side and have now proceeded to fix my prime. Should have it back early next week now.
Taken so long but glad its finally over, well unless they of course haven't fixed it fully. Some testing will take place when it gets back.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5
Good for you!!!
I am glad you came out of this without taking a loss, but Asus may be the worst company ever when it comes to handling RMA's I have heard repeatedly that the Motherboard/Component side of the business is really GOOD at handling RMA's but even accounting for the"Only pissed off people take the time to write about it" and there HAVE been a few isolated cases of good experiences, if you read the RMA threads for the Prime just on XDA alone, it is enough to scare the crap out of anyone contemplating an RMA repair.
And at first, like early January, folks had no other option. If the tablet was exhibiting problems, there was no stock at retailers to replace it with, so a retail return or exchange was not a viable option.
Knowing all this, when Asus PAID to have my tabled shipped in to the Texas facility (Grapevine, I believe?) and I got confirmation the next day that it was signed for, I started right in on them, sending emails to a nice little list I had compiled, stating "There is a problem with my RMA, already.
That got them to proactively put things in motion to replace the tablet with a new one (It had physical cosmetic defect right out of the box when opened the first time. By being VERY proactive and staying one step ahead of them (I am pretty sure Asus contracts the repairs out to 3rd party company(s) I was able to get my replacement back the same week, but I must stress it was not a case of them stepping up, I had to go into my "Most annoying person in the world" routine from almost the very start, and it was a LOT of work.
So much so that I truly hesitate to go down that road again. I have marginal WiFi, GPS that works, for 10 seconds at a time. I really SHOULD RMA the thing, even the great "Spun Metallic" back cover is defective, in bright light you can see deep "grooves" that appear to be some type of warp in the aluminum, perhaps having occurred during the casting of the piece. All I know is, it looks like crap,not like a nearly $700 tablet
kevinm2k said:
I suppose I could do something like that but its more out of pride then anything else, i'm not going to admit to a fault which I didn't cause, it wouldn't change anything at there end. They need to start taking more responsibility and care with the items they receive. People pay a lot of money for the devices, especially here in the UK.
I am happy to fight it out with there managers, but the longer its away the more inpatient i'm getting so the harder fight they are going to have. Don't half miss it though, having to use my laptop or girlfriends ipad 2 and it just isn't the same!!
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Click to collapse
Search the thread I opened, I had same experience, but I started to call managers at Asus Nordic, and at last I got it back without paying anything.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525229

[Q] Buying a used prime

Hey guys I'm thinking about picking up a used TF prime and dock locally via Craigslist. With all the problems/revisions people keep throwing around on this forum...I'm a little hesitant about buying a 2nd hand unit.
However, I'm assuming all the Prime's out there are still under the factory (1 year?) warranty so I should be able to RMA it should problems arrive, but I'd like to avoid this all together.
So, with the collective knowledge being so abundant around here - please throw out some things I should be on the lookout for when I meet the seller in person!
randaddy said:
Hey guys I'm thinking about picking up a used TF prime and dock locally via Craigslist. With all the problems/revisions people keep throwing around on this forum...I'm a little hesitant about buying a 2nd hand unit.
However, I'm assuming all the Prime's out there are still under the factory (1 year?) warranty so I should be able to RMA it should problems arrive, but I'd like to avoid this all together.
So, with the collective knowledge being so abundant around here - please throw out some things I should be on the lookout for when I meet the seller in person!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would obviously look for cosmetic defects, then turn it on and run through it. If he says he forgot to change it and can't turn it on for you, forget about it. Worst case scenario is the software is flakey, but that can be fixed by flashing one of the awesome custom ROMs here
PRO TIP: Ask for the Primes receipt, and if it's under 90 days old, you can purchase a Square Trade insurance policy for it. If you've never heard of ST, look into it. That way you're covered for 2 years, no matter what. Good luck and keep us posted on what happens
randaddy said:
Hey guys I'm thinking about picking up a used TF prime and dock locally via Craigslist. With all the problems/revisions people keep throwing around on this forum...I'm a little hesitant about buying a 2nd hand unit.
However, I'm assuming all the Prime's out there are still under the factory (1 year?) warranty so I should be able to RMA it should problems arrive, but I'd like to avoid this all together.
So, with the collective knowledge being so abundant around here - please throw out some things I should be on the lookout for when I meet the seller in person!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless your getting it for $400, I personally wouldn't buy it unless its
1) Excellent physical condition
2) Has a receipt
3) Has all original packaging
I only say this because of the primes bugs. I had returned mine twice before getting a fully functional model with a single dead pixel. I would say run the browser through some heavy paces and see if it crashes. Also run a high graphic, power intensive game w/ some background programs running to see if it freezes or reboots. Check the edges of the screendurring the bootup to see if there's any major light bleed. Lastly, download the dead pixel test & GPS test to be sure both are okay.
You can probably use a couple of common dead pixels and non functioning GPS to haggle the seller down a little.Yes they are common issues, but explain that if you purchased it from a retailer you could return it, but you can't return this model.
All in all, without original packaging & a receipt, the extra cash is well spent for the security of warranty and return policy. As stated in another comment, w/ receipt and less than 90 days old, square trade is like $100 for two years, and then a $99 deductible, but it even covers lost or stolen.
Good luck, and be cautious!
Thanks for the feedback guys!
I Thought it over some more and I might as well pony up the difference for a new one. Now, does anyone have experience with Gamestop? Specifically exchanges due to defect etc. They're the only retailer in my area with inventory.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Borrow it for a week. Only way to tell with the Prime!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
I'm planning to sell my prime, when the infinity comes lol. But then again my father might want it, so might give him the prime and take back the galaxy tab i gave him a while ago and sell that. I always keep all the packaging and original receipt. But to be honest with all the problems the prime is having saving a 100$ isn't really ideal, unless you find a really good unit.

Weak WIFI+No GPS = Refund Request = full refund

long story short.
loved my prime.
got pre order from amazon.
ICS update
Prime constant reboots
didnt wait
sent to amazon for full refund
received refund bought prime from Office Depot
got prime
got ICS
working fine but no GPS and very bad WIFI
complained
got RMA
they replaced the WIFI card
shocking - no change still no GPS bad wifi
wrote to Gary a private MSG
he send me an email and CC trinity and Troy
they give me options:
1. RMA again.
2. Wait for future update.
3. Refund.
i choose refund.
after a full month and a half of emails
Sadly Trinity (which assigned to my case) is EXTREMELY busy and email support is EXTREMELY slow BUT they deliver....
once i found out their Queue direct line phone number and not the Generic 1800 one i called and each time i got Troy who took care of me and helped processed the RMA.
eventually after a month and a half of emails , 4 months total with the prime almost 70 emails and 4 phone calls i got the check today by mail.
full refund from asus.
conclusion.
very impressed with the turn around and the actual fact i got full refund for both the tablet and the dock.
lil upset with the time frame but i do understand i am one in a million that contact them.
so the bottom line is that i got the full refund and that made me feel good and earned ASUS my respect.
i intend to keep the $ aside for the 700 which is the (hopefully) bug/mistake free transformer prime....
just my 2 cents
m.a.s.e said:
long story short.
loved my prime.
got pre order from amazon.
ICS update
Prime constant reboots
didnt wait
sent to amazon for full refund
received refund bought prime from Office Depot
got prime
got ICS
working fine but no GPS and very bad WIFI
complained
got RMA
they replaced the WIFI card
shocking - no change still no GPS bad wifi
wrote to Gary a private MSG
he send me an email and CC trinity and Troy
they give me options:
1. RMA again.
2. Wait for future update.
3. Refund.
i choose refund.
after a full month and a half of emails
Sadly Trinity (which assigned to my case) is EXTREMELY busy and email support is EXTREMELY slow BUT they deliver....
once i found out their Queue direct line phone number and not the Generic 1800 one i called and each time i got Troy who took care of me and helped processed the RMA.
eventually after a month and a half of emails , 4 months total with the prime almost 70 emails and 4 phone calls i got the check today by mail.
full refund from asus.
conclusion.
very impressed with the turn around and the actual fact i got full refund for both the tablet and the dock.
lil upset with the time frame but i do understand i am one in a million that contact them.
so the bottom line is that i got the full refund and that made me feel good and earned ASUS my respect.
i intend to keep the $ aside for the 700 which is the (hopefully) bug/mistake free transformer prime....
just my 2 cents
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have sent Gary a few private messages regarding the issues I have been having with the WiFi and GPS, but haven't gotten a response from him ... consider yourself lucky in that regard. I too was asking for a full refund, but with the new GPS dongle development, I may forgo that option and hold onto it in the hope they will also rectify the WiFi issue.
hope for u too...
i quickly learned that in order to get a response from them i need to send short, to the point emails with specific details....
no explanations etc. just facts 1, 2 ,3. that how i got the best response from them.... i also send my prime back extremely organized with ALL documentation highly detailed with proof of emails from trinity, a cover letter with the refind request ETC.
once i stopped sending Gary love notes and just gave him my email address, told him i bought the prime for GPS (which is true, that plus wifi) and requested refund then communicated with trinity in short to the point emails i got my money back....
waiting for 700
Why don't you guys return where you bought from?
You have enough time within the return period to test it out.
So now you guys are basically returning a used product that even the retailer wouldn't take back and want the manufacturer to refund you?
If I were Asus, I would tell you guys to go fly a kite!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Elisha said:
Why don't you guys return where you bought from?
You have enough time within the return period to test it out.
So now you guys are basically returning a used product that even the retailer wouldn't take back and want the manufacturer to refund you?
If I were Asus, I would tell you guys to go fly a kite!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well
obviously u didn't read...
Like I said, ill explain again for the slow learners.
I did sent back the original back to Amazon, bought the prime again. Tested and when it didn't work sent it back to asus for rma (replace the wifi and gps) which didn't help but took long enough for the return period to pass.
Discussed with Gary who offered a full refund .
And so this thread is not to say"I win", but in fact to say"kudos for asus".
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA
cameronsutor said:
I have sent Gary a few private messages regarding the issues I have been having with the WiFi and GPS, but haven't gotten a response from him ... consider yourself lucky in that regard. I too was asking for a full refund, but with the new GPS dongle development, I may forgo that option and hold onto it in the hope they will also rectify the WiFi issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless they replace the back panel, wifi will probably not be improved much. Not a software fix.
rushless said:
Unless they replace the back panel, wifi will probably not be improved much. Not a software fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed...
Thats why I am waiting for the 700... Infinity....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA
What did you write in your PM that is so magical? i havent got a response from him even from prior pms...
If you want to get a response from Gary, send him an email, not a PM (it's an option via the forum). Include your contact info in the email.
did you guys have to provide a receipt? i don't have my receipt no more and paid cash in jan -_-
kwazytazz said:
did you guys have to provide a receipt? i don't have my receipt no more and paid cash in jan -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry buddy but sounds like you outta luck. they going to want proof of purchase. even warranty claims want proof of receipt or purchase. why you get rid of receipt? I made sure to stash mines away for when i need it.
demandarin said:
even warranty claims want proof of receipt or purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessarily true, I RMA'd my original TF101 for light bleed, dust under screen and right speaker issues and a copy of the receipt was not requested. Mind you this was within 12 months of the TF101's release. But I agree that they will more than likely request onein order to issue a refund.
Sounds like you were unlucky with your Prime!
Mine's been great and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Asus product.
kwazytazz said:
did you guys have to provide a receipt? i don't have my receipt no more and paid cash in jan -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, you have to show a receipt.
i paid online for both my dock and tablet and when they offered the full refund i logged into my bestbuy account and office depot account and printed out the invoices.
that was enough.
even if u paid cash u can go back to the store and ask for the receipt, by law they are obligated to save it for some time in records....
as for sending Gary PM. i agree, you will get better luck by sending an email with your email address a brief description and a phone to contact you.
good luck...
and as mentioned before, i will def continue buying from asus. love the products, and waiting for the next infinity....
i just had a bad luck with the prime, no big deal....
No offense to anyone but I think I feel more sorry for the ASUS end of all that e-mail/phone calls than the OP, especially with how much they must deal with it.
Spidey01 said:
No offense to anyone but I think I feel more sorry for the ASUS end of all that e-mail/phone calls than the OP, especially with how much they must deal with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for Asus? This is nothing more than ASUS sleeping in the bed they made for themselves. Like the old saying goes what goes up must come down, so if you're going to toss crap in the air don't be surprised if the odd turd falls on your head.
Spidey01 said:
No offense to anyone but I think I feel more sorry for the ASUS end of all that e-mail/phone calls than the OP, especially with how much they must deal with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't understand why u think like that.
I paid 700$ for a device I purchased so I can use at the university.
But for the life of me I could not get a wifi signal.
My Samsung phone and ipad i sold
to get the prime were able to connect with full bars.
My prime was useless with no internet access for my docks and drop box.
So no, I could not deal with that.
I also didn't wanted an additional accessory to bulk things up. I did went the normal route of rma and it didn't help.
So for 700$ asking for wifi to work properly is not too much.
Asus did what they should have expected from them and that is-is the rma process didn't help refund the money.
It is not my fault I waited 3 weeks for the rma process and lost my window to return the device.
I followed their instructions, to send the tablet to them.
U should not be justifying them, they did the expected thing by refunding.
By doing so they kept me as a customer to buy the 700 with the design flaw fixed from the prime....
Why is it so simple to understand this is customer service....
I am happy u got a working prime, I didn't....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA
Yeah, ASUS did rather bungle a few things -- I especially think it's a egg-splat-face moment how the Prime/TF300/Infinity seem to be related. BUT I can still have sympathy for the ASUS employees and associates that are stuck with all this.
Who the heck must want to deal with this products customer support, even if it's there job? Really.
Spidey01 said:
Yeah, ASUS did rather bungle a few things -- I especially think it's a egg-splat-face moment how the Prime/TF300/Infinity seem to be related. BUT I can still have sympathy for the ASUS employees and associates that are stuck with all this.
Who the heck must want to deal with this products customer support, even if it's there job? Really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is their job... I go to University for 6 hours and then I come home and have to deal with homework. Why don't you feel sorry for me.
Besides, if their service wasnt so bad there won't even be that many problems. I RMAd a HP laptop before that was a bit over warranty and they sent me the shipping label and fixed it for free. The process took 1 phone call and 2 weeks. My Prime has arrived in their facility since 5 weeks ago and i had to pay for shipping.
i guess its just a matter of pure luck+individual case.
for those who got a perfectly working prime, that's awesome.
but also need to understand some of us got a none working prime.
those who rather wait for a fix for the lock-ups/ its their choice alone.
me personally since money does not grow on trees, i believe that if i paid 700$ for a device i expect it to work . unless i broke it...
first day i bought a screen protector and a case and all that to protect my prime. but when it failed to do the only reason i bought it for , which is to give me access to my documents while at school. it automatically became useless for me.
to each its own.
i don't feel bad for those support reps... it is their jobs.
i did not call and screamed like a lil boy.
all i did was to inquire about my RMA process,
and when it didn't help i requested help from an ASUS rep on this forum.
i give praise for ASUS to even have an official rep here.
but that is also THIER choice to put a rep here, if they didnt want/expected customers to contact him then why even let him be here.
they offered, i took them on their offer.
and going back to the saying that for me, moeney does not grow on trees, once they offered a full refund i said "yes" and there were dalays in response, so i kept on sending emails.
not screeming or cursing, but neirly asking for an update.
until they answered and get the ball rolling.
if you have rich parents that buy you any prime u want, kudos for u.
if you had a prime with zero problems from the begining, awesome for u.
my kudos (IN MY PERSONAL CASE) will go to Garry and ASUS for handeling (MY PERSONAL CASE) to my satisfation.
my post was to acknolege their kudos and to show others that there is a chance.
by giving up those dongles , ASUS admited for having an issue.
for me, i simply couldnt wait, not wanted to with a 700$ product i wanted it to perform as it should be.
same way as everyone was complaining with the iphone4 grip of death...

Has anyone seen this petition?

I was browsing around change.org today and I came across this. A petition to recall the prime and give users a full refund or an upgrade path to the 700. Not sure why no one but the person who started it signed it. I know if you ***** enough asus will refund your $ so maybe that's why the poster didnt pursue the petition?
http://www.change.org/petitions/asustek-recall-the-transformer-prime
edit: I just signed it for ****s and giggles.. I doubt anything will come from it especially since it doesnt seem the person who posted it is really pushing it.
Probably because it was created yesterday.. I believe.
Oh god, here we go again.
detta123 said:
Oh god, here we go again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do you mean?? I was just asking if anyone has seen it... so oh god yourself.
actually, there was one created with exact same theme a long time ago. it never really gained any traction as the path to upgrade wasn't realistic from a business point of view. I'm not sure if the one you have linked to is the same one. But I've seen a petition just like that made several months ago. I think when we all first heard of the Infinity Pad. Made alot of people mad..lol
demandarin said:
actually, there was one created with exact same theme a long time ago. it never really gained any traction as the path to upgrade wasn't realistic from a business point of view. I'm not sure if the one you have linked to is the same one. But I've seen a petition just like that made several months ago. I think when we all first heard of the Infinity Pad. Made alot of people mad..lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah I doubt anything will come from it, Just was wondering if anyone else came across it.
But I do know they are offering really unhappy users refunds (my friend was told by gary he could get a full refund for the tablet and dock)
My way of looking at that is this:
If they refund everyone who is extremely unhappy they have to refund them for the full retail price of the tablet and the dock(and I'm guessing tax?). So they have to dish out the retail price of it when we all know it cost them a fraction of that amount to produce them. I honestly think from a business stand point and upgrade path would be better because then they would only have to replace the tablet(assuming the docks are compatible) which is much cheaper for them then refunding the full retail purchase amount. Even if they didnt upgrade the tablet to the 700 and just replaced the backplate on the prime and maybe the wifi/bt and gps modules it would also be cheaper for them than having to refund the purchase price.
And just let me say again.. I was just asking if anyone has seen it or heard of the one I linked. Not trying to promote, have it gain momentum or start a WW3. Just simply wanted to know if anyone else stumbled on it like I have.
These petitions are always worthless.
You bought a consumer product. If you don't like it or it doesn't meet your expectations, return it to where you got it within the return period.
I have never seen a return period that is less than 14 days, and if it takes you more than two weeks to realize that the product doesn't meet your expectations, there is something obviously wrong with you.
If you waited months for an update to be released in order to make the device meet your expectations, I am sorry but you are a fool. You should always buy a device for what that device is NOW, not for what is may become in the future.
In any event, if you want an "upgrade path" here it is:
Sell the Prime on eBay. If you have taken good care of your device you should get at least $400 for it. Use that $400 to help pay for the Transformer Infinity.
almightywhacko said:
These petitions are always worthless.
You bought a consumer product. If you don't like it or it doesn't meet your expectations, return it to where you got it within the return period.
I have never seen a return period that is less than 14 days, and if it takes you more than two weeks to realize that the product doesn't meet your expectations, there is something obviously wrong with you.
If you waited months for an update to be released in order to make the device meet your expectations, I am sorry but you are a fool. You should always buy a device for what that device is NOW, not for what is may become in the future.
In any event, if you want an "upgrade path" here it is:
Sell the Prime on eBay. If you have taken good care of your device you should get at least $400 for it. Use that $400 to help pay for the Transformer Infinity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you need to read my post again.. did I say anything about being unhappy? No.. Did I say I wanted an upgrade? No. All I did was ask if anyone came across it... gessh..
I even signed it with this comment:
"I agree there have been many issues with the prime. Not all users have issues but it seems more have them than not have them. I will support this as I do feel the prime wasnt ready to be released. I had issues with my first 2 units. The only issue I have with my current unit is some backlight bleed but my tf101 has worse BL bleed than my prime"
And I do feel the device wasnt ready for prime time. I'm pretty happy with mine. the only issue I really have is the screen bleeding and that's not even that bad and since I have squaretrade I'm thinking of popping it open and fixing that myself.
Hell I was outside yesterday and tried gps for the first time on this unit without the dongle and I got a 12/13 sat lock. Today I tried and I got 8/9. I was pretty surprised by that
graffixnyc said:
I think you need to read my post again.. did I say anything about being unhappy? No.. Did I say I wanted an upgrade? No. All I did was ask if anyone came across it... gessh..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, take the bug out of your ass!
Did I say anything specifically about you?
Did I mention you in any way?
My comment was 100% focused on the futile nature of these online petitions, which generally go ignored by manufacturers and which are generally started by people who don't exercise the procedures that already exist that allow customers to gain compensation for purchases that do not meet expectations.
almightywhacko said:
Dude, take the bug out of your ass!
Did I say anything about you?
Did I mention you in any way?
My comment was 100% focused on the futile nature of these online petitions, which generally go ignored by manufacturers and which are generally started by people who don't exercise the procedures that already exist that allow customers to gain compensation for purchases that do not meet expectations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok fair enough..lol But the fact that asus is offering refunds to people really unhappy says something as well. It says the company knows they kinda screwed up. Because in most cases: yeah, it is your problem and they dont have to offer you a refund at all. Like you said you have at least 14 days(if not longer) to return to the store. But the fact they are offering refunds to people who ***** enough does say something. Some companies no matter how much you put up a stink wont issue you a refund. A replacement? yes, but how often do they offer full refunds?
Asus should offer a upgrade and make Nvidia pick up the tab for the not ready for prime time T3
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
graffixnyc said:
ok fair enough..lol But the fact that asus is offering refunds to people really unhappy says something as well. It says the company knows they kinda screwed up. Because in most cases yeah it is your problem and they dont have to offer you a refund at all. like you said you have at least 14 days(if not longer) to return to the store. But the fact they are offering refunds to people who ***** enough does say something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think any company that is serious about their customers does the same kind of thing. At least, HTC replaced my malfunctioning EVO 4G no questions asked. Samsung has replaced televisions and refunded me for broken televisions with no problems.
Some companies give you the run around when it comes to this kind of stuff (Looking at you Sony) but for most companies it isn't worth the negative press, especially in this day and age of internet blogging and twitter.
almightywhacko said:
I think any company that is serious about their customers does the same kind of thing. At least, HTC replaced my malfunctioning EVO 4G no questions asked. Samsung has replaced televisions and refunded me for broken televisions with no problems.
Some companies give you the run around when it comes to this kind of stuff (Looking at you Sony) but for most companies it isn't worth the negative press, especially in this day and age of internet blogging and twitter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you must be good. haha I've never been offered a refund. Replacements I have been offered but never a full refund. Hell I just dealt with an issue with Dell. They replaced my laptop with a refirb(accidental warranty) and started having issues with it two months later. They sent a tech to fix it, he fixed those issues but didnt send him a preloaded HD just a blank one so I have to load everything myself, and after the repair the keyboard didnt fully work. So they come again to fix that, they fix that then one speaker dies.. It took me filing a BBB complaint to have them contact me to give me a brand new system. No matter how much I *****ed before they just wanted to keep trying to fix it.
almightywhacko said:
I think any company that is serious about their customers does the same kind of thing. At least, HTC replaced my malfunctioning EVO 4G no questions asked. Samsung has replaced televisions and refunded me for broken televisions with no problems.
Some companies give you the run around when it comes to this kind of stuff (Looking at you Sony) but for most companies it isn't worth the negative press, especially in this day and age of internet blogging and twitter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh and sorry for being a little snippy.. It's hot and humid as hell in NYC today and all the garbage is out for collection tomorrow so you can imagine the streets just smell like roses
Technically, refunds aren't given to just any and everyone who asks for it. you have to meet specific criteria for them to even consider it. Mostly just early adopters or people who bought prime before they removed GPS From their official spec, like beginning or first week of January, are eligible. but even then terms have to be met and not all of them can get it. just wanted to clear that up so everyone don't get their hopes up thinking they can get a refund. there's already several reported cases here in xda of people being denied.
I'm still waiting to hear back on certain info that'll clear up alot of things. I think Asus knows even people who have good working tablets might try to get a refund just because infinity pad right around the corner..lol. so they trying to eliminate refunds that have no real basis for getting one. Chances are very high that if you never sent your tablet in for an RMA, then try to come out the blue wanting a refund, they will deny it. They will just say send it in for RMA.
graffixnyc said:
ok fair enough..lol But the fact that asus is offering refunds to people really unhappy says something as well. It says the company knows they kinda screwed up. Because in most cases: yeah, it is your problem and they dont have to offer you a refund at all. Like you said you have at least 14 days(if not longer) to return to the store. But the fact they are offering refunds to people who ***** enough does say something. Some companies no matter how much you put up a stink wont issue you a refund. A replacement? yes, but how often do they offer full refunds?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just about to comment on this ... I purchased my Prime on December 24th and after trying to, more or less, put up with horrible WiFi, completely non-functional GPS, and a proposed dongle solution that was not satisfactory, I was able to return my Prime (and dock) to Asus for a full refund. As a matter of fact, I just shipped it in last week, so I am still waiting on the refund, but I don't foresee any issues. The reason they let me return it was due to GPS issues, and probably legal ones on their part since GPS was a feature when i bought, but did not work, was removed from the spec list, and the solution was not satisfactory. I said all that, to say that the petition is not necessary. If you have a legitimate reason for requesting to return you TF201, they will probably work with you. On the other hand, people trying to get a refund just to get an upcoming model just need to learn some patience, and not jump on the first generation of something (ie. tegra 3). With that said, if your reason for requesting a refund has to do with the GPS issue, I was finally able to get someone with the authority to authorize one in what he said was the "Transformer Prime GPS issue department."

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