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BFG starts denying RMA support

by Pete Mason on 16 August 2010, 10:15

Tags: BFG Technologies

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So much for a lifetime warranty.

When video-card manufacturer BFG Technologies decided to throw in the towel on its GPU business back in May, it promised that it would continue to offer RMA support for its products.  In fairness, the company has lived up to that promise - until now. 

Reports are starting to come in that the company is returning RMA'd cards to their owners without repairing them.  An accompanying letter gives the following brief explanation:

"BFG Technologies Inc. is in the process of winding down and liquidating its business.  Unfortunately, our major supplier would not support our business.  As a result, we are returning your graphics card without being able to repair it.  We apologize for the inconvenience."

Inconvenience indeed.

Considering that all of BFGs cards are supposed to come with a lifetime warranty, we're a bit disappointed to see support ending so quickly.  This was one of the company's major selling points and we wouldn't be surprised to hear of customers who decided to buy a BFG card because of the seemingly-excellent support.  Furthermore, it was always seen as a company that tried to try to put its customers first, so we would have expected at least a year or two of support. 

We feel especially sorry for anyone who bought a new BFG card just a few months before the company pulled out of the market.   If anything goes wrong with those GPUs now, it seems the owners will be left with a very expensive paperweight.



HEXUS Forums :: 39 Comments

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Which makes me think that you can setup a business, “sell” lifetime/10-y warranty get the customers and then say: “well, this isn't profitable, let me do something else and sod the customers”. If they continue trading PSU/Computers they should be liable to refund the money we spent on the cards if they can't repair/replace it.

Nowadays it is too easy to get away without being punished. Do whatever you like.
Don't forget your contract is with the company who supplied the card and not BFG, so if you did buy a card in the last days of BFG and it fails (in less than a year after that date), you may still be able to get some regress from your supplier as you could claim it was not fit for purpose. However I expect they will fight that hard.
Use it while you can I guess. New graphics cards usually last 2 years anyway before showing any symptoms.
Not worth it.
A friend just went through this and it took him months to get his card back. He got it back a few days ago - looks like he just made it in!

Keep in mind that BFG are no longer in the graphics card market, which is why they are probably stopping this service.