How the HELL did this happen!? True story...

[sb]

I recently asked for some advice from this group regarding the Radeon
9800/SE. I got lots of great info and helped me decide to finally switch
from nVidia cards, which I've used religously for the last five years. The
only problem that I had was that the only 9800 I could find on pricewatch
was the 9800 SE. So, BestBuy just recently dropped the price to $239 and I
went today to pick it up. When I got home and took out my Geforce 3, I
opened the ATI box. The first thing I noticed looking at the card through
the bubblewrap, was that it looked pretty small. When I picked it up it was
extremely light. Then I took out the card and I immediately noticed there
was no heatsink/ramsinks at all. Then I looked at the chipset and it said
nVidia Riva TNT 2 m64!!!!! Also, it looked completely brand new. I could
tell that this card was never used at all.

How the hell could this happen? I was really pissed because I knew when I
got it that I was buying the last one in the store, so I couldn't just go
exchange it. When I took it back the girl told me that it couldn't have
happened at BestBuy because they don't repackage and resell anything.
Although I don't know if I believe that at all, but who knows? And if it
didn't happen from BestBuy, how could an nVidia product, especially a four
year old card, end up in a ATI box? Are these things manufactured at the
same facilities?

Well, I thought this might be an interesting story. Anyone ever had anything
like this happen to them? Also, anyone have a customer support number for
ATI? I looked on their website but couldn't find anything toll free.

Thanks.

 

[Tom]

yep...Something similar. I purchased a Radeon 9800 pro. When I got it home
it was a 9800se ($150.00 cheaper). When I took it back and told of the
problem, they accused me of repackaging it with the wrong one. It wasn't
until I went absolutely crazy in their store that they let me exchange it.
But when I asked to open the new one to be sure I was getting the correct
card, they refused. I opened it anyway, and it was the correct card.
That's the last thing I buy from Best Buy. This was the second time they
tried to screw me over and it will be the last.

 

[J.Clarke]

I've heard of the same thing happening to someone over on the
sharkyforums newsgroup. I believe the exact same thing happened to
them, the box was completely sealed.

"Completely sealed" with _what_? Any electronics store these days
has a shrink-wrap machine in the back. When they reshelve a return they
generally replace the shrink-wrap. The manufacturer's seals will
generally be round tape, often labelled in some way, over the tabs that
hold the box closed--if those tapes have been broken then the box has
been opened.

 

[Frank Weston]

Best Buy is one of the most poorly managed stores in the world. I wonder
how they stay in business. I certainly will never shop there again, but
that's another story.

Obviously what happened to you is someone bought the original 9800/SE, put
an old card in the box, and then returned the old card and box for credit.
Best Buy being idiots, never checked the card that was returned and put it
back on the shelf for resale. You were the lucky buyer.

Raise hell, and good luck.

 

[sb]

I forgot to mention that I did take it back and got my card credited back.
Although, I don't think that it was returned to BestBuy. You had to see it.
The card was totally new.

 

[Tom]

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's what happened. I read a thread somewhere, maybe
asusboards.com, about this very subject. If I can find it, i'll post the
link.

 

[JAD]

yeah it definetly couldn't be the employees at Best Buy, taking stuff in from friends or switching it themselves.

 

[Tom]

(-: never

yeah it definetly couldn't be the employees at Best Buy, taking stuff in

from friends or switching it themselves.

 

[Minotaur]

I recently asked for some advice from this group regarding the Radeon
9800/SE. I got lots of great info and helped me decide to finally switch
from nVidia cards, which I've used religously for the last five years. The
only problem that I had was that the only 9800 I could find on pricewatch
was the 9800 SE. So, BestBuy just recently dropped the price to $239 and I
went today to pick it up. When I got home and took out my Geforce 3, I
opened the ATI box. The first thing I noticed looking at the card through
the bubblewrap, was that it looked pretty small. When I picked it up it was
extremely light. Then I took out the card and I immediately noticed there
was no heatsink/ramsinks at all. Then I looked at the chipset and it said
nVidia Riva TNT 2 m64!!!!! Also, it looked completely brand new. I could
tell that this card was never used at all.

How the hell could this happen? I was really pissed because I knew when I
got it that I was buying the last one in the store, so I couldn't just go
exchange it. When I took it back the girl told me that it couldn't have
happened at BestBuy because they don't repackage and resell anything.
Although I don't know if I believe that at all, but who knows? And if it
didn't happen from BestBuy, how could an nVidia product, especially a four
year old card, end up in a ATI box? Are these things manufactured at the
same facilities?

Well, I thought this might be an interesting story. Anyone ever had anything
like this happen to them? Also, anyone have a customer support number for
ATI? I looked on their website but couldn't find anything toll free.

Thanks.

You should have some consumer protection laws, I would demand a refund
and quote to them the law in the process.
Here in Australia we get a couple of weeks to return, money back no
questions asked or they get prosecuted if you report it.
Infact 'No Refund' signs are illegal

 

[N. T.]

Here in Australia we get a couple of weeks to return, money back no

questions asked or they get prosecuted if you report it.
Infact 'No Refund' signs are illegal

Damn ... we could use something like that up here ... in North America "No
Refund" signs are more common than a McD's on every conrner.

 

[Sparrow]

I've heard of the same thing happening to someone over on the sharkyforums
newsgroup. I believe the exact same thing happened to them, the box was
completely sealed. The card was suppose to be a 9700 pro but they ended up
with a Trident something or other...

 

[Daniel Tonks]

"Completely sealed" with _what_? Any electronics store these days
has a shrink-wrap machine in the back. When they reshelve a return they
generally replace the shrink-wrap. The manufacturer's seals will
generally be round tape, often labelled in some way, over the tabs that
hold the box closed--if those tapes have been broken then the box has
been opened.

Besides for the shrinkwrap, ATI boxes don't have any tape seals - however
when shopping it might be possible to see if the carboard flap is crinkled
from prying open.

- Daniel

 

[Replicant]

I recently asked for some advice from this group regarding the Radeon
9800/SE. I got lots of great info and helped me decide to finally switch
from nVidia cards, which I've used religously for the last five years. The
only problem that I had was that the only 9800 I could find on pricewatch
was the 9800 SE. So, BestBuy just recently dropped the price to $239 and I
went today to pick it up. When I got home and took out my Geforce 3, I
opened the ATI box. The first thing I noticed looking at the card through
the bubblewrap, was that it looked pretty small. When I picked it up it was
extremely light. Then I took out the card and I immediately noticed there
was no heatsink/ramsinks at all. Then I looked at the chipset and it said
nVidia Riva TNT 2 m64!!!!! Also, it looked completely brand new. I could
tell that this card was never used at all.

How the hell could this happen? I was really pissed because I knew when I
got it that I was buying the last one in the store, so I couldn't just go
exchange it. When I took it back the girl told me that it couldn't have
happened at BestBuy because they don't repackage and resell anything.
Although I don't know if I believe that at all, but who knows? And if it
didn't happen from BestBuy, how could an nVidia product, especially a four
year old card, end up in a ATI box? Are these things manufactured at the
same facilities?

Well, I thought this might be an interesting story. Anyone ever had anything
like this happen to them? Also, anyone have a customer support number for
ATI? I looked on their website but couldn't find anything toll free.

Thanks.

I bought the sountrack to A Clockwork Orange and it had a Queen cd
inside.

 

[Tom Lake]

I bought the sountrack to A Clockwork Orange and it had a Queen cd

inside.

Doesn't that just fry your eggy-wegs when that happens?

Tom Lake

 

[Replicant]

Doesn't that just fry your eggy-wegs when that happens?

Tom Lake

Yep, I ,like my eggs runny so I can use ticks of toast.

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

I recently asked for some advice from this group regarding the Radeon
9800/SE. I got lots of great info and helped me decide to finally switch
from nVidia cards, which I've used religously for the last five years. The
only problem that I had was that the only 9800 I could find on pricewatch
was the 9800 SE. So, BestBuy just recently dropped the price to $239 and I
went today to pick it up. When I got home and took out my Geforce 3, I
opened the ATI box. The first thing I noticed looking at the card through
the bubblewrap, was that it looked pretty small. When I picked it up it was
extremely light. Then I took out the card and I immediately noticed there
was no heatsink/ramsinks at all. Then I looked at the chipset and it said
nVidia Riva TNT 2 m64!!!!! Also, it looked completely brand new. I could
tell that this card was never used at all.

How the hell could this happen? I was really pissed because I knew when I
got it that I was buying the last one in the store, so I couldn't just go
exchange it. When I took it back the girl told me that it couldn't have
happened at BestBuy because they don't repackage and resell anything.
Although I don't know if I believe that at all, but who knows? And if it
didn't happen from BestBuy, how could an nVidia product, especially a four
year old card, end up in a ATI box? Are these things manufactured at the
same facilities?

Well, I thought this might be an interesting story. Anyone ever had anything
like this happen to them? Also, anyone have a customer support number for
ATI? I looked on their website but couldn't find anything toll free.

I had something similar happen a few years ago. I bought the original
Voodoo card. When I opened up the package, there was some non-video card
in there. It had two DB25's on it. I went back, and they of course think I
am trying to screw them. They say it was sealed (it WAS shrink wrapped),
and they never re-seal. I ended up having to come back the next day for
the so-called manager. We eventually looked at other boxes, and noticed
that they had the Voodoo logo on the shrinkwrap. Mine didn't. They opened
up that box, and it was good. They finally let me exchange it.

I would guess somebody bought the card, swapped cards, then returned the
box, lying that it didn't work/was bad,etc.. BB just rewrapped it and put
it on the shelf. It's also possible somebody somewhere along the supply
chain wharehouses did it, too.