Asus Issues Apology Over Criticized Warranty and Return Service

This week, Asus issued an apology for the significant dissatisfaction experienced by users regarding its product warranty and return service. However, the apology might not suffice to fully restore its reputation.

The company’s apology came in the wake of a scathing critique from hardware review outlet Gamers Nexus. In their video titled “Asus Scammed Us,” the outlet accuses Asus of misleading consumers into paying for repairs that should be covered under the PC maker’s warranty policies.

In a specific instance highlighted by Gamers Nexus, they returned an Asus ROG Ally handheld for repair of its thumbstick. Asus then informed them that the repair would not be covered under warranty, citing the damage as “customer-induced.”

Furthermore, Asus disclosed its intention to address a minor dent in the handheld device for an additional $191, despite it not being part of the original repair request. In a subtle implication, Asus hinted that if Gamers Nexus declined to pay, the ROG Ally might be returned in a disassembled state.

In a separate incident last week, a Reddit user shared a similarly negative encounter with Asus. After seeking assistance to rectify a dent in their newly purchased RTX 4090 graphics card, the user purportedly received a repair estimate of $3,728 Canadian dollars, surpassing the original $2,799 purchase price.

In light of these grievances, Asus released a statement acknowledging deficiencies in their return merchandise authorization (RMA) communication process in the US and Canada.

Asus has initiated several measures to enhance its customer repair experience, effective May 16, including a thorough review of any irregular pricing to ensure uniformity.

“We deeply apologize to our customers and the community for any confusion and frustration they might have experienced from this. We have taken your feedback to heart and are committed to making improvements,” it said.

“We want to assure our customers that any repairs covered under the manufacturer’s limited warranty have always been and will continue to be free of charge,” the company added. “It is never the intent of Asus to charge any customers a fee that does not directly address the device malfunctions they are experiencing.”

Nevertheless, the statement continues to incite frustration among certain users, partly due to Asus encountering comparable criticism a year earlier for initially declining to honor product warranties related to the company’s motherboards. Another point of contention arises from Asus’s recent statement, which appears to attribute the issues to communication mishaps, while consumers assert that the PC manufacturer has actively sought methods to invalidate product warranties.