Something completely different - Component return rates.

[Domestic_Ginger]

components-returns-rates

Interesting article from BE Hardware; based on details from a French retailer. First time I have seen something like this. The 12.3% return rate on the 4870x2 is a bit alarming! unfortunately nothin gon XFX sock either.

[kalniel]

They don't give any reason for returns that I can see. So people returning a top of the line graphics card just after it's no longer top of the line would be picked up just as significantly as a broken part.

[Phage]

...nothin gon XFX sock either.

Pardon ?
nothing on XFX stock ?

[Domestic_Ginger]

Didn't really work. I was trying to write "They do not seem to stock any computer components manufactured by XFX" something else involving laundry must have entered my hand's little minds at the same time.

[wilsonian]

Working at as a returns supervisor for 4 years for a well known on-line retailer I saw alot of examples of customer claiming a product was faulty just a few days after that product was removed from stock. At the time we just replaced for the nearest product however we started sending them back to the supplier and making the customer wait (think it was up to 28 days) which didn't go well with certain people.

Another example is I saw loads of barton 2500 CPU's being returned - does that mean the product is not that good or just it's been over clocked and failed? You have to take these kinda things into account.

[Pob255]

personally speaking from the user end, most hardware is ether DOA or fails after 1year (generally around 3rd to 4th year) or it just keeps going and never seems to want to die.

[GT-R]

personally speaking from the user end, most hardware is ether DOA or fails after 1year (generally around 3rd to 4th year) or it just keeps going and never seems to want to die.

That's is very true.

I've had several DOA graphics cards, a hard drive die after about 2.5 years (under seagate warranty) and one stick of laptop memory after don't know how long because it was a used part when i got it. And still got some 5 or 6 year old hardware running fine!

[Funkstar]

personally speaking from the user end, most hardware is ether DOA or fails after 1year (generally around 3rd to 4th year) or it just keeps going and never seems to want to die.

It's more than just your experience, this is a recognised failure pattern
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_curve

[Pob255]

Another Observation of mine.

Almost all of the 2-4 year old failiers I've seen have been on laptops.
Screens and motherboards, granted a big chunk of these was on a single batch of dell laptops, out of 18, everone had had it's screen replaced and 3 had had motherboard replacements and 1 hard drive replacement within their 3 year extended warranty period.
Also had 6 partial hinge brackets failiers, a section snaps leaving the lid feeling a bit lose and wobbly when open. These where not fixed under warranty as dell declared it ware and tare so not covered and they don't sell the brackets seperately so you have to buy a whole lid replacement which they wanted something like £200 for.

I have since found a place where I can get replacement brackets from, at £6 a go.