GTOs sold as GTs

[Thorsson]

Given that Scan don't appear to want to respond to my message left on their website, I shall raise this matter again here.

On December 9th I ordered a bunch of stuff from Scan, which included an MSI OEM 6800GT. I emailed Scan to check that this was a genuine GT and they assured me that it was. Due to other difficulties, I finally got the card on December 30th.

A few days later I noticed an article somewhere about GTO cards (a GTO is more an OC'd 6800 than it is a GT) and how they were being sold as GTs. On checking my card with Rivatuner I found that my card was one of these. I've now seen that several people on these forums discovered this earlier and RMA'd their cards.

By now Scan were obviously aware of this and had changed their website. However they did not contact their customers and advise them that they had bought a sheep in wolf's clothing.

IMO others have let Scan off the hook. If I order a GT, get an invoice that says it's a GT and pay for a GT I should damn well get a GT. Now if Scan had been upfront about this and contacted me, I'd have probably let them RMA it. But if they want to try getting away with leaving customers with the wrong card, then I am going to enforce my contract.

At the moment I'm pissed, but not mad. You don't want me mad, Scan.

[javalord]

Fyi, Dell had similar issues. But they should RMA this on false advertising. Call trading standards?

[TiG]

have you tried phoning them?. I've seen the same problem with a 256bit 9800pro Radeon, what turned up was a 128bit. A simple phone call and i had a replacement within 2 days.

TiG

EDIT: Yes memory bus.

[shiato storm]

is that the 128bit bus you're talking about there Tig?

[Thorsson]

Fyi, Dell had similar issues. But they should RMA this on false advertising. Call trading standards?

have you tried phoning them?. I've seen the same problem with a 256bit 9800pro Radeon, what turned up was a 128bit. A simple phone call and i had a replacement within 2 days. TiG

RMA isn't the issue, I could probably get that by phoning after going through the usual hassle. But that just leaves me with an expensive pile of bits until I can get a replacement card. Scan don't have any actual GTs in stock either. Now if Scan had advertised this as what it was originally I could have got a retail GT from lowestonweb for only £10 more than this card (which was completely barebones, not even a driver disk), but they've sold out now (and the ones due in on the 30th at the same price are OEM...).

I could go to trading standards, I could go to a small claims court, but I probably will try one of the PC Mags services (shark fishing as one of them calls it). A nice dose of negative publicity usually works wonders. Scan will have to decide if they're feeling lucky.

[Rys]

I'm sure Scan will do a swap for you, dropping off a GT and having the courier take the GTO, leaving you without a graphics card for only a short amount of time. I can't see the logic in getting a mag involved, prolonging your time without the correct product, since you'll have a replacement sooner if you contact Scan. Sounds like going after Scan for the sake of it, rather than getting on the phone and getting it sorted asap, as normal.

Rys

[Thorsson]

I'm sure Scan will do a swap for you, dropping off a GT and having the courier take the GTO, leaving you without a graphics card for only a short amount of time. I can't see the logic in getting a mag involved, prolonging your time without the correct product, since you'll have a replacement sooner if you contact Scan. Sounds like going after Scan for the sake of it, rather than getting on the phone and getting it sorted asap, as normal.Rys

Not at all. I've used their website and I will phone them before going down the mag route. Before that though I'm trying to gee them up here. The mag/trading standards/court routes are those of last resort.

As to why I used the web first, there are two good reasons - less hassle and less chance of misunderstandings occurring.

[TiG]

Thorsson, web and e-mail etc is all well and good but speaking to a human who can do something about it means there is no delay, they can sort a courier out and get the product resolved.

Issues like this happen in all businesses, you buy hundreds of lines as products, label them up on the web site and sell them. I'm certain through my similar experience that it was a pure accident and that no harm was meant.

Just phone them, explain and get them to get a courier out to you to pick up your current card and deliver the new one.

In my experience kicking up more fuss than necessarily will only hurt yourself, and make resolution to your card problem take longer.

TiG

[Thorsson]

I'm sure that this was a genuine mistake, but I'm also sure that Scan ought to have admitted it to all those who bought the card, rather than waiting for individuals to contact them. The implication must be that they are hoping that some people wouldn't notice.

And as I said they don't have the correct card in stock at the moment (actually non-one does), so I cannot get anywhere I want to be quickly. In normal circumstances getting on the phone would have been my first resort.

I cannot agree with you about kicking up a fuss though. In my (probably considerably greater) experience, kicking up a fuss is often the only thing that will get you what you ought to get. I would agree that you can go OTT, but I don't think that I'm doing that.

[TiG]

Getting abusive is without doubt counter productive, it puts people on the defensive and makes things worse. Comments like in my probably considerably greater experience just makes me laugh.

Best of luck Thorsson

TiG

[Thorsson]

Comments like in my probably considerably greater experience just makes me laugh. TiG

I was just saying that I'm old.

[wesleyaldred]

Thorsson

Please contact Scan on 0870 755 4747 ask for Wesley Aldred, I have a resolution for you.

Wesley