Asus RMA and Warranty Guide

[David]

Asus RMA and Warranty Guide

Like any consumer electronics, notebooks are prone to get damaged either by accident or from normal wear and tear which will require repairing. Sometimes manufacture defects are also the reason why end-users need to request an RMA from the manufacture to get the part(s) replaced. This guide is to help Asus notebook users with their RMA process and hopefully give a better understanding of how the RMA process works and what to expect. The majority of this information will be targeted to US residents, but I'll try make an effort to address Asus users in other countries as well.

Things to know/do before proceeding with a RMA

1. Back up all your data. In most cases, Asus will format your hard drive and set it back with a factory image. Even if you know you only need an optical drive replacement, do NOT assume Asus will leave your hard drive alone. Listen to Mama when she tells you it's "better safe than sorry". If you will not be sending your hard drive with your notebook RMA, you may skip this step.

2. In the US, Asus has two repair facilities. One is located in Fremont, California and the other in Jeffersonville, Indiana. When you request a RMA, Asus will assign a RMA number to you. RMA numbers beginning with "USA1" will ship to the Fremont facility while RMA numbers starting with "USA2" will ship to the Indiana facility. It is rumored that Asus technicians in the Indiana facility are not as well-trained as their larger Fremont center. It would be in your interest to request your notebook to be serviced at the Fremont facility when you are filling out your RMA form.

For Canadian residents, all your RMA numbers will start with "CAA1" which directs your RMA to the Markham, Ontario facility. Canada only has one service center and while Canadians are only limited to the one facility, it is often regarded as one of the best and most efficient Asus service centers in the world.

3. Recently, Asus has begun to offer repair services at 19 select authorized service providers in the US and 4 in Canada. These service providers are generally local computer repair stores that has been approved to perform repairs on behalf of Asus. The 19 US stores operate in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin while the 4 Canadian stores are operating amongst British Columbia, Onatrio and Quebec. If you are located near one of these stores, you may wish to have your Asus notebook repaired there instead of sending it in to Asus. No RMA is needed if you intend to have your notebook serviced at these authorized service providers. Simply walk in and talk to a store rep.

Asus Notebook Authorized Service Provider Map

4. Make sure you register your notebook with Asus. This help confirm your date of purchase for warranty purposes and in some models, it also activates your one year accidental damage warranty. To register your notebook, either fill out the warranty card that was accompanied with your notebook or register online by clicking here. You will need to register as a member first before registering your notebook. If you are registering via mail, make sure you send your registration card to the new 800 Corporate Way address and NOT the old 44370 Nobel Drive address. A good portion of warranty cards will have the 44370 Nobel Drive address printed and this is incorrect. Your notebook serial number needed for the registration process can be found in the following three locations;

a) Bottom of the notebook


b) Behind the battery


c) On the packaging box

5. A detailed look at your notebook serial number. The first digit of your serial number denotes the year of production. The second digit, month. The third digit is the product code which should always be "N" as this stands for "notebook". As mentioned, Asus uses the serial number to determine your warranty status, hence, if you do not register your notebook, you may be loosing a few months worth of your warranty. For example, if your notebook was manufactured on Jan. 1st, 2010 and purchased your notebook on March 1st, 2010, you may lose 2 months of warranty if you do not register your notebook. A proof of purchase such as a reseller/retailer invoice and/or credit card receipt should be sufficient to overcome this problem, however not all consumers develop the habit to keep these paperwork after their purchase. In the rare case where the serial number is worn off from the bottom of your notebook and you have never registered your notebook, Asus will go with the day the notebook model was first released to determine the status of your warranty. If the serial number sticker is purposely removed, Asus has the power to void your warranty. Bottom line - register your notebook before you forget and avoid risking a few months worth of your warranty.


6. Cross-shipping. If you are certain you know a particular piece of hardware is causing issues, you may be qualified to cross-ship your faulty hardware for a replacement. In this scenario, Asus will request your credit card information for security purposes. Once your information is provided to Asus, they will ship you the replacement part. Upon receiving the part in the mail, make sure you ship the faulty item back to Asus to avoid any charges to your credit card. Note that not all hardware parts are qualified for cross-shipping. From experience, I know keyboards are able to be cross-shipped, but larger ticket items such as the LCD screen or GPU will require you to ship your entire notebook to an Asus service center or dropped off at an authorized service provider. Cross-shipping requires you to pay one way shipping.

7. Note that Asus provides free shipping both ways for all RMA notebooks. EeePCs on the other hand, only qualify for free one-way shipping. You will need to pay for shipping your EeePC to Asus while Asus will pick up the cost for the return shipping.

Know Your Warranty

All Asus notebooks sold worldwide carries either a 1 or 2 year standard limited hardware global warranty with the exception of the V1S/V2S and Lamborghini VX5 - these come standard with a 3 year global warranty*. Most Asus notebooks sold in the US and Canada even comes with a 1 year accidental damage warranty (ADW) which is activated upon your notebook registration which must be filled out and submitted within 60 days of purchase (do not confuse the registration as a means of extending your 1 year ADW by another year). The limited hardware warranty covers all internal hardware components as well as the AC power adapter. The primary battery is covered for only 1 year regardless of a 2 year limited hardware warranty or an extended warranty purchase. The ADW covers the same hardware mentioned in the limited hardware warranty but will also cover damages caused by unexpected power surges, fire, drops, and liquid spills. ADW and servicing is offered only in North America.

* Apparently, Asus call centers in North America are not always aware about the 3 year warranty on the V1S/V2S and Lamborghini VX5 notebooks. If you are brushed away by Asus, try calling your Asus reseller and have them contact Asus headquarters to setup an RMA on your behalf (thanks to Ken at GenTechPC for providing this information.)

For EeePCs, the standard 1 year limited hardware applies. EeePC batteries and accessories are only covered for 6 months. The limited hardware warranty is only valid at your local/regional place of purchase, ie not global, except for limited special models. No ADW is offered on EeePCs.

A Zero bright dot guaranty also applies to most Asus notebooks sold in the US and Canada. If your notebook LCD display shows even a single bright dot within 30 days of purchase, Asus will replace your notebook's screen at their cost. This screen warranty does not apply to EeePCs.

In the US, extended warranties are available for both notebooks and EeePCs. For notebooks, most resellers will offer the option to extend your standard warranty by one additional year of either North America warranty ($89 USD) or Global warranty ($119) of your choice. For EeePCs, you will need to contact Asus directly for the extended warranty option at EeePCwarranty@asus.com. Notebook extended warranties must be purchased and registered within 90 days of your notebook original purchase date while EeePC extended warranties must be purchased and registered within 30 days of your netbook purchase date.

If you plan on purchasing an Asus refurbished notebook, note that Asus only provides 3 months limited hardware warranty. This warranty length is extremely lacking when compared to the industry standard of 1 year. Although refurbished systems are generally safe to purchase, the fact that Asus offers such a limited warranty would make an Asus refurb purchase a gamble. Unless you are planning to do significant modifications that would void your manufacture warranty, the average consumer should look at purchasing a 3rd party warranty policy such as SquareTrade.

Asus notebooks sold at brick and mortar retail stores such as Best Buy and MicroCenter are subjected to a different set of warranty terms. It should be noted that Asus notebooks sold at these retail channels are not global limited hardware warranties, do not carry the accidental damage warranty, and are not eligible for the extended warranty from Asus. Any warranty extensions must be from Best Buy's in-house warranty. With that said, there have been a few cases reported on the forum where Asus notebooks purchased from Best Buy was able to and successfully be repaired at an overseas Asus service center. However, this may just be a fluke and one should not consider this as the norm.

Asus RMA Process

If you are like most of us who do not live near an authorized service provider, you'll need to send your notebook to one of Asus's repair centers.

1. Start by filling out the necessary information in this link:
RMA Submittal Form(USA and Canada Customers ONLY)

Make sure you correctly enter your notebook serial number as any incorrect and/or invalid serial number can cause processing delays.

2. Once your RMA request is submitted, you should receive two e-mails from Asus within 1-2 business days. One e-mail entails specific instructions on how to RMA your notebooks. Along with this e-mail you should find an attachment of a RMA COMPONENTS CHECK LIST.doc file. The second e-mail is a notice that a Fedex shipping label was created for you. The FedEx shipping label can be found attached to this e-mail in a PDF file. You will need to fill out the RMA components check list and the FedEx shipping label. Include the RMA components check list inside the package with your notebook. Do not attach the shipping label to the package. You will need to drop it off at an authorized FedEx store. Your shipping label should give you 3 FedEx locations nearest you for your convenience.

E-mail reply from Asus:

*********PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL********** Dear Valued ASUS Customer, Your RMA Number is USA1123456 ; with this number you can check status of your RMA. If you have a login password for windows, please make sure to provide the password. Our technicians will need this for testing purposes. Please follow these instructions when shipping your notebook to ASUS: 1. Please make sure that the RMA number is written on the outer portion of the box, otherwise the package will not be accepted and returned back to you. 2. Please write a detailed description of the problem(s) (preferably typed) and include it with the notebook. 3. Please fill out the attached form to confirm the included components on the notebook (CPU, memory, HDD, etc...) This form is used by our technicians to verify that the notebook has arrived with all the appropriate components. Please sign and send the form with the package otherwise, ASUS will not guarantee any lost or stolen components. 4. Please back up all data from your hard drive. Please be informed that we will not save any data from your previous notebook. 5. Please address and send the package to: ASUS Computer International Attn: RMA Department – RMA #USA1__________ 800 Corporate Way Fremont, CA 94539 PLEASE BE INFORMED THIS RMA # IS VALID FOR 30 DAYS. ALL PACKAGES RECEIVED WITH AN EXPIRED RMA # WILL BE REJECTED BY OUR RECEIVING DEPARTMENT. ASUS provides free shipping for our customers. You will receive a FedEx shipping label by email. Please print out the label and take it along with your notebook to any FedEx Kinko’s Express location. Please be informed that this shipping privilege does not include shipping material. Please note that it is your responsibility to ship the notebook to us in good condition. Should there be any damages incurred during shipping, ASUS will not be held responsible. Please be sure to pack your notebook properly. For all drop-offs at our facilities by or before 3:00PM, the turnaround time for repairs will be same business day. If you have any further questions, comments, or concerns please do not hesitate to let us know. We will be more than happy to assist you. Once again, thank you for choosing ASUS products and services. Best regards, ASUS Notebook Customer Service Tel: 1 (888) 678-3688 ext 2, ext 2 Fax: (510) 797-2614 Business Hours: MON-FRI, 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM, PST ASUSTeK Computer Inc. :: http://livesupport.asus.com

RMA COMPONENTS CHECK LIST Attachment:

RMA#: _______________________ DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS QTY VERIFY CPU MEMORY HARD DRIVE OPTICAL DRIVE OS WIRELESS ADAPTER SOFTWARE OTHER OPERATING SYSTEM PASSWORD: _______________________________________________ RECOVER OPERATING SYSTEM *ASUS is not responsible for any lost data. Please back up before sending unit in for service. YES ☐ NO ☐ Customers Name: Print: ___________________________________________ Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ___________________________________________ ASUS RMA Repair Technician Name: Print: ___________________________________________ Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ___________________________________________ NOTE: ASUS is not responsible for any of these components being damaged or lost. ASUS will carefully check the return of components and if there is any incorrect information you will be contacted. Please print, sign & send this document with your unit.

Attached FedEx Shipping Label

Preparing Your Shipment

It is recommended that you include only your notebook, AC adapter and battery with your RMA. You most likely won't be needing your AC adapter and battery, so you might as well mail it to Asus along with your notebook just in case Asus finds something wrong with those accessories. You should also note that if you mail your shipment in the original packaging, you will most likely not get that packaging back. If you plan on selling your notebook at a later date, I'd highly recommend you keep the original box and use a generic box to ship your notebook. Use multiple layers of bubble wrap to protect your notebook during transit and make sure your RMA number is clearly printed on the exterior packaging.

RMA Turnaround Time

This is a sticky topic as the turnaround time can vary greatly depending on the location of the Asus repair facility and whether or not the part that needs replacing is in stock. Given the best case scenario where the Fremont, California facility has the part that needs replacing in stock, the usual repair time is 2-4 business days. Add the shipping transit times and you should be looking at a 5-7 day window.

However, not everything can always go smoothly. In cases where the replacement part is out of stock, Asus will need to order the part from Taiwan. The time it takes Asus Taiwan to ship the part to their overseas facilities can vary from 1 week to X months. There is no way to predict when the out-of-stock part will become available again and your best option is to continue calling Asus every few days to check on the status. You may request to escalate your RMA, but this rarely does anything when supply issues are held up in at Asus headquarters in Taiwan.

In Canada, it appears that the repair time is quicker than their neighboring facilities in Fremont and Jeffersonville. Many folks on the forum have noted a 2-3 day time frame. However, this is also subjected to the availability of in-stock parts.

To check your RMA status, please visit the Global Repair Status Inquiry System

Out of Warranty Repairs

Every RMA notebook that is received at Asus's repair facilities goes through an inspection that determines whether or not your notebook has been purposely mishandled. Any physical damage to the interior hardware components are deemed out-of-warranty, regardless of any existing warranty on your notebook. A "void if removed" warranty sticker is also inspected and if technicians find the seal broken, this will also automatically void any existing manufacture warranty.

If you have broken your warranty seal and/or made physical damages on your notebook or EeePC, you should expect an e-mail from Asus stating what parts of the system has been damaged, along with attached pictures of the damaged hardware and an attached credit card form. You will need to provide your credit card information to Asus in order to proceed with the repair. Note that Asus only accepts Visa or Mastercard.

Out of warranty e-mail notification:

Dear Valued Customer, Our technician has examined your notebook serial # XXXXXXXXX and found a physical damaged motherboard and top case. Any physical damage is completely out of warranty. Please find the attached credit card authorization form. As soon as we receive the completed document our technician will replace the part(s). Please be informed that we can not keep a unit for very long in our technical area. If we don’t receive a response from you within the next two (2) business days we will close this case and return your unit to you un-repaired. We’d like to thank you for your kind understanding and we will be waiting for your reply. Thanks and Best Regards, XXXXXXXXX NoteBook Customer Service Phone: 1-888-678-3688. Option 3 Fax: 510-797-2614 To Help Us Better Assist You: http://livesupport.asus.com/

Credit card authorization form attachment:

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL Attn: XXXX 44370 Nobel Drive. · Fremont, CA 94538 · Tel: 510-739-3777 · Fax: 510-797-2614 CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION Dear Customer: It will be kindly of you to provide your credit card information to us in order to process your order rapidly. We accept Visa or Master card only. Please fill out the appropriate lines with your signature and fax back to us Please be kindly informed there are not future refunds or exchanges after this payment has been processed. Type of Credit Card: VISA or Master Cards only Date: ___________ Name of Credit Card Holder: __________________________________________ Credit Card Account Number: _______________________________________ Expiration Date: __________ Bill to Address: _____________________________________________________ Phone Number: _______________ Fax Number: _________________ Products or Services Requested: NB RMA- N-USA1123456 EPC Motherboard US$ 95.00 Top case US$ 30.00 Labor US$ 55.00 TOTAL US$ 180.00 Card Holder Signature: ___________________________________________ Your cooperation is highly appreciated. Best Regards, Asus Computer International

Asus RMA in Other Countries

European Union - Based solely on the information provided by NBR forum members, the efficiency and professionalism varies between each country. So far, this is what's been gathered.

UK - Horrible, Asus contracts 3rd party repair companies who does not seem to care. Often times, a "repaired" notebook is sent back with even more problems.This has been reported by multiple Asus UK owners on NBR.

Luxembourg - Horrible, according to forum member Wishmaker. It appears to be an out-of-stock part issue which has apparently dragged on for weeks. Repairs have constantly came back with new problems.

Netherlands - Average, according to Asus forum moderator, EBE. "so-so during the interaction but with good solutions in the end"

Hungary - Good for notebooks; terrible for EeePCs. Asus contracts 3rd party repair companies; HRP Szerviz Kft for notebooks and Cirma Hungary Kft for EeePCs. Turnaround time was as promised for notebooks while the other repair company servicing EeePCs seem to have under-qualified technicians servicing the Asus netbooks. Efficiency issues seem to be an issue with EeePC RMAs as well. Asus Hungary feedback provided by DRevan.

Germany - Very good, according to forum member Turbogear. RMA turnaround times were in the time frame of 10-15 days. Minor quality check issues did occur, but nothing that couldn't be easily fixed yourself.

In Asia, things seem to be working better.

Hong Kong - Good, from personal experience. Given the small area of HK, Asus HK does not offer shipping services. Instead, you will have to drop your notebook off at their repair center. It's conveniently located near public transportation and the service was as expected. Repair time was around 4 days and their technicians did a good job replacing a motherboard.

Taiwan - Excellent, from personal experience. Like HK, notebooks repairs must be taken to their branch repair centers. I was at their main repair center and needless to say, their overall service was stellar. From the decor filled with limited edition Asus notebooks to the technician's professionalism, everything was what I had come to expect at a company's main facility. The given ETA of 5 business days was over-estimated and my repaired notebook was available for pick-up within 3.

Kazakhstan - Bad turnaround times, according to forum member Tim4. Since Asus does not have their own service centers in Kazakhstan, repairs are performed by Asus resellers such as Pulser and Alser. Parts are ordered from the Asus repair facility in Russia and if parts are out of stock, they in turn order parts from Taiwan. Having to go through a "middleman" undoubtedly lengthens the repair process.

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[Hatshepsut]

Very detailed information. Thanks a lot! =) Although I'm not in US or Canada but at least sort of know what to expect when my future laptop need to be RMA.

[GenTechPC]

Nice work David, helpful as usual. you must spend a lot of time writing the guide and I am sure it'll help many Asus owners.

[David]

Originally Posted by GenTechPC

Nice work David, helpful as usual. you must spend a lot of time writing the guide and I am sure it'll help many Asus owners.

It wasn't too bad Took me about an hour. I had all the information already in my head and the hardest part was actually making the map. I initially wanted to embed the map in the thread, but unfortunately NBR doesn't allow certain codes, so I ended up putting a link instead

I just thought it was be a good idea to make this guide since I've seen quite a few RMA-related threads popping up on the forum. Hopefully this will help clarify some of the confusion.

[Turbogear]

Nice guide indeed.
I think you should ask the moderator to make it sticky.

[Quadzilla]

Yes great work as others have said .... Should be very handy for people not familiar with the process....

[rick07]

Thanks for the guide. It's very informative. By the way, has anybody an experience with a RMA service in Germany? Many thanks for comments.

[Turbogear]

Originally Posted by rick07

Thanks for the guide. It's very informative. By the way, has anybody an experience with a RMA service in Germany? Many thanks for comments.

Yes, so far all my RMA in Germany went quite fast.
So far I had no issue with them with all the RMAs I did with them in the last couple of years.
I received my machines within 10 to 15 days and they were working perfectly.

Except for one time when they forgot to connect the touchpad ribbon cable underneath the keyboard. I fixed it myself within few minutes.

[Tim4]

Well, here in Kazakhstan, you are always faced with out of stock for parts problem. It's normal here, that laptop will stay in service center for 4 weeks. Hope things will get better.

[eugenes]

One addition:

If your reason for RMA does not involve software or HDD, you can send your notebook in without the HDD.