Was your DFI motherboard damaged when you got it? Read!

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bonesdad

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Feb 26, 2005
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quote:

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Originally posted by: Tyson95
I've had my Ultra-D for about a week now and haven't really been able to do much with it. The first problem is when I opened the box to find the onboard power and reset switches smashed, all of the pins for the hdd leds and power switches bent forward and the 8 channel audio connector cracked. This is all courtesy of ZipZoomFly I know of at least 1 other person who's board arrived in this condition. I thought at first it happened during shipping but the box it arrived in was in great shape and the board was well packaged. I have since tried to RMA it but according to ZZF's policy they will not take back any physically damaged items. Problem #2 my OCZ3200EL Rev2 will not work in this board whatsoever I found out on the DFI forum that any board shipped with the Bios dated 1-25 will need to flash to the 2-1 bios. There are some more things that I'll post later.
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Anyone else with this exact pattern of damage? My board arrived from Monarch yesterday and guess what? The EZTouch switches were smashed...little other visible damage, but I know why it was damaged and it wasn't ZZF's or Monarch's fault. The board is poorly packed.

The Karajan Audio module is packed ABOVE the board with the module itself protruding over the board, WITH NO PACKING BETWEEN, right above the EZTouch switches. I have to imagine it happens fairly often. It would not take much force to cause damage, only movement inside the box.

PLEASE respond if you see similar damage on your board, no matter how slight.

Monarch graciously accepted my RMA, but is trying to make me pay shipping. I refuse to do so since this is a manufacturer packing fault. Tyson95 doesn't even get to RMA his board, but the damage is NOT HIS FAULT NOR IS IT ZZF's.
 
DFI would accept an RMA for a technical defect but I seriously doubt they are gonna except it for a physically damaged product. Both the reatailers and manufacturer will very likely claim shipping damage which neither of them are responsible for.
 
If this is a pattern that multiple people can prove exist... I would bet DFI would RMA it. Especially if you show them how it was improperly packed.
 
I had this exact problem! I was going to RMA it to ZZF today. I am extremely upset that I will end up paying even more to get a board that is intact. Neither DFI or ZZF offered to reimburse the shipping costs to Fedex it back to them. What a pain...

If this is a problem with DFI packaging, however, I may not want to RMA because there is a good chance I will receive another borken one. Think I should hold onto it until DFI acknowledges the problem?
 
I would do 2 things:

1) Contact DFI and keep going up the chain until you get the answer you are looking for. Be extremely polite and expect it to take a while.

2) Create another thread specific to this problem. (DFI EZ Touch Switches Smashed) or something to that effect. Put a thread like that in every forum you can find. Try to get an estimate of how many people this has happened to. If the number is large enough, you will have better leverage to get what you want, and if necessary, begin a class action suit against the resposible party.

Be patient. These things take time, so expect to get frustrated a few times.
 
orkan said:
If this is a pattern that multiple people can prove exist... I would bet DFI would RMA it. Especially if you show them how it was improperly packed.
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I can prove it was improperly packed. When you opened your board, the audio module is suspended over the motherboard in a hole through a cardboard cover. The module rests directly over the eztouch switches and power/led pins. I have photos of this and in one day I have found a total of 6 people that have damage exactly like mine was damaged, from 3 different etailers (Newegg, ZZF, and Monarch). Look at these:



DFI Ultra D Packing
 
bonesdad said:
I can prove it was improperly packed. When you opened your board, the audio module is suspended over the motherboard in a hole through a cardboard cover. The module rests directly over the eztouch switches and power/led pins. I have photos of this and in one day I have found a total of 6 people that have damage exactly like mine was damaged, from 3 different etailers (Newegg, ZZF, and Monarch). Look at these:



DFI Ultra D Packing
Click to expand...

Sounds like a valid complaint. I only commented because I almost ordered the exact same board but ended up going with SOLTEK. I'm glad I did now.

Sorry that happened to you all, sucks such a good board is packed so poorly and without any thought.
 
blink182prj said:
I had this exact problem! I was going to RMA it to ZZF today. I am extremely upset that I will end up paying even more to get a board that is intact. Neither DFI or ZZF offered to reimburse the shipping costs to Fedex it back to them. What a pain...

If this is a problem with DFI packaging, however, I may not want to RMA because there is a good chance I will receive another borken one. Think I should hold onto it until DFI acknowledges the problem?
Click to expand...


Others with this same problem who bought theirs from ZZF say that ZZF will NOT accept an RMA! This IS a packing issue from DFI. You are the 8th person I have found with this exact problem in just over a day. I have photos of my board as it was packed in the box...here

I am holding onto my board for now too...I have to have a long discussion with DFI and Monarch. I refuse to pay to ship this damage board back. It wasn't my fault, and yours wasn't your fault.
 
orkan said:
I would do 2 things:

1) Contact DFI and keep going up the chain until you get the answer you are looking for. Be extremely polite and expect it to take a while.

2) Create another thread specific to this problem. (DFI EZ Touch Switches Smashed) or something to that effect. Put a thread like that in every forum you can find. Try to get an estimate of how many people this has happened to. If the number is large enough, you will have better leverage to get what you want, and if necessary, begin a class action suit against the resposible party.

Be patient. These things take time, so expect to get frustrated a few times.
Click to expand...


Thanks...I have threads here, at Anandtech, DFI-street.com, Tom's Hardware and AMDMB.com. I know this is a problem, Monarch is cross shipping a new mobo for me, in a weird way, I hope it's damaged so I get more proof!
 
I just got an ultra D from ZZF, it was not damaged, thankfully, because the packing was a joke. Its way to cramped. I took everything out to inspect it (no sli bridge :( ) and couldn't get everything back in the way they had it because i just felt like i was going to crush the motherboard. Just a stupid mistake on DFI's part, but the board rocks!
 
MrMitch said:
I just got an ultra D from ZZF, it was not damaged, thankfully, because the packing was a joke. Its way to cramped. I took everything out to inspect it (no sli bridge :( ) and couldn't get everything back in the way they had it because i just felt like i was going to crush the motherboard. Just a stupid mistake on DFI's part, but the board rocks!
Click to expand...

Why would a non-SLI board ship with an SLI bridge?
 
bonesdad said:
Others with this same problem who bought theirs from ZZF say that ZZF will NOT accept an RMA! This IS a packing issue from DFI. You are the 8th person I have found with this exact problem in just over a day. I have photos of my board as it was packed in the box...here

I am holding onto my board for now too...I have to have a long discussion with DFI and Monarch. I refuse to pay to ship this damage board back. It wasn't my fault, and yours wasn't your fault.
Click to expand...

Well, I got an RMA number and they are awaiting my package. So, I guess I got a nice rep to give me the RMA number. Sounds like I'll hold on to mine though. The board still works with the damaged power/reset switches right as long as the two metal pins aren't shorted? I haven't tested it yet and can't until tomorrow.
 
You guys should of ordered from Newegg like i did. My board wasn't damaged but my motherboard manual was crumpled up and i thought i was suppost to get a CMOS reloaded manual since it was in the pics for the Ultra-D on Newegg (found out later through a review that this manual only comes with the SLI board lol) so i e-mailed Newegg and they just shipped out new manuals to me :).

But i agree, DFI did a crappy job of packaging the Ultra-D.
 
burningrave101 said:
You guys should of ordered from Newegg like i did. My board wasn't damaged but my motherboard manual was crumpled up and i thought i was suppost to get a CMOS reloaded manual since it was in the pics for the Ultra-D on Newegg (found out later through a review that this manual only comes with the SLI board lol) so i e-mailed Newegg and they just shipped out new manuals to me :).

But i agree, DFI did a crappy job of packaging the Ultra-D.
Click to expand...


Monarch will do an RMA for me, and another guy was getting an RMA from ZZF, but I also have 2 ppl that ordered from newegg with the same damage. The problem is not whether they will RMA, its that the board is damaged at all, its not right.
 
bonesdad said:
Monarch will do an RMA for me, and another guy was getting an RMA from ZZF, but I also have 2 ppl that ordered from newegg with the same damage. The problem is not whether they will RMA, its that the board is damaged at all, its not right.
Click to expand...

Thing is though, i can RMA through Newegg for up to a year or more. ZZF only allows like 15 days i think.
 
burningrave101 said:
Thing is though, i can RMA through Newegg for up to a year or more. ZZF only allows like 15 days i think.
Click to expand...

I don't see how that should matter here, seeing how you should have noticed the damage the day you got the package.
 
Bonesdad, does your mobo still work with the switches broken? I just get 4 red lights in the Debug LEDs, indicatiing it does not detect my processor. I mean, I get power to the board (all the yellow LEDs light up and and the HSF, NBF, and video card fan spin up) but the board won't POST. As an aside, the board makes a squeaking noise when I push down the lever when I insert the processor. Is this a bad sign or do most mobos do that?
 
I've heard about this same issue on other forums and its got me deeply concerned because I also ordered the Ultra-D from ZZF which should be here on Wednesday.

I'd order it from Newegg instead but it sounds like the problem isnt just isolated to ZZF, its with several retailors.

oh well, I guess I'll hope for the best when my board comes.
 
blink182prj said:
Bonesdad, does your mobo still work with the switches broken? I just get 4 red lights in the Debug LEDs, indicatiing it does not detect my processor. I mean, I get power to the board (all the yellow LEDs light up and and the HSF, NBF, and video card fan spin up) but the board won't POST. As an aside, the board makes a squeaking noise when I push down the lever when I insert the processor. Is this a bad sign or do most mobos do that?
Click to expand...

I didn't even try the board, I didn't want to give them the opportunity to say "you must have done it while installing". Once I took my photos, I slipped the board back into the box. It may have worked, but who knows? I wasn't about to chance my brand new A64 on an iffy board.
 
ozziegn said:
I've heard about this same issue on other forums and its got me deeply concerned because I also ordered the Ultra-D from ZZF which should be here on Wednesday.

I'd order it from Newegg instead but it sounds like the problem isnt just isolated to ZZF, its with several retailors.

oh well, I guess I'll hope for the best when my board comes.
Click to expand...

Nope, retailer does not matter. This has nothing to do with them. The problem is in the packaging at the source, wherever that is. Your board may be fine, just a matter of luck I should say. So far, 9 people have come to me telling me of damage in the same area of the board. Too many for a coincedence. If it was shipping damage, it would not be confined to that one corner.

BTW, you saw it on other forums cuz I posted it there!!! :D
 
Total of 10 people found in less than a week with nearly identical damage to mobo. Haven't heard from DFI yet.
 
I just paid $10 to ship it to DFI for an RMA. If you find out anything about DFI refunding shipping for the bad packaging, let me know so I can request a refund for what I was billed!
 
blink182prj said:
I just paid $10 to ship it to DFI for an RMA. If you find out anything about DFI refunding shipping for the bad packaging, let me know so I can request a refund for what I was billed!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why I haven't shipped the broken one back yet. Monarch cross shipped a new one to me, should be here today. Hopefully DFI or Monarch will pick up the bill to ship the bad one back (assuming the new one isn't broken too).
 
OK, now I'm pissed off.

I got my "new" board from Monarch today. I'm almost positive it is a refurbished or repackaged board from Monarch. Two reasons for believing this:

1. The only thing in the box was the motherboard and the audio module. There were no manuals, no driver disks, no sata OR IDE cables, no backplate, no screws NOTHING!

2. The audio module had been handled before. There are fingerprints all over it and some kind of gunk near the jacks.

3. I can't prove it anymore, but I'm pretty sure the antistatic bag around the mobo had been opened before. It came open really easily.

I'm ready to go Intel after this fiasco!!! Last time I buy from Monarch.
 
I got mine the other day and thank God nothing was damaged. I was really worried about it during the entire time because of so many people reporting in on how their switches were damaged. mine came from ZZF...

DFI_ultra2_small.jpg
 
Finally I'm getting somewhere, thanks in whole to Monarch Computers. I got a call today from one of their managers. They will accept shipping charges for both of the motherboards I have AND will have a new one (tested) delivered to me on Saturday!

HUGE KUDOS to this company for responding like professionals to a customer's dissatisfaction. I want to stress that the problem with the first board was NOT Monarch's fault, but they are treating it as their problem,which is what a great company would do. They will have to deal directly with the manufacturer about the poor packaging the manufacturer has.

I expect to get my new board tomorrow, then (God willing), I will finally be able to build my PC.

Still haven't heard from DFI about any steps they plan to take to make the packaging problems right. Unfortunately, the damage is reflecting poorly on the resellers like Monarch, Newegg, ZZF and others.
 
The only problem i had was that the capacitor next to the 12v 4-pin connector was bent and i was unstable untill i bent it bac, now im at 275 fsb and my processor is at 3.0, and i havent looked back!
 
got one yesturday, worked like a champ, no damage. Have another coming in wednesday, ill report back then. Both from newegg.
 
Possible to sticky this thread? People still getting damaged boards...from all etailers. Go to DFI-STreet.com for some further instructions.
 
blink182prj said:
Bonesdad, does your mobo still work with the switches broken? I just get 4 red lights in the Debug LEDs, indicatiing it does not detect my processor. I mean, I get power to the board (all the yellow LEDs light up and and the HSF, NBF, and video card fan spin up) but the board won't POST. As an aside, the board makes a squeaking noise when I push down the lever when I insert the processor. Is this a bad sign or do most mobos do that?
Click to expand...

Yes, My board is also damaged too,just like yours. Even the same squeak. I have a FedEx claim for a damaged board and Newegg is refunding my money once the claim is processed.

I fired mine up after straightening the bent pins where the switches were and wiggled all the caps. Nothing at all happened. So I picked the board up and flexed it a small amount bowing it in the area it was damaged trying to reverse the damage. Nothing for the first few trys, but now it boots and runs fine it seems.

Yes I bent the board backwards a little with slight force and now it works. Try it you might get lucky.

Can't wait for my refund to buy a known non defective one.
 
ozziegn said:
I got mine the other day and thank God nothing was damaged. I was really worried about it during the entire time because of so many people reporting in on how their switches were damaged. mine came from ZZF...
Click to expand...

Off topic question, but what camera did you use this for?
 
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