Problems Dealing with BFG tech support, anyone else?

S

Some Llama

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 6, 2001
Messages
379
Hello,

So I bought one of the BFG 6800 OCs when they first came out (300+bucks) and really liked it's stability and preformance, so much so, when i saw a deal for the same card for 200 dollars I jumped at it since I was building a new box for my kids....

Unfortunately out of the box I had graphic anomolies and stability issues, at first i wrote it up to drivers and possibly the power supply.. but as I installed all of the newer drivers, tweaked settings and so on I still had problems, I even installed a new power supply which didn't fix the problem.

I then took the new card and put it my box (with the first 6800 i had bought) since this would be a great way to prove if the card was in fact to blame... sure enough the problems followed this new card and my previously rock stable box had the same exact problems the other box had... I called BFG and arranged to RMA the card...

Here is where the dissapointment starts...

I sent the card in using Fed Ex (for the tracking number) like they told me to, the customer service rep said 24-48 hours after they got the card they would ship out the fixed card or a replacement, sounded great, he said I should also get an email stating it had shipped.

Well the card was delivered on the 24th of june.. more than a week after this I hadn't heard anything from BFG.. hmmm, so I call up tech support.. right before the 4th of july weekend, but i was told, because the shipping dept got off early they couldn't confirm any RMA details, but "it should have shipped out already".

Ok so another week goes by, I call back and it seems that my last call wasn't even recorded, I relate all of the information and give them my Fed Ex tracking number so they can see when it was received.. I was assured I would hear something back after this was passed along to a supervisor.. nope, another week goes by.

This is now more than 3 weeks after they had received the defective (out of the box) card and I call again, this time someone did something right because a "new" card was shipped out to me the next day.. I just received the new card monday and I was finally ready to put it in the new box that had been sitting idle for more than a month now.

Guess what? This "new card" is DEAD!!! it won't even show the BIOS post, i tried it in 2 different systems (which normally work fine with no problems), one of them just beeps at me when the card is inside.

SO I email BFG immediately and 2 days now and I haven't even gotten a response yet...

I guess i will also have to call ?!!?!

WTF is going on with BFG?!!? has anyone else had any experiences like this with them?

I specifically bought BFG because of their return policy and good things I had heard from people on this and other forums, has something changed?

I'm about at my wits end.....

:mad: :mad: :mad:
 
This is definitely the first time I've heard someone this upset with BFG Tech support. I own a 6800 Ultra OC myself, and returned to BFG to purchase dual 7800 GTX's, because their customer service has been awesome with me in the past. But I have had no experience with their RMA department.

I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but these phone tech guys are human, and are probably working like crazy because of the 7800 product launch and the hoard of calls they have received for it.

If I was you, I would call them up, ask to speak directly with a supervisor, and let him know about your problem. For now on (if it relates to this issue), I would go directly to a supervisor. Sorry you have been experiencing problems like this, it is always a real pain...
 
I guess i will also have to call ?!!?!
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you really need someone to tell you that? of course you should and most likely you will get helped faster.
 
Sorry to hear about your problems man!

I've worked customer service and know how every now and then people can slip through the cracks and have similar experiences to yours... this is the third post here complaining about BFG's support in the last couple of months. Everyone wants to believe that BFG is the best ever period no question, some people go as far as to flame people who have bad experiences.

Reading peoples' horror stories here and there worries me sometimes... but then I read about BFG upgrading other peoples' dead 5900s to 6800s and they sound awesome again. I really do think BFG does the best they can with the resources they have.

Bottom line is, nobody's perfect. Every company is going to make mistakes, especially when their (American) support workers are overstretched. I've called BFG's support many times and they have always helped me.

I'm sure if you call again and relate your story to a manager, they will make things very right very fast. Don't give up just yet!
 
I also have heard lots of good things about BFG like I stated before, but I wanted to make sure that people know both sides of the story, I mean I work in customer support, I know that things happen, things get over looked, etc.. the only reason I am posting is because it has gotten this far...

LiquidX - thanks for your help, I had been conversing via email directly with a tech support rep during the last week when I was awaiting the video card and every email got a prompt response, so to be ignored suddenly after getting a dead card (after all of the other hassle) seemed shocking... so my statement was more of disbelief than of "is this what i should do"?
:)

Welp I will be calling them tomorrow and we'll see what happens (i'll ask to talk to a supervisor too).

-Llama
 
BFG has been great to me, they sent me a brand new 6800GT in replacement for a dead 5900U. took a week or so as well, very fast.
 
Some Llama said:
Welp I will be calling them tomorrow and we'll see what happens (i'll ask to talk to a supervisor too).

-Llama
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Well unlike many others who have posted their problems, you didn't feel the need to call them the worst bunch of idiots ever. That will get you much further! Calling and asking for a supervisor is definitley warrented, and I would definitley expect them to take care of the issue very promptly. Sometimes when things happen around holidays, people can get a bit lax, and let something sit on accident. Once it's there and out of the normal loop, it tends to follow one of the laws of physics: objects at rest, tend to stay at rest.

Let us all know what happens, and thank you for not flaming a company that has clearly proven that they want to go the extra mile, even at the expense of an extra buck. And that is a very rare thing to find in this bottom line world we live in.


 
Hey Some Llama, mind if I save you a phone call? I truly do apologize for what happened and we’ll try to make it right for you as quickly as possible. I’ve sent you a pm so please respond when you get a chance.
 
Michael Grey said:
Hey Some Llama, mind if I save you a phone call? I truly do apologize for what happened and we’ll try to make it right for you as quickly as possible. I’ve sent you a pm so please respond when you get a chance.
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Damn BFG tech is even in the forums, big thumbs up! This alone is raising BFG's rep for me from great to the very top.
 
This right here is why I want to buy from BFG for my next card. I have never had any problems with a video card ever, but with BFG..all you hear is good things.
 
BFG tech support is the fastest tech support I have ever used, I will only buy BFG.
 
I got a question for you. Did you have to pay shipping to RMA the card to them?

I was going to RMA my card to them but since they were going to make me pay shipping I just returned it to the store where I bought it since I only had the card for two weeks.
 
nobi125 said:
I got a question for you. Did you have to pay shipping to RMA the card to them?

I was going to RMA my card to them but since they were going to make me pay shipping I just returned it to the store where I bought it since I only had the card for two weeks.
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its 5 dollars and you get a brand new card, any time in which you own the card. big deal.

of course if its still under store warranty you do that, but when its not, hey, 5 dollars for a new card, possibly even a better one if the card is old enough. how can you argue with that?
 
Neslepax said:
This is definitely the first time I've heard someone this upset with BFG Tech support. QUOTE]
You must not visit the Video Card forum, cause lately, I've been seeing numerous threads on how horrific the BFG tech support is, which is why I Opt'd to go with the Leadtek 6800GT, I just couldn't trust BFG with all the topics I've been seeing these couple months on how bad BFG tech support is.
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Nope no issues. Easiest RMA ever was with them. For Once I didn't feel like I was on the witness stand.
 
whoami said:
You must not visit the Video Card forum, cause lately, I've been seeing numerous threads on how horrific the BFG tech support is, which is why I Opt'd to go with the Leadtek 6800GT, I just couldn't trust BFG with all the topics I've been seeing these couple months on how bad BFG tech support is.
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I would actually venture a guess that it has more to do with the fact that their wild popularity with enthusiasts, gives them a much higher customer base here, than at other places. Also, for a lot of the other manufacturers, poor warranty support is just par for the course and no one is surprised enough to post when it happens.

 
lithium726 said:
its 5 dollars and you get a brand new card, any time in which you own the card. big deal.

of course if its still under store warranty you do that, but when its not, hey, 5 dollars for a new card, possibly even a better one if the card is old enough. how can you argue with that?
Click to expand...

I don't remember exactly what they were gonna charge me but it wasn't $5. Closer to $20.
 
nobi125 said:
I got a question for you. Did you have to pay shipping to RMA the card to them?

I was going to RMA my card to them but since they were going to make me pay shipping I just returned it to the store where I bought it since I only had the card for two weeks.
Click to expand...

Yah I did pay to ship to them.. in the box when i opened it there was a big green piece of paper that says "DO NOT RETURN THIS CARD TO THE STORE" or something similar, but to use BFG's support line for all problems... plus I bought this at www.outpost.com so either way I would be shipping it..


I have been PM'd by Mike and have PM'd him back so I will definitely put an update when this is resolved or more news develops.... thanks everyone for your comments!!
 
Nims said:
Here's an ouline of the problems i've had:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=931724
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Hmm, sounds a lot like what has happened with me also, especially with the same things they told me about their database and their warehouse.... all within the same timeframe as well...

So I bet this has to do with being a new company and trying to adjust their support infrastructure to be able to handle the load of support requests they are receiving.. not that I am excusing them, but since I work in a small company that is growing fast, and I work in the tech support dept, I can understand what they might be going through...

Overall it seems like they do care, and for the most part are trying to "Do the right thing" when it comes to customer service, but just might be having some hiccups trying to meet the high level of support they have offered... I mean 24x7 lifetime warranty are some big pants to fill...


None the less, i think it is good to post our experiences here, good or bad, so that the community gets a good feel for what they can expect when they buy products from different companies... looking out for each other and all that ;)
 
I met Michael Gray at the AMD show. He seemed like a really nice guy. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get this taken care of.

Rob

P.S: I still have your biz card, we should get together for lunch sometime :)
 
I have just received word that BFG is going to send me a new card via advanced replacement (they will be sending me the new card first, and have arranged to pay for the return of the defective card once I receive the new one).

This is definitely a step in the right direction and kudos to BFG for stepping up to the plate.

As soon as I have the new card I will install it and report back what happens...
*crosses fingers*
 
Hello,

Well I got the new card Friday, when I intially installed the card I saw some disturbing anomolies, but it turned out to be a loose power connector (for the supplemental 4 pin power connector), as I had replaced the power supply earlier and was using a new plug...

Currently everything is working great and I think we have a winner. I will be futzing around with the card and testing it with different programs, but I think the issue is fixed.


Thanks for your posts guys!!

-Llama out
 
Welp, after working with this card in a new system for a week, I have come to the conclusion that this card is a dud also.

The card seemed to work fine, but upon the re-installation of my OS (WinXP) I had some periods of graphics problems that seemed intermittant, the screen would get blotches of corruption that would go away with a reboot or change of the setup screen.

Eventually I got the system completely installed but the problem persisted, I thought it due to drivers and possibly BIOS changes that were needed, so I spent the next few days updating all of my drivers, changing the power configuration in the chassis (to make sure the video card power connector wasn't shared with anything else, and reducing the overall power consumption of the system by removing all connectors from fans and even the CD/DVD drive) and tweaking the BIOS for the most stable settings.

Nothing helped... Frustrated I swapped the new card with an old Geforce 2 from a diff system, with the GF2 the system ran great, no graphics problems, the instability went away etc... I was floored... I put the new card in the system that previously had a GF2 in it and with the new card it wouldn't even boot!!!! Tried the same things as above, to make sure it wasn't a power issue, but nada.. no boot, I would get the beginning POST screen but it would just hang from that point on.

Also this system is an exact match for my main rig which has a working 6800 OC in it, same motherboard, processor, chassis (power supply), etc.. the only difference is that one had a 6800 and the other had an old Geforce2, so it should just work with a 6800 OC.

So this is now 2 replacement cards which are also duds... I am very frustrated, I PMed Michael (the BFG rep) and he said he would get back to me today, but nothing so far...

I wanted to re-post since my last post was incorrect and my mouth kinda jumped the gun, I was just so excited to see the new board post and begin the install that I rushed off to post up, but in hindsight I should have waited....

I'll keep you guys posted...
 
While it sounds like you've been fairly thorough in your testing, there is still some possibility that the card isn't the source of the problem, and may just be a symptom. It could be possible that your main rig is borking the card. If/when you get another card, test it elsewhere before you plug it into yours. I of course, don't know this for sure, but when you're on card #3, it's time to dig deep.

Lots of luck, and best wishes.
 
Geez... Give this Llama a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW card and save the hassle for him! How troublesome.
 
Oldie said:
While it sounds like you've been fairly thorough in your testing, there is still some possibility that the card isn't the source of the problem, and may just be a symptom. It could be possible that your main rig is borking the card. If/when you get another card, test it elsewhere before you plug it into yours. I of course, don't know this for sure, but when you're on card #3, it's time to dig deep.

Lots of luck, and best wishes.
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So if you mean that the Rig is unstable and not the card, then i'd say no, since when I put a geforce 2 in this system it works fine, is prefectly stable, and runs great. (it has been running without a single problem for 4 days now under heavy usage (gaming, file transfers, etc..)

If you are saying that the system might be borking the card when I put it in, I would say it's a possibility and the next card I get I will definitely put it in a diff rig first and put it through it's paces...

although with all of these cards the problem has followed the card no matter which system I put it in (I have 4 systems total, all of which have power supplies whose ratings exceed the specifications for the 6800 and devices inside).


I have been building and working on computers for 7+ years, so when I build a system I get only high quality components and I don't skimp on memory or power specs (which is the main source of headaches) so I feel pretty comfortable saying it's the card esp when i can reproduce the problems on diff systems...

Thanks for the advice tho!
 
So I have been working with Michael Grey over at BFG directly through the PM feature here on the forums, just got this response from Michael:

Michael Grey said:
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you, but it's been a busy day around here. Our tech support will be contacting you soon to setup a no charge overnight advance RMA and we will be upgrading you to a 6800 GT OC AGP for your inconvenience. I can also arrange to have an extra DVI adapter and Y splitter included in your shipment.

(me speaking - I had sent my DVI adapter and y splitter when first sending back my card which was my fault)

Just so you know all cards are tested prior to shipping and it’s unusual that a bad one goes out on an RMA. We’re actively making changes to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Once again, I apologize for your receipt of another bad card and I will do everything in my power to make it right for you. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to ask.
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I must admit all of my dealings with Michael have been straight forward and prompt, he really seems concerned to get this problem resolved ASAP and has taken appropriate steps to do so throughout his involvement.

So I should have the new card within a day or 2 and will post up asap after i get it installed.

Thanks!
-Llama
 
So I got the new card (6800 GT) and installed it in a currently working system, stress tested it all day and no problems.. I then installed the card in the new system I have been building and from the get go (first power on) no problems what-so-ever with this new card... previously I have had problems from rebooting to graphic anomolies through the boot (during post, loading screen, etc...) but this card exhibited nothing of this sort.

I have thoroughly stress tested the card in this new system and I feel confident saying that this issue is finally closed... :) :) :)

Thanks to all who posted and thanks to Mike at BFG for sticking with this until the problem was resolved.

Sincerely,
Llama
 
BFG was very helpful for me, they walked me through some issues that ABIT should have helped me with. They followed up a couple of days later to see how things were working out. They have earned my repeat business.
 
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