Tension has been high between Asus and its customers in recent months following a wave of complaints over its RMA (return merchandise authorization) process which has left many unhappy. Now, Gamers Nexus has managed to get some answers following a face-to-face discussion with the company, but the Asus RMA process still has plenty of work to be done.
Asus‘ issues with returns and repairs go deep. We covered the obscene graphics card repair bill it sent out to a customer just last month, and its response to a hardware flaw in the ROG Ally has also left a bad taste in people’s mouths.
However, during his time at the Computex trade show in Taiwan, Steve Burke of Gamers Nexus managed to meet with Asus, who were admirably willing to talk – a move few would expect given the circumstances. During the tense discussion, Burke repeatedly chased straight answers to straight questions and wasn’t always successful in obtaining them.
The above video is a frustrating and cringe-inducing watch at times, but it was needed to try to help Asus repair some of the damage caused by the recent failings found in its RMA process.
As a result of the meeting, Asus is committing to changing the way warranty claims are handled in the United States, with a separate line of communication being set up for RMAs where the customer feels their service has been below expectations.
It’s also expected that Asus will formally address the SD card overheating issue in the ROG Ally, something that has been acknowledged, but never directly spoken about to this point. It will be very interesting to see what comes of the discussion given the ROG Ally X release is imminent and Asus will want to ensure customer trust is restored.
Ultimately, until tangible actions are taken, everything Asus is saying must be taken with a pinch of salt. Should it fail to come through on its promises after this open discussion has taken place, it may find that trust dissipates entirely and this then impacts on sales. Asus’ immediate proposed changes have been published on the Gamers Nexus website.
For a closer look as Asus’ next gaming handheld, check out our ROG Ally X hands-on preview ROG Ally X from the show floor at Computex 2024.