For those who don’t know, Gamers Nexus is one of the pioneer tech reviewing channels on YouTube. They aim for neutral reviews of computer hardware and gaming tech. Gamers Nexus once exposed Linus Tech Tips for inaccurate reviews and bullying smaller startups. This allegation gained worldwide traction and forced Linus Tech Tips to double down and revisit their content strategies. Now, Gamesr Nexus has called out Asus for their horrible warranty services. Read more about how Asus shot their own foot with terrible after-sale service decisions.
Asus Charges Gamers Nexus for Unreported issues.
The controversy begins when Gamers Nexus sends an Asus ROG Alloy for repair due to a faulty left thumbstick. Additionally, Gamers Nexus intentionally omits minor issues from the report to test Asus’s thoroughness. What follows is a sequence of events apparently experienced by many customers who seek service for their products.The standard service expected from Asus is to address the reported issue first and then handle any remaining issues. Ideally, Gamers Nexus expected Asus to prioritize fixing the thumbstick and then communicate about any other hardware issues. Unfortunately, Asus took a different and unethical approach. Instead of checking the left joystick, Asus reported other issues and claimed these were not under warranty. Asus stated there was a dent on the outer case. Since the LCD is attached to the case, they planned to charge $200. If this wasn’t surprising enough, things kept getting worse from a customer’s perspective.
Asus extorting customers?
Instead of a straightforward joystick replacement, Asus put the customer in a tough position. Gamers Nexus was asked to pay $200 first. If they opted not to pay, Asus threatened that they might receive a disassembled ROG Ally. Yes, you read that right. What started as a simple replacement ended up as blackmail. More emails were exchanged between Gamers Nexus and Asus over the course of a week. Finally, a blunt statement from Gamers Nexus stating that all they wanted was a joystick replacement did the trick. Initially, Asus made it look like Gamers Nexus had to pay for service. Fortunately, Gamers Nexus stuck to their guns and gave an apt reply. The YouTube tech giant clearly stated that they sent in the console for a joystick replacement and nothing more. While there was a dent (which was only visible under a microscope), they did not want the cover replaced. Asus finally agreed to the joystick replacement under warranty without any charges.
Many existing Asus customers shared their similar experiences.
As soon as the video went live, customers flooded the comments with similar cases. Asus rejected many laptop warranty claims for unrelated wear and tear. For instance, Asus denied replacing a monitor, claiming a dent in the headphone jack. Hundreds of people are speaking up against the company and their unethical services. In short, many have called out Asus for charging customers in the name of wear and tear. No one expects this from any tech giant. Fixing additional wear and tear on any hardware should be optional. Replacing a whole LCD kit worth $200 and blackmailing customers to pay first doesn’t look good for Asus. The company hasn’t commented on this specific incident, but the team will surely look into it.