Proving Corrosion/Water Damage Was Not My Fault? - (Gigabyte Aero 15 Laptop)

Lbengosha60 on 13/12/2020 - 20:55
Last edited 14/12/2020 - 04:14 by 1 other user

Hi all,

This is my first time seeking help from this community as I am at my wit's end dealing with this issue. A year ago, I purchased a Gigabyte Aero 15 laptop for work purposes (video and photo editing). In the time I have owned this laptop, it has been back and forth from the manufacturer (Gigabyte) for several problems.

The first being it was lagging when using Photoshop, watching videos and just performance issues, something you would expect to be really good in such a high end laptop. The manufacturer literally just updated some drivers and did some benchmarking (without releasing the results) and sent it back… and when I received it, there was a huge dent in the corner of the laptop. Evidently, someone's dropped it. The performance issues were still there when I went through the laptop with the retailer btw. I complained and the retailer sent the laptop back claiming the technician dropped it. Gigabyte replaced the entire chassis, put in a new keyboard and did some more driver updates etc. My laptop still had some performance issues, but it was so much of a hassle so I didn't bother anymore.

Now…several months ago, I started noticing my laptop was being buggy as hell. I would get BSOD occasionally and sometimes the laptop would restart itself, or the screen would just go black and nothing happens, making me force shut down and restarting. Then a few weeks later, I woke up one day and found that it just wouldn't turn on. I took it to the retail shop, who then sent it back to Gigabyte. I am still within the warranty period as it comes with 2 years warranty so I thought I'd be sweet.

It turns out, Gigabyte said no, we cannot fix the problem because your motherboard has corrosion damage caused by water, and sent me some images of like this one tiny dot of corrosion on the motherboard. They said the oxidise damage is a physical damage not covered in their warranty and that I am liable for the costs to fix the laptop, quoting me $1,920.60. You can imagine how furious and pissed I was. The laptop has never left my room, never had anything spilled onto it or been near water, and it just kills itself and now I have to spend close to $2k to fix it, when I spent $2,900 a year ago for it.

I've been back and forth between myself and the company representative who honestly makes me question their ability to hire staff. In short, they did not want to listen to me and just demand the payment or send back the dead laptop, the latter being what I chose for the time being.

I have gone through the ACCC and Fair Trading with uneventful results. Fair Trading tried to contact Gigabyte however they got ghosted and said that they are unable to help me in this issue and that my next step is the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. I feel that this will be my last attempt and trying to get some kind of money back from such a loss but I have no experience whatsoever in this area. As far as I know, I need evidence to support the fact that this laptop failed as a product and not a product of my own negligence, something that I am unable to really prove at the moment unless I have some sort of expert?

If any one has any past experiences or pearls of wisdoms regarding this, I would really appreciate any help…

TLDR, laptop died after alleged 'water damage' to motherboard and manufacturer refusing repair/refund. ACCC and Fair Trading unsuccessful and attempting to prove otherwise and obtain refund but need help doing this.

Related Stores

gigabyte.com

• 

  Hybroid on 13/12/2020 - 21:02

  +2

  That sounds like a very frustrating experience. Your best bet is to put together all the evidence and timeline of events (incl communications, pictures, e-mails, tracking details to and fro etc.) into a consolidated form and see if you feel you have enough of a leg to stand on to take it to NCAT or similar. It's going to be a difficult 'he said, she said' thing to prove either way. You might finally get some goodwill from manufacturer once lodge a case as they'll want it gone away as quickly as possible.

  • 

    bengosha60 on 13/12/2020 - 21:07

    +1

    I have kept all the communications, receipts, return slips etc. It was furiating to see at one point in our communication that Gigabyte's representative denied dropping the laptop and saying that they replaced the chassis as a gesture of goodwill? It clearly didnt make sense as they wouldnt just replace a chassis that isn't messed up for no reason. But yeah, thank you for your advice, I'm hoping the company can do some goodwill and make it easy for me but the timeline of events kinda makes me doubt that will happen…

    • 

      Hybroid on 13/12/2020 - 21:13

      It may be worth giving them a final written communication to say you are not satisfied with the resolution of the issue and will be proceeding to submit an NCAT case if you do not hear back within 14 days or whatever you deem reasonable. See if that triggers them, and if not, you know what to do.

      • 

        bengosha60 on 13/12/2020 - 21:17

        +1

        Okay that sure sounds like it might elicit something. I will definitely keep this tactic in mind thanks!

    • 

      smashman42 on 14/12/2020 - 05:19

      +2

      The chassis being replaced as a sign of goodwill is because they believe either the courier or the retailer broke it, not you, so they're looking after you with the usual legalese arse coverage to say it isn't an admission of guilt on their part.

      Totally normal, nothing to see here, that email isn't likely to help you at the tribunal for that reason.

      What I find a little sus is the keyboard being replaced, cause if you spill water into a laptop how does it get in? Nine times out of ten through the keyboard.

      Now if the keyboard was already damaged when you and the retailer checked it out then replacing it is normal - hell, it could have even been damaged in a way you couldn't see and replacing it was just them doing a thorough professional job - but that is the only thing in the whole story that even a tiny bit makes it look like something dodgy is going on in my experience (I was a laptop, PC, and server tech for a couple of companies that did warranty work for several OEMs from the late 90s to late 00s)

      It is much, much more likely someone you live with or a co-worker had an accident with some water and cleaned it up and didn't tell you. Unless you work on a boat or at the beach or some other really humid or salty environment, corrosion shouldn't be an issue on something so new.

      You don't work at the beach or on a boat, right?

      BTW, the organisation itself won't be covering anything up and will legit believe you are either lying or someone you know swam it and just didn't tell you - it is really small bickies to them, so why would they go to the effort to screw you over when it is such a bad PR move and just quietly repairing or replacing the machine and not mentioning a spill to you at all is so much easier?

      If there is something dodgy going on, which is a really huge if, it was the individual tech that worked on it that second time that did it (only logical time for it to fit given your story)

      The thing is this only scenario where "the tech did it" is really unlikely cause they'd get caught cause your time is micro-managed on these jobs, so taking 3-4 times as long to cover up the spilt drink would be noticed by their co-workers and boss - not to mention the distinctive behaviour of cleaning the PCBs with that one only does when there has been liquid damage - and the company wouldn't let that slide if they noticed. And the tech would have had to clean it or they couldn't test the system to send it back to you - you have to disassemble them to dry them in a hurry, turning them upside down and waiting a week doesn't get them totally dry, and again, that'd be noticed by other staff that'd dob. The other staff wouldn't cover for the tech either cause seriously, the odds of getting caught are just that high, and if the tech themselves admitted their accident straight away, they probably wouldn't get fired for it anyway, so lying about it isn't in anyone's best interests unless they're already on thin ice, in which case they probably aren't "good enough" at their job to hide it successfully from the company in the first place.

      So yeah, it sounds like a nice conspiracy theory that they water damaged your laptop and covered it up, but it is just so unlikely to have actually happened. Even if you are unlucky enough to beat those odds and a shady tech did wet it and cover it up, you can't prove it so you're SOL and have to hope they cave before the tribunal step.

      Still, I'd love to see the photos. A tiny dot is still warranty voiding cause it is like the tip of an iceberg - all the damage goes on under the lacquer and between PCB layers where you can't see it. Also there should be obvious liquid marks everywhere on the PCBs and also even more so on the casing, so if they photo is only of a clean board with a single spot of corrosion without a water/coke/etc mark around it, that is kinda sus too, though it is possible you just don't know what you're looking at and there are water marks everywhere.

      By all means try the tribunal path, but be prepared that they might have craploads of documentation and video footage to prove they didn't do it and you end up with nothing (it isn't something where you can end up with a bill, is it? That'd really suck), but they could just as well say "it is cheaper to give them a new laptop than waste the hours on this tribunal BS" and give you a repair or replacement with another "we admit no liability, we're going this cause we're so kind" message. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and all that!

      Good luck with it, sorry you're in such a shitty situation. Perhaps invest in accidental damage insurance in the future? If it is for work it is a tax write off after all.

      • 

        bengosha60 on 14/12/2020 - 18:30

        hey! thanks for such a comprehensive reply!

        you're most likely right about the replacement of chassis and keyboard, maybe I was overthinking it a bit too much.

        I live with my parents and they never enter my room as far as I am aware… and I do not live on or work on a boat or near any water. Heck my bathroom is on the opposite side of the house.

        You would think that corrosion wouldnt be an issue on something so new but the only times I really left it out of my sight was when I gave it to the retailers to send it back to the manufacturers. But as you say, the chances of something sus happening to them is very very slim.

        I have uploaded the photo they sent me of the board that shows the corrosion damage https://ibb.co/9VPG0sb . Do you think you can tell from it that there was liquid marks around it? Or maybe I just bought a really faulty laptop who knows.

        • 

          smashman42 on 14/12/2020 - 22:20

          @bengosha60: I'd need more pics from more angles to really know, but it looks like to the left of the corroded bit there's something going on, with how it looks sort of dusty but not? It doesn't look like soft drink, beer, anything milk based like coffee, so most likely water, though it is strange that only that small area corroded. Maybe the dusty strange area is just dust and the water only hit a really small area?

          The only thing I can tell you is that isn't any sort of factory defect. It is a spill of some sort, most likely water, at least several months ago. I'd really need to look at it in person under good light tilting it around at several angles, but it'd still only be an educated guess no matter what & wouldn't prove who did what when.

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  resubaehtgnolhcs on 13/12/2020 - 21:56

  +2

  Gigabyte's representative denied dropping the laptop

  Op, you don't know for a fact that the damage was caused by Gigabyte.The damage could have happened during transit or it could have been done at the retail store that you left it, there are many possibilities.

• 

  Bunnyburger on 13/12/2020 - 23:14

  +1

  Keep at it man, $2900 is a lot of money to spend on a laptop. Don't let anyone tell you to suck it up.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 13/12/2020 - 23:55

  For work purposes. Claim depreciation on tax as you already are, sell it, make a small profit and buy a new 1.

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  Richardc on 14/12/2020 - 04:29

  Would this cover by content insurance?

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  azonki on 14/12/2020 - 09:03

  +3

  I know this is not going to help, but I stopped using anything with the Gigabyte brand after a motherboard started smouldering in the middle of the night.
  Thank you smoke alarm.
  It was the onboard sound chip that overheated, even though there was no audio at the time. Just poor workmanship.
  There were a few retailers at that time that would not deal with Gigabyte due to poor quality.
  DComp was one.