Techfast Warranty - Consumer Rights Advice Greatly Appreciated

Hi everyone, i'm in need of some help after a poor experience with Techfast Australia.

In Feb 2022, I purchased a PC from Techfast and upon receiving the computer was experiencing:

  • blue-screen WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.

  • Constant shutting down and restarting.

March 2022 the computer was posted back to Techfast and they found:

  • The system's AIO cooler to have been incorrectly configured which had been causing the CPU to overheat

No issues until:
December 2022 Within warranty
Contacted Techfast Warranty again where the system started having a issue where all three monitors would shut off and:

  • The computer will either still run with no screens turning on and i'd need to force shut down

  • or the computer would self-restart.

Video drivers were reinstalled but the issue would constantly recur.

January/Feb 2023 The issue wasn't resolved so the computer was sent back to Techfast.

  • A variety of "variety of benchmark/stress tests" were done but no issues were found.

March 2023 The computer was shipped back with "drivers updated" / nothing really done.

  • The blue-screen WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR issues from February 2022 started happening again as soon as the computer was installed out of the box

  • Computer can't run for more than a few mins with the CPU overheating.
    Videos taken:

  1. Taken with 3 monitors, computer shuts off with a loud "click" @ 5 minutes
    https://youtu.be/guqOCgehJrk Shutoff @ 5 minutes
  2. After the above, I swapped out the DP cable for the primary monitor with a brand new cable just purchased last week. I also disconnected the other two monitors.
    https://youtu.be/xMgC5TR2_AM Issues @ 37s, 1 min, 7 mins 20s.

I've asked for a refund and had raised the issues within warranty.

Their reply was:

"We will be unable to offer a refund for this order due to the age of the order and the fact that a hardware error is not present as the system has passed all testing without issue and the current issue has been caused due to a BIOS setting."

Followed by a "guide" screenshot on how to reconfigure the BIOS.
- The issue still stands that after a year nothing has been "fixed" at all with the system.
- Should I be following this guide at all to fix their issues as a consumer?

Could someone please provide advice for where my consumer rights stand with regards to the warranty and a refund.

Thanks.

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Comments

  • +2

    ACCC state we have "the right to a repair, replacement or refund if your goods are faulty, unsafe, do not work or appear as they should. "

    Additionally "Statutory rights have no set time limit – depending on the price and quality of goods, consumers may be entitled to a remedy after any manufacturers’ or extended warranty has expired."

    What options would I have - report to ACCC, VCAT?

    • +4

      Your recourse option would be raising a complaint with the fair trading body of your state.

  • -3

    https://www.accc.gov.au/ would be your best bet - can you contact them for advice?

    • +7

      ACCC wont do anything. They will only provide advice. Your local Fair Trading agency is your best way to help.

  • +6

    Fair trading in your state.

    Good luck 🤞

    Get This Guyto advocate on your behalf.. seems effective 😂

  • +2

    Following the ACCC's advice,

    Write a letter of demand to Techfast advising of the consumer remedy you are seeking (in this case a refund) and explain the reasons why and outline that this constitutes a major failure. Advise that if they dont, your next step will be to lodge a claim in your CAT.

  • +1

    Going to assume it hasn't been overclocked, timings messed with etc?

    • +2

      There has been no overclocking of the sort / tampering with the system given I have no knowledge in the area.

      The issues where the videos were taken occurred after setting up the system straight from the box.

  • I'm sorry to hear about your poor experience. As a consumer, you have certain rights and protections under Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

    Under ACL, goods must be of acceptable quality, which includes being free from defects, safe, and durable. If there is a major failure with a product, you are entitled to a refund or replacement.

    Based on the information provided, it appears that you may have grounds for a refund or replacement under ACL. I would recommend seeking further advice and assistance from the ACCC or a consumer advocacy organization and continuing to work with the Techfast rep to resolve the issue.

  • +1

    If they cannot remedy the issue, then their only choice is to provide a refund. From all these tech issues it seems like techfast has very little to no actual computer repair knowledge.
    They do not even do the minimum requirements for determining the fault, at least test the parts on a test bench. These guys are incompetent at troubleshooting.

  • +5

    Is it worth reaching out to luketechfast on OzBargain? He seemed to help when someone else had an issue with TechFast

    From a PR perspective it's in their best interest not to piss off the community of a well-frequented forum (OzBargain), so in turn it would be in their best interest to remedy this issue.

    • +1

      @luketechfast

  • -5

    You've given us zero information in your post to help troubleshoot. Sometimes these errors pop up because of a combination of the programs you're running at the time and the hardware is fine. What are the specs of the machine? What are you doing when it crashes? Is it a game, some games and not others, just browsing the web or does it crash when the machine is running and no-one is using it?

    • +4

      OP didn't ask for troubleshooting help.

      Could someone please provide advice for where my consumer rights stand with regards to the warranty and a refund.

      OP purchased a PC that has ceased to function correctly within the period that it would be expected to keep operating (Unless it was incredibly cheap, a PC can reasonably be expected to continue to work for longer than 1 year). They're looking for help on escalating the issue with Techfast to get them to fix it.

      • You didn't read my post and I quote "Sometimes these errors pop up because of a combination of the programs you're running at the time and the hardware is fine" The fact they might be running Overwatch 2 while running nVidia broadcast will cause a bluescreen. Is that Techfast's fault? No. Should they get a refund if that's the case? Also no because it's a software problem.

        • I have recorded 2 videos of the incident, they happen with just Google Chrome open.

          https://youtu.be/guqOCgehJrk Shutoff @ 5 minutes

          https://youtu.be/xMgC5TR2_AM Issues @ 37s, 1 min, 7 mins 20s.

          I can provide more screenshots of the details from emails once I am available later.

          The concern that these are issues that haven't been resolved in over a year with the system being shipped back and forth.
          And I am now being asked to "fix" the issue myself.

          • @Baebs: If you did want troubleshooting help, I'd be happy to lend a hand. Windows generally creates logs of its crashes, and you can analyze the dump files and it will point to exactly what is causing the crash. The blue screen you see is extremely generic, but the dump files are much more specific.

          • @Baebs: Hi, Those videos are filmed so far away from the screen you can't see what's running. Doesn't look like it's under much load though. What AV are you running? Can you post up a list of the components in the machine when you get a chance?

            • @David2017: Thanks for the reply, could you clarify what you mean by AV?

              Can list components when am available.

              • @Baebs: I sent you a DM.

              • @Baebs: AV = Antiivirus, for those not privy to David2017 & Baeb's DMs :)

            • +1

              @David2017: Not everyone is technologically savvy, if this guy could troubleshoot the issue he wouldn't have made this thread.

  • +4

    'WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR' is not a error from software…

  • -1

    This is a long-shot (but not really) but may rule out issues for this… but it could possibly be a power issue. Is there a way you can connect the PC to another outlet not on the same line?

    Grab a extension cable and check, or use a multimeter to check voltage is adequate.

    I am just thinking, if it was working fine at TechFast, it might not be the PC… A cheap multimeter for Jaycar is $12…

    • I will provide screenshots of what i have done when I am free later.

      But yes I have tried this as well; different PSU cable and different power outlet with no difference.

      Also purchased and tried new computer monitor cables (DVI) etc. No difference as well.

      • +1

        I doubt swapping cables would resolve the issue shown in your video (sudden loss of power).

        Suggest the following order:

        Load in to BIOS, the choose 'load setup defaults', then save settings F10 and exit.

        This loads the system with the default CPU & memory settings (slowest memory setting with XMP disabled), for maximum stability.

        Test system for stability, if it still fails as before then then you'd need to start targeting:

        https://www.hwinfo.com/download/
        https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

        Install app, load in 'Sensors-only' mode and monitor CPU / GPU temp, system voltages (most importantly CPU temp, +12V, +5V, and 3.3V in motherboard section).

        If voltages are too far away from the norm then you'll have system stability issues potentially caused by the PSU.

        https://imgur.com/a/uLBj0ix

        RAM - test system with 1 stick of Ram at a time to rule out a bad stick causing issues.

        If your system has on-board/CPU GPU then I would also remove the GPU and test system with on-board GPU, to rule out the GPU causing issues. If no on-board GPU then skip this option.

        Items below require you to have additional hardware, and time to swap out for testing.

        PSU - After RAM test this it next most likely culprit, but not everyone has a new good quality PSU on-hand for testing.
        GPU - Fault with GPU would cause system to shut down.
        Faltering motherboard.
        Failed install of Windows (would require reload on to a spare SSD for testing).

        Always spec/ buy a system with a decent PSU. Spending $50-$100 more to begin with on a decent unit, will save you much hassle throughout the life of the system.

        For e.g. below make/model as a minimum (there are more expensive 80+ Platinum, 80+ Titanium PSU's but prices increase exponentially, the higher up the quality/efficiency ladder you climb):

        https://www.ple.com.au/Products/647686/corsair-rm750x-750w-g…

  • -1

    i had a lot of WHEA errors when i was using AMD stuff, i forget exactly what it was, i think it was ram? or something to do with PBO. its been about 5 years since i had amd shit though

    did you do a fresh install of windows? if not then do it
    then before you start installing stuff play a game see if it crashes, add new software then game, then maybe you can find the cause of the issue

    techfast's biggest problem is they cater to people with zero understanding of pc stuff, so the second something goes wrong the person demands it to be fixed, its not really techfasts fault that the buyer installs a bunch of shit onto the pc. it may even be a windows update that caused the monitor issue, without the user doing a rollback to confirm its pointless

    TBH op you need to learn how to use a computer and to troubleshoot yourself, because you buy a car the dealership isnt responsible if you dont know how to drive/keep crashing the car

    • +2

      For further detail I had received the PC from Techfast RMA on 23/3/23 and the issues happened the next day when set up from box with no changes made.

      Same issue in Feb 22.

      • kk here is a few things to try

        1 check the bios version, check the manufacturer's website see if bios is current
        if not current update it, leave everything stock and check for issue

        if no issue found enjoy pc (it will have a performance hit as xmp etc wont be enabled but thats the cost of doing business if you dont know anything about pc's)

        if issue persists, fresh install of windows, try again, if you get another whea error report back and provide all your hardware info and we will take it from there

        are you on AMD? if so maybe goto the bios and check your dram vs your fclk make sure they are in 1:1

        edit: i just watched your videos

        try unplugging all those additional monitors and testing
        also it looks like you have all that shit plugged into the one powerboard, it may be tripping that because of all the stuff you have plugged into it
        its worth spreading some of that load into a second power board

        also you have task manager open, you should have some sensor readout and keep your eye on temps in case something is tripping OCP/temps (hwinfo64 should show you all of your sensors, you will want to look at cpu gpu dram vrm & ssd)

        • Thanks for the reply, I will try them.

          I have updated the description to the videos in the body above.

          2nd video I had unplugged the monitors and using a different power outlet/PSU cable.
          - Did not appear to be a power trip issue given the other 2 monitors still were supplied power when disconnected.

          • +5

            @Baebs: You do not have to do this, techfast should be troubleshooting this issue not you. This is an intermittent fault, it will be very difficult to figure out unless you have every replacement part. The error points to a hardware problem not software.

            • +1

              @garetz: Will keep this in mind thanks, and yes I'm leaning towards not tampering with the system at all given their RMA team were the last to assess it.

              I'd be at risk of causing further issues.

            • -1

              @garetz: nah they dont, theyve already had a look at it and could not replicate the issue. its not up to them to troubleshoot, or refund a pc that has been used for almost 5 months lol.

              • +1

                @PensionerXXL: The use is irrelevant, you can not use it for 12 months, it makes no difference towards your repair rights. Having a look, and actual professional troubleshooting a problem based on them being experts on computer repair are 2 entirely different things.

                You should not sell computers or be a computer parts seller if you cannot troubleshoot a problem for a pc you sold to your customer.

                • @garetz: the use does matter as some things are outside of warranty, i believe the whea errors can come from PBO which i know happened to me when i was on amd, it was an issue from ryzen master. and pbo i believe is outside of warranty. so yea use does matter

                  • +1

                    @PensionerXXL: The problem was reported well within warranty, just because it is out of warranty now makes 0 difference, the fact is techfast did not fix the problem the 1st time or 2nd time, they are still required under statutory warranty rights to repair the fault. A fault they cannot even identify or have done the basic troubleshooting steps to rectify. Like i said before they are incompetent, reading above what they attempted to do as their troubleshooting steps is not even the basics of troubleshooting an intermittent issue like this.

                    • @garetz: yes sure but theyve already taken the pc back and deemed nothing wrong with it,
                      furthermore op isnt providing much info but "my pc crash pls give me money"
                      so its really hard to trust his videos, because i could put on a 5.5ghz oc and it would crash within 10min of a stress test

                      op claims to have no experience with pcs yet hes running 3 monitors, lmfao like cmon kid
                      let him do some of the leg work.

                      also warranty does not cover user error or using software out of spec

                      • +2

                        @PensionerXXL:

                        yes sure but theyve already taken the pc back and deemed nothing wrong with it,

                        and ? that proves absolutely nothing except techfast is incompetent.

                        furthermore op isnt providing much info but "my pc crash pls give me money"

                        thats all the information that needs to be provided to show a fault

                        so its really hard to trust his videos, because i could put on a 5.5ghz oc and it would crash within 10min of a stress test

                        irrelevant, that is your own biased supposition not based on any evidentiary information provided

                        op claims to have no experience with pcs yet hes running 3 monitors, lmfao like cmon kid
                        let him do some of the leg work.

                        You think connecting 3 screens to a computer is on par with troubleshooting an intermittent fault on a computer ?

                        also warranty does not cover user error or using software out of spec

                        what does this have to do with anything at all. You seem to think the op is somehow trying to screw over techfast when judging from what has been said its just your imagination.

                        • -3

                          @garetz: na i just think op is dumb and needs to take some time to learn how comps work,

                          i also think op needs to take some time to learn basic troubleshooting as even big companies will ask the end user to walk through some basic steps (ie reseat ram….)
                          if op is too inept to perform those basic troubleshooting tasks they should not own a pc. get a laptop from dell?

                          and yes i believe using 3 monitors is a clue that op knows more about pcs than he is letting on

                          and yes warranty does cover the hardware, but WHEA errors generally dont occur in a stock config, and its unfortunate that OP cant even confirm this?? lol yet you think its fair to techfast to just keep eating returns because op cant follow simple instructions? lmfao mate

  • I'd like to hear the other side of the story before passing judgement…

  • Sounds like more trouble than it was worth.

  • +1

    This sort of issue is somehow similar to mine but on Alienware R12. WHEA error (but not uncorrectable) with nvlddmkm.sys error accompanying it.

    Also similar to yours where everytthing has been fixed but to no avail but because I bought it from Dell, they have been good in sending agents to replace every single part you could think of (Mobo, Memory, Videocards, you name it)

    Except one…. PSU

    And I am betting the same thing might happen to you. Faulty PSU or misspec PSU.

    • Did you get yours fixed? That's an nVidia driver file. It's may be graphics related.

      • +1

        It was never fixed but I got a new R13 as an "exchange" to acknowledge that Dell couldn't fix the problem.

        Not long after this, someone in Ozb (there is a thread about it) said experience suggested PSU might have been the reason for that issue to happen and it clicked to me that is the ONLY parts they never replaced and it made perfect sense.

        • Glad you got it sorted in the end.

    • That's the good thing about buying from a large corp rather than a small store. Easier to get a resolution, replacement or refund when something goes wrong.

  • +1

    Should I be following this guide at all to fix their issues as a consumer?

    the fact that a hardware error is not present

    No… that guide may or may not constitute approved instruction.. err on the side of caution.
    Bios is hybrid software/hardware - so technically a hardware fault is present.

    Physical Alteration by End User: Unless specifically approved by or under instruction from an authorised TechFast representative, physically altering the hardware of the PC in any way may adversely affect your warranty. Physical alteration includes, but is not limited to, adding or removing components, changing the ports into which cables or components are plugged into from their original configuration, modifying any BIOS or system settings, and transferring components out of the case and reinstalling them at a later date.

    • Thanks I am not going to go through with the "guide" at the current moment and am inclined to send it back Techfast RMA. This will be the 3rd time it is sent back.

  • I've had PC's BSOD due to software driver issues multiple times, sometimes completely unrelated to the operating system/graphics etc.

    It's a tough one as you'd have to prove its a major hardware fault. Software errors would be harder to pin down.
    Although sounds like it's overheating and the powersupply is tripping/cutting off?
    Is it well ventilated?

    • To update, it is related to an issue where the CPU is overheating.

      https://imgur.com/nDXUfr7

      And yes it is well ventilated.

  • Should I be following this guide at all to fix their issues as a consumer?

    Why not. It would probably only take a couple of minutes. If it works, all good. If it doesn't, ask them for a solution.

    Importantly, what does techfast want you to change in the bios?

  • +3

    @Baebs - what brand/model power supply were you given by TechFast? The various Feb 2022 dealslist Gigabyte or MSI 750W Gold models as the build choices

    Hope you haven't been given a Gigabyte GP-P750GM - known to randomly trip, die and explode (not a joke)

    The first video with the click of death and the entire system losing power is a classic PSU failure

  • +5

    Further info:
    As reported here OP bought the 5600X/RTX 3080/750W Gold deal from here`

    NVIDIA recommends minimum 750W PSU for the 3080
    3080's are known to have transient spike issues
    Once the brand/model of the 750W "Gold" PSU is revealed, it will be 99% clear what the issue is

    • +1

      Thanks for the insight, have replied above. It is a Gigabyte P750GM

      • Thanks for confirming - for your own safety

        Do not use the computer again with this power supply. Turn off the power at the wall switch and then unplug the IEC power cable from the PSU

        You already have evidence of the PSU tripping during a light load so it's already failing

  • My guess is it's the PSU, probably faulty since it was working fine before.

    if you know how to plug in cables in then an easy and kinda free way to test this is to order a PSU on Amazon and plug that in and then run the PC for hours/days, Amazon has very easy returns so you can easily return the PSU after you have verified the problem is the PSU or not the PSU if it keeps happening.

    • Appreciate the advice, I unfortunately don't have this level of knowledge

      • That's a dead AIO pump looking at those images you just posted. Your CPU hitting over 93c at idle 0.6% CPU usage.

  • +2

    I personally think most computer have pretty useless tech-support/troubleshoot team. Because I used to work in one(troubleshoot was pretty basic before me), and have dealt warranty issues with a few stores for me/friends.

    Ultimately you should ask them to refund/replace.

    the computer blackout all out of sudden could be: CPU/GPU idle with too low voltage, or PSU on its way out.

    WHEA uncorrectable: usually RAM is bad, or CPU OC not stable, or CPU degraded too much doesn't run stock setting.

    solution: Update BIOS to latest (record what it was previously) set static Voltage for CPU, set higher VCCSA/VCCIO(Intel), set higher SOC/VDDG(AMD) set voltage curve for GPU. swap PSU to test(no better way unfortunately)

    after blackout issue gone, WHEA troubleshoot: tm5 with extreme1 profile for RAM stresstest, Linpack Xtreme (press 1 - 5 - Y Y N N) yCruncher ( press 1 - 7 - 0) for CPU/Memory Controller/RAM stresstest.

    should you have more trouble, you are welcome to shoot me a DM for more diagnostic.

    again, techfast should get their sh1t up together and give you a remedy. But I can offer you a hand if you are out of option but to keep that pc.

    • Thanks, have sent a DM

  • +1

    @Baebs - suggested next steps:

    As above, disconnect and do not use the PC again with the current Gigabyte GP-P750GM. These PSU's were exposed as being dangerous in August 2021. That a reputable builder such as TechFast would still use these time bombs for builds in February 2022 is quite frankly unconscionable

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aACtT_rzToI
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/gigabyte-releases-statemen…

    If you are still happy with the rest of the system, request a full swap and replacement of the current Gigabyte PSU with a new top tier 750W model that comes with a 10 year warranty. 2 examples that TechFast can easily source are:

    Corsair RM750x - best in class
    MSI MPG A750GF - this is the alternative MSI PSU you would have most likely received if requested when ordering the build

    Swapping, rewiring and cable managing a new PSU is not overly difficult but can be time consuming

    You would be wise to push this with some forceful language because seriously, you are quite lucky that your PC hasn't fried or even worse, started a fire

    If there's no response, @luketechfast needs to step in as this post is going to be referenced in every single Techfast "deal" until you get your proper resolution

    • Guess you missed it but his post that has since been deleted shown a 93.9c CPU at 0.6% load so it wouldn't take much for it to overheat. I'm guessing a dead AIO pump.

      That PSU does need to go as it's still unsafe and untrustworthy but it wouldnt be the cause for this issue, if you watched the Gamers Nexus video the fault with that PSU is the over power protection having too high of a limit at up to 150% which wouldnt be anywhere even close to what his PC uses while using google chrome as shown in the video.

      "According to Gamers Nexus, 50% of the 10 power supplies failed during or after over power protection (OPP) tests. Some units failed at 60% load just after the first pass. The publication also conducted a survey with its community where 16% of the users claimed their power supplies failed unexpectedly and were no longer operational."

      Some failed with less power draw but still when those PSU's failed it actualy stopped working fully which isn't the same as OP's issue.

      • Is there a way to pinpoint that, eg run the PC open with a fan blowing on the CPU or something?

  • Could you just get into BIOS and spend 10-15 minutes there checking out how cpu temps are looking…

    If it restarts even during BIOS operation then you don't have to bother with re installing Windows because the issue wont be there.

  • +2

    For what it's worth, I used to see "WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR" regularly when using some USB Wifi adapters.
    On specific routers using specific chipsets, the USB wifi adapter running a specific chipset would cause the BSOD with that error when they connected.
    It doesn't happen at first, but we found some random windows update would potentially cause it to start happening.

    Techfast couldn't replicate the error because their internet setup in the office would not be the same as yours, likely using ethernet on the test benches.
    It happened immediately when you get it home because the system boots and automatically connects to your wifi.
    If you're on ethernet, it's possible the motherboard's ethernet is using a similar chipset that caused this issue for systems previously.

    Source: Worked for a company that supplied PCs with USB Wireless adapters and had to spend months troubleshooting with different customers and systems until we found out what the issue was.

  • +5

    Thanks to everyone for the input and flagging it with us - given the order history the refund has been authorised.

  • -1

    Good news is that no the user can get a newer PC with updated components.

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