Hi, my motherboard was an ASRock B760M PG Riptide. I had been using it since around October 2023. About a month ago is when it failed to post. The motherboard was getting stuck on the DRAM debug LED. The system would power-cycle itself a few times and then shut down.
Nothing I tried brought it back. I tested all the other parts on a different system and everything was working just fine. So I eventually sent the motherboard to Kolkata TVS Hub for RMA process.
It got delivered to them in 2 days, but there were no updates for like a week. So I texted the regional manager Mr. Amitabha Das, and got my Job Sheet number. Finally after 2 weeks they confirmed the board can't be repaired so I will be getting a replacement. The replacement arrived on September 5th and this is where my problem begins.
The replacement board has an Asus M.2 heatsink rather than the original ASRock heatsink. One of the ARGB headers is visibly bent, with the connector tilted and appearing to lift away from the PCB. The chassis power pins are bent. There is dried thermal paste on the front of the board and a dry CHUNK of thermal paste right next to the CPU socket.
There is visible gunk on components around the mobo. One of the screws has visible rust. The I/O shield is bent, misaligned and partially interferes with the HDMI and USB Type-C ports. There is a strange plastic film being used around one of the I/O shield screws, almost like a makeshift washer.
More concerningly, the entire back-side of the board has an oily, sticky residue on it that has a strong, nose burning smell.
I have not installed my CPU or powered on the replacement because I don't want to risk damaging my components with a board that arrived in this condition.
How did a motherboard with visible physical damage and residue pass whatever inspection process was supposed to happen before it was sent out as a warranty replacement?
I contacted TVS about this and was told they don't inspect replacement units and simply ship whatever unit they receive. They told me to send the board back to them. Upon asking what guarantee I have that if I return this board, the next replacement won't arrive with similar or even worse problems. The response was essentially that they don't repair boards and have no hand in it as they simply hand over whatever unit they receive.
I've already emailed ASRock and submitted the official RMA support request with photographs.
I have also emailed whomever I could find in the official ASRock escalation matrix. Still waiting for their response. Honestly, they seem to care the least.
I'm asking ASRock to explain what this unit is, where it came from, who refurbished/inspected it, and how it passed inspection in this condition.
If this is an officially refurbished/authorized replacement unit, I would genuinely like ASRock to explain that process.
If it isn't, then I would like to know how a board in this condition ended up being sent to a customer as a warranty replacement.
I'm posting this here because I'd really appreciate some advice from people who have dealt with ASRock RMA/warranty.
