Anyone know what is going on with eVGA? Is the company healthy? 
 
The reason I ask,
 
I have been using eVGA products since 2006. Motherboards, Video Cards and PSU's. I have been considering buying a new video card lately but after a friend of mine texted me about her experience today with their tech support I don't think I can buy from eVGA again. 
 
The Story.
My friends card has been overheating so she sent the card in under an RMA for replacement. She receives an email today stating: "This email is to inform you that EVGA is unable to process your RMA request and returning the product for the following reasons: "Your EVGA graphics card is unable to be processed for warranty service as it arrived with a tarnished heatsink and bracket with strong non- electrical smell and has resulted in damage to the product from improper operation and maintenance not covered under EVGA's warranty".
 
So she calls them up and they tell her they won't even test the card because they is some dust on it that appears to have a red tint to it (which by the picture I saw the dust is not bad) and it smells funny. Then they actually tell her that they going to ship the card back to her so she can take the card apart, let it sit for a few days, reassembly the card and send it back to them, and then email her this: "As discussed per our call, please respond back to this email once you have images of the graphics card showing that it has been cleaned up. Feel free to take the card apart and if you need a tutorial let me know so that I can send you to a good source, removing the heatsink from the graphics card is not too difficult. I will also let you know when the graphics card is on its way back". 
 
So why am I upset with the way eVGA is handling this? I was one of the people when she was picking parts telling to buy only eVGA because their customer service is the best I have ever had to deal with and there products are the absolute best on the market. She does not have the technical know how to be taking video card apart nor do I think she should have to. 
 
So has anyone else been treated this way and is this the new eVGA standards? 
 
mdun6 
 
 

I agree, pictures tell a thousand words. Obviously we won’t be able to smell anything, but visuals help.

Does she have pets? Is she a smoker by any chance? Does she have the computer on the ground pulling in extra dust?

I understand this can be frustrating, but cleaning the cars may not require taking the entire card apart. She may be able to remove much of the dust with an air duster, then just let it air out. You stated she has pictures. Could you please share those (cover serial numbers if they are showing) please.

Also here is a picture of the inside of her case. 

That would be my guess too. They aren't sure what it is, and they are not going to risk their employees getting sick because of an unidentified substance on the card.

 
This should have been moved to the Warranty section. Moving thread now.

The friend should of cleaned the card up some before sending it in. I have seen evga offer to clean a card for a small for fee on here before.