Worst Video Card Ever!!!

[Due Diligence]

Sorry about the long post, Cliff notes on the bottom.

This all started because I wanted a video card capable of HDTV output via component cables. I didn?t want to spend too much money on a card because I would not be doing any gaming. I went to Newegg.com and narrowed it down to 2 cards that suited my needs. I went with a PNY Verto Geforce 6200 it cost $60 with a $10 mail in rebate, I thought it was a great deal and went ahead and pulled the trigger.

I eagerly anticipate the arrival of my new video card and when it finally comes in I opened up my PC pulled out my old card, inserted the new one, installed the drivers, etc. Well the card didn?t work but that?s not even my gripe. When I tried to connect the HDTV breakout pod I noticed that the card was fitted with an S-Video port as apposed to the required HDTV out port (they look similar but the HDTV out has more pins). I couldn?t believe such a mistake occurred, I figured it was some sort of fluke; they packaged the item incorrectly at PNY. Weird but I didn?t worry much about it, contacted Newegg, RMA?d the product and waited patiently for a new one.

Once again I eagerly anticipating my card, about a week later I receive the replacement. To my astonishment the new card had the same issue (s-video instead of HDTV out) making it useless for my needs.

I figured the best thing to do was contact PNY directly so I give their customer service a call. After holding for quite some time a customer service rep answers, after some initial formalities I was given a chance to explain my situation. The rep did not understand what I was explaining; he was convinced I was plugging the HD breakout pod to my TV not the video card. After several minutes of questioning my intelligence he finally listens and understands my swapped port/incorrect packaging problem and puts me on hold for several minutes to confirm this issue with a superior. When he gets back on the phone he tells me that they had an issue with that model card and many of them went out with s video ports instead of HDTV ports, he offers no apology for this, no recall, no money back. He tells me to put it in a box and send it over so they can check it out. At this point I have totally lost faith in the company and do not want to deal with this situation any longer. I inform the rep that this is the second card I received and was not willing to pay for shipping again, I inform him about the rebate that I would most likely not be eligible for, all the time I wasted and the aggravation the card caused me. Basically I felt like I deserve an upgraded card or a discount of some sort. He offered nothing, I told him I would rather return the card, he quickly hung up.

The final chapter of this story: I then called Newegg and explained the whole mess to them. They were happy to return my money, compensate me for shipping and gave me free shipping on my next order. My conclusion is that PNY as a company is incompetent. How could a known problem be so hard to explain to a customer service rep? Why has a recall not been issued for these video cards? What makes them feel that the end user can serve as their quality assurance department? I will never purchase a PNY product again and I recommend others do the same. A company that doesn?t stand behind its product simply shouldn?t be in business.

Thanks for reading my rant
Due Diligence

 

[Due Diligence]

Cliff Notes:
PNY mistakenly soldered an S-video port instead of an HDTV out port several Geforce 6200 video cards. Stay away from PNY they are incompetent.

 

[JAG87]

yes, thats why they have the exclusive on nvidia quadro cards that are worth thousands of dollars.

just because you had a bad experience with a company doesn't make them bad. what you really should stay away from is geforce 6200 cards, not PNY.

 

[Due Diligence]

A truly reputable company would own up to manufacturing mistakes, not try to sweep them under the rug (Whether the mistake occurred on a thousand dollar card or a 60 buck one).

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I've never liked PNY either. My reason isn't so much about a lack of customer service, though. My brother's video card failed totally unexpectedly after a year or so of use. Similarly, my Powercolor 9800 Pro failed after about 6 months. I've never liked either company that much.

 

[speckedhoncho]

DD has found a company that doesn't care too much about when a specific product was incorrectly manufactured or even did anything to claim responsibility so that their would be no unnecessary transactions to get a new one.

PNY is apparently glad they have such a low reputation in the GFX market.

You're not alone, DD; on online stores and review sites, posters and reviews make a point of saying that their low prices are due to low quality.

But still, it is a GeForce 6200. That's PNY's way of saying we're at the bottom rung and you're buying a bottom rung card that should already be phased out.

Sadly, they won't be held accountable.

 

[speckedhoncho]

Could you find a 7xxx card with HDTV Out?

 

[enz660hp]

yeah, my 7800gt also from pny came with a defective DVI port. Sadly, I discovered it long after I purchased it, overclocked it, softmodded it, and installed a new cooler, so RMA wasnt possible. DAMN YOU PNY!!!

 

[nyker96]

I actually owned a PNY 6600GT just sold it to make way for my 7900GS. But other than light packaging and so so documentation, the card worked as advertised for about 1.5 years. So I have to say not every PNY card is no good. But of course in your case, you have my sympathy, the company should offer to replace it instead of try to keep it hushed up. Just return it and get another brand. Newegg probably will be reasonable about this type of returns.

 

[sisq0kidd]

I've had no complaints so far of the PNY cards I have owned.

Really sorry to hear what they have put you through though. I guess, like you, I would be more so pissed at their apathy for the situation than their mistake. It's one thing to to cause aggravation to customers for their own mistakes, but not taking care of it afterwards is just icing on the Screw You cake.

 

[Modelworks]

Its bad when a company treats you like that.
I will definitely remember to put pny on my beware to buy list.

A respectable company would have recalled all the cards that were mistakes.

 

[Acanthus]

PNY has horrible support in my experience.

 

[CrystalBay]

Originally posted by: Acanthus
PNY has horrible support in my experience.

I agree I've been burned by them twice. The first time for not honoring their lifetime warranty on a GF4 4200. The second time on a rebate for flash memory....

They truly are the bottom of the "Best Buy Barrel" IMO..................

 

[Josh7289]

Alright. No PNY for me.

I had a similar experience with MSI and a motherboard last year or two. It was based on an ATI chipset, and for some reason was incompatible with Nvidia video cards. Of course, I only learned this after RMAing my perfectly fine eVGA card three times, before eventually calling MSI to see if the motherboard was the problem. After being put on hold (like you), the guy comes back and tells me the motherboard is incompatible with Nvidia video cards. NOWHERE was this on their site or any other place on the Internet, save a few forums here and there. I got a replacement, but I had to ship my motherboard out myself first, and was without a PC for a while. Thanks, MSI, but never again.

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Places like this forum are good for learning the real reputations of the MSI and the PNY type companies. There have been many similar stories, but there is a major difference overall. The majority of MSI's products have excellent quality control and few DOAs and/or mysterious defects, but that company really isn't well practiced at dealing with the end users. The majority of their mainboards and video cards go into Gateway, HP, and other brand name PCs, and the service is handled through those companies' support arms.

PNY is like FIC, Foxconn, Jetway, PC Chips, and all of those low quality, low price bands. Many new components are DOA when the package is opened, many fail very early, and the percentage that lives long and productive lives is in very poor relation to the rest of the industry.

 

[idiotekniQues]

out of about 8 rigs ive built total for myself and friends, the only time ram ever failed memtest was PNY that someone bought from compusa as an upgrade and called me when they started having issues.

this was about 4 years ago. but still, worth mentioning.

 

[Dkcode]

I too have a friend who owned an PNY Ti4200 which failed prematurely.

 

[narcotic]

Originally posted by: Dkcode
I too have a friend who owned an PNY Ti4200 which failed prematurely.

That happens regardless of the brand name, though I wonder if they replaced it for him? Because if so then maybe they're not that bad.