Chat tech says I have to bring whole pc to exchange a video card?!?!?

flashmasterX

I bought the rx6700xt 3 months ago after the rx6600xt I initially bought displayed artifacts, flashing blocks, and random lines on the screen after a few days of use.

I tried a new game Friday, and after an hour or so the frame rate suddenly started to drop. I had to leave anyway, and when I got back a few hours later the pc was frozen, with flashing blocks and random lines on the screen. After several attempts restarting the system to investigate, the pc was never able to get to either safe mode or the desktop before freezing up.

I took out the rx6700xt and installed my r9-290. No problems at all. I can login, change drivers, play games, etc. I do a factory clean uninstall of the Radeon drivers and re-install the rx6700xt, same problems as before.

I go to the microcenter website tech chat. And explain that I do not know where my receipt and box are, but that I bought the replacement plan. The tech says he found my purchase information and replacement plan. Then states that I have to bring the whole PC to the store and leave it with them so they can go through the same steps that I did, and then they will decide whether or not they will refund the purchase.

I did not ask for a refund. I asked for an exchange. And I already demonstrated on my system that if I remove the card the problem goes away, and if I remove the drivers and reinstall the card the problem comes back.

Why should I go through all of the work to pack up a $3k custom pc, and leave it with microcenter for an unknown period of time, with all of my personal information on it?!?!? Especially when every single time I have been to the store over the pandemic, people have been at the support desk begging to get their PC's back after months of them sitting in the support queue because microcenter support is understaffed due to covid?!?!?

Why on earth doesn't microcenter, ostensibly a "PC" store, have a test bench in their support department, so I can drop off the JUST the video card to be tested?!?!?