Need Accelero S1 spare part [AC doesn't answer e-mails]

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:27 am

Hello,

I have a small, big problem. When I removed my Accelero S1 from the videocard I lost one of the mounting holes' spacers. I can't install it this way, I'd risk damaging the core. What can I do now?

I've tried contacting Arctic-Cooling but they are ignoring my e-mails...

antivenom · Post by **antivenom** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:50 am

When did you contact AC?

They might just have a lot of work on atm.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:22 am

antivenom wrote:When did you contact AC?

They might just have a lot of work on atm.

Why?! Maybe because they could provide me with an extra spacer? It's their product afterall. What do we need warranties for then? Hell, if Antec can give me a full front panel for my case at no expense then why can't AC send me a simple spacer?

I have contacted them twice over the span of almost a month. They must be really busy then

Antec has a much larger business volume yet they weren't "too busy" for me. They replied to my e-mail first thing in the morning (because I sent it late at night) already stating that the part was en route. Now THAT is service.

antivenom · Post by **antivenom** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:27 am

You misread my post, I said "When", not "Why".

And I was just wondering because you might have simply been one of those really impatient people

If its been a month, then I can only put it down to bad customer service, but I've never had to contact them so I wouldn't know for sure.

I did just recently buy an Accelero Twin Turbo which I'm guessing has the same spacers, so I'll check if I have any spare when I get home later.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:51 am

Yes... I misread it. I'm angry (at them).

This type of situations could very well be avoided if they shipped Acceleros with at least a spare spacer. No, they only include 4 spacers, not one more. Pure genius. Not to mention the fact that they mention two extra spacers on the manual for the X1950 VRM heatsink but those are nowhere to be found. Gotta love them...

That and also the fact that they sold two different types of rev. 2 Acceleros... one with the old X1950 VRM heatsink and another with newer VRM heatsinks (that fit the HD4870!).

edh · Post by **edh** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:44 am

Do you mean one of the small transparent plastic rings? It wouldn't say they're vital at all. I've used worse things. You should be able to find a suitable substitute yourself somewhere surely.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:00 am

Transparent? No. I mean the white somewhat tall rings that you place above the mounting holes so that the cooler doesn't crush the GPU core.

I'd say they're quite vital.

I think you're confusing washer with spacer.

Vicotnik · Post by **Vicotnik** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:41 am

I've fitted three cards with S1s and I've never used the spacers. I guess how vital they are depends on the graphics card.

zoatebix · Post by **zoatebix** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:02 pm

Hmmm - using no spacers, eh? Anyone know how fine a line is there between making excellent contact and crushing a chip?

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:19 pm

I'm growing impatient on [AC's] complete and utmost indifference to their customers.

6 years of warranty my ass. I have filled their "Technical Support Form" and I have e-mailed them and there has been no response thus far.

The least they could have done was to reply to my e-mails. Even companies that don't care about their customers do that. So I just don't understand what they are trying to achieve, other than me not buying anything from them out of pure spite.

Both Antec and Corsair sent me replacement parts/misc stuff for free, AC don't even reply to e-mails, screw them!

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:26 pm

zoatebix wrote:Hmmm - using no spacers, eh? Anyone know how fine a line is there between making excellent contact and crushing a chip?

Yeah, the difference is working card.

However when I lost one of those spacers, I made my own using rubbert tube roughly same diameter and then clipped piece for it. it works well ^^

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:27 pm

I've made up my mind. If they don't say anything until the end of this week I'll buy a T-Rad2 and be done with it. I won't be supporting them no more.

Matija · Post by **Matija** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:52 pm

Just take one of those rubber/silicone thingies you can find in Antec cases and cut it in half.

zoatebix · Post by **zoatebix** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:29 pm

thejamppa wrote:Yeah, the difference is working card.

Yay! I gave a straight-line and someone delivered a joke. Thanks thejampaa.

How many times must we repeat this before we're a comedy duo?

edh · Post by **edh** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:09 am

rpsgc wrote:Transparent? No. I mean the white somewhat tall rings that you place above the mounting holes so that the cooler doesn't crush the GPU core.

I'd say they're quite vital.

The ones I got with both my S1 and S2 were transparent. They're not really going to prevent you crushing the chip anyway. That can't happen unless you start putting massive torque on the screws, which is unlikely given the size of the screws. I've fitted custom heatsinks to bare cores before with no spacers and never had any problem.

rpsgc wrote:6 years of warranty my ass.

I'd say you're overreacting and that Arctic Cooling have done nothing wrong. After all, it was you who lost the part and losing parts isn't covered by the warranty. If they don't sell the spacers separately they are under no obligation to sell you them and they certainly aren't under any obligation to send you any for free as the spacer has not been subject to a failure. You also can't expect a speedy response on this. Why not contact the place where you bought the Accelero from? After all, they are a distributor for them and will therefore have access to their full inventory and can tell you if you can purchase a spacer or not.

Just because you lost a part and are of the mistaken belief that it prevents you from using your graphics card does not mean you should take it out on the supplier.

I'm involved in lots of service contracts and warranties and it's surprising how many people still seem to think that accidental damage and loss of accessories entitles them to service for free. That's chargeable.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:15 am

edh wrote:I'm involved in lots of service contracts and warranties and it's surprising how many people still seem to think that accidental damage and loss of accessories entitles them to service for free. That's chargeable.

So? Where did I say I expected anything for free? I was ready to pay for it but that's beside the point. They don't even ANSWER my e-mails! I don't care about what you think or not, that does not change the facts that I filled their technical support form and they still did not answer me nor contacted me.

What's the difference between it being lost or damaged? Oh do I have to send the old damaged spacer back? Really, give me a break.

There's a bloody difference between being refused service/warranty and being IGNORED.

Plus, I did not DEMAND anything, I politely asked them where and how I could get an extra spacer. NOTHING MORE. So tell me, how does that make me a greedy evil customer?

blackworx · Post by **blackworx** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:22 am

Seems like quite a highly charged thread for the sake of a spacer. Got me hanging on the edge of my seat here. Just saying

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:37 am

It's more about the fact that they don't give a rat's ass about a customer, in this case, me. The least they can do is answer my e-mails, even if it's to tell me to bugger off

edh · Post by **edh** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:36 am

This really has to end sometime. You do not need the spacers. They are there to prevent over-tightening and hence are only required by stupid people. If you are clever and appreciate that when a card starts bending, you might just have done it up a bit too tight then you have no need for the spacers. I respect your intelligence and therefore suggest that you do not need the spacers. Just put the card back together and don't go mad tightening the screws.

rpsgc wrote:So? Where did I say I expected anything for free? I was ready to pay for it but that's beside the point. They don't even ANSWER my e-mails! I don't care about what you think or not, that does not change the facts that I filled their technical support form and they still did not answer me nor contacted me.

This is not a warranty/service request and generally referring to warranty is a sign that you want the vendor to cover the cost. This is a request for a spare part, that's different. Who's to say that there aren't some liability/internal regulatory/distribution rights constraints that prevent them from sending spare parts, chargeable or not, to customers?

rpsgc wrote:What's the difference between it being lost or damaged? Oh do I have to send the old damaged spacer back?

Highly unlikely although previous possible constraints may prevent them from doing so.

rpsgc wrote:There's a bloody difference between being refused service/warranty and being IGNORED.

Like I say before, this has got nothing to do with the warranty/service.

rpsgc wrote:Plus, I did not DEMAND anything, I politely asked them where and how I could get an extra spacer. NOTHING MORE. So tell me, how does that make me a greedy evil customer?

Not 'evil', it's just not correct when you started referring to warranty which as I've said many times, has nothing to do with this. You are not their customer on this. This is a separate sales contract that you are trying to negotiate, quite possibly with the wrong person. Like I said, have you got in touch with the retailer that you bought the S1 from? Distribution contracts frequently prevent the manufacturer from direct activity in the distributors territory and hence AC may not be able to sell you a spacer.

Warranty on the S1/S2 is fairly irrelevant as they have no moving parts to go wrong and there's nothing repairable that you can't fix yourself with a soldering iron or a glue gun. It's just not worth pursuing any service requirements on something this small so if you must have a spacer, go and buy one from someone that sells buts and bolts and things. It'll be cheaper that way too, have you not considered the massive cost of postage for a spacer from HK to Portugal?

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:34 am

zoatebix wrote:
thejamppa wrote:Yeah, the difference is working card.
Yay! I gave a straight-line and someone delivered a joke. Thanks thejampaa.

How many times must we repeat this before we're a comedy duo?

Probably few more times...

On the topic again: You probably do not need those spacers. As they are not hard enough to prevent core crushing with over tightening. I just made extra one for one I lost because that made all corners equal for pace of my mind.

vick1000 · Post by **vick1000** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:26 am

Good God, isn't there like a thousand thing you could use at the hardware store, or automotive parts store, to replace it with?

If you can't figure that out, you probably should leave working on your PC to someone else.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:30 am

vick1000 wrote:Good God, isn't there like a thousand thing you could use at the hardware store, or automotive parts store, to replace it with?

If you can't figure that out, you probably should leave working on your PC to someone else.

If you don't have anything interesting to say nor intend to help please refrain from posting, ok? Go threadcrap somewhere else. And take your ad hominem with you.

No bashing - If someone is posting about a question they have or a problem they are experiencing, don't simply tell them they are wrong recommend they try your recommendation. Instead, provide facts or opinions supporting your recommendation, provide positive feedback, and please keep the criticism low. Bashing posts or threads may be deleted without warning, and offenders banned, after ONE warning.

No personal attacks - These forums are not a place for you to take cheap shots at somebody because he/she did something. Do that some place else (or better yet, get over it). You have been warned. Hopefully, this won't be much of a problem here. Personal attack posts or threads may be deleted without warning, and offenders banned, after ONE warning.

xan_user · Post by **xan_user** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:06 am

My recommendation is to find a suitable replacement part nearby and eliminate the stress Accelero is clearly causing you. Or RMA the whole kit as defective.

Again, just a my recommendation.

If you think "bashing" AC in online forums because you lost a washer is more productive, that's fine, its your choice.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:42 pm

xan_user wrote:If you think "bashing" AC in online forums because you lost a washer is more productive, that's fine, its your choice.

No, I'm pissed at them because they have a poor customer service, they don't reply to customer support requests. People are quick at missing the point.

ddrj · Post by **ddrj** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:06 pm

rpsgc wrote:I've made up my mind. If they don't say anything until the end of this week I'll buy a T-Rad2 and be done with it. I won't be supporting them no more.

if you do this, please post pics of it at least with some temperatures too. this forum needs it.

thanks

edh · Post by **edh** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:53 am

rpsgc wrote:they don't reply to customer support requests.

You are not an AC customer, you bought it from a retailer, hence it's not customer support.

I think the comment you've put in the title of this thread is misreading. If there's much of a consensus here, would you be good enough to change it to something a little less aggressive?

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:12 am

Folks,

Let's stay focused on the issues at hand, and let's not descend into nit-picking snipes! Reasonable attitudes help to yield results!

[/moderator's hat]

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:32 am

edh wrote:
rpsgc wrote:they don't reply to customer support requests.
You are not an AC customer, you bought it from a retailer, hence it's not customer support.

Oh really? Then I also wasn't an Antec customer since I bought it from a store yet they still provided me with spare parts. Same for Corsair. Oh wait, but that couldn't be now could it? Your logic is faulty.

What's the point of this then? Just for shits and giggles?

Hope your happy now. I would love to know what you gain by defending them so vehemently and attacking me. I really would.

I guess insulting people and pointing fingers at them is more fun than HELPING isn't it? And here I thought this forum was friendly. Arctic Cooling must be some sort of "untouchable" brand around here or something... speak ill of them and be attacked by everyone + their mother.

ddrj wrote:if you do this, please post pics of it at least with some temperatures too. this forum needs it.

thanks

I would... until I saw the price tag on it, maybe I'll settle for a Musashi... or the stock cooler.

ACook · Post by **ACook** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:28 am

Your first call should always be to the store you bought the thing from. They're required to fix any problems, they have much more direct lines to their suppliers/manufacturers, so they're best placed to sort any problems.

Did you even try that?

That antec and corsair have great support staff and are very good with sending ppl spare part, even for free, is great of them, but they are not required either by law or by their own warranties/policies to do so, and neither is AC.
What AC seems to be doing to you atm (ignoring you) is more the norm than what Antec and Corsair have done for ppl.

My suggestion is to follow the suggestions here, and don't use the washer, or contact the store for a solution. if it's a local store bring the card round and have them mount it for you, all surely cheaper than getting a whole new cooler.

good luck, and chill a bit pls.

edh · Post by **edh** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:05 am

rpsgc wrote:Oh really? Then I also wasn't an Antec customer since I bought it from a store yet they still provided me with spare parts. Same for Corsair. Oh wait, but that couldn't be now could it? Your logic is faulty.

No, my logic is correct. You have been a customer of none of them as they have all been bought through retailers. Legally if you have any support quibble then it is with the entity you purchased it from as it is with them that you have a legally binding agreement for the sale of the item and hence have rights as a consumer. Antec may have dealt with you directly, that's up to them. You shouldn't expect any manufacturer to do that, they're not legally obliged to unless they have another contractural obligation that you have signed with them.

rpsgc wrote:I would love to know what you gain by defending them so vehemently and attacking me. I really would.

I guess insulting people and pointing fingers at them is more fun than HELPING isn't it?

At no point have I attacked/insulted you. I have merely explained to you that the assumption that you have a right to service from AC is incorrect. It may not be what you want to hear, but it's legally correct.

I also have helped you technically with my reasoning for why you do not need the spacers. The best thing you could do right now is mount the S1 back on the card without the spacers as everyone else has explained to you that's it safe to do so and everyone can leave this thread alone.