Asus warranty saga - official response promises improved communication - fails to address misdiagnosed hardware failure

Less than a week ago, Gamers Nexus found Asus and its warranty process wanting after the YouTube team sent its Asus ROG Ally handheld gaming PC in for warranty repairs over a non-functional thumb stick. After receiving the Ally, Asus summarily ignored the broken thumb stick and offered a nearly-$200 out-of-warranty repair for the top case and LCD panel to correct a small cosmetic blemish.

Asus has since responded to the Gamers Nexus report in a recent statement (read the press release below) that at least partially addresses the issue for residents of the US and Canada. In the statement, Asus says that it aims to improve the RMA communications processes and basically blames a communication breakdown for the poor experiences faced by both Gamers Nexus and more than a few other Asus customers.

We want to assure our customers that any repairs covered under the manufacturer's limited warranty have always been and will continue to be free of charge. It is never the intent of ASUS to charge any customers a fee that does not directly address the device malfunctions they are experiencing. We now recognize that the current process and the language used does not adequately convey this information. We are working diligently to make changes in the best interest of our customers.

While improved communications certainly should correct part of the issue at hand, it seems as though Asus has outright refused to acknowledge that, at least in the case of Gamers Nexus's ROG Ally, the RMA process outright ignored the entire reason the device was sent in for repairs. Additionally, in several communications from Asus, the company stated that if the paid repairs — which, at that point only included the top case an LCD panel — were refused, the ROG Ally may be returned disassembled.

Asus did also comment that it is working together with individual customers on a case-by-case basis to resolve complaints and issues existing issues with the warranty process, although it doesn't specify what exactly that is.

Hopefully the changes Asus is making to its RMA communications reflect internal changes that result in less frustration and unnecessary cost for customers. Until then, Lenovo still sells the Legion Go for as little as $629.99 on its US store. Amazon also has the much more expensive GPD Win Mini for those looking for a different form factor entirely.