As someone that has been confused to high heaven with the RMA process, but had to use it 3 times, I thought I’d write a guide for customers new to this process so that you get an idea of what to expect.
All of my experiences have been with RMA’s to Shanghai, I would assume that the USA have a similar process, just hopefully without the language barriers that the rest of us face.
An RMA is usually authorized after the agent working on the support ticket raised has come to the conclusion that there is a hardware fault that cannot be fixed remotely via software or configuration updates.
Typically you should expect each of the stages to take the following amount of time.
- Return labels & recipient details - 1 week
- Physical shipping - 1 week
- Inspection and replacement authority - 1 week
- Stock allocation - 1 week
- Return unit shipping - 1 week
- Refund of RMA shipping - 2 weeks
In summary, as a customer whom is authorized for an RMA, you should be expecting to be without your headset for no less than 5 weeks after you get a notification on your support ticket that you need to RMA your headset.
I’ve expanded on each of these steps below and given some examples of my experiences.
Return labels & Shipping
When my first RMA was approved by Pimax, it took just over a week for them to send the details through for the return. The second time also took a week. The third time took almost 2 weeks.
The first 2 times that I’ve had to return a headset to Pimax, they have provided me with the return address and contact details for the recipient and asked me to declare the value of the item at US$50, marking the box with the letters R M A.
I had to arrange the international shipping, find the products customs reference identifier (an HS code) and complete all of the customs paperwork myself.
The most recent time that I needed to return a headset (November 2019), Pimax arranged the return with UPS themselves and sent me the UPS shipping label and paperwork required for customs, again with a declared value of US$50.
Customs
The primary issue we face with returning headsets to Pimax is the valuation that Pimax place on them. An RMA’d headset that is faulty may only be worth US$50 to Pimax, but given that you need to insure the product should it be lost or damaged in the shipping process, this worried me a little on the first 2 returns, especially on the first when Pimax claimed that they hadn’t received my RMA after having received proof of delivery 1 week earlier from the shipping agent.
The other concern with this came to fruition with my latest return. Customs at Shanghai airport inspected my RMA, and had questions about its value. After all, the headset at first glance appears to be almost new and in full working order. I never opened the boxes for the cables in this third headset as I use a Vive Deluxe Audio Strap and had a spare cable that Pimax sent me as a gift for having to return my first headset.
Customs clearance typically takes a few minutes for most parcels being shipped internationally, and my 1st RMA showed that in their tracking details. This 3rd RMA, however, has been with Customs at Shanghai for 2 weeks now whilst they clear up their issues with Pimax. This is actually still ongoing as I write this post…
Replacement Authority
Once Pimax has received your RMA, they will then inspect the unit to diagnose the required fix. This may take the form of a repair, or complete replacement, but it is important to note that this is not guaranteed just because you received an RMA. For my second RMA, I had to wait whilst Pimax manufactured a new 5K XR as there were none in stock, in the most recent case, I’ve been told that the approval for a replacement is only applied for after the inspection has taken place and that they do not know how long this could take.
Taxes
Further to the customs issue, it has been raised by several forum members that their country is levying Import taxes on the value of the Pimax units being returned and also disputing the valuation that Pimax are stating on the customs declarations. As customers having warranty replacements sent, we should not have to pay tax on a replacement unit, but if you cannot prove that you paid tax on the original shipment, this argument is null and void, and your government has you cornered if you are supposed to pay taxes on the import of electronic goods, so be prepared for a tax bill when your replacement is shipped!
Reimbursement
Once all of this has been resolved, you then may have to chase Pimax to have your shipping expenses reimbursed. Bear in mind that Pimax wants to do this via PayPal, and PayPal will also levy charges for receiving funds in a foreign currency. In both cases, I lost over 10% of what I paid to ship the items to Pimax in these fees and charges.
All in all, the RMA process with Pimax is poor at best, slow, and communication is lacking, not that this should come as a surprise to many of us. I do feel that Pimax are trying to make the process easier, especially if they are now organizing the return shipping themselves as I experienced this most recent time, but it has a long, long way to go before they come close to the likes of HTC or Oculus.
I hope this post is useful to at least 1 person, and best of luck with your RMA!