Steam deck damage not covered by warranty

[Ythanatos]

This thread is just to know if someone had the same problem that I'm facing right now and how to solve it.
First of all let me explain my situation:
Two weeks ago i changed the ssd console (64gb) to a new sabrent rocket (2230) ssd.
I booted up the console, installed the SO and a few games and all worked like a charm.
Then a few hours later the update from 29 of November was installed and the screen started to going off, to vanish (the screen frezees and then the image goes off).
The sound and the trackpads worked but only the lcd backlight was working for the screen.
After testing all the button combinations that exists it seems that the deck storage mode combination worked for me and the screen started to work again.
I entered the desktop mode on the console and just like 10 minutes later the problem started again.
I let the console to rest all the night and the next morning even the backlight doesn't worked but the trackpads, the system sound and the fan worked.
I tested again all the combinations but anything worked for the screen.
Thinking that the problem was the update (a lot of people complaining about the update in the official announcement in the forum) I tried to reinstall the SO but even the BIOS or the boot system doesn't show up in the console.
I bought and usb-c to hdmi cable to try the console in my TV and I got the console to show something in the TV. I tried to reinstall the SO but the image disappeared in the middle of the process and the console just went off.
Now the console does not turn on the backlight, does not boot up (no system sound), but the trackpads, the charging led light and the fan are working but nothing more.
So after seen that nothing more could be done by me, I opened a support ticket to steam about the steam deck.
I explained all the problems faced and all the button combinations done in the support ticket and after two days I received a response requesting me to reset the firmware and bios in my console. I explained that i already did the firmware and bios reset (already explained above in the support ticket) and all the button combinations that exists.
After two more days I received a new answer telling me that it seems that I did not response one of the questions (does the LED light turns on while using the provided PSU?).
I did but without any problem i reply telling explicitly that the LED light turns on.
Again after 2 days I received the reply asking me to enter the BIOS and to try to boot up from the BIOS.
I answered him telling that how am I going to boot up from the BIOS if the screen is not working anymore. I can not click or push in continue. Again explained that the screen is off even no lcd backlight. Explained again that the console does not boot up (no system sound) and that only works the trackpads, the fan and the led light.
After two more days the replied telling me to reset the firmware and BIOS again (already said in the first comment of the support ticket).
Yesterday i answered again telling all that works and does not work and today (here comes the plot twist) they replied that with all the described by me this is not covered by the warranty and that is going to cost me 200€.
How the hell without opening the console and without doing all the tests done by a technician they know that is something I messed up?
Changing the SSD console does not invalidate the warranty (if it is not damaged in the process) and it seems it was not that because after the ssd change the console worked. It was the update that messes up the console.
How can I ask for a RMA?
I want a technician to take a look. I don't think that they can ensure that this is not covered by the warranty just by a few questions (repeated questions by the way) and even tell me how much is going to cost me the repair.

[PopinFRESH]

Are you sure you didn't mess up the battery cable, or damage the display ribbon cable while removing things to do the SSD replacement?

Also have you tried re-installing the original SSD and then trying to boot normally?

[Ythanatos]

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Are you sure you didn't mess up the battery cable, or damage the display ribbon cable while removing things to do the SSD replacement?

Also have you tried re-installing the original SSD and then trying to boot normally?

Of course I could mess up the battery cable or the steam deck but I think this is something that a technician will know and not a support member with just a few questions no? I don't want to underestimate the support team but I think that it has to be reviewed by some specialist.
I also tried the original ssd but with the same results :(

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Are you sure you didn't mess up the battery cable, or damage the display ribbon cable while removing things to do the SSD replacement?

Also have you tried re-installing the original SSD and then trying to boot normally?

Of course I could mess up the battery cable or the steam deck but I think this is something that a technician will know and not a support member with just a few questions no? I don't want to underestimate the support team but I think that it has to be reviewed by some specialist.
I also tried the original ssd but with the same results :(

That is essentially the option they are giving you to send it in for repair; and the 200€ is an estimate without seeing the device based on what you've described (which sounds like a damaged LCD ribbon cable).

If they find it to be something that was unrelated to your modifications and it is a warrantable issue they will fix it under warranty; however, if it is found to be damage related to your modifications then they will not cover that under the warranty (which should be obvious).

They won't give you an RMA for a modified system; they will only give you the option for repair, however, do also note that they require you to remove any modifications prior to sending it to the repair center because they may still opt to replace the unit with a pre-refurbished one depending on the issue.

[Ythanatos]

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Of course I could mess up the battery cable or the steam deck but I think this is something that a technician will know and not a support member with just a few questions no? I don't want to underestimate the support team but I think that it has to be reviewed by some specialist.
I also tried the original ssd but with the same results :(

That is essentially the option they are giving you to send it in for repair; and the 200€ is an estimate without seeing the device based on what you've described (which sounds like a damaged LCD ribbon cable).

If they find it to be something that was unrelated to your modifications and it is a warrantable issue they will fix it under warranty; however, if it is found to be damage related to your modifications then they will not cover that under the warranty (which should be obvious).

They won't give you an RMA for a modified system; they will only give you the option for repair, however, do also note that they require you to remove any modifications prior to sending it to the repair center because they may still opt to replace the unit with a pre-refurbished one depending on the issue.

So this is the option for me.
Of course if it something I did I will pay it but it sounds or at least that's what I understood that this is not covered by the warranty in any way and 100% I will pay for the repair.
What I do not want is to sent it to repair and to pay if it is not something that I did. So how can I just request for this repair and for the warranty in case it is covered?

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

That is essentially the option they are giving you to send it in for repair; and the 200€ is an estimate without seeing the device based on what you've described (which sounds like a damaged LCD ribbon cable).

If they find it to be something that was unrelated to your modifications and it is a warrantable issue they will fix it under warranty; however, if it is found to be damage related to your modifications then they will not cover that under the warranty (which should be obvious).

They won't give you an RMA for a modified system; they will only give you the option for repair, however, do also note that they require you to remove any modifications prior to sending it to the repair center because they may still opt to replace the unit with a pre-refurbished one depending on the issue.

So this is the option for me.
Of course if it something I did I will pay it but it sounds or at least that's what I understood that this is not covered by the warranty in any way and 100% I will pay for the repair.
What I do not want is to sent it to repair and to pay if it is not something that I did. So how can I just request for this repair and for the warranty in case it is covered?

Reply to your support that you would like to send it for repair, however, you would like them to provide you with details of any non-warranty damage and the option to approve/deny the repair cost if it is found to not be covered and pay for shipping the un-repaired unit back to you.

Otherwise you'll just have to trust that they will review the unit and if it is a warranty item they will fix it and if not they will provide you with the evidence of the damage.

[Ythanatos]

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

So this is the option for me.
Of course if it something I did I will pay it but it sounds or at least that's what I understood that this is not covered by the warranty in any way and 100% I will pay for the repair.
What I do not want is to sent it to repair and to pay if it is not something that I did. So how can I just request for this repair and for the warranty in case it is covered?

Reply to your support that you would like to send it for repair, however, you would like them to provide you with details of any non-warranty damage and the option to approve/deny the repair cost if it is found to not be covered and pay for shipping the un-repaired unit back to you.

Otherwise you'll just have to trust that they will review the unit and if it is a warranty item they will fix it and if not they will provide you with the evidence of the damage.

Thx for the help!
Anyway the lcd ribbon cable could be damaged in the process? I did nothing with this cable. Maybe the battery cable because it was unplugged and plugged so many times. Do you know if there is a way to test it?

[Punkovich]

You could try requesting that your ticked get escalated to a supervisor. The front line support guys generally aren't tech savvy and are probably working from a script that is just a long list of conditional statements (if customer states X, than reply with Y)

Or in this case: if customer states they have modded the console in any way, than reply damage not covered by warranty.

[Mahjik]

One thing I didn't see (might have missed it, that's quite the wall of text) is the date you purchased the Deck? You listed when you changed the SSD, but when did you buy it?

[Ythanatos]

Originally posted by Mahjik:

One thing I didn't see (might have missed it, that's quite the wall of text) is the date you purchased the Deck? You listed when you changed the SSD, but when did you buy it?

Hi Mahjik.
It was a gift from friends three weeks ago and I think it was purchased 2 months ago.
The ssd was changed 04th of december of this year.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Originally posted by Mahjik:

One thing I didn't see (might have missed it, that's quite the wall of text) is the date you purchased the Deck? You listed when you changed the SSD, but when did you buy it?

Hi Mahjik.
It was a gift from friends three weeks ago and I think it was purchased 2 months ago.
The ssd was changed 04th of december of this year.

If you put the original SSD back in, and the problem is not from the SSD or work from changing the SSD, they will warranty the device. If they determine what's wrong with it is from manually moving anything around internally, they will fix it but you'll have to pay for the fix.

[JDMFTW]

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Originally posted by Mahjik:

One thing I didn't see (might have missed it, that's quite the wall of text) is the date you purchased the Deck? You listed when you changed the SSD, but when did you buy it?

Hi Mahjik.
It was a gift from friends three weeks ago and I think it was purchased 2 months ago.
The ssd was changed 04th of december of this year.

Do you have an update?? I'm having the SAME issue with my new oled model. I asked to escalate my ticket to a manager/supervisor after they copy paste denied my warranty.

[Ythanatos]

Originally posted by JDMFTW:

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Hi Mahjik.
It was a gift from friends three weeks ago and I think it was purchased 2 months ago.
The ssd was changed 04th of december of this year.

Do you have an update?? I'm having the SAME issue with my new oled model. I asked to escalate my ticket to a manager/supervisor after they copy paste denied my warranty.

Hi.
After a few more messages they initiated the rma process. They told me that if they find something not covered by the warranty they will reach me out with the estimated budget and will let me choose between pay for the repair or to send me back the console and paying the shipment.
Just be patient and keep pushing.

[JDMFTW]

Originally posted by Ythanatos:

Originally posted by JDMFTW:

Do you have an update?? I'm having the SAME issue with my new oled model. I asked to escalate my ticket to a manager/supervisor after they copy paste denied my warranty.

Hi.
After a few more messages they initiated the rma process. They told me that if they find something not covered by the warranty they will reach me out with the estimated budget and will let me choose between pay for the repair or to send me back the console and paying the shipment.
Just be patient and keep pushing.

Thanks for the quick reply. I requested to escalate the issue as my unit was brand new. crossing fingers.

[DoKo_O]

" It was the update that messes up the console."

and how exactly do you know that 100% ? by reading all of this i feel like you punctured/pinched the display ribbon cable which happened to other people in the past while changing the ssd to be fair...

and just because it worked for some time right after doesnt mean that the pinch/damage doesnt continue to damage further when closed

good thing though that they now offered to check it out and let you choose if they find anything

[Ythanatos]

Hi.
Just to let you know.
Finally I received the steam deck repaired and without paying. It seems it was an issue covered by the warranty. The thing is that they did not send me anything related with the repair. No email, nothing inside the box, anything.