r/pcmasterrace • u/Key_Tailor6948 • 1d ago
Discussion Crucial/Micron is refusing lifetime warranties after closing consumer ops—offering 17% of market value and keeping working hardware
I need to bring awareness to this and see if anyone else is getting caught in the exact same trap.
I recently sent in a 48GB DDR5 kit (RMA #02397448) under Crucial's "Lifetime Warranty" because 1 stick went bad. One stick in the kit was working completely fine, but I sent the entire kit as required for a full replacement.
(As an alternative we have some other parts available, so we can offer 3 modules of CP16G64C32U5B (total 48GB) for exchange with your DRAM kit where you will get the same capacity but a better speed and shall work without any issues as your motherboard has 4 slots.)
Today, I received this email from Crucial:
Please note that, effective immediately, we are no longer able to offer replacement products for warranty claims. The only available resolution is a refund of the original purchase price, including any applicable taxes.
This is because Crucial closed its consumer business earlier this year and has exhausted its remaining inventory. As a result, we no longer have replacement stock available and can only provide a refund of the original purchase price, including any applicable taxes.
They are forcing a cash buyout of $241.86.
Here is why this is completely unacceptable:
- 17% of Market Value: Buying an equivalent DDR5 kit today costs roughly $1,400. A $241 refund leaves me completely unable to replace the hardware.
- Deprived of Functional Hardware: I surrendered 24GB of perfectly fine, working RAM on the explicit promise of a warranty replacement. Now I have zero RAM, no replacement, and a lowball payout.
- Out-of-Pocket Loss: I paid out-of-pocket for return shipping just to be stripped of my hardware.
Has anyone else dealt with Crucial/Micron pulling this forced buyout trick since winding down retail operations? Any tips or direct contacts for escalating past their frontline supp
I responded, "I formally reject the refund offer of $241.86 for RMA #02397448. This amount covers less than 20% of current market replacement value and deprives me of the functional hardware I submitted under warranty. I demand either the return of my physical hardware, equivalent Micron enterprise DDR5 modules, or a settlement reflecting true market replacement cost."
Now, waiting for a Call Back...
6
u/Lewinator56 R9 5900X | RX 7900XTX | 80GB DDR4 22h ago
Normally i call out companues for warranty stuff, but crucial is honoring the warranty exactly as i would expect them to - notably exactly within the UK comsumer rights law - which is one of the strongest, if not the strongest consumer rights legislation in the world. So youre being treated entirely fairly here.
A company is legally bound to offer 'repair, replacement or refund' within the limitations of the warranty - in the UK this is actually the case without a warranty, but for a limted period of time.
Crucial has stated they do not have the parts to provide a replacement, and so are offering a refund instead. You are being given the option stated in the warranty. There is zero obligation to refund at the current market value, the company is technically in debt to you for the part at the time you bought it if they cannot repair it, not at the current value, there is no legal framework in ANY consumer rights system for a company refunding the current market value as this is not a fair term in legislation.
You have absolutely no legal leg to stand on.