Best Buy is exchanging ASUS Transformer Primes for the new ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity
If you’re an early adopter who picked up an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime late last year, and you haven’t been completely satisfied with the tablet’s performance, you may be in luck. Reports have been coming in from Transformer Prime users that, if you purchased the tablet from Best Buy, the retailer is willing to take it back, and possibly even give you a brand new ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity in exchange, regardless of when the Transformer Prime was originally purchased.
Many Transformer Prime units have been plagued by issues such as poor GPS performance, weak WiFi reception, and issues using WiFi and Bluetooth simultaneously. Lots of users have also been experiencing issues with lag that don’t seem to get better, even after multiple OTA updates that supposedly address this. Still more report that dead pixels are developing prematurely.
It is generally Best Buy’s policy to repair or replace products that are still within their one year manufacturer’s warranty. However, Best Buy does not service the Transformer Prime in house, and it has also removed the product from their inventory. This means that most locations won’t be able to offer a replacement. Therefore, when a Transformer Prime owner brings the tablet to a Best Buy location and requests a warranty exchange, Best Buy will either offer the customer a comparable model (in this case, the Transformer Pad Infinity), or even a full refund of the purchase price.
I decided to test this myself, since I too have been suffering from increasing problems with lag and weak WiFi. I explained my problem to a member of the Geek Squad, and told him that WiFi and GPS are known issues that ASUS has previously acknowledged. He informed me that he would have to test the tablet’s performance himself, and he took it to the back for a few minutes. Soon, he returned, and since this particular location didn’t have the Transformer Pad Infinity in stock, he offered to refund the full $500 purchase price back to my credit card. I didn’t even have any premium warranty protection plan.
As is always the case with these types of things, your mileage may vary. However, you should be successful in either getting your money back or getting a new Transformer Pad Infinity if you simply explain that you want a warranty exchange, since these are known issues that effect the entire Transformer Prime lineup and have been acknowledged by ASUS. Be very polite, and don’t demand anything up front – let the Best Buy associate perform his or her standard procedures, and the outcome should be in your favor.
All in all, I am very pleased that Best Buy is willing to do this, and also that ASUS has listened to customer concerns and addressed them in the latest tablet in the Transformer lineup. I’ve since used my refund to order the Transformer Pad Infinity, so you can expect to hear all about my impressions of the device soon after it arrives. In the meantime, be sure to let us know what your experiences are if you try this exchange at Best Buy yourself.
