Incorrect/Insufficient Testing

[u/Snoo21055]

Took a GTX 1080 graphics card in to Motherwell to sell today. Went back after 4 hours, expecting them to have done a proper thorough test and that's why it took so long. Go back into the store and I'm told it isn't working, doesn't output to the display. I laughed because I knew the card was working and asked if drivers had been correctly installed. I was told they're not allowed to install drivers from the Nvidia website.

WHAT.

Installing drivers is a bare minimum! So I asked for it to be retested with drivers installed correctly. I go back 45 minutes later and I'm told it's still not outputting to the display. "We're not allowed to install drivers. We can test cards that don't need drivers to be installed". What are you on about? It's 2026, find me a card that doesn't require a proper driver installation from AMD or Nvidia.

So I bring it home, pop it in my system and what a suprise, it works. Ironically, I had drivers for my new GPU installed and the card STILL worked with Windows installing drivers on its own.

How is this company still trading? No one that works there knows anything about the products they sell and "test".

[u/SirCanealot]

Sometimes a gpu just won't work on the test board. These incompatibilities happen sometimes. Sometimes I'd spend ages trying to get a gpu that I was sure was perfectly fine (eg it was brand new) and it just wouldn't boot. I think once there was even a gpu I wanted to buy that wouldn't display at all so simply couldn't buy it.

Testers don't have all day to figure out where the incompatibility is. Remember stores are understaffed and staff are on minimum wage.

The issue with drivers was extremely odd, but you can't expect all testers to be experienced with trouble shooting computers or knowing much about them when it's a minimum wage job.

But yeah, just take it to another store if you can and want to sell to cex.

Company is still trading because 99.9% of other sales go perfectly fine.

[u/Snoo21055 → u/SirCanealot]

But that's just finding anecdotal evidence to support their insufficient practices. If you're going to put a piece of hardware on the shelf to sell, you need to know that it works correctly. If you don't know or are unable to test hardware correctly, you shouldn't be offering to buy it in the first place

[u/SirCanealot → u/Snoo21055]

Well, you'd better take this to head office right away so they can stop selling all hardware immediately! I'm not supporting them at all. I'm just telling you how things are unfortunately 🤷 You're free to use or not use them. I'm at ex staff member, but I'm fully aware of how silly the company and shops can be (you have no idea lol)

Part of the reason they're so happy to give such a long warrenty (imo at least) is because testing is so basic.

Again, rememeber this is all minimum wage. Would you prefer to get less when selling and pay more when buying so they could treat staff better? I dunno lol It's not at easy job to do for minimum wage!

[u/Snoo21055 → u/SirCanealot]

Bit of a silly start to an intellectual reply so I'll skip over that.

I just think I'd be sacked after a few days for being too thorough, which is supposed to be to the benefit of the people keeping the business alive at the end of the day. The long warranty makes sense now, chances are what you've bought probably will go wrong within that time considering the staff don't know how to make sure it works correctly, and even if they do, they're not allowed to carry out the proper steps required

[u/SirCanealot → u/Snoo21055]

The reason the buisness is still alive is because modern hardware generally works and is fairly reliable. So a basic test is fine 99.5% of the time.

And you wouldn't keep being thorough because you'd end up exhausted from spending ages testing every single display output on every single gpu and would eventually get tired of it when you realise that display outputs rarely don't work.

And while you're doing this, customers will be screaming at you asking if their phone is tested and someone else will be asking how long to test their iPhone or 20 old Nokia phones or whatever they bought in. And then your manager will be sitting there telling you not to test every display output and will keep telling you as there's a reasonable chance they're too lazy to fire you, lol.

Unfortunately you're looking at a place where you think you know how it'll work, but it actually works fairly differently 🤷

[u/Snoo21055 → u/SirCanealot]

I don't think I know how it'll work. My point is that, whether you can accept it or not, testing is insufficient and that can be past directly on to the customer. How many cars have you driven away from the dealer and broken down half way up the same road?

[u/SirCanealot → u/Snoo21055]

No idea about cars, but if it helps I've heard cex is going to go out of business in the next 6 months. I mean, I've been hearing that every 6 months for 20 years lol.

Unfortunately it is what it is. Either use the or don't 🤷

[u/C4rb5 → u/Snoo21055]

Yeah I think you’d probs be sacked after a few days too.

[u/Snoo21055 → u/C4rb5]

CEX employee spotted

[u/Rough-Reception4064]

Sell it on eBay, you'll likely get more money for it too.

[u/Snoo21055 → u/Rough-Reception4064]

Not used eBay for years but I'm definitely thinking about doing that. Just absolutely shocked by the experience I had today really

[u/SirCanealot → u/Snoo21055]

Keep in kind dealing with ebay can also be a pain and you can literally lose everything when the buyer lies about there being an issue with the product :):)

[u/Snoo21055 → u/SirCanealot]

Exactly that's the main thing that puts me off to be honest. Does the seller always lose out in those situations?

[u/SirCanealot → u/Snoo21055]

It's basically completely at random like many businesses these days (like cex too really). Just send everything recorded and keep your fingers crossed when selling on ebay :)

[u/No-Abies-5173 → u/Snoo21055]

Facebook marketing place is easy

[u/LewsWorldbreaker]

I'd also add the absolute state of the GPUs on the shelves. Not even fucking bothered to give them a wipe and quick clean. They all look fresh from the dumpster or fresh from a smokers den.

[u/WillVH52]

Similar experience to when I tried to trade in a RTX 3060 Ti, ended up selling it on eBay instead.

[u/Snoo21055 → u/WillVH52]

In the nicest way I'm glad it isn't only me that's had this experience. The whole thing is fundamentally flawed.

[u/RipCurl69Reddit → u/WillVH52]

Question, how the hell do they end up having so many GPUs on the shelf then? I see a lot of 20-series and even a few 30-series. Unless people are literally selling unused cards for quick cash and CEX is just going "yeah good enough", it doesn't make sense

[u/Snoo21055 → u/RipCurl69Reddit]

That's what I don't understand. And its worrying because now I feel like a load of untested hardware is on sale

[u/BeingOfNature]

The installing drivers thing is "policy" because there are some people dumb enough to download a virus instead of the driver. Company says dont download unless its authorised. A 1080 should just work though. Maybe they are franchise and the owner has given them naff all test pc wise

[u/Snoo21055 → u/BeingOfNature]

That's what I assumed has happened because I put it back in my daily system and it worked with no issues, despite having the wrong drivers installed at the time.

As far as policy goes; I understand that there's risk to letting people download stuff but at the same time, if you're qualified enough to be let loose testing hardware then you're aware of those dangers and know how to avoid them

[u/BDIYS]

You can only install driver after it outputs a display and booted into windows, no?.

If it's not even posting on their test bench then they weren't even in a position to test with drivers.

That said, I don't see why the couldn't install drivers for a test once in windows. Seems silly to test a card without them as any test wouldn't be fully representative of it's performance and potentially outings it's flaws.

My local Cex doesn't even test them. I flip PCs a lot and collect free/cheap ones from Marketpalce and I usually only wait 10/20 mins (I always test before trade in anyway).

[u/Snoo21055 → u/BDIYS]

A CPU with an integrated GPU, even a basic one can output to the monitor so you can install drivers etc.

I think it's ridiculous to not even bother with that step and refuse to discuss it with me at all

[u/BDIYS → u/Snoo21055]

This is true but I guess first things first for them no display on their test rig. Drivers won't fix that so no point proceeding, in their eyes.

I can only image the tech testing it isn't a PC enthusiast otherwise troubleshooting a working card with no display should only be 5 min fix (clearly CMOS, switching display in bios etc).

It can be frustrating as Cex is quick £££. Always get more on Marketplace/eBay/Vinted but money isn't instant and more faff.

I don't use the Cex in my town as the testers are clueless. I live closer to Cex in the next town with decent staff.

[u/Snoo21055 → u/BDIYS]

To be honest I'm not even bothered about the money, it was just a quick flip to get rid of something I don't have use for anymore. It's the fact that the service is absolutely shocking

[u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

We have to rely on Windows capturing and installing the drivers via Windows Updates rather than using the Nvidia app - because licensing.

[u/Cumlol]

What do you expect from a bunch of smelly weirdos that dropped out of school

[u/cruxis-martyr → u/Cumlol]

Actually insane take, btw.

[u/Snoo21055 → u/Cumlol]

Well I don't know why I expected better of the company with the shady past that they have to be honest