EVGA has announced a revamped warranty program that promises to improve services for both first and secondhand shoppers. Instead of issuing warranties to buyers and requiring them to register their graphics cards and motherboards, EVGA's warranty is now bound to each product's serial number. In other words, the company's standard three-year warranty is applied to items with no action required by customers, no matter how they got the part.
Original owners can register products and buy an upgraded five- or ten-year warranty within 30 days of their purchase, but this isn't transferrable to others. By registering and buying an extended warranty, users are eligible for other perks like EVGA's Step-Up program, which lets users trade in their part for a better one within 90 days of purchase (you have to pay the difference, of course). These upgrades are only available in the US, EU and Canada.
Besides that limitation, the new warranty terms seem to eliminate common regional restrictions. Some other vendors won't honor warranties if the item is bought from or moved to another country, but EVGA doesn't care: "An EVGA product is covered under warranty, no matter where you live. If you purchase a product in another country, you will be served by your local warranty center."
The company's new policy also simplifies its RMA process with a cross-shipping service that supplies users with a new part before they return the defective one. This requires a temporary hold on your credit card for collateral. The updated terms apply to any components purchased on or after July 1, 2011. You can use EVGA's Guest RMA page to see if your serial number is covered.