How will returning my DOA board go?

Tdlr: doa board -> decide to rma cuz if given the choice i would want the board -> turns out rma to exceeding budget and I like to stay in or very near, not double it -> how will microcenter handle it?

Here's rhe rundown

• Aug 20th, buy z790 aorus master at Tustin. $67.10, buy protection plan for 2 years. Notice the pins look odd but ask 3 staff, they all think its good to go (board was not labeled doa or anything. Just refurbished)

Finally get ddr5 ram (didnt want to pay in stores prices, stupid by now) Test board. Dead, nothing works on it

Decide to send it in for RMA since it still is near enough to my $100 budget by then then. School starts and I sit on it for a bit before finally being able to send it out.

Gigabyte quotes me $100. My original budget was $100 for just a board so $200 is not want i want to be spending especially as a college student who isnt working at the moment.

Tell them to send it back, now have to see about returning it to microcenter and hoping my protection plan saves me.