Am I being too paranoid about a HDD being shipped poorly?

[Darknite39]

I am not a policy expert, but, reading the above at http://support.wdc.com/Warranty/warrantyPolicy.aspx?lang=en seems pretty clear.

Yes, I just saw that, too (I was really asking rhetorically, but I appreciate your help). I can't believe I had my head so far up my butt on this one. I guess the allure of saving almost $100 shut down my usual paranoia.

These are going back.

Thank you to everyone for your help! I sincerely appreciate it.

 

[Darknite39]

This is rich. He included this in a reply about my request for a return:
P.S. Because these items are listed as no returns I do not have a return policy so I would like to ask you if you would be willing to pay a 5% restocking fee ($14.80) to help cover a portion of the $35 your decision to return will be costing me?

I replied that my decision isn't costing him anything, but, rather him selling used hard drives as new. SMH

 

[UsandThem]

This is rich. He included this in a reply about my request for a return:
P.S. Because these items are listed as no returns I do not have a return policy so I would like to ask you if you would be willing to pay a 5% restocking fee ($14.80) to help cover a portion of the $35 your decision to return will be costing me?

I replied that my decision isn't costing him anything, but, rather him selling used hard drives as new. SMH

It sounds like he is a scammer. I'd at least leave a neutral review after you get your refund if he did not state that he opened them to "test" them.

He probably buys used server pulls, resets the SMART info, and sells them as new. Someone like me who doesn't buy traditional hard drives anymore would have never caught it.

 

[Darknite39]

It sounds like he is a scammer. I'd at least leave a neutral review after you get your refund if he did not state that he opened them to "test" them.

He probably buys used server pulls, resets the SMART info, and sells them as new. Someone like me who doesn't buy traditional hard drives anymore would have never caught it.

Bingo. That is now my reading of the situation and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

...I really should have just paid the extra $90 and gotten a couple more from newegg.

Never Forget.

 

[Darknite39]

Never Forget.

Believe me, I won't! (You'd think I would already known better at 34, but I guess we're always learning. )

 

[Elixer]

BTW, it might be a good idea to identify this seller, so other people reading this thread, know what they are doing.

 

[Darknite39]

I will as soon as I get my refund.

 

[Darknite39]

Here is the seller:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/criwhit-lobgab

Here's a new listing for the same HDD I bought: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Dig...330445?hash=item4d49e696cd:g:I80AAOSwn8FXSods

Interestingly, he has now added this text. I still haven't given my neutral feedback because I don't want my perfect record marred by retaliation.

The Western Digital 6TB hard drives in this listing are brand new, never used, and not refurbished.

The hard drive industry standard for determining if a hard drive is new is to read the S.M.A.R.T. data (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T.).

We recommend using CrystalDiskInfo because it is a simple open it, see the smart data info, close it.

You can download it free if you like: http://download.cnet.com/CrystalDiskInfo/3000-2086_4-10832082.html

We sell used and new drives. Any drive listed as new will have a S.M.A.R.T. data “Power On Hours” value of “0 hours”.

Before we ship out any drive, new or used we test them to verify they are working.

All drives are formatted for use with PC such that the buyer will be able to use it immediately.

All drives are sealed in antistatic bags for shipping.

We have not had a single drive reported to have been damaged in shipping.

 

[UsandThem]

Still very shady. There should be zero reason for them to open brand new drives to 'format them for PC use'.

They are either getting grey market, used, system pulls, or refurbished drives and selling them as new after resetting the SMART.

Your call on leaving the eval. I completely understand your concerns on the retaliatory feedback, but at the same time, they only added that language because someone finally caught them. I still think a nuetral rating is in order, as what they sold you was not as described, and what can they say you did wrong?

 

[Darknite39]

Yeah, I was thinking about this after I posted, and I'm going to leave the FB tonight stating simply that the drives weren't new and he gave a refund, but it seems sketchy (worded politely). I can't imagine what he could say about me other than that I didn't agree to a $35 restocking fee. LOL

 

[Elixer]

Here is the seller:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/criwhit-lobgab

Here's a new listing for the same HDD I bought: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Dig...330445?hash=item4d49e696cd:g:I80AAOSwn8FXSods

Interestingly, he has now added this text. I still haven't given my neutral feedback because I don't want my perfect record marred by retaliation.

The Western Digital 6TB hard drives in this listing are brand new, never used, and not refurbished.

The hard drive industry standard for determining if a hard drive is new is to read the S.M.A.R.T. data (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T.).

We recommend using CrystalDiskInfo because it is a simple open it, see the smart data info, close it.

You can download it free if you like: http://download.cnet.com/CrystalDiskInfo/3000-2086_4-10832082.html

We sell used and new drives. Any drive listed as new will have a S.M.A.R.T. data “Power On Hours” value of “0 hours”.

Before we ship out any drive, new or used we test them to verify they are working.

All drives are formatted for use with PC such that the buyer will be able to use it immediately.

All drives are sealed in antistatic bags for shipping.

We have not had a single drive reported to have been damaged in shipping.

Thanks for the update!

 

[LostHiWay]

I don't think the seller is a scammer, he just should have worded the ad better about it being "tested". I've sold quite a few drives on eBay (50+) in the last 2 years. I've had probably a 20% return rate due to people complaining 6TB drives were only showing as 2TB. Most people just don't know how to set the drive to GPT. The seller in this case was probably doing that a then formatting the drive for customers so when they install it the full capacity shows up to reduce his return rate

 

[Darknite39]

Yeah, this is why I'm not reporting him to ebay or anything. I just can't get my head around someone opening new drives to format them prior to selling them if something sketchy isn't going on. It would be just as easy to include instructions on formatting with the drive. However, I have no proof of anything sketchy, so I can only say he sold opened and formatted drives as new.