German consumers are reporting that Seagate hard drives advertised and sold as new were actually refurbished drives with heavy prior usage. Some drives reportedly logged tens of thousands of power-on hours and possessed SMART data indicating significant wear, including reallocated sectors and high spin-retry counts. This affects several models, including IronWolf and Exos enterprise-grade drives purchased through various retailers. While Seagate has initiated replacements for some affected customers, the extent of the issue and the company's official response remain unclear. Concerns persist regarding the potential for widespread resale of used drives as new, raising questions about Seagate's quality control and refurbishment practices.
A disconcerting report from Tom's Hardware details allegations from German consumers who claim that Seagate, a prominent manufacturer of hard disk drives (HDDs), has been selling refurbished or previously used hard drives marketed as new. These customers, upon receiving their supposedly pristine storage devices, discovered through S.M.A.R.T. data analysis that the drives had already accumulated extensive operational hours, sometimes totaling tens of thousands. This implies that the drives, far from being factory fresh, had potentially undergone significant prior usage, raising concerns about their remaining lifespan and reliability. The affected customers reportedly purchased these drives through various online retailers, suggesting the issue may be widespread rather than isolated incidents. This practice, if confirmed, represents a potential breach of consumer trust, as customers are paying for new products while receiving hardware with a potentially diminished operational expectancy. The article highlights the importance of checking S.M.A.R.T. data upon receiving a new hard drive to verify its actual usage history. While the specifics of how these used drives ended up being sold as new remain unclear, the article underscores a growing concern regarding the transparency of hardware supply chains and the potential for misrepresentation of product condition. The situation leaves open questions about Seagate's quality control processes and whether this is a localized incident limited to the German market or a more pervasive issue affecting a broader customer base. The implications for Seagate's reputation and customer confidence remain to be seen as the situation unfolds and investigations continue.
Summary of Comments ( 164 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42864788
Hacker News commenters express skepticism and concern over the report of Seagate allegedly selling used hard drives as new in Germany. Several users doubt the veracity of the claims, suggesting the reported drive hours could be a SMART reporting error or a misunderstanding. Others point out the potential for refurbished drives to be sold unknowingly, highlighting the difficulty in distinguishing between genuinely new and refurbished drives. Some commenters call for more evidence, suggesting analysis of the drive's physical condition or firmware versions. A few users share anecdotes of similar experiences with Seagate drives failing prematurely. The overall sentiment is one of caution towards Seagate, with some users recommending alternative brands.
The Hacker News post "Seagate: 'new' hard drives used for tens of thousands of hours" has generated a significant discussion with a variety of comments. Many users express skepticism and concern about Seagate's quality control and business practices.
Several commenters share personal anecdotes of Seagate hard drive failures, reinforcing the negative perception of the brand. Some suggest that Seagate might be repackaging and reselling returned or refurbished drives as new, potentially without adequately disclosing this to consumers. This practice is viewed as deceptive and raises concerns about the true lifespan and reliability of these "new" drives.
A few commenters propose that the issue might be related to a specific batch or retailer, rather than a widespread problem across all Seagate products. They suggest that the drives in question might have been used for testing or burn-in procedures before being repackaged and sold. However, this explanation is met with skepticism by others, who argue that such extensive usage (tens of thousands of hours) is unusual even for testing purposes.
Some users discuss the importance of checking SMART data (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) upon receiving a new hard drive. This data can reveal the drive's usage history, including power-on hours and error counts, allowing buyers to identify potentially problematic drives. Several commenters share tools and techniques for accessing and interpreting SMART data.
A few commenters mention alternative hard drive brands, such as Western Digital, and suggest that consumers consider these options due to the perceived reliability issues with Seagate. However, others point out that all hard drive manufacturers can have occasional failures and that brand loyalty is not always a reliable indicator of quality.
There is also a discussion about the legal and ethical implications of selling used hard drives as new. Some users argue that this practice constitutes fraud and that consumers should be entitled to refunds or replacements. Others discuss the difficulty of proving that a drive was previously used, especially if the SMART data has been reset or modified.
Finally, some commenters offer practical advice for mitigating the risk of hard drive failure, such as regularly backing up data and using RAID configurations for redundancy. They emphasize the importance of data security and the potential consequences of relying on a single hard drive for critical information.