Seagate: 'new' hard drives used for tens of thousands of hours
Alleged source of the problem (Seagate vs. distributors)
- Some readers assume Seagate is directly at fault; others note the article suggests a shady but “approved” distributor or reseller chain, not necessarily Seagate corporate.
- Multiple German retailers (including official Seagate partners) are implicated, suggesting a distributor- or wholesaler-level issue rather than a single rogue shop.
- Explanations range from honest warehouse mix‑ups to gray‑market sourcing and deliberate relabeling; commenters stress that wiping SMART hours looks intentional, not accidental.
Marketplace and retailer behavior
- Many report Amazon (and, to a lesser extent, other big retailers) shipping obviously used or damaged items as “new,” including HDDs, SSDs, audio gear, and other electronics.
- Amazon’s inventory commingling is highlighted: “sold by Seagate” doesn’t guarantee the item actually came from Seagate’s stock.
- Some users have received outright counterfeit drives with fake anti‑counterfeit labels, especially via marketplace sellers.
- This leads many to avoid buying HDDs from Amazon and prefer specialty dealers or direct manufacturer channels.
HDD vendor reputations and prior scandals
- Seagate is seen by many as chronically unreliable (e.g., infamous 3TB models like ST3000DM001, Maxtor-era issues). Others counter that recent Backblaze data shows Seagate mostly comparable to peers except for a few bad SKUs.
- Western Digital is criticized for the WD Red SMR debacle and for mixing SMR/CMR under one product line without clear labeling; some users boycotted WD over this.
- HGST/Ultrastar and Toshiba enterprise lines are frequently praised as more reliable, though most admit personal anecdotes are statistically weak.
Used/“new” drives and fraud vs. accepted risk
- Several commenters routinely buy refurbished/used enterprise drives (often ex‑datacenter) at deep discounts, but only when clearly disclosed.
- The core outrage here is not that drives are used, but that they’re sold as new and their SMART history is reset—widely characterized as straightforward fraud.
- Speculation: some of these drives may be retired datacenter or Chia‑mining units with tens of thousands of hours.
Why this matters even if warranty exists
- Drives have finite life; a “5‑year” drive that’s already 2–5 years into its service reduces effective lifespan.
- Warranty replaces hardware but not lost data, downtime, or rebuild headaches (especially for RAID/NAS setups that want matched drives).
- Enterprise/OEM drives entering retail may have warranty start dates years in the past; customers buying “new” don’t expect that.
Technical detection: SMART vs. FARM
- SMART power‑on hours can be (and are) reset by some refurbishers.
- Seagate’s FARM (Field Accessible Reliability Metrics) logs are discussed as harder to fake and more detailed (e.g., voltage ranges, real accumulated hours).
- Users share commands:
smartctl -l farm /dev/sdX(requires smartmontools ≥ 7.4) and mention Seagate’s openSeaChest tools. Some struggle to extract logs or find documentation.
Buying strategies and alternatives
- Many now:
- Avoid HDDs from Amazon/marketplaces for critical data.
- Prefer known-good enterprise lines (Ultrastar, Toshiba MG/MN) or clearly labeled refurbs from reputable sellers.
- Verify warranty status on manufacturer sites and cross‑check DOM vs. reported hours/FARM logs on arrival.
Broader decline in quality and enforcement
- Several see this as part of a wider pattern: companies quietly lowering quality or relabeling returns to cope with price pressure.
- Opinions differ on effectiveness of remedies: class actions are seen as a “corporate nightmare” but not very rewarding to consumers; others suggest consumer‑protection agencies, regulators, or small‑claims routes.