Bought a counterfeit Intel SSD from Best Buy

[jeffbui]

I bought an Intel 40GB SSD to put into my father's computer before upgrading it to Windows 7 and low and behold, I received this inside the box. It was completely sealed in the bag and everything. When I went to return it, the sales associates were giving me a hard time at first but the manager looked up the item and realized that the box I had was a returned item meaning someone bought it, kept the real SSD, and returned it with a fake SSD.

The sticker looks perfect and it was sealed better than Intel's usual sticker seal. It was completely in an antistatic bag that I had to use scissors to open.

LOL at a spindle on an SSD.

 

[Adul]

wow, glad worst buy took it back.

 

[hal2kilo]

I bought an Intel 40GB SSD to put into my father's computer before upgrading it to Windows 7 and low and behold, I received this inside the box. It was completely sealed in the bag and everything. When I went to return it, the sales associates were giving me a hard time at first but the manager looked up the item and realized that the box I had was a returned item meaning someone bought it, kept the real SSD, and returned it with a fake SSD.

The sticker looks perfect and it was sealed better than Intel's usual sticker seal. It was completely in an antistatic bag that I had to use scissors to open.

LOL at a spindle on an SSD.

Wow, that sucks. I wonder how many people try scams like this at Best Buy or Fry's.

I'm not overly fond of either outfit, although my Man Cave gene kicks in and I get a little stiff in the nether regions when I walk into a Fry's. Anyway, it's crap like this that makes it harder to do legitimate returns for everyone else.

 

[capeconsultant]

People pretty much suck.

 

[frostedflakes]

Ah man, that sucks. Good to hear that they took it back without too much trouble, though. Return policies at most B&M retailers make them so susceptible to fraud like this, I'm surprised you don't hear about it more often.

 

[RebateMonger]

Nearly 20 years ago, I bought a returned SoundBlaster 16 card at Best Buy. Inside the box was an original 8-bit SoundBlaster card. Best Buy took it back.

 

[Nintendesert]

I would think this kind of thing easy to prove if someone bought an item, swapped it then returned it. Wouldn't BestBuy or any other major retailer track the returned item and simply trace it back to the last person that had access?

Unless of course the theory is that an employee is responsible..

 

[capeconsultant]

This type of thing happens alot. really alot. Worked retail. Either something else or often nothing in the returned box.

 

[cliftonite]

I would think this kind of thing easy to prove if someone bought an item, swapped it then returned it. Wouldn't BestBuy or any other major retailer track the returned item and simply trace it back to the last person that had access?

Unless of course the theory is that an employee is responsible..

what if they paid cash?

 

[RebateMonger]

Wouldn't BestBuy or any other major retailer track the returned item and simply trace it back to the last person that had access?

But who did the switch? In my case, it could have been the previous person who returned the item....or it could have been me. No way to know if Best Buy didn't detect it during the original Return process.

 

[SmCaudata]

I bought an "Open Box" item the other day that was listed as complete. When I got it was missing a UPC and the product registration card. The item was DOA. Microcenter took it back, but I'm guessing the guy bought it, and destroyed it, most likely getting a rebate out of the deal as well. The restocking fee was likely less than the rebate.

 

[Nintendesert]

All very true and problematic for them, and in turn us that have to deal with people stealing from these stores. I wouldn't be surprised to see some places do things like game stores that keep the actual product separate from the packaging.

It may simply be accepted as a cost of doing business in that there are shady people out there and they'll steal regardless of what you do to prevent it.

 

[pcslookout]

That sucks. Never had that happen before but not really surprised that it does.

All very true and problematic for them, and in turn us that have to deal with people stealing from these stores. I wouldn't be surprised to see some places do things like game stores that keep the actual product separate from the packaging.

It may simply be accepted as a cost of doing business in that there are shady people out there and they'll steal regardless of what you do to prevent it.

I think your right unfortunately.

 

[faxon]

Fry's does wireless installs on netgear and d-link routers at $60 mail in rebate ($100 service fee at the register), but the rebate will accept a scanned copy of the UPC and serial information to send you the $60 cash card. when we first started doing installs like this a few customers kept the router, filed the rebate, then returned the router and the rebate with an intact unopened box. later on, another customer bought the same router with install, and sent it in only to be informed that that UPC had already been claimed, despite the item being new in box still LOL. now we have to keep all the routers were doing installs on until we go too the customers house because of shit like that. best part was on black friday we were doing a double rebate, where the customer HAD to use a scanned copy of the UPC to send in both rebates, so we cant even change the policy to not accept scanned copies

 

[RussianSensation]

Very unfortunate to hear about your experience jeffbui. Returns and warranties are another reason why BestBuy has to sell products at higher prices.

 

[Rubycon]

Wow someone went to a lot of trouble. Looks like they scanned a real one and photoshopped it and made up some labels.

It would have been interesting to plug that drive into a dock and see if anything was on it. I'd imagine if they went to all that trouble to do this they would not have put a drive from their system in the box without nuking it first!

 

[wirednuts]

i think op found a good way to trade in your old harddrives for new tech. nice find!

 

[ramj70]

Nearly 20 years ago, I bought a returned SoundBlaster 16 card at Best Buy. Inside the box was an original 8-bit SoundBlaster card. Best Buy took it back.

This also happened to me with a sound card a couple years ago with Best Buy. Bought a x-fi gamer card and an audigy card was in the box. Returned it the same day with no problems.

 

[ahenkel]

Sometimes it works to your advantage. I bought a wacom tablet for grandpa for christmas couple years back and low and behold the box contained two complete tablets, mice, and pens.

 

[Idontcare]

Wow someone went to a lot of trouble. Looks like they scanned a real one and photoshopped it and made up some labels.

It would have been interesting to plug that drive into a dock and see if anything was on it. I'd imagine if they went to all that trouble to do this they would not have put a drive from their system in the box without nuking it first!

All of which to me sends the red-flag that this isn't a one-time outfit or occurrence.

Whoever is responsible for this particular counterfit SSD is probably in it to do it more than once.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Remember the faked Nehalem CPUs at Newegg?

 

[Voo]

Maybe I'm naive here, but why did nobody check the returned item? I mean I'd assume that by now BB and everyone else knows that people go to absurd lengths to save a few bucks (honestly a 40gb SSD?) and considering this looks like organized crime, which means that's probably happening more than once I'm even more surprised that nobody examined it..

 

[TemjinGold]

But why would organized crime go for the smallest SSD Intel has? Why not do it for the 160 or even the 80?

 

[fleshconsumed]

Maybe I'm naive here, but why did nobody check the returned item? I mean I'd assume that by now BB and everyone else knows that people go to absurd lengths to save a few bucks (honestly a 40gb SSD?) and considering this looks like organized crime, which means that's probably happening more than once I'm even more surprised that nobody examined it..

1. I don't think any BB associate can know enough about every product best buy carries to know what to look for when someone returns a product. Best Buy carries what, a few thousand items? How well would you know 5000 items to see a very well made fake? 2. The thing was in original packaging, in a sealed antistatic bag, I doubt anyone would have suspected switcheroo when the bag looked unopened. 3. Someone working at $8.50 an hour is not going to care about returns, they are just going to check the product name on receipt and process return.

 

[c0chese]

Nearly 20 years ago, I bought a returned SoundBlaster 16 card at Best Buy. Inside the box was an original 8-bit SoundBlaster card. Best Buy took it back.

Posting for attonement are we? I remember about 8 years ago, when I was working at CompUSA some kid returned a sealed powerbook, perfect weight everything seemed right. However, when CS opened it up, it had a brick inside! :ninja: The managers were very angry...it made me smile