Bought a counterfeit Intel SSD from Best Buy

[jeffbui]

The real (Intel bag) is open on top and taped down with an anti-static warning sticker that leaves marks when you peel it. This fake one was in a completely sealed bag that had to be cut open. There's pretty much no way the associate would notice that it's a fake drive unless they've been informed of how the Intel bag/sticker looks.

I've purchased and installed the Intel G1 80GB and two separate G2 80GB drives before this one and my naive self didn't even notice until I plugged the fake one into his computer and the computer froze. The drive wouldn't even let his computer get past the IDE/SATA detection during BIOS startup, so I have no idea what it really was.

 

[Zap]

Maybe I'm naive here, but why did nobody check the returned item?

If outer box was sealed, why break the seal?

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

Maybe they figured it gets checked less often? Why bother counterfeiting currency less than $100? Because every store clerk scrutinizes them, but just accepts the $20 immediately.

I created this back when I worked for BFG Tech:

People love to complain when they think they've received bad service from manufacturers. With the abundance of internet forums, this can actually be a public relations nightmare.

Well, there's another side to this.

If customers can "out" companies that they are upset at, why can't companies "out" bad customers?

I wish.

I am unable to name names, but in the meantime enjoy the pictures. Oh yeah, the standard disclaimer of "don't try this at home" applies. Doing this is defrauding merchants and a crime.

What are batteries doing inside a video card box?

Closeup of batteries.

Microsoft keyboard?

... with our part number on it.

Here's a good one:

Someone RMA'd a BFG GTX 280...

... that uses two 6 pin?

... and missing a memory chip?

"Not for EMC testing"

OMG, it is really a GTX 260 engineering sample!!!

Saved the best for last:

Is that a bag of screws, or is your Vesa Local Bus video card happy to see me?

Guys, don't do this stuff, m'kay? Just don't.

EDIT: A good one came in today.

Looks like a normal GTX 260

What's with the extra screw holes?

Closeup

OMG, it's really a 9800 GTX

03/23/09 EDIT: A couple more.

The SATA ports on some motherboards get blocked by dual-slot cards. I know, let's mod the fan shrouds so they fit! Who cares that blowers expel air around their whole circumference and need that shroud to channel air to the right place (through the heatsink).

06/04/09 EDIT: A doozy

Looks like a GTX 280... with a green PCB?!?!

Heh, must be the new "green" version of the GTX 280 that doesn't need PCIe power

I didn't know NVIDIA dropped SLI support from these things

OMG with the heatsink/fan removed... it isn't a GTX 280 after all!

PCB was shaved down to fit

Components were removed and extra holes drilled

Wow, it is a Quadro that probably was originally worth more than the GTX 280

Note the extra bit of PCB on the "hook" part that prevents it from being clipped in. This indicates that it was probably an engineering or review sample. This makes it the THIRD time this year that people have returned samples to us, masquerading them as retail BFG cards. :|

 

[kmmatney]

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

Exactly - I don't see why anyone would bother doing this for the cheapest SSD. The risk is not worth the reward in this case.

 

[Old Hippie]

and considering this looks like organized crime,

LOL!!!

Organized crime swapping SSDs?

LOL!!!

 

[Old Hippie]

The sticker looks perfect and it was sealed better than Intel's usual sticker seal.

That drive came in a little SSD box?

I wasn't even sure that one of my 2.5" laptop drives would fit in an SSD box.....and if it did, the weight would be wayyy off.

 

[BBMW]

I saw a news story about this type of scam. In the story the item was an iPod bought and returned at Target. The thief went to the point of reshrinkwrapping the box, so it looked unopened.

They caught the perp when the company's loss prevention people started trolling Ebay looking for people selling iPods without packaging.

 

[Blain]

Just like Kramer says... "Retail is for suckers"

 

[KillerBee]

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.

The pic is a fake 80GB ...did they replace it with a real 80GB at your original 40GB price?

 

[jeffbui]

The pic is a fake 80GB ...did they replace it with a real 80GB at your original 40GB price?

Nope, they gave me a 40GB.

 

[Rubycon]

Remember the faked Nehalem CPUs at Newegg?

Yes the coolers were tasty too.

 

[KillerBee]

Nope, they gave me a 40GB.

Oh well
I'm sure you would have corrected their mistake if it did happen anyway ()

Can see a future trend of people swapping covers from bigger SSDs with their original 40GBs
and then returning them

Thanks for the warning

 

[tweakboy]

What douchebags Best Buy is. They dont even check what they get returned,, its their fault completly. Must have ruined your day when you opened it to reveal a HDD hehe. Im glad it all worked out. This is why Fry's always checks what you return,, they dont just take the box like best buy and put it back on shelf. They examine the product your returning soo this wouldnt have happened at Fry's .. I guess this is a lesson. Dont buy anything from best buy the most expensive electronic stores in the world.

 

[Athadeus]

The weight should have given it away for anybody that has handled an SSD box before!

 

[FishAk]

The photos look like an HDD. What am I missing?

 

[RebateMonger]

They examine the product your returning soo this wouldnt have happened at Fry's.

Hehe...I never thought that Fry's would be used as an example of a quality customer service operation. I have many friends who refuse to EVER buy anything from Fry's. They've gotten too much returned junk that Fry's has stuffed back into the box, shrink-wrapped the box, and sold it as new with no "Returned Product" label.

 

[Old Hippie]

I'd like to see a picture of the box that it came in.

 

[fleshconsumed]

The weight should have given it away for anybody that has handled an SSD box before!

Huh? Is my sarcasm meter broken? 2.5" HDD weighs pretty much the same as SSD.

 

[Old Hippie]

Huh? Is my sarcasm meter broken? 2.5" HDD weighs pretty much the same as SSD.

You know...you're right.

I thought there'd be a lotta difference because these SSDs feel like a feather but I have a 40GB 2.5" Hitachi here and it weighs 98 grams.

Looks like an Intel 80GB G2 is 80 grams.

SSDs are very light and I dunno if I'd notice a difference especially if I'd never handled one before.

 

[jeffbui]

I'd like to see a picture of the box that it came in.

It came in the regular Intel box. Someone bought the real thing, put a fake one in, and returned it in the real box. They took the 3.5" adapter too but left the SATA and molex power cable in the box.

 

[abaez]

How did they get the intel seal back on the box then? I know their seal stickers are pretty fancy and I would think hard to counterfeit.

 

[hal2kilo]

That drive came in a little SSD box?

I wasn't even sure that one of my 2.5" laptop drives would fit in an SSD box.....and if it did, the weight would be wayyy off.

Same fit/form. Weight at that scale is hard to tell.

 

[Rubycon]

You know...you're right.

I thought there'd be a lotta difference because these SSDs feel like a feather but I have a 40GB 2.5" Hitachi here and it weighs 98 grams.

Looks like an Intel 80GB G2 is 80 grams.

SSDs are very light and I dunno if I'd notice a difference especially if I'd never handled one before.

The majority of the weight in the Intel retail packages is from the 2.5 to 3.5" adapter. Take that out and put in a spindle 2.5" drive and the package weight it probably close.

 

[thegimp03]

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

My only thought is that the person who did the switch bought the SSD for cash. Pulling out $100 cash on a 40 GB SSD at Best Buy probably raises less eyebrows than pulling out over $400 for a 160 GB SSD at Best Buy.

 

[capeconsultant]

The REAL douchebag is the one who "returned" it

What douchebags Best Buy is. They dont even check what they get returned,, its their fault completly. Must have ruined your day when you opened it to reveal a HDD hehe. Im glad it all worked out. This is why Fry's always checks what you return,, they dont just take the box like best buy and put it back on shelf. They examine the product your returning soo this wouldnt have happened at Fry's .. I guess this is a lesson. Dont buy anything from best buy the most expensive electronic stores in the world.

 

[hal2kilo]

The REAL douchebag is the one who "returned" it

Yep. On the other hand, if a Best Buy employee was paid a living wage, they might be more conscientious about protecting their profit margins.