Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
I had the same problem with Maxtor HDs... I had one die on me after four months, then Maxtor sent me FOUR replacements, since the drives kept dying... for the last one, the person I spoke with on the phone explained I should ask for a new drive specifically, since all I was getting as RMA replacements were REFURBISHED drives which were sent out as OEM... and of course, the new drive was good.
That's actually standard practice in the industry, and MAxtor and WD both describe in their warranty stuff that you will get a refurb/"recertified" HD back from an RMA. What shouldn't (theoretically) happen, is the RMA-return drives continually going bad on you, but I have no doubt that it's possible.
That the other problem with these cards:
1) They are expensive, in many cases too expensive to just junk by the mfg/branded-vendor after an RMA
2) They are in demand, which means that some customers may not mind getting a "used" card. (assuming that it was advertised that way)
3) There are probably a large number of cards that were returned to the seller, purely because they didn't overclock as well as some other joe's card did. This is dangerous, because it means that:
3a) vendors will be more likely to just POST-test the card, and send them back out again to (different) customers. This may cause:
3b) re-circulation of previously-owned bad cards. Eventually:
4) All "bad" cards end up on eBay... which is where tony bought his, knowingly or un-knowingly about its past and/or future troubles. The Wheel O Karma goes round and round...
But as far as defending tony, I wasn't specifically, I just wanted the "accused" to get a "fair trial". Of course, after recent revelations, it seems that the "verdict" would have been the same regardless.