Seagate RMA shipping

[CTrainBEB]

I gotta send my seagate drive back because it doesn't work. The shipping instructions are quite specific:
enclose the static-protected drive in 2-inch thick foam rubber
in a corrugated box. Multiple drives in a single box must have
foam rubber between each drive. DO NOT USE foam packing
pellets, bubble wrap, or newspaper.

it says if packaged improperly the warranty will be voided. Will they really void my warranty if i use newspaper and packing peanuts? I don't know where i'm gonna get some foam, being a poor college student all the styrofoam i get goes to heat my room.

 

[Sqube]

Umm... the post office? I imagine they have "packing materials" and such.

And I really wouldn't to take the risk, to be honest. Pay a couple bucks now, or buy a new hard drive when they say you're SOL. You make the final decision.

 

[Anonemous]

Originally posted by: CTrainBEB
I gotta send my seagate drive back because it doesn't work. The shipping instructions are quite specific:
enclose the static-protected drive in 2-inch thick foam rubber
in a corrugated box. Multiple drives in a single box must have
foam rubber between each drive. DO NOT USE foam packing
pellets, bubble wrap, or newspaper.

it says if packaged improperly the warranty will be voided. Will they really void my warranty if i use newspaper and packing peanuts? I don't know where i'm gonna get some foam, being a poor college student all the styrofoam i get goes to heat my room.

do they have an advanced replacement plan?

They charge you a deposit on your CC and send you out a new drive. You hook up new drive and copy old data and send old drive back in the box they give you. WD and Maxtor offered this when I had to RMA drives.

 

[fstime]

Originally posted by: Anonemous

Originally posted by: CTrainBEB
I gotta send my seagate drive back because it doesn't work. The shipping instructions are quite specific:
enclose the static-protected drive in 2-inch thick foam rubber
in a corrugated box. Multiple drives in a single box must have
foam rubber between each drive. DO NOT USE foam packing
pellets, bubble wrap, or newspaper.

it says if packaged improperly the warranty will be voided. Will they really void my warranty if i use newspaper and packing peanuts? I don't know where i'm gonna get some foam, being a poor college student all the styrofoam i get goes to heat my room.

do they have an advanced replacement plan?

They charge you a deposit on your CC and send you out a new drive. You hook up new drive and copy old data and send old drive back in the box they give you. WD and Maxtor offered this when I had to RMA drives.

Yes they do, its 20 dollars.

 

[Sqube]

Sounds like a far superior idea to RMA if you ask me.

 

[Anonemous]

Originally posted by: BouZouki

Originally posted by: Anonemous

Originally posted by: CTrainBEB
I gotta send my seagate drive back because it doesn't work. The shipping instructions are quite specific:
enclose the static-protected drive in 2-inch thick foam rubber
in a corrugated box. Multiple drives in a single box must have
foam rubber between each drive. DO NOT USE foam packing
pellets, bubble wrap, or newspaper.

it says if packaged improperly the warranty will be voided. Will they really void my warranty if i use newspaper and packing peanuts? I don't know where i'm gonna get some foam, being a poor college student all the styrofoam i get goes to heat my room.

do they have an advanced replacement plan?

They charge you a deposit on your CC and send you out a new drive. You hook up new drive and copy old data and send old drive back in the box they give you. WD and Maxtor offered this when I had to RMA drives.

Yes they do, its 20 dollars.

$20 deposit or fee? Because after you return the defective drive they give your deposit back.

 

[fstime]

No, its a fee. The info is in the email.

 

[fstime]

ADVANCE REPLACEMENT IS AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.

The ADVANCE REPLACEMENT option allows you to receive a
replacement drive before you send your original drive back
to Seagate. Seagate charges a fee of $24.95 per drive for
advance replacement. Shipping costs to and from Seagate
are included in this fee.

To take advantage of this Advance Replacement feature:

1. Call a Seagate Support Representative at 1-800-HOT-DISC
(1-800-468-3472); provide him/her with your RMA Number
(5843490), a valid credit card number (Mastercard or
Visa) and your mailing address. Your credit card will be
charged the advance replacement fee of $24.95 per drive.
2. Seagate will ship your replacement drive within 2 to 3
business days.
3. You will not be billed for the replacement drive
provided you return your original drive within 30 days.

When you receive your replacement drive:

1. Review and follow the Shipping Instructions in Step #1
below (remove all accessories and spare parts).
2. Place the original drive in the package that was used
to ship the replacement drive to you.
3. Place the airbill that was included in your shipment
on the outside of the package. Be sure to reference
RMA #5843490 on the outside of the package.
4. Take your packaged defective drive to the nearest DHL
location.
5. Retain a copy of the airbill for your reference.
The airbill can be tracked by visiting the DHL/Airborne
web site at: http://www.dhl.com.

ORDER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Page 3 of 5
Date: 16-FEB-2005

If you do not elect to use the ADVANCE REPLACEMENT feature,
follow the shipping instructions listed below.

 

[airfoil]

Doesn't sound too bad, given the fact that they're providing a replacement in advance and the faxt that this covers shipping both ways.

I had a similar challenge when I RMA'd a Hitachi 7K250 - the Mailboxes etc. store did not have the 2" foam rubber.

What you can do is get the advance replacement and ship the broken drive back to Seagate in the package they send to you.

 

[Anonemous]

I guess 24.95$ covers packaging and shipping/return shipping/insurance/tracking so it works out.

 

[bigboxes]

Eh, I save the boxes that my rma drives are shipped in and the mylor bags that the drives (new and refurbed) come in. I recently rma'd a drive to Maxtor in a mylor bag (anti-static) with the plastic ends that Hitachi had sent an refurbed drive in. Maxtor had specified similar restrictions that you just listed. Got the new (refurbed) drive back within a week with Maxtor's own PLASTIC ends. It was funny. They just don't want you sending them the drive in a wad of newspaper in an envelope (as I once did ).

If you can't find the materials lying around your place, just go visit a local pc repair shop and explain your situation and they might have a retail hdd box lying around. I always spend as little as possible when rma'ing a drive. If I was a business then "uptime" would be very important to me, but at home... I can wait. Of course, I have six hdds in my box and an extra pc so down time isn't applicable to me.

 

[cubby1223]

I've RMA'd Seagate drives in the past, and they will accept them even if they're not packaged exactly how they state it must be packaged. Can't remember how they were packaged, haven't RMA'd a drive to Seagate in 4 or 5 years. But bottom line is in reality they are not even close to as strict like they state.