Few details first :
HDD model for RMA - WD Blue 4TB. Warranty valid till 30th August 2018.
27th July 2018 - RMA created
30th July - Drive dispatched by me by courier to Flextronics Technologies (I) Pvt Ltd in Bangalore.
31st July - Drive received by Flextronics, Bangalore. This is confirmed by tracking no & receipt
On 6th August I call WD support and he tells me that RMA is rejected and HDD will be sent back since the drive has been damaged. He says his system is showing ‘896 connector damage’. I also get a call from WD logistics in the evening and she says the same thing. I ask her about the damage but she tells me to call WD support. Why did WD logistics even call me in the first place?
It’s the 13th of August and even now the RMA status page is not updated. It is still ‘Waiting to receive -1’
I’ve got no mail either.
The drive was covered with more than enough bubble wrap and then put in a cardboard box. I find it hard to believe that it was damaged. Here’s a screenshot from the video of the entire packaging process.
But all these things aside, why is the RMA status page not updated?
My biggest mistake was to send the drive by courier. Very convenient to reject RMA by saying drive was damaged during transit.
Please opt for drop facility if available, and DO NOT courier the HDD directly. Just my suggestion.
So, 14th August I receive the ‘Damaged’ drive and they’ve marked the damage with a round sticker. The damage is only on the plastic part at the edge of the drive. Looks like some metal object was inserted inside and twisted just to damage it and avoid warranty. Just look at how the edge has been pushed inside. No way this happened during transit. The drive still works(detected in windows).
Anyways, I’ve already ordered a Seagate Ironwolf 8TB HDD. My only reason for posting here is to make people aware of these issues. I was not updated at all by WD India about my RMA process - no mails or calls to say that RMA has been cancelled. No intimation when my drive was returned. Even now, no change in status in the support portal. It’s like as if I did not even dispatch my drive.
So, long story short, do not dispatch your drives by courier. Go to a Drop location and take it in writing that the drive you’ve deposited is not damaged. Not blaming WD here, even Ducati, Ferrari, Porsche had their first dealership take customers for a ride in India.
