Hard drives from Newegg and Amazon vs local stores.

[Caddys83]

I have a question for you guys. I dont know if anyone notice but alot of reviews on newegg for HDD have been questioning their practice of shipping the hard drives I remember when I used to buy hard drives from them several years back and all of the hard drives were tightly wrapped in bubble wrap and taped. I remember I used to get upset cause I cant find a sissors lol....The last one I bought for a friend over 2 months ago, it was losely wrapped in brown paper stuffing. Luckly, it wasnt at the bottom of the box like most users have been saying. I was amazed that it even worked.


Now on to amazon, I have been noticeing amazon prices are sometimes cheaper with free shipping. Now that Amazon has added reviews where users can add photos and I must say some of them are scary enough to think twice. for examples:








Is it even worth it to buy a hard drive from amazon, tigerdirect or newegg and risk a DOA? Should one just go to bestbuy or what ever local store and buy a overprice boxed hard drive that isnt really what you wanted? I'm thinking in the morning im going to best buy and buy a Seagate noise maker hard drive cause they dont have a Western Digital drive that I want knowing well in the back of my head, Im buying a overpriced hard drive and that the employees are thinking I am a lame-o for buying a marked up drive

[Duke{CLR}]

I bought two from NewEgg in November and both had a cool bubble wrap that had an adhesive on one end so I didn't need my scissors. These were WDs som maybe it's up to the company.

[Donziboy2]

Um the bag thing from second picture is supposed to be full of air..... Somebody had to slam that thing pretty hard to deflate the airbag. Ive been getting drives from newegg for years (i have a pile from upgrades to prove it) and some times they would be put in paper or large airbags or the super impossible to remove bubble wrap, but i have never had issues with them dying on me. The way they are built nowadays from what i understand the head is parked off the spindle, so as long as the thing isn't dropped really hard it should work, and if they die its usually a manufacturer issue not shipping.

[{CLR} ObiTroy]

I got a HD from Amazon about last October... I don't recall any issues with the packaging. It was in the OEM plastic wrap, then each end had a cardboard sleeve thingy on it to make it slip tightly into the box.

[Dead...Again]

If you are concerned, just don't get one of the OEM drives. If you don't get one marked OEM it will come in the standard box.

[Caddys83]

Um the bag thing from second picture is supposed to be full of air..... Somebody had to slam that thing pretty hard to deflate the airbag. Ive been getting drives from newegg for years (i have a pile from upgrades to prove it) and some times they would be put in paper or large airbags or the super impossible to remove bubble wrap, but i have never had issues with them dying on me. The way they are built nowadays from what i understand the head is parked off the spindle, so as long as the thing isn't dropped really hard it should work, and if they die its usually a manufacturer issue not shipping.

The thing about those air pocket bags like the one in the 2nd pic is not "always" the cause of something slamed on it hard. There has number of times I'll get those bags not fully aired up. That lies in with the manufactuer of the air pocket bags.

I too been buying hard drives from newegg for years and for friends. Heck, I have 7 hard drives and I can take pics if you like. The thing is the last one I bought for a friend did infact came questionable of their practice. The thing is the IE employer needs to quit telling their wherehouse employers to hurry up and to slow down a min and quit giving them a high number of orders to fill in an hour.

If a hard drive dies in a few days or DOA, its not always cause of the manufactuer or the shipping company (unless its the box is damage external). It is always the fault the person that stuff and tape the box to begin with. I'll get packages that are poorly taped. ie, one side of the flap is half taped.

[Duke{CLR}]

Maybe someone can ask this guy about packaging HDDs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJyKjpHah_k