It's all well and good to cut corners when you're ridding durable, miniature electronics of their
brittle plastic clamshells -- but this time, Amazon's "
Frustration-Free Packaging" initiative has gone too far. The company's shipping
computer hard drives in the stuff. According to dozens of irate customers, Western Digital hard drives shipped by the e-tailer over the past several months have arrived in damaged cardboard containers, thin layers of bubble wrap, or even loose in a simple electrostatic discharge bag without an ounce of padding to keep them from harm. And while some buyers shipped them back immediately when they saw what had happened, many who tried them anyhow found their magnetic storage dead on arrival. While we're not certain whether Western Digital or Amazon was at fault for placing the drives on the "frustration-free" list in the first place (Seagate drive buyers haven't reported similar issues),
Gadget Lab reports that Amazon is aware of the problem, and already working to ensure future (lack of) packaging avoids causing more frustration than it's worth. Read the horror stories with pics at our source links below.
posted March 30th 2010 5:27AM
LOLS... might as well wrap in newspaper.
@Teddylikescomputahs So sad but so true. I have purchase hard ware from them, but with the hard drives I was appalled from the packing. The thing comes in a little box being help by two plastics. They strip off everything that comes with the standard box (manuals, screws). I am not an expert on Hardware yet, so I really needed those instructions. :(
Not to mention that UPS left the first box on the door and then just run off without knocking or anything. It rained bad that day, when I got home I found this melted box on my doorway :'( Amazon shipping through UPS makes things even worst as UPS just doesn't care unless the item is above certain amount. I have lost books, hardware, clothes, due to either never got to the door (someone took it) or it was ruined by nature (dog pee and rain). But hey, at least Amazon has a very fair return policy and they take responsibility well - that is why I continue shopping there.
@TikiTeko
Like they said, the frustration is free.
@TikiTeko its called OEM, not stripped.
@Teddylikescomputahs While I have only ordered hard drives from Amazon once (one time), it was this past December and nothing like the picture shown in this article. In fact, I ordered two hard drives and they were hermetically sealed in their anti-static packaging, placed is a lot of bubble-wrap, and then put into a box designed for hard drives (separately boxed), and then those boxes placed in another box with packaging peanuts.
All in all I was quite impressed. I guess one could say that this is a strong case of YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).
Once you know - you Newegg :)
@Phenom Indeed.
Plus, frustration-free packaging was never supposed to be used for stuff like this. It was for things in hard plastic clamshells - not stuff that's supposed to come in bubble wrap.
They just use this packaging because its cheaper for them.
@MoonWalkerCTE
Agree. They receive them in bulk boxes (if they are an authorised distributor). Play.com in the UK do this too. This was the response from Hitachi:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email.
Play.com, is a reseller, and not one of our Authorised Distributors, but thank you for pointing out this error in their shipment.
All single shipped drives should be sent in packaging as set out on our webpage here :
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/packaging2.htm
When we ship drives to our direct Distributors, drives are shipped in specially qualified 20 pack boxes. The boxes are designed to hold the drives in such a way that they cannot move during transit, not knock against each other.
I will ensure your concerns regarding play.com are forwarded to the relevant people.
My solution was to return the disk, and buy it from a firm which takes extra care on hard drives. Sharing the link since it is useful; I have purchased several from them, and they are consistently well packed - http://www.scan.co.uk/
@spaceman99
Sorry I should point out that I received the disk in a thin plastic (paper-thin) bag with no foam, bubble-wrap or card!
@spaceman99
Wow, that's how the package should look like, I always get my HDDs in a small cardboard box with very little bubble wrap or some square foam thingies and the standard anti-static bag.
Or if I order more stuff, they just throw the HDD into the same box other components are in without any special care.
So far, they've all come here healthy, but I will write an email to my shop about this crap. Why not be safe then sorry.
Also, few years ago, I also received opened anti-static bags, clearly cut by scissors or knife. I returned those and demanded sealed bags. Some think they can sell you everything.
Anyone ever actually READ the shock ratings of a HDD? When not spinning, its something like 100G. Thats... 100 x its gravitational weight. I wouldn't be too concerned about this - it's going to work.. and any that don't won't deviate from the failure rates they're presently getting. Furthermore, if it were pierced by a sharp object, the type of packaging would scarcely matter if it indented the drive itself.
@TrumanHW But still they broke like the article mentioned. Your point?
@TrumanHW Then explain why retail box have the hard-drive secured using plastic holders, not freely bouncing around inside the box. Even the shipping boxes that you can get when doing RMA exchanges with the manufactures (Seagate, WD, etc) are super secure box with the plastic holders or tons of padding.
@MoonWalkerCTE
his point is (afaik) that it's not the lack of packaging, but poor manufacturing quality that's causing the doa's
@MoonWalkerCTE
not that i agree with said point btw
@TrumanHW
But the drop shock rating is for a limited type of drop (250G 1ms according to WD Green's white paper). Continuous rattling on an unsecure box might kill even the hardiest hard drives.
@TrumanHW Drop a drive from shoulder height to concrete, that's more than 100G's. That will be the end of the drive.
When buying hard-drives from Amazon, check if you're getting the OEM or retail version. The retail version will always come in the appropriately secure retail box, and sometimes there's little/no price difference.
BTW, this kind of unacceptable way of packaging hard-drives seems to be the standard now. Newegg has been doing this for years (I ordered 2 WD drive, Newegg just taped them together with a layer of bubble pack around them while they were moving freely inside the box. Even worse, I had to pay for the return shipping to exchange the hard-drive that was damaged due to the obvious un-acceptable packaging). Really, since when shipping hard-drives loose in a box is acceptable? Try doing an exchange with WD/Seagate/etc, and they will want the hard-drive to be shipped in a special box, yet retailers are doing this crap to customers. I remembered years ago, when even OEM hard-drives are shipped in their own special secure box, for each drive.
*waiting to see all the Newegg fanboys defending this.
@pika2000
Since you're waiting... I've bought numerous HDDs from them with zero DOAs. No complaints so far.
@pika2000 I bought a bare hard drive from Newegg and it failed the 2nd day I put it in. I installed it after the deadline for returning, so I had to deal with Seagate directly. Needless to say, the Newegg box did not meet the required packaging guidelines. I'm going to buy my hard drives in retail packaging from now on, and not from Newegg.
Sweet universe, that's terrifying. Last time I was picking up a harddrive from the local electronics store, they bubble-wrapped the disk before they would even let me put it in a plastic bag... and I only have dome 300m to walk from there to home. How could Amazon insist on placing such delicate pieces of hardware in cardboard secured boxes and expect them to arrive in functional order over the hundreds if not thousands of kilometers from seller to buyer. Epic fail.
How about some some Frustration-Free Video Game packaging? You know, with less plastic wrap?
I mean, first you find a knife, cut into the hole in the side, then you unwrap it, remove the plastic stuff stick inside the case... Then your statically charged fingers won't release the plastic wrapping! When all is said and done, you're left with a huge mess.
@MastrCake and they say gaming is what makes kids of today agressive... getting forced to use knifes to OPEN the games doesn't help i guess :)
@davepermen
Lol, +1
@davepermen lol! Good point.
I have a switch blade used exclusively to open computer games and tricky plastic packaging. I try not to cut open anything else.
@Ignition1 I imagine you wearing a leather jacket,blue jeans, and sunglasses when you pop that switch blade out.
Have you bought a desktop from them, they dont even put an outer box over the manufacturers box
@everunman
Nobody does that. Most computer (desktop anyway) are shipped plain box. Thats how they receive it and thats how you're gonna get it.
If you order a desktop directly from HP or Dell, its coming in a plain box.
That's why for stuff like that I always buy in store. Even if it's cheaper to do online, it's a lot easier to return a broken product (without fooling with shipping) to a physical store.
@AckbarsFist
I tend to agree with that. Sensitive items are worth the extra 5-10 quid for the convenience of a 5 minute drive if it proves faulty.
That's what you get for not ordering harddrives from Newegg.
frustration free indeed.
and to you all wana-believe-nothing-will-happen oh its just a rattle, have you any idea how much it rattled given the shock resistivity
heck i know my friend lost his laptop HDD cos he placed the laptop in the overhead locker of a bus...and he tells me it was the smoothest ride he ever head.
shocker! how smooth a ride did these HDD get eh??? ignorant nerds!!!!
@Cyne3yte
**had
This is how amazon.de sent me a lens
http://f.666kb.com/i/b4evjx8lzgy569bfd.jpg
Amazingly it was ok but that was the last time I ordered a lens there.
As for hard drives- I only buy them at a store near me so in case it's DOA or fails I can return it right away. And given how parcels are often handled ordering a hard drive online seems to be a gamble anyhow.
For what it's worth, I would have thought a company like amazon had a standard packaging for hard drives, looking at the images it seems every packer there does what he wants.
@Geozec
They've sent a Forbidden lens!!! :D
Just a few months ago I ordered half a dozen 1TB caviar green drives through amazon. The frustration free packaging wasn't like the picture in the article. The drives came in ESD bags but were book-ended by thin molded plastic supports.
They seemed well packaged, and they're all working fine.
@scooterbaga That's how my 1.5 TB WD I got earlier this month was packaged, too. I sitll had to send it back - WD Align bricked the drive - but the packaging was fine.
@ATimson I've only had one of my WD greens fail on me... The one I took out of a My Book from wal-mart with the full retail packaging... lol.
They're pretty cool about swapping them out. However, I got lucky. I sent them a bare 1TB drive from a My Book. They sent back a 2TB in a My Book enclosure... SCORE.
One word...Newegg.com
@likeobama Sorry your typo wasn't fix with the autocorrect feature, that should say Zipzoomfly for any HD purchases. Newegg is a step above whats pictured in this piece.
Hey fanbois, Newegg.com does the SAME THING. When they say 'bare', they mean 'barely' any padding. One of two OEM drives I bought from them died briefly after installation. I'll have to check Amazon again, but last time I checked pricing for retail SKU drives (with far less choice than OEM drives), the prices were stratospheric in comparison. Quite the dilemma: overpay for retail packaging or takes your chances with OEM drives packed like rattle cans. One side benefit of the coming SSD revolution.
Amazon got the same packaging from Newegg. Reminds me a little bit of something...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/07/newegg-sells-300-counterfeit-core-i7-920-cpus-is-now-investiga/
I get a kick out of the fact that the "WD Caviar Green" drive was supposedly shipped "green" - without bleaching of the box. Now it will have to be shipped back while a new one will have to be shipped out.
So much for going green.
@NHAnimator Um... no.
I applaud amazon for their efforts to get rid of those stupid clamshells. but that doesn't mean they should ship hard drives like that. I purchased a drive from them last year and didn't have any problems, thankfully.
I have two 2TB WD Caviar Black drives on the way from Amazon, which might arrive today, so I'm a little nervous about it.
@electrobrains
... they came packed in a larger box, with padding ABOVE the drives and none UNDER, and each in one of the little unsecured cardboard boxes like in the article's picture...
Western Digitals are almost always DOA or die shortly thereafter. A good solid thump on the side (as painful as it is to do to a hard drive) will start them on their way to a happy and productive long life. At least that's been my experience and the experience of the message boards I checked after my new one died over a year ago.