I recently purchased a 2TB hard drive from an online store for about 100€. After I plugged it in and formatted it, I checked the health using CrystalDiskInfo and discovered that it has been in use for 5 years. I thought I was buying a brand new drive, so I'm wondering if I should return it. What should I do?
5 Answers
You should definitely check if you can return it. Most countries allow returns for online purchases within a certain period, usually around two weeks, even without any specific reason.
Was the hard drive sealed when you got it? Remember that CrystalDiskInfo isn't always accurate; sometimes it misreads the SMART data. You might want to research your drive’s specific SMART patterns to confirm its real condition. If the power-on hours and other metrics are high, it likely means it's used. If it was sold as new, returning it might be wise.
Returning it should be pretty straightforward, especially if you're a Prime member. Just follow the return process on their site.
This is a common scam—people often buy old HDDs from server farms, repackage them, and sell them as new. If yours seems used, return it! Contact customer support; they might send you a new one and either ask for the old one back or tell you to keep it.
Check the warranty by looking up the serial number with the manufacturer; that can give you a clue about its age and condition.
Yeah, just make sure to keep all the original packaging if you decide to return it!