Utterly Outraged Over Faulty 16TB Seagate Hard Drive and Amazon's Response

[pouroverguy]

Hello Friends

I'm seeking some guidance.

Recently, I purchased a 16TB Seagate external Hard Drive from Amazon, which I got last Friday. Unfortunately, it started malfunctioning last night – it doesn't light up, emits high-pitched noises, and is unresponsive on two different PCs. I reached out to Amazon, but their reply left me quite upset. They've asked me to send the product back at my own expense and promised a refund afterward. The shipping costs could be exorbitant, running into thousands of rands. Moreover, they declined to send a replacement right away. Given the time of year, this whole procedure might take a long time. I'm at a loss about how to proceed. I did register the product on Seagate's website, but I'm not sure if they have local support in South Africa for warranty issues. I'm also considering asking my bank to reverse the charge, though I'm skeptical since the purchase was made three weeks ago.

Any suggestions would be really helpful

 

[abd]

That's their standard procedure it seems , suggest you use aramex and send the item back and they should refund you in full, including your shipping cost. Will take time though. Expect to deal with these issues when purchasing internationally.

 

[pouroverguy]

That's their standard procedure it seems , suggest you use aramex and send the item back and they should refund you in full, including your shipping cost. Will take time though. Expect to deal with these issues when purchasing internationally.

In the past they would be more willing to assist. But this is the 2nd time in the past 12 months I've had really bad experiences. Earlier this year some earbuds under warranty were faulty - the company refunded me via Amazon, and amazon refused to pass that refund on. I fought for a while and eventually it came through, months later.

 

[Petester]

Amazon sucks and has for awhile now.
Everyone thinks its going to be the savior when it eventually hits SA, but many reasons it won't.

 

[disipher]

That's their standard procedure it seems , suggest you use aramex and send the item back and they should refund you in full, including your shipping cost. Will take time though. Expect to deal with these issues when purchasing internationally.

this,

 

[goldfritter]

I've also always had the impression they tend to give diminishing levels of service to people who send stuff back repeatedly (whether or not the returns are legitimate). E.g. the first time you return something they cover shipping etc. but if you do it again they are less generous.

But yeah overall these are the pitfalls of shopping overseas.

Amazon sucks and has for awhile now.
Everyone thinks its going to be the savior when it eventually hits SA, but many reasons it won't.

The other big reason it won't be a big saviour is that (if I understand correctly) they won't be operating here as a first-party seller like in the US and EU, they will only sell from local distributors and allow third parties to use them as a "marketplace." So we won't automagically get all the stuff you can order from the US Amazon. But I guess we will see.

 

[Areola Grande]

You made the same thread on MyBB and got the same advice.

Just send it back and get your refund man, stop playing games.

 

[pouroverguy]

You made the same thread on MyBB and got the same advice.

Just send it back and get your refund man, stop playing games.

If you read the post, you'll see why I'm reluctant to trust that they would refund me food paying for shipping

 

[Areola Grande]

If you read the post, you'll see why I'm reluctant to trust that they would refund me food paying for shipping

It's literally their policy.

Amazon Global Store Returns - Amazon Customer Service

It can take up to 25 days for an item to reach us once you return it. Once the item is received at our fulfillment center, it takes 2 business days for the refund to be processed and 3-5 business days for the refund amount to show up in your account.

www.amazon.com

Amazon Global Store Returns​

It can take up to 25 days for an item to reach us once you return it. Once the item is received at our fulfillment center, it takes 2 business days for the refund to be processed and 3-5 business days for the refund amount to show up in your account.
For most Amazon Global Store returns, you will be provided with a pre-paid UPS return label which allows you to return the item(s) to any UPS drop-off point located across the US. You can find your most convenient UPS location using the following link:

https://www.ups.com/dropoff/?loc=en_US

Not all Global Store items are eligible for a pre-paid return. In this case, you will need to return the item at your own expense. We recommend you return the item(s) using a trackable method at the carrier of your choice.
Amazon will automatically refund up to $20 for return postage costs on receipt of the item. If your return postage costs exceed $20, you may contact our Customer Service Center to request a refund of the remaining postage cost. If you return a defective, damaged or incorrect item, you'll be refunded the full postage cost, as well as your Import Fees Deposit, once your return is processed.

 

[Cujo26]

Just make sure to keep the receipt for the shipping. You will likely need to send that to them. Just ship with Aramex or UPS and get it done with. They'll refund.

I used to work for them about 6 years ago and handled lots of these refunds.