ZipZoomFly and DOA Hitachi SATA drives

"Albert Silverman" wrote:

A month ago, I ordered two 250GB SATA drives from ZipZoomFly.com.
They both arrived DOA with scratches around the case screws. One
was dented on the lid. I reported all this in my RMA request. After
some delay, I was granted a RMA number, and sent them back. That
was over two weeks ago.
They've had them for a week, and the only communication I've
received from them stated that the dented one was damaged by me,
and would not necessarily be covered by warranty. If Hitachi
replaced it, I'd be in the clear, but ZipZoomFly would not issue a
replacement if Hitachi considered the warranty voided.
Their communication was quite poor (and their customer service
gives the impression of being a shoestring operation.)

Probably an office/room with some computers in it.

They have not confirmed that either is defective.
ZipZoomFly's packaging in shipping was more than adequate (and
their shipping fast).

Second day air.

The drives were sealed when I got them.

What do mean by sealed? Do mean factory sealed? Was there damage to
the outside of the package?

So one would have to guess that they were damaged before shipment.
But ZipZoomFly's "customer service" approach has put me in a
situation where I have no evidence.

You mean asking you to return the drives? How could the approach
have been better?

As far as they are concerned I damaged the drive.
It frankly seems reasonable that they would wonder if I damaged the
one drive. They ship out new drives and if it comes back looking
like someone dropped it, well, the customer could have done it,
right?
Except in this case there are three other customers who posted to
www.resellerratings.com who had the exact same problem, who placed
their initial order around the time I did mine. We're taliing the
exact same drives- the Hitachi one I mentioned above- and in each
case the drives were dented and DOA. One person said the drive
looked like it had been shot with a BB gun. another sent two back,
ordered replacements, and the replacements were similarly damaged.
In every case, ZipZoomFly is asserting that the buyers of these
drives damaged them.
I can only guess that if there are four cases like this at one
review site from such a short period as this, there must be others,
and ZipZoomFly must know that they shipped a large batch of bad
drives to customers.

Only the shadow knows.

At this point, I am looking for any similar, essentially identical
testimonies from other ZipZoomFly customers.

That's why I included the storage group.

While I feel there's
something seriously fradulent about all this, I really would be
happy to just get a full refund, and I'd like as much help as I can
in backing up my position with my credit card company.

I think you are covering the bases.

Oh, and perhaps I should also add that I've done business with them
before. If they get it right the first time, they are an excellent
value.

I noticed that with IBM hard disk drives, their prices are very low.

But clearly, I've ordered from low-cost online retailers one
time too many.
Please contact me at


Good luck.






--
I included the storage group since the original author is talking
about a serious issue with hard disk drives from a common online
retailer.

Thanks for putting this in the storage discussion.

The hard drives were sealed in a plastic electrostatic bag. I assumed
that these were manufacturer- provided. Maybe I'm wrong. The bags did
not appear damaged in any way. (Mind you, only one of the HD's was
dented. But both looked like they were refurbs, with a newer label
slapped on top of an old one, and scratch marks all around the corner
screws.)

When I said that " ZipZoomFly's 'customer service' approach has put me
in a situation where I have no evidence. " I meant that their telling
me I was at fault left me with nothing to show. I can't prove I didn't
do it. There's nothing I can offer except the truth.

Thanks for the followups. If I get my refund, I'll be looking at
newegg more- I believe I bought my camera from them.

AS

How's this for nightmare service?

Call ZipZoomFly's "Customer Service" people on the phone, and they'll
tell they can't do anything, that you'll have to talk to the Returns
department. And this is the quality of interaction you can expect from
Returns. FYI, the fellow below who appears artful at the cryptic
non-reply is in charge of the Returns department.

All the below makes more sense if read in reverse.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir,

As listed below will return to manufacturer to try get replacement for
you. As you claim product receive was dented.

Regards,
Andy
RMA Dept.

================================================== ===
At 07:51 PM 1/26/2005, you wrote:

Andy,

Quite a few of your customers who have bought Hitachi drives from you
this month have had the same problem I have. We get dented, defective
equipment and after we return it, you blame us for it.

I shouldn't have to defend my handling of the equipment you sent; you
are in a position to know that you're selling a really bad batch of
Hitachi stock. Pointing the finger at the buyers of those discs is
dishonest.

For myself, a full refund for my full order is the only solution. I
am not interested in the possibility of getting more defective
equipment.

A quick refund would satisfy me and end my research into your other
dissatisfied customers.

Thank you,
Michael Weston

================================================== =======

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 11:10:44 -0800
From: Andy Huynh

Dear Sir,

We will return the 1 damage unit to manufacturer to try to get
replacement to process refund
for you. They will inspect the part that you claim receive damage
as the product was ship
out manufacturer seal brand new per manufacturer not possible to be
ship out this way. As
for the other 1 unit no damage will process refund for you first.
Regards,
Andy
RMA Dept.

(I changed the subject line back, otherwise Google puts the thread
in separate places.)

"Albert Silverman" wrote:

I shouldn't have to defend my handling of the equipment you sent;
you are in a position to know that you're selling a really bad
batch of Hitachi stock.

If the hard disk drives were in a factory sealed package and there
was no damage to the package as you said, ZipZoomFly might not have
known.





Pointing the finger at the buyers of those discs is
dishonest.

John Doe wrote:

(I changed the subject line back, otherwise Google puts the thread
in separate places.)

"Albert Silverman" wrote:

I shouldn't have to defend my handling of the equipment you sent;
you are in a position to know that you're selling a really bad
batch of Hitachi stock.

If the hard disk drives were in a factory sealed package and there
was no damage to the package as you said, ZipZoomFly might not have
known.

Zipzoomfly likely never had the drives in their possession--the normal
operating procedure for an online business is to pass the order through to
a wholesale distributer who ships directly from the wholesaler's warehouse.

Pointing the finger at the buyers of those discs is
dishonest.


--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Thanks for putting this in the storage discussion.

The hard drives were sealed in a plastic electrostatic bag. I assumed
that these were manufacturer- provided. Maybe I'm wrong. The bags did
not appear damaged in any way. (Mind you, only one of the HD's was
dented. But both looked like they were refurbs, with a newer label
slapped on top of an old one, and scratch marks all around the corner
screws.)

When I said that " ZipZoomFly's 'customer service' approach has put me
in a situation where I have no evidence. " I meant that their telling
me I was at fault left me with nothing to show. I can't prove I didn't
do it. There's nothing I can offer except the truth.

Thanks for the followups. If I get my refund, I'll be looking at
newegg more- I believe I bought my camera from them.

AS

The most crooked harware sales have to do with HDD's. I stick with
newegg to avoid all that crap. My local store sold me the same
defective drive twice! Sealed in a bag with a factory sticker sayinyg
it was certified. They later after alot of arguing admitted resealing
saying they believed it was good. When I plugged this drive in it
sounded like nutws and bolts bouncing around in a cigar box.

John Doe,
Here are the facts. ZipZoomFly has gotten four returns in six weeks
from four different customers. They all bought the same drive model,
and returned them because the drives were dented and defective.
ZipZoomFly told each of them that they damagted the drives and that
they were responsible. The head of returns was the one who
communicated this.

Given the strange nature of the dents and the frequency of the returns,
and the fact that all these customers protested violently at the
suggestion that they caused these problems, this is a case of either
horrible oversight at the ZipZoomFly returns department or one of
dishonesty.

On top of all this is the ethical question- what if it was one case
only- mine? Zipzoomfly has the choice whether to listion to me tell
them reapeatedly and consistently that I did not damage this item, that
it arrived damaged, or they can ignore what I say and blame me. There
are other steps in the delivery process where damage can occur, but ZZF
is choosing to ignore that (r or not investigate it) and blame the
customer.

So from my angle, there's nothing that will return ZZF to the status if
innocence here. No matter how many things they get right, the
willingness to occasionally screw a customer is all that should matter.

Albert Silverman wrote:

John Doe,
Here are the facts. ZipZoomFly has gotten four returns in six weeks
from four different customers. They all bought the same drive model,
and returned them because the drives were dented and defective.
ZipZoomFly told each of them that they damagted the drives and that
they were responsible. The head of returns was the one who
communicated this.

Given the strange nature of the dents and the frequency of the returns,
and the fact that all these customers protested violently at the
suggestion that they caused these problems, this is a case of either
horrible oversight at the ZipZoomFly returns department or one of
dishonesty.

On top of all this is the ethical question- what if it was one case
only- mine? Zipzoomfly has the choice whether to listion to me tell
them reapeatedly and consistently that I did not damage this item, that
it arrived damaged, or they can ignore what I say and blame me. There
are other steps in the delivery process where damage can occur, but ZZF
is choosing to ignore that (r or not investigate it) and blame the
customer.

So from my angle, there's nothing that will return ZZF to the status if
innocence here. No matter how many things they get right, the
willingness to occasionally screw a customer is all that should matter.

Well let's see, if they see hundreds of returned drives and the only four
they get that are dented all come from you, what should they believe?

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"Albert Silverman" wrote:

John Doe,
Here are the facts. ZipZoomFly has gotten four returns in six
weeks from four different customers. They all bought the same
drive model, and returned them because the drives were dented and
defective. ZipZoomFly told each of them that they damagted the
drives and that they were responsible. The head of returns was the
one who communicated this.

Given the strange nature of the dents and the frequency of the
returns, and the fact that all these customers protested violently
at the suggestion that they caused these problems, this is a case
of either horrible oversight at the ZipZoomFly returns department
or one of dishonesty.

On top of all this is the ethical question- what if it was one case
only- mine? Zipzoomfly has the choice whether to listion to me
tell them reapeatedly and consistently that I did not damage this
item, that it arrived damaged, or they can ignore what I say and
blame me. There are other steps in the delivery process where
damage can occur, but ZZF is choosing to ignore that (r or not
investigate it) and blame the customer.

So from my angle, there's nothing that will return ZZF to the
status if innocence here. No matter how many things they get
right, the willingness to occasionally screw a customer is all that
should matter.

I think you are pretending that all customers are goodie two shoes.

You are asking everyone to believe your story. In fact, some
customers will lie. I tend to believe you except when you pretend to
know what other customers actually experience. You don't know. I
certainly understand how you must feel. However, the circumstance
you describe is a problem with online purchases. Since there is no
way the merchant can know, the merchant is not 100% at fault. You
get what you pay for. If you want the best guarantee and the least
risk, by from a local store.

Your complaint is well documented. Let us know how it turns out, the
final result.

Good luck.







Path: newssvr11.news.prodigy.com!newscon03.news.prodigy. com!newsmst01a.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.com!newsco n02.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.net!news.glorb.com!po stnews.google.com!f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail
From: "Albert Silverman"
From: "Albert Silverman" tintintx @hotmail.com
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage
Subject: ZipZoomFly and DOA Hitachi SATA drives
Date: 30 Jan 2005 19:16:14 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Lines: 26
Message-ID: .com
Message-ID: 1107141374.139222.302130 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com
References: .com .com .com
NNTP-Posting-Host: 68.77.19.66
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
X-Trace: posting.google.com 1107141379 22632 127.0.0.1 (31 Jan 2005 03:16:19 GMT)
X-Complaints-To:
NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 03:16:19 +0000 (UTC)
In-Reply-To:
User-Agent: G2/0.2
Complaints-To:
Injection-Info: f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com; posting-host=68.77.19.66; posting-account=cu7sBQwAAACH3cR5AqI_ciBfRByuBG5P
Xref: newsmst01a.news.prodigy.com alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt:428370 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:345239