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RMA questions

W

wayne

2[H]4U
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Messages
2,726
ok, this is my first time RMAing a product... i have a WD harddrive that died under warranty and now i am RMAing it back to western digital... i already have it packaged properly and so well that i might as well say its bombproof... i have a few questions

1) it says "you may also ship the drive via your local post office, but we recommend you ship the package with recorded delivery"... what does that mean recorded delivery?... my local post office is USPS... can they provide 'recorded delivery'?.... what if i ship without recorded delivery?, what are my risks?

2) about how much does insurance cost for a 120gb 8mb buffer WD hdd?

3) how do i get a tracking number and which services provides that?

4) do i write the RMA number outside on the box on the same surface where i write the address?... i already wrote it on the bubble wrap i wrapped the drive in... besides the WD RMA people, does anyone else mind if i write the RMA numbers outside?, meaning would it interfere with any shipping process?

5) how long does it take to process, repair, or whatever?... bottom line is when do i get my replacement drive?

6) what else (features) are there to shipping?... anything specific that i should know?

note that this is my first time shipping anything and its also an RMA for something pretty expensive so i m a lil nervous and i m causeous about what i m doing

thanks
 
Yes, you have to write the RMA number on the outside of the box!!
Ship it UPS, with a tracking number.
The tracking number will provide your "recorded delivery"
It will show who signed for it and at what time.
Insurance wont cost much at all.
If you have a UPS store around you that would be the place to go.
I done lots of RMA's, its pretty painless
 
i have heard of bad shipping of UPS... is it ok if i ship with USPS? because i have one two blocks away from my house and i can walk there... or if i ABSOLUTELY have to, i can drive like 30 min to a FedEx place?, would FedEx be ok?.... does USPS provide tracking number and recorded delivery?

thanks
 
YOu can ship it USPS .. but make it a signed delivery ... I forgot what's it called, but there is that option ... could be cheaper thatn UPS or FedEx ... insure it for what it's worth brand new ...
 
1] By "recorded" they mean some sort of tracking service. In your case and what I usually do, ship it via USPS Priority Mail.. will generally take 2 days to get there. Get Delivery Confirmation [your tracking] and insurance optional in some cases.. I usually get it. Just make sure you let them know you need tracking on the box and they will hook ya up.

2] Insurance is calcualted by the cost of replacement.. usually only a few bucks. [$3.20 for $200 coverage] http://postcalc.usps.gov/ Check that out. You can calculate your shipping cost including tracking [delivery confirmation] and insurance.

3] See above.. I think all Package carries have tracking of some sort. Usually have to pay extra for USPS.. UPS is usually included as is FedEx, I think.

4] Write it wherever. Some companies [I have a Maxtor I need to send in] provide a label through email or whatever that you can cutout and tape to it. I usually write it in under the first or second line of the address if there is a c/o. ATTN: RMA#123456789 Have also put it on the box in some cases. I usually will put clear packing tape over labels or my writing to protect just in case of water.

5] It depends on the company. Hard drives are usually not too long. I would say probably a week tops.. would not be surprised it they shipped a new/refurb one out to you in 3 days. Most places will ship back through 2-day UPS or FedEx. Waiting on an MSI motherboard to come back.. they are the only one that uses UPS Ground that I have delt with.

6] Usual thing I try for is to get a drive cross-shipped. I just did that with Maxtor. They will send you out a new/refurb drive and you just have to send your bad one back withing 30 days or they will charge your credit card. I need to ship my bad one out tomorrow. The really nice thing about cross-shipping is that they pretty much provide you with packing material. Some companies won't crossship. Motherboard RMAs don't cross-ship

Hope this helps. I have done something like 3 drives, and 2 motherboards now.

<> Don't really need signed delivery confirmation if you have tracking. I have never had a problem through USPS Priority mail. Bare minimum is to make sure you have a way to track the package. Some options include tracking.
 
Cross shipping is the way to go if it is available. No rejected RMA if you use their packing materials.
 
Yeah. Never use peanuts. And double check it WD has anything against bubblewrap. I know Maxtor says not to use it and to use some good foam or original packaging of the retail drive.
 
Paragon said:
Yeah. Never use peanuts. And double check it WD has anything against bubblewrap. I know Maxtor says not to use it and to use some good foam or original packaging of the retail drive.
Click to expand...
whaa???... are you sure?... i have it totally packaged right now and the drive itself is wrapped in ESD bag wrapped with bubble wrap and its inside a small box nice and tight with lotsa peanuts on the side

i m pretty sure i can, WD told me to use a ESD bag and bubble wrap or foam whichever i can get... i dont know about peanuts, but if they have something against that, please tell me why

thanks
 
Generally, there are people who do not know how to properly use packing peanuts and that is why companies will say not to use them. With heavy items, they can crush and the item can settle to the bottom, making it easier to damage to happen.

Have you checked their site yet? IU just found that you could have had Advanced Replacement [cross-shipped].

Also.. Turn-around times FYI.. the mention about shipping methods is how they ship the drive to you.

Packing
Read Through This
"DO NOT USE peanuts or flowables as they will not support the drive in all directions during shipping."
 
Paragon said:
Read Through This
"DO NOT USE peanuts or flowables as they will not support the drive in all directions during shipping."
Click to expand...
DAMMIT... i used peanuts really well though... i used a box approx 3" x 6" x 8"... in the extra space, i STUFFED peanuts in it VERY TIGHTLY.. theres no "sinking" down to the bottom of the box because theres only like 2-3 layers of peanuts on top and bottom and 1-2 layers of peanuts on both sides.. not only that, its also wrapped in bubble wrap.. no the wrap with the tiny lil bubbles, i used big bubble wrap for it

if necessary, i will take picture tomorrow and reopen it for the 3rd time since the first time was to put in more peanuts, and second was i forgot to put in the invoice

is my condition safe?.. thanks
 
I'm not going to say. I don't work for WD RMA department. I don't want to tell you yes and have your RMA be voided. Tis best to call them and see if you don't want to unpack it.
 
o well, i sent it in anyways and i got it back a few days ago

i guess they let me get away with it

thanks guys for all your help

thanks again, now i know how to do RMAs
 
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