🚀 go-pugleaf

I purchased A Western Digital 4.0 gig hard drive 
6 months ago from Dirt Cheap Drives in Dickinson Texas. You may have
seem there 4 page advertisement in Computer Shopper. It became
defective making a metalic sound and becoming un-detectable by
system. I called them and was issued an RMA and a week later no
replacement. I called them and was told Western Digital no longer
makes the ACS34000 which is WRONG. They said they had to send the
drive back to WD and it would take 6 to 8 weeks to get it back. They
would not send a replacement. I asked if I could get a larger drive
and make up the difference. No we can't do that was the reply. I
became angry and said thanks for nothing. I called Western Digital 
which IMHO is the best IDE drive maker out there. The wait was short
on there automated help desk. I spoke to a woman who informed me the
drive in question WAS still being distributed by WD. She told me if I
could get the tracking number that Dirt Cheap Drives got when they
returned it to WD she could help me. I called Dirt Cheap Drives again
and asked for the same person I spoke to and told him WD informed me
that they in fact still distribute the ACS34000 I asked him for the
tracking nmumber and he retorted he couldn't give that info out. I was
getting pissed but kept a cool head. I persisted and told him again
that 6-8 weeks was TOO long to wait. He asked for the RMA number again
and put me on hold for 10 minutes(long distance) He came back and told
me that Dirt Cheap Drives doesn't buy directly from Western Digital
they get the drives from a distributor and the dsitributor sends it
back to WD. He didn't have a tracking number or even know where the
drive was.I asked him if he could speed up the process and he said he
would try but it wouldn't make a difference.In other words he is dong
nothing.I hung up and came right to the computer and started this
 LONG sad story<g>. I have dealt with other mail order houses and
directly with manufacturers like Maxtor and WD before and always got a
replacement  in a day or two. Even if the model was discontinued they
would give you the next biger model. I just wanted to warn anyone
thinking on buying anything through the mail to get information as far
as waranty, returns and what they do in cases where the models are
discontinued. Especially with Hard Drives getting bigger and bigger
the manufacturer are always coming out with new modelas and disconting
the old  models. The lesson I learned from this is DEAL directly with
the manufacturer whenever possible.

                                  Frank Geisel
                                  lesieg1@enter.net

P.S I  am gonna e-mail a copy of this to Dirt Cheap Drives