Real-world RMA experiences? Better to just skip the RMA process?

[winnielinnie]

The one time I had to replace a failing hard drive in a RAID setup (not a FreeNAS system), I simply ordered a brand new drive that arrived quickly, and I was able to rebuild the array after running badblocks to confirm there we no bad sectors. Everything went smoothly.

My question is for anyone that went through the actual RMA process with the manufacturer (Western Digital, Seagate, etc):

How was the experience? Is it as straight-forward as one would expect? Do you have to "prove" anything to the manufacturer?

What was the turnaround time from the day you shipped them the failed drive to receiving the replacement?

Was the replacement brand new or refurbished? Did the replacement fail any tests on day one? (Badblocks, extended self-test, etc)

Would you do it again next time a drive fails, or just cough up the extra cash and grab a new drive as soon as possible?

 

[Redcoat]

With 4 TB WD EFRX Reds:

Absolutely straight forward. Nothing to prove.
Don't remember turnaround time for the 4 occasions but it wan't more than a week using t he cross-ship option (I always have minimum 2 spare drives in hand anyway to cover 10 in service).
Replacement in each case was brand new.
Yes, I would do it again.

I will admit to be considering if I am going to stick with WD going forward after their recently revealed spec-change concealment on Red drives.

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

I've RMAed a few drives and would definitely do it again.

 

[tfran1990]

I just RMA a WD drive, kinda of annoying because WD site keeps making me reset my password ever time i try to log in.

 

[winnielinnie]

Don't remember turnaround time for the 4 occasions but it wan't more than a week using t he cross-ship option (I always have minimum 2 spare drives in hand anyway to cover 10 in service).

If they do in fact cross-ship, that's a huge plus for me.

I already have a bad taste in my mouth by dipping my toes in Western Digital's warranty website. I registered a laptop drive (WD Blue), that I purchased from Amazon in November 2019. If you view the attached image, you might conclude I traveled through time!

Seriously, why would it even claim that my drive's warranty expired seven years before I purchased it?

* Yes, I double-checked the serial number, and it matches exactly. I blurred it out in the image.

* I have not yet registered my NAS drives. I'm already disliking the process.

UPDATE: Is someone manipulating the serial numbers? Is there a risk to ordering WD drives from Amazon? I just entered another drive's serial number, and not only does it claim the warranty expired in 2011, but that it is an external drive (even though it's an internal drive.)