Seagate Retail - Not!

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
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I noticed than some of my retail-boxed Seagate hard drives are labeled for OEM distribution and to contact OEM for information or support. Is this normal? The drives were purchased through a major, legit retailer, and the S/N on the drive labels matches those on the boxes (ST310005N1A1AS-RK).
 
Call Seagate and ask?

What does their website show for the warranty if you put in the serial number?
 
One of them is warranted through June 4, 2013. It has been a while since I bought a retail Seagate drive. The box no longer has a Seashell. The anti-static bag is not heat-sealed, but has a tape label indicating that the contents are made in the Thailand. The retail WD SATA cables do not fit in the Seagate, yet the retail Seagate cable fits in the WD drive. Weird.
 
Looks like you were scammed a bit there. I say "a bit" because you actually got the same product, but not a true retail drive box, which usually costs more. If you paid for OEM drives and got retail instead, that's okay. But you're "losing out" a bit if you paid for retail drives and got OEM instead...
 
I noticed than some of my retail-boxed Seagate hard drives are labeled for OEM distribution and to contact OEM for information or support. Is this normal? The drives were purchased through a major, legit retailer, and the S/N on the drive labels matches those on the boxes (ST310005N1A1AS-RK).

Who was the "major, legit retailer"?
 
Looks like you were scammed a bit there. I say "a bit" because you actually got the same product, but not a true retail drive box, which usually costs more. If you paid for OEM drives and got retail instead, that's okay. But you're "losing out" a bit if you paid for retail drives and got OEM instead...

The box is retail. It is the drives that are labeled OEM. I wonder if Seagate labeled too many drives for OEM and then decided to use them for retail purposes.
 
Yes. The retail Seagate drives are now packaged in the plastic suspension type of box, which does not need a Seashell. A few years ago wasn't the retail drive sold in a foam-lined box with the Seashell?
 
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