Sao I am wondering about e need to RMA drives in the future. I am a new UnRAIDer and have just got my server running nicely and ithe boring process of transferring data. I have about 25 HDDs that have data that is being moved to the array. Some of these are many years old. My questions are:

 

1. Do most manufacturers require original receipts for the RMA process?

 

Or, 2. Do most manufacturers have a serial number database to determine eligibility?

 

The new drives I have purchased, I do have the receipts, and noted the serial numbers. it's the older drives, some of which are going to be repurposed into the array, that I am questioning, as those receipts are long gone. I know one of the major drive companies has a serial no. Database you can look up your drives, is this true across the board? Or am I SOL for the older drives with no receipt. Thx.

Generally I have found that the vendors must be notifying the manufacturer when drives are sold because I have only had to enter the serial number of the drive on the RMA page. 

...normally your warranty starts from the day of purchase.

Therefore, in order to receive the max period covered, you need proof of purchase.

 

The manufacturer could accept your eligibility based on the date of the manufacturing date

of the drive. This is known based on the serial number, of course.

If you did not purchase the drive in a shop with high throughput, you are in risk to loose some

months of your eligibility.

At least I know that samsung offers to follow that procedure, in case you cannot provide the receipt.

 

That procedure has nothing to do with a database on the manufacturers site.

This is just for convenience and reducing overall costs for RMA.

Serial number and manufacturing date are normally printed on the label on the disk

and that is what counts legally, I think

That's kind of what I had decided was going to be the case. Thanks for the info.

There is another scenario for that database.

...some manufacturers are also checking your eligibility (or offer it to you as a self service upfront)

against a database, where the check is against the country/market of origin.

They will refuse to RMA a drive, defective or not, if the drive was not produced for/shipped to the same

country/market where you try to RMA it or where you've purchased it (in this case you'll need proof of purchase).

Here, again, it is Samsung (at least in Europe) that I know of who are following that procedure.

 

...the market of origin is, to my knowledge, not printed on the label and only the

manufacturer has a way to determine it from their shipping lists to the distributors along

with the serial number of the drive.