To reduce e-waste and expand its sustainability program, Seagate has now opened an official storefront on eBay to sell its re-certified hard drives. The storage drive manufacturer receives used hard drives through its Hard Drive Circularity Program, which evaluates them to determine whether they fit for re-certification. It will also undergo rigorous data sanitation, adhering to industry standards. Seagates assures its refurbished drives to be ‘top quality.’
Seagate said that this would help to reduce waste as it reduces shredding. This becomes important as the rare earth materials used in mechanical hard drives cannot be re-used, making hard drive shredding a non-sustainable practice. Naturally, this would apply to drives that can be re-sold after stringent checks. However, it benefits Seagate by providing factory-level refurbishment and peace of mind and establishing trust over other second-hand hard drive sellers. While many might not be keen on buying used hard drives online, having an official re-certification from storage makers like Seagate gives the much-needed assurance many interested buyers need.
At the time of writing, the storefront had 99.1% positive feedback, with 784 hard drives sold. Based on some buyer’s reviews, these hard drives look brand new and have zero power-on hours. Though the packaging is provided by its third-party vendors, nobody seems to have any complaints about its packaging and speed of delivery. So far, the only trade-off is that Seagate offers at least a one-year warranty on these refurbished drives, though some re-certified drives are listed with up to two years of warranty. However, given Seagate’s earlier statement about the price increase with its mechanical hard drives, having such a refurbished hard drive storefront officially certified by the manufacturer becomes more valuable for end-users.
The pricing looks very attractive depending on the model compared to brand-new pricing. This is incredible value given that these hard drives have undergone Seagate’s recertification process, something third-party sellers cannot do.
A new helium-filled Seagate Exos X22 22TB typically retails for $610.99, but it’s available through the eBay storefront for $311.99. For instance, Seagate sells a recertified Barracuda Pro 12TB for $185, while the same drive carries a $276 price tag on Amazon.
Seagate’s eBay refurbished store is exclusive to the U.S. market. The company might eventually expand such storefronts to other countries if feasible in their respective countries. For some users, this is an excellent opportunity as they can buy refurbished drives from the manufacturer that have been processed and recertified.
In that case, Seagate has earned a good source of revenue, which allows it to reduce hard drive shredding and enable users to get reliable refurbished hard drives. Seagate’s move may encourage other storage manufacturers to explore such ventures.
