Investigation uncovers SSD maker bait and switch practices

[Corky34]

I love how a post about SSD switch & bait has organically turned into a conversation about washing machines.

[Saracen999]

[Saracen999]

Well, certain manufacturers have been getting their dirty laundry very publicly washed, so ....


/ I'll get my hat. And coat. Umbrella. Snowshoes. Thermal underwear.

/ Dammit, where'd I put my suitcase.

[watercooled]

@CAT: You mention Sabrent in an earlier post. Do you have more details on that? I'm making a mental note of brands to put to the bottom of the list for dubious practices, but I'm already well aware of Kingston doing this.

Also, kudos for raising awareness of this - this should be tested more frequently, and companies called out on it! If you change specs in a way that materially impacts performance, you should be changing the product name too. As others have said it might fall within the letter of the law but it's unquestionably slimy.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

@CAT: You mention Sabrent in an earlier post. Do you have more details on that? I'm making a mental note of brands to put to the bottom of the list for dubious practices, but I'm already well aware of Kingston doing this.

Also, kudos for raising awareness of this - this should be tested more frequently, and companies called out on it! If you change specs in a way that materially impacts performance, you should be changing the product name too. As others have said it might fall within the letter of the law but it's unquestionably slimy.

This is the Reddit thread about the spec changes:
https://www.reddit.com/r/NewMaxx/com...rdware_change/

Crucial and WD seem OK so far,and IIRC WD has UK based RMA.

[watercooled]

After skim-reading it, it looks less severe with the Sabrent drive? From what I can tell they're talking mainly about reduced DRAM but not a significant difference in measures performance?

Also the Corsair drive they mention, but in that case they don at least name it differently by appending a "b" to the end of the model number. Probably still not as obvious as it should be in that case, but at least there is a difference.

And yeah, it looks like the first-party NAND/SSD manufacturers have a better reputation when it comes to this, so Crucial/WD/Samsung.

[CPGP]

I have one of these drives and it is disappointing to see. I'll be cautious purchasing another.

[Syphadeus]

If they’re transparent about the component list at the outset and when the product gets reviewed, but are not forthcoming about any subsequent changes to that then their sneakiness is all you need to know. It cannot be a good thing for the customer. Companies who use these practices deserve to crash and burn like the thieving POS that they are.