My brother bought a shady external drive from Amazon for his Xbox and couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t function.

Buyer Beware: A Cautionary Tale About Purchasing Hardware Online

Recently, my brother swung by for a visit, excited to show off what he thought was a brand new hard drive for his Xbox. However, upon closer inspection, I had some serious reservations about his purchase.

When he first revealed the item, it felt nearly weightless in my hands, which immediately triggered a red flag. Further investigation revealed that the label on the device stated “External Case,” rather than indicating that it was a fully operational hard drive. This raised further concerns about its functionality and overall quality.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to open it up, despite the screws being a bit tricky to work with. What I found inside was… let’s just say, less than ideal. You can see for yourself here, and it certainly makes one question the integrity of what’s being sold online.

This experience serves as a reminder to exercise caution when purchasing electronic components from online retailers like Amazon. I strongly advised my brother to file a complaint for receiving misleading products, as it is vital for consumers to hold sellers accountable for the quality of items listed on their platforms.

In conclusion, always do your due diligence when buying tech gear online. Sometimes, what appears to be a great deal might just be an invitation to disappointment. Stay smart and shop wisely!

Share this content:

One Comment

  1. Thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like the external drive your brother purchased may actually be just an external casing rather than a fully functional internal drive. When troubleshooting external storage issues on an Xbox, ensure that the device is an official or certified compatible external drive. Here are some steps you can take:

    • Verify the drive’s internal components: If possible, check whether the drive contains an actual hard drive inside. As you’ve noted, some products sold as “external drives” are simply casings.
    • Test on another device: Connect the drive to a PC or another console to see if it is recognized and accessible.
    • Format and partition: If the drive is detected, ensure it is properly formatted to work with Xbox (exFAT or NTFS). You can do this through Disk Management on Windows or Disk Utility on Mac.
    • Security and authenticity: Purchase from reputable sellers or directly from manufacturers to avoid counterfeit or misleading products.
    • Report the issue: If you believe the product was misleading, consider filing a complaint with Amazon and the seller, providing images and details of the product.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *