Am I getting screwed by Western Digital?

[mkohutek]

Today I bought the WD5000KSRTL, that is what was advertised, and that is also what the box itself said. But when I opened the box and pulled out the hard drive, I checked the serial number on the enclosed drive and it was actually the WD5000AAKS. Am I getting screwed and should I take the AAKS and replace it for the KSRTL?

FYI: this is a Western Digital 500 gb hard drive, both have similar specifications (at least superficially, meening that there are differences, but not in the main specs)

Newegg sells the drive that I was supposed to get (WD5000KSRTL) for $269; and they also sell the drive that actually was in the box (WD5000AAKS) for $119.99. The huge price difference between the two tells me that I am possibly getting royally screwed. Thanks for taking time to help me out

 

[r0x0r]

Are you getting screwed by Western Digital?...

Step 1: Check to see if you are having sex. This usually involves inserting and removing the male gentalia into the female genitalia until ejaculation is achieved. This is commonly called "getting screwed", especially if the other partner is in control of the sexual intercourse.

Step 2: Ask your partner if their name is Western Digital. If it is, and your partner is taking control of the sexual intercourse, then congratulations, you are getting screwed by Western Digital.

At this point you may wish to ask your partner what sort of parents would name their child "Western Digital".

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.
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Sorry, I just had to do that.

Anyway, I would contact newegg and tell them "you sent me the wrong hard drive" and then demand a refund or an exchange. There should be a meaning to the huge price difference.

 

[mkohutek]

No, I bought it from CompUSA (in the store, not online) and it was in its factory sealed plastic wrap. I mentioned Newegg simply because they sold both of the drives... which made it easy for me to compare the two

And the anti-static plastic bag that contained the drive was sealed and labeled with Western Digital's logo. This tells me that it was likely swaped in the factory.

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

I believe the WD5000KSRTL is the Retail SKU and the WD5000AAKS is the OEM SKU. You paid more money for a box, and the OEM SKU has a longer warranty!
WTF would you buy a retail boxed HDD?
It is the same HDD, how many differant WD Caviar se16 500gb 7200rpm SATA2 drives do you think WD makes?

 

[mkohutek]

I bought it because I had to have the hard drive today and CompUSA is the only store nearby that had a 500gb hd. I guess you didn't consider the possibility that I had time restrictions in which I did not have the privilege of spending any more time in purchasing the drive.

Nice try, it is not the same. One has more platters than the other. I really appreciate your help, you have been so nice and friendly

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

That is one reason the retail SKU is priced so high. You paid a premium for a convenient box that you could get without waiting that had a se16 500GB HDD in it.

 

[chuckshissle]

You should ask customer service to make sure.

 

[mkohutek]

Sounds good, I will call them when they open this morning.

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

Nice try, it is not the same. One has more platters than the other. I really appreciate your help, you have been so nice and friendly

And where did you find that information?

WD product spec sheet.

Model Number Interface RPM Capacity Avg. Seek Buffer Warranty Software & Drivers
WD5000KS* 300MB/s SATA II 7200 500 GB 8.9 ms 16 MB 3-year Download
WD4000KS* 300MB/s SATA II 7200 400 GB 8.9 ms 16 MB 3-year Download
WD3200KS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 320 GB 8.9 ms 16 MB 3-year Download
WD3200JS 320MB/s SATA II 7200 320 GB 8.9 ms 8 MB 3-year Download
WD3000JS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 300 GB 8.9 ms 8 MB 3-year Download
WD2500KS* 300MB/s SATA II 7200 250 GB 8.9 ms 16 MB 3-year Download
WD2500JS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 250 GB 8.9 ms 8 MB 3-year Download
WD2000KS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 200 GB 8.9 ms 16 MB 3-year Download
WD2000JS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 200 GB 8.9 ms 8 MB 3-year Download
WD1600JS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 160 GB 8.9 ms 8 MB 3-year Download
WD1200JS 300MB/s SATA II 7200 120 GB 8.9 ms 8 MB 3-year Download
* Also available in a retail kit that includes installation software, hardware and drive documentation.

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

Nice try, it is not the same. One has more platters than the other. I really appreciate your help, you have been so nice and friendly

Ok, they are different.
The WD5000AAKS has 1 less platter than the older WD5000KS. You have the better of the two drives. 8)
WD5000AAKS
Specifications for the 500GB Second Generation Caviar SE16 Serial ATA drive (WD5000KS, WD5000AAKS).

The RTL at the end of the model number stands for retail box. My guess is the WD5000KS has been discontinued and replaced with the newer WD5000AAKS. You would still get the same drive retail or OEM.

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

The drive the OP got is the better of the 2 drives; if someone was attempting a scam they screwed themselves. 8O

 

[disposablehero]

you didnt get screwed, you got a threesome! 500AAKSRTL (what you got) is better than 500KSRTL (what you thought you were getting).

on the other hand, 500AAKSOEM is much cheaper than 500AAKSRTL, so in that sense, you masturbated instead of getting the threesome.

 

[r0x0r]

8O And I thought my post was weird.

 

[mkohutek]

Thank everyone for your input and replies in answering my question.