As tipped by a Redditor, Western Digital has started sending out cash payments to class members of the WD Red NAS class action lawsuit. The payout varies from $4 to $7 per hard drive, depending on the hard drive capacity that consumers had purchased.
In 2020, consumers discovered that Western Digital was utilizing inferior shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology in the company's WD Red hard drives that cater to NAS devices. The manufacturer later detailed all of its products that used SMR technology, including several Blue and one particular Black drive. Sadly, it was too late for the disclosure as firms have filed multiple class action lawsuits against Western Digital for false advertising.
Western Digital settled one of the lawsuits back in 2021 and created a $2.7 million compensation fund for consumers that had bought one or more of the brand's WD Red hard drives. Owners had to file a claim at WDRedNASHarddriveSettlement.com before November 8, 2021 to file a claim. If you're part of the group, it shouldn't be long until you get your compensation from Western Digital. The 2TB (WD20EFAX) and 3TB (WD30EFAX) models were eligible for $4.00 whereas the 4TB (WD40EFAX) and 6TB (WD60EFAX) drives are good for $7.00.
The user from the Reddit post received a payment of 18.00 Canadian dollars, equivalent to $14.00. It's not a considerable sum, but it's free money regardless - money that you can use to pay for a meal.