I'll look into it. Thanks.
I'm rolling the dice on a 4TB 990 Pro instead. $137. Brand new with warranty. The platform that the transaction is taking place on will give me a full refund if I get a fake. The seller has also given the guarantee and won't dispute the refund.
I plan to wipe the drive on Linux before taking it to Samsung magician for an authenticity check. I'll also do a firmware update on the drive just incase.
Either I get lucky with a great deal or a full refund and some experience.
Don't waste your time or money. Don't trust guarantees, especially from
obvious scammers. You're simply not going to get that lucky. It
IS a scam.
Doing a firmware update on a drive requires you to actually have appropriate firmware and a way to apply it.
I very much understand.
I'm looking at it as a learning opportunity instead of flailing around if you can understand my POV.
If it shows up with a fake box or sticker then sure that's a waste of time but if it is a 99% replica I'll learn a thing or two.
I.e. operating Linux, inspecting physical memory controllers etc.
Worst case scenario, I'll learn how to get a rootkit off the BIOS but what are the chances that the drive will have an infected firmware which can spread to the UEFI? Genuinely asking since I've heard about rootkits but have no experience or in-depth knowledge about them.
I understand your attitude of looking at it as a learning opportunity but it's not worth it, especially at that price. There's zero chance it's a 99% replica. At best, it will likely be a 256GB drive of questionable quality. At worst, it could be downright dangerous.
No offense but your comment about learning how to get a rootkit off the BIOS demonstrates your lack of understanding about these things. This is something even most of those with knowledge wouldn't mess with.
The chances of the drive coming with malware probably aren't super high (I don't actually know) but the potential danger is. For example, if the drive came infected with LogoFAIL, and your system was vulnerable (as an enormous number of machines are), the resulting infection could be practically impossible to remove or even detect. Booting to Linux, wiping the drive, etc. may not be enough to prevent it. The infection may take root as soon as they machine is powered on with the drive connected. It just isn't worth the risk.
Translation-Idle Fish. Backed by Alipay. Chinese eCommerce giant. I make the purchase. Alipay holds onto it. After I receive the goods and both parties provide evaluations of the transaction, the funds get released to the seller.
I have since cancelled the transaction and paid off the seller for the shipping which is like $2.
I'll find a way to save up for a few months to get a replacement drive. Hopefully prices drop soon.
It was smart to cancel the order. Don't get suckered into these kinds of obvious scams. That's just too cheap for a good 4TB drive. At last year's lows, you might have been able to get a very low end 4TB for that price. Prices have risen roughly 50-100% since then.