HDD/SSD Group Buy: New from $182, Recertified from $127 + Shipping - Seagate X16 X18 X20 IronWolf/Pro, WD Ultrastar @ Neology

Thanks for you patience!! I haven't forgot about you guys and working hard to make the 5th GB to happen. Now it is coming! I promise, I'll make it happen this time!!

I've got a lot of PMs regarding why the 5th GB was postponed, so this was what happened:

• The prevous GB supplier set up their own warehouse(3rd party contractor) in AU at the beginning of this year for distribution;
• The prevous GB supplier is doing small batches to their warehouse to avoid duty and tax;
• With GB volume, it will definitely trigger the ABF threshold, otherwise it would take months and quarters to fulfill all orders. And the third-party warehouse refers the previous GB supplier to the clearance broker to deal with import duty and taxes - which would be lengthy process and would add a lot to the cost;
• The prevous GB supplier haven't developed a proper ecommerce system (due to the cost), so it will be email ordering like previous GB….And I know it was painful!

What I want to do with this GB

• Better turnaround time — Enabled by smooth custom clearance experience, and properly deal with duty and taxes, and proper eCommerce systems and processes. Should be better than the 4th GB, but be prepared for delay in case unexpected events occur;
• Reasonable prices after all — including duty and taxes, eCommerce systems development & payment gateway integration cost, middleware cost, payment surcharge, labour and operational cost;
• A better experience — for example, easier ordering, payment and tracking shipments;

1. What is a hard drive group buy (GB)?

Group buy is to utilise OzB community purchase power with boosted volume to unlock a once-off great deal on a variety range of hard drives.
Past GB events:
4th GB: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/736571
3rd GB: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/703948

2. GB Time & Duration

• One Week Window - Just like previous GBs
• 26 Jul 2023 12PM - 2 Aug 2023 11:59PM

3. How to participate GB? How can I order/purchase product?

• Catalogues are available and orders can be placed via links on an eCommerce platform (Will be announced once the GB is ready);
• GB links are not publicly available from the website due to this is a special event for OzB community;
• Follow the checkout process and complete payment to submit your order;
• You will receive order confirmation email with order number and order details;
• You will receive another email with tracking number when your order is fulfilled and dispatched;
• Based on the volume and stock availability, orders may take up-to 10 weeks to fulfill. You can reply to the order confirmation email to cancel your order anytime during the waiting period.

4. What's New in this GB

4.1 Items with MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)

We heard you. Some of you are interested in large capacity drive, such as 22TBs
Price of these items fluctuates, and suppliers do not stock these products unless it reaches to the MOQ.
You will need to complete the payment and submitted order to register your interest and position. If MOQ reached at the end of GB, your order will be fulfilled; otherwise a full refund of relevant product will be issued after GB ends.

4.2 Boosted GB price

In order to get the best possible deal for OzBers, I have negotiated a special deal with one of our suppliers for this GB.
We have chance to unlock a further discounted price(Boosted Price), if the order volume of a specific category goes over the threshold … for example quantity > 500 or 1000.

If we can unlock the minimum order quantity for “Boosted GB price”, all orders in this category would eligible for Boosted prices
* For new orders: Boosted price will be applicable to new orders once the volume is reached.
* For orders paid before Boosted price was unlocked: will receive a refund for the price difference in the coming weeks.
Rather than doing refund after unlock the "Boosted Price", I have faith in this community and I am quite confident we can unlock the "Boosted price"!
In this case, to simplify the experience and motivate the community, for products eligible for Boosted Price, there will be a bulk buy and save.
For example, with Seagate Official Recertified range, Buy 2 - 3 and get 1% off, 4 - 7 and get 2% off, 8 or above and get 3% off

4.3 Shipping to New Zealand

This is a popular ask from the last GB. So I am trying my best to make it available to neighbour!
4.3.1 Shipping will be calculated automatically at the checkout. Orders over $2000 qualify for free shipping Capped flat rate shipping
4.3.1 Orders will be dipsatch via Australia Post or FedEx subject to stock availability, and each shipment will be declared <$800 AUD in value.
4.3.2 In order to avoid the DoA chance, hard drive for NZ orders will have 1.) power on test; 2.) HDD Sentinel Short Self-Test (1-2min) to ensure the hard drive is working and health is 100%. In this case the power on hour should still be 0, but there will be power on count (<6); For DoA &RMA deatils for NZ orders, please refer to 6.9.

5. Products available in this GB

5.1 Brand New HDD

Seagate EXOS - 3 Years Warranty (Limited Quantity)

*Minimum order qty required

Seagate Ironwolf/Ironwolf Pro - 3 Years Warranty (Limited Quantity)

Unfortunately, there are some popular models are discontinued such as IWP ST18000NE000 and ST20000NE000 (I have asked!), there is new model available ST20000NT001 which has higher MTBF hours.

Western Digital - 3 Years Warranty (Limited Quantity)

*Minimum order qty required

Seagate Barracuda 2.5" - 3 Years Warranty

5.2 Official Recertified (Boosted Price Available)

Seagate EXOS - 3-Month Warranty (12-Month warranty is available at extra $10 each)

Seagate Ironwolf/Ironwolf Pro - 3-Month Warranty (12-Month warranty is available at extra $10 each)

5.3 Enterprise / Data Centre SSD - 3 Years Warranty

For comparison:
Samsung 990 Pro has 1.5Million Hrs MTBF and 600TBW (1TB) / 1200 TBW (2TB)

Datasheet:
Samsung PM883 Datacentre SSD: https://www.servershop-bayern.de/mediafiles/Sonstiges/Samsun…
Micron 5100 Pro: https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/671/5100_ssd-1283974.pdf
Intel 760P: https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents…

6. GB Terms & Condition (Please READ before placing your order)

6.1 Compatibility — Kind Reminder
Buyers need to do their own due diligence to ensure that their device/motherboard/SATA controller/NAS is compatible with large-capacity hard drives.
For example, a motherboard manufactured 15 years ago comes with SATA ports, but may not be compatible with high capacity HDD. This because SATAIII interface and 18TB capacity was not exist at the time, and manufacturers didn't see a use case to have that compatibility, so either (both) the BIOS and the SATA controller was not designed to support them.
We wouldn't be able to cover all compatibility scenario, so please Google or Reddit, they are your best friend.
Although we offer free DOA returns, if the return is due to incompatibility, buyer will be responsible for the postage.

6.2 Price and Payment
* Price is in AUD, you can pay by credit card - AMEX, MasterCard, Visa, Union Pay, etc (if the payment gateway accepts);
* Bank Deposit(PayID), WeChat Pay in CNY, Alipay in CNY may be withdrawn after a period of time, if it creates too much manual work for me. (These paymetns require manual effort for the clearance.)
* For Bank Deposit(PayID) transaction, PayID info and instructions will be provided after order placement; Some bank may unable to complet transaction with our CBA PayID, such as ubank, please try a different bank if there is an issue, otherwise send me a PM and I'll look into it;
* For WeChat Pay CNY / Alipay CNY orders, within 24 hours of order placement, an email with final price in CNY, screenshot of exchange rate (Google Real Time Rate) and payment QR code will be sent to your email on the order. Please use your order number as "Remark" or "Comment" for identification, and reply to the email after payment is made to progress your order.
* For Bank Deposit, WeChat Pay CNY and Alipay CNY orders, Please completed the payment within 48 hours upon receiving the payment QR code to avoid order cancellation.
* Paypal is not available at this stage due to the high surcharge and fees;

6.3 Order Fulfillment Leadtime
We endeavour to dispatch orders as quickly as possible. However, based on the previous GB experience, some orders may take up to 10 weeks to dispatch from Melbourne, in case there is any unforeseen situation.

6.4 Shipping
* Postage will be calculated automatically during checkout;
* AU orders over $2000 qualify for free shipping via Australia Post or FedEx - Use Coupon OZB5GBAUFS ;
* NZ orders over $2000 qualify for a flat rate shipping(Capped @ $50) via Australia Post or FedEx;
* Item will be dispatched via Australia Post or Courier service upon your choice during the checkout;
* Dispatch is based on first in first served due to stock availability and order sequence;
* As soon as we dispatch the parcel, the delivery is out of our control. Deliver time frame is subject to the postal/courier service you selected;
* A kind reminder - even if you opt-in for Express post, the dispatch lead time is subject to stock availability. This means as soon as the stock comes in, your order will be dispatched with Express post.
* To avoid missing parcel situation, parcels set "Signature on Delivery" by default. You can request "Authority to Leave" (ATL) from the AusPost App if you're not home and don't want to miss the delivery. You will be responsible to deal with postal service in case the parcel is missing with ATL;
* In case parcel is missing, we will try our best to help. But it will subject to the investigation process set by AusPost or Sendle and you will need to be patience. Resolution will be handled case by case based on courier investigation outcome.

6.5 Order Pickup in Person
Unfortunately, pick up is not available due to my commitment to work and family, it will be very challenge to arrange time for pickup.

6.6 Change of Order in Flight
* Change of order can only be done before the order is dispatched;
* In case you need to change your order, reply the order confirmation email to let us know you need to change of your order;
* To simplify the process, and records keeping purpose. for any orders changes, we will cancel and refund the order requires change, and you will need to place a new order for what you want.

6.7 Order Cancellation
* You can request to cancel your order any time before dispatch, by reply to the order confirmation email;
* A full refund will be provided for order cancellation;
* Please reply to the order confirmation email to request cancellation;
* If you would like to cancel an order after your order is dispatched - see 6.8 change of mind return.

6.8 Change of Mind Return
* In case you change the mind and would like to return the GB purchase, please keep the hard drive in unopened anti-static bag and return the item in the original package in resaleable condition;
* We will provide refund of returned item price;
* Due to GB is almost a cost pass-through sale with no profit, you will need to responsible for the both-way postage;
* A 20% fee applies if returned item find anti-static bag opened/broken;

6.9 Warranty & DoA
For Customers in Australia
* DoA: If hard drive is faulty within the first 30 days of delivery, you will need to contact us and obtain return authorisation & instructions. We will cover the both way postage and provide the brand new replacement product.
* RMA: If hard drive is faulty during the warranty period, you will need to contact us and obtain return authorisation & instructions. You will responsible for the return postage and we will cover the postage for replacement. For details, please refer to this page: https://www.neology.com.au/warranty-info/
* Replacement timeframe for GB order may be extended subject to stock availability;
* In case a specific model runs out of stock and no replacement can be provided, a replacement with similar model or a refund will be provided.

For Customers in New Zealand:
* Only for NZ Customers To reduced the chance of DoA and return hassle, we offer free HDD testing before dispatch (if dispatch from Australia). Photos can be provided upon request -plase leave in the order comment: 1.) HDD in sealed package with SN clearly shown, to prove it is brand new status before the testing; 2.) Power on time; 3.) SMART Health info with SN; 4.) Short self-test showing the SN;
* For large volume order, the order may be dispatched from HK via FedEx;
* DoA: If hard drive is faulty within the first 30 days of delivery, you will need to contact us and obtain return authorisation & instructions. You will responsible for the return postage and we will cover the postage for replacement. We strongly recommend to perform a testing before the replacement dispatch;
* RMA: If hard drive is faulty during the warranty period, you will need to contact us and obtain return authorisation & instructions. You will responsible for the return postage and we will cover the postage for replacement. For details, please refer to this page: https://www.neology.com.au/warranty-info/
* Replacement timeframe for GB order may be extended subject to stock availability;
* In case a specific model runs out of stock and no replacement can be provided, a replacement with similar model or a refund will be provided.

6.10 Order Support and Post Sales Support
For support enquiry and post sales enquiries, please message us after login to your account or reply to your order confirmation email — so we can quickly identify your order. We will try to respond within 24 hours, may be up-to 48 hours during GB peak.
We will try our best to ensure your satisfaction. However, we are running the GB with a extremely lean business model in order to provide you with the most competitive price.
Please be mindful that Discord is a platform for general discussion and ideas exchange, it is not a support channel. DM via Discord for support may be delayed in response or ignored.

6.11 Unable to Fulfill Order
We will endeavour to fulfill your order, however, in the case we are unable to fulfill your order due to supply issue, 1.) We will contact you via email or phone call to arrange suitable alternative; or 2.) Cancel and provide refund to your order.

7. FAQ - Q&A from previous GBs

7.1 What's the conditions of the Hard Drive purchase from the GB
Brand New - Sealed in the anti-static bag - 0 Hours power on time
Recertified - Sealed in the anti-static bag, manufacture recertified, tested, 0 Hours power on time. Packaging See: https://imgur.com/a/8Q27Vz2 and https://imgur.com/5e5WyFu

7.2 Can I claim warranty with the manufacturer? Why these hard drive's warranty are 3 years instead of 5 years?
These are the OEM stock, means these hard drives are part of the large order and have a special term on the warranty.
Upon checking the serial number on manufacturers' website, it displays the relevant model but will refer you to "Contact the place of purchase for warranty" or "Out of Region".
That's why these hard drives come with pretty competitive prices.

7.3 I would like to purchase a specific model of HDD which is not in the GB list, can I get it with a GB price?
We selected the most popular HDDs for GB in order to boost the volume and unlock a good price. We keep it simple to ensure our operation capacity sustains the GB and daily orders. We can check the availability and price of an identical drives in different interface, for example, Seagate EXOS X16 with SAS interface. We will make it available to order if the availability allows. And be mindful, some model may have minimum order quantity - so it will be a pre-order.

7.4 Shall I trust you? What about my warranty if you or ED run away or your business disappears?
To be honest, I am a stranger to you. You should apply your own principal to trust or not to trust a stranger just like dealing with other strangers in your life.
We are doing our best to sustain the GB and our business in order to honour the warranty to all our customers. However, we can't predict the future. Things unexpected may happen. So just like my answer to this question in the previous GBs comments, there is certainly level of risks you will need to take in case s**t happens.

7.5 Why it would take longer to process my RMA/DoA replacement?
*Due to the large volume of order during GB period, you may experience longer than usually time for the RMA/DoA process. We usually process the replacement or refund pretty quick if stock is available. However, please be mindful that we use PO Box to receive returns. Although tracking may show item arrived PO Box as "Awaiting Collection" or "Delivered", we may pick it up in our next delivery cycle. For example, a parcel may arrive PO Box at 10AM or 3PM. Our usually post office run is between 9AM-12PM daily to dispatch orders from the previous day. This means if a returned parcel arrives at 10AM, it is likely to be picked on the same day; but if it arrives at 3PM, it is likely to be picked up on the next business day.
*Please also be mindful that our location does not sit next door to the post office, so it is more sustainable to operate in once-a-day post office run model.
*We understand that you want your replacement in an urgent manner, and we appreciate your patience and leave a room for us to operate at a scale. Micro managing behaviour such as Messages/DM/PM/emails such as "My return arrived the post office, please pick it up and send me the replacement asap" or "Tracking is showing my return arrived xxx location, it will be delivered very soon, get prepared!", might be ignored.

7.6 Can I request multiple HDD from different batches/with different DOM?
Leave comments in your order during checkout, you can request for "HDDs with different DOMs/batches" or "Recent DOM for my order" we will try our best. However, we cannot pick a specific DOM for your order as they comes in pre-packed in the box with random DOM, even from the same shipment.

7.7 Can I request a specific FW Version, DOM, or Serial Number?
We receive stocks with random FW ver, DOM and SN in general, a batch may contain same FW ver, varies DOM. We will try out best but there is no guarantee.

7.8 Shall I purchase hard drive from the GB? Is it right for me?
Good question!
If you have obtained a budget approval from your Mrs, had done your own due diligence and know what you are getting (say affordable storage with reasonable level of support just like previous GB), it is probably right for you.
However, if you are looking for HDD with warranty from manufacturer; with specific requirement such as a very specific FW version, DOM; expecting very responsive support; or if you have doubt in me, the GB is probably not right for you. A reputable local computer shop may be a more appropriate place to make the purchase.

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Please read above to understand what you are getting.
Join GB and purchase from link below:
https://www.neology.com.au/group-buy/ozb-5thgb/
AU orders over $2000 - Use Coupon OZB5GBAUFS for free shipping

Please only purchase from the item marked as [GB] from link above for group buy price. Other part of the website are for retail customers - hence are retail prices.

Last update: 26/07

Discord Discussion Group: https://discord.gg/x9atsQ662C (Discord is not a support channel)

https://www.neology.com.au/group-buy/ozb-5thgb/