Attack of the Fake USB Sticks
(53 Comments)
(link) Friday, 22-May-2009 04:31:56 (GMT +10) - by Agg
I recently bought a 64GB Corsair Flash Voyager from DealsDirect.com.au. I've got a couple of smaller Corsair ones already and I've been recommending the 16GB Voyager GT to people wanting a speedy thumbdrive, so when I got an email about a special deal 64GB one for about $100 AUD delivered, it seemed like a deal too good to miss. And maybe in hindsight, too good to be true.
The drive had issues from the start - very slow and corrupting data. It also felt and looked slightly different to the other ones I own, and less well made. So I asked on the Corsair support forums what they thought about it. The official word: The 64 Gig in your picture is a counterfeit product. Seems I'm not the only one with an issue, either.
click to enlarge
Apparently the email and listing mentioned that the drives are refurbished and carry a 12-month warranty, although I admit to not noticing that, perhaps in my impulse-buying speed-clicking frenzy. Well, Corsair say they don't sell refurbished drives and their products have a 10 year warranty (update: although there are apparently some genuine refurbished drives out there, which is confusing). But most importantly, they simply don't make a 64GB Flash Voyager that looks like this. The 64GB model is longer and has a chain for the cap:
click to enlarge
So, what's the lesson here? Well, we already know that fake memory cards are pretty widespread, but it seems even brand-name USB sticks can be impersonated, and a fairly reputable vendor can sometimes pick up a bad batch. But if your spidey sense is tingling, it's worth checking the manufacturer's website to see if the product on sale even exists in their lineup. I haven't heard back from DealsDirect as yet, but I'm sure there'll be no issue with a refund or replacement. They've already pulled the product page, but I'll be keen to hear how this all happened from their end.
Fortune Cookie:
Like my parents, I have never been a regular church member or churchgoer.
It doesn't seem plausible to me that there is the kind of God who
watches over human affairs, listens to prayers, and tries to guide
people to follow His precepts -- there is just too much misery and
cruelty for that. On the other hand, I respect and envy the people
who get inspiration from their religions.
- Benjamin Spock
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