Seagate Hit with Class Action Lawsuit for High Failure Rates

Seagate's year started off with a declaration of significant downturn in its revenue and profits, and the company now faces additional challenges from a Class Action consumer complaint. The complaint has been levied against the company for “breach of consumer protection, unfair competition and false advertising […] and unjust enrichment,” something which law firm Hagens Berman contests should yield rewards for affected consumers.

Seagate is being targeted particularly for its 3TB HDD, a device which we've previously reported on as having high failure rates. The 3TB HDD and Backup Plus 3TB (external) HDD marketed themselves using language like “reliable,” “dependable,” and boasting low failure rates, all items that Hagens Berman calls to attention:

“The drives were not, however, reliable or dependable and they did not have low failure rates. Rather, they were defective and failed prematurely at spectacularly – and in many respects unprecedentedly – high rates.”

The complaint goes on to cite Backblaze data backup analysis – the very same data we cited in our previous reports of failure rates – stating that, “the true failure rate of the drives was substantially higher than advertised, and the drives did not last nearly as long as comparable devices from other manufacturers or even other models manufactured by [Seagate].”

The complaint has already been filed and is pending further response or action. We will update as news develops and are reaching-out to Seagate for immediate response.

Update: Seagate has responded to GamersNexus' request for statement. See below:

"Seagate is aware of the filing of a class action complaint on February 1, 2016, by plaintiff Christopher A. Nelson, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Seagate has received a copy of the complaint but has not yet been served. Seagate is reviewing the complaint and will respond to it in due course."

- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.