I just received four 16TB seagate drives which I bought from an online store. They were all in sealed in anti static bags, but other than that there was no padding whatsoever between the drives, which were stacked in a slightly too large cardboard box.
What do we think of this packaging? It’s unacceptable, right?
I’ll probably send them back right away, but thought I’d hear with you guys in case I am being overly dramatic.
Test the drives. If they pass, use them.
Unfortunately this is common packaging unless you purchased individually boxed drives.
Hmm. I could run a bunch of tests, but my worry is if they fail too early, say in a few months or even a couple of years.
My current NAS drives, four 4TB seagate ironwolf pro drives, have been operational 24/7 with zero issues since january 2021, so my expectation is these drives should last a long time. If they don’t, it’ll be a hassle to deal with the store if I think the premature failure is due to this poor packaging 
Test the drives with CrystalDisk at minimum.. As already indicated, it is NOT uncommon to receive drives this way. I’ve ordered drives from various vendors and some come as you received and others come pkged in their own boxes. BUT, using testing software to evaluate them prior to installation, you’ll have a very good idea of their potential longevity, or lack thereof. I purchased some pro drives for my NAS and contrary to what the label said (what I had actually ordered) CrystalDisk identified them as something else entirely. They went back immediately. Make sure you get what you pay for. Internal scans and tests are the only way to be sure. Too many unscrupulous vendors out there….. Also, a great idea to order direct from the manufacturer. Often when Distributors like Amazon, and NewEgg have sales… so do the manufacturers. Best option is to order direct!!!
