How to buy flash drives that will not fail!

How to explain to a someone who found flash drives on the internet for next to nothing, that's what they're worth!

Flash Drives (thumb drives, USB drives, etc.) can be confusing! Why? Because there is a lot of misinformation about flash drive prices and the cost of memory. Many customers believe they can buy flash drives at below what they believe is "market" or at unusually low prices. These prices are generally found online and are often quoted direct from the Chinese manufacturer or through their North American or European agent. Right there you MAY have a refund problem if the drives don't work as advertised. More on that later.

You shouldn't be concerned about flash drives purchased in an office supply store. They will be charging a one-at-a-time price, unless it is offered as a "loss-leader." However, always ask about a guarantee -- it should be one year at minimum -- and keep your receipt! At their prices, they can afford to hand you a new one without too much trouble. If you really want to see what a blank look is, ask them if it's a "Tier One" chip. If they say "yes", then ask them what "grade" it is. You'll find out what I'm talking about in a moment.

The reality is quality memory costs are the same for every manufacturer as demand for flash chips far outstrips the supply. Our preferred supplier pays the same for 1000 1 GB pieces of memory as they do for 10,000! Furthermore, very few manufacturers or suppliers even offer anything less than 1 GB chips; the standard capacity offering is rising almost monthly and will probably be 8 GB by 2009. So how do you work your way through these numbers? There are some important things you should know.

USB Flash Chips, the stuff inside the drives, are divided up into 4 different classes/standards; A, B & C grades. And the sneaky, Grade D. This chip is the piece cut from a much larger wafer, which is the actual memory.

Grade A:
Tier 1. These are bona fide premium chips with the flash chip manufacturers name & serial number imprinted on the chip itself. These chips are produced by manufacturers such as SAMSUNG and HYNIX. They are the most expensive, but also the most reliable offering a lifetime warranty.

Grade B:
Tier 1 OEM flash chips. These are made by the same legitimate chip manufacturers as Grade A but are without the manufacturer's brand name imprinted on them. These chips are as reliable but may not be of the same standards that the manufacturer would consider putting their name on it. BOTH A and B are fine to use.

Say this over and over to yourself: "I will only buy flash drives manufactured with Tier One chips."

Below these two grades, the quality issues and problems begin. Grade C and Grade D chips will be some of the least expensive flash drives but also have a very high failure rate.

Grade C:
These are called recycled or reclaimed flash chips; it has nothing to do with the recycled plastic housings. These chips are considered waste from the "wafer" that the original manufacturer does not want and considers to be garbage. These have a 30% - 40% failure rate. These chips are actually sold by the pound.

Grade D: (The Sneaky Grade)
The Sneaky flash drive supplier will actually imprint an original manufacturer's name on the Grade C chip. It may read Samsung or Hynix, etc. but is most definitely junk/knock-off. Until these land at your door, you will not know that they don't work! This is a federal patent and copyright violation. Furthermore, we noted before that it is harder and harder to find 256 MB or 512 MB flash drives anymore. Some of the Grade D chips labeled "1 GB" will fail to, let's say, 600 MB. If you were to buy a "512 MB" thumb drive and discover 600 MB of storage, you would probably think you were getting a REAL bargain, right up to the time that the chip fails altogether.

So now that you know about the four grades of chips, here's something else you might not know. All off-shore purchases are pre-paid to a Chinese bank before shipment. That's howcum MANY of the flash drive suppliers want full payment up front with your order. That is not really a problem, but considering someone has your money already, what is your recourse if the product fails? Reputable suppliers, such as those we deal with, gives you layers of protection by US commerce laws and the added insurance provided by Visa or Mastercard.

No matter who you buy your flash drives from, remember that everyone deserves a fair profit [this is BUSINESS, remember] but if a deal seems too good to be true, it... I hate to say this... probably is.

-Later, you-