Consumer Warning about “16TB Portable SSD” Drives Sold by Hong Kong Zhihui Electronic Technology Co., Limited
Consumer Warning about “16TB Portable SSD” Drives Sold by Hong Kong Zhihui Electronic Technology Co., Limited
On January 29, 2026, I purchased three portable drives advertised as “16TB Portable SSD | 10Gbps USB 3.1 | 1GB/sec Transfer Speed” from Hong Kong Zhihui Electronic Technology Co., Limited for $83.64, paid through PayPal. The products arrived several weeks later. None of the drives functioned as advertised.
The Products Are Nonfunctional and Misrepresented
Immediately upon testing, all three drives failed. I was unable to transfer files to them, as they repeatedly crashed and Windows continuously prompted that the drives required formatting. Every attempt to format them failed with the message: “Windows was unable to complete the format.”
Over the course of two full weeks, I attempted all reasonable troubleshooting methods, including testing the drives on different computers, operating systems, and diagnostic utilities. The result was identical in every case. The drives could not be accessed or written to and exhibited behavior consistent with fraudulent storage devices that falsely report large capacities while containing little or no usable storage.
It is therefore clear that these are not genuine 16TB SSD drives and do not contain the advertised capacity or functionality. This appears to be a case of deliberate misrepresentation and counterfeit hardware.
The Seller’s Response
On February 25, 2026, I submitted a detailed complaint to the seller through PayPal describing the complete failure of all three drives and requesting either a full refund or replacement with genuine products.
The seller’s only response was to provide proof that the package had been delivered. This response ignored the substance of the complaint entirely and did not address the fact that the products were defective and misrepresented.
PayPal’s Handling of the Dispute
PayPal closed the dispute in the seller’s favor on the basis of delivery confirmation. The issue in this case was never whether the package arrived, but whether the goods delivered matched what was advertised and were functional. Closing the dispute solely on proof of delivery represents a troubling mishandling of the complaint.
On March 1, 2026, I requested that PayPal review the case and investigate the matter further. As of this writing, the case remains closed and no substantive response has been provided.
Requested Resolution
I am seeking:
• A full refund of $83.64 for the fraudulent items.
• A review of PayPal’s handling of this dispute.
• Investigation of Hong Kong Zhihui Electronic Technology Co., Limited for the sale of counterfeit or misrepresented storage devices.
I have not yet initiated other formal resolution procedures but reserve the right to pursue appropriate complaints with consumer protection authorities if necessary.
Warning to Other Consumers
Consumers should exercise extreme caution when purchasing “16TB Portable SSD” drives offered at unusually low prices. My experience strongly indicates that these products may be counterfeit devices that falsely report large storage capacities while being unusable in practice.
This notice is issued in good faith and based on direct experience in order to alert other consumers and help prevent similar losses.