Back in the bad old DLT IV days -

We had a media vendor beating down our door; touting low cost media, and
offering to buy our old media, sell us used, or both. They too claimed
that they would destroy all the old data via a multi-step process, while
maintaining a comprehensive "chain of custody" for all our old media. I
wasn't sold on the idea, and didn't want to buy used.

They kept cold calling and emailing until they got around me; and they
finally came in with a price so low on "new media" that management said
that even though I had purchasing authority in the past (no problems
with media or vendor), they were going to try these guys. I said that
was fine, as long as it was NEW MEDIA. I even called the vendor's sales
weenie beforehand, and let him know that the purchase of this media was
time sensitive,(don't you LOVE "Just in Time" inventories?) and that
they had just one shot to "get it right".

Our shipment arrived, and some of the tapes looked like they'd been
through a coffee grinder. There were even post-it notes and permanent
marker writing on some of the tapes indicating their vol-ser's and
contents, etc! All the seals on the tape cases were broken, and worn.
NOT ONE of the tapes was new. I checked the tapes and, you guessed it,
the original customer's data was still on them!

I called the vendor's sales weenie and gave him an ear full! He was far
less than apologetic, and didn't seem to have the good sense to at least
pretend to be embarrassed. He stated they were using a new supplier and
decided to try them on our order. When I asked why they didn't catch the
fact that they were used at their office he stated they were dropped
shipped to us without ever going through the parent company first! Nice
way to handle a brand new, cautious account...

Needless to say, I didn't again, haven't since, and won't ever use that
vendor for anything I have purchasing authority for! E-V-E-R!!!

Thanks again MP!
At least my experience with you made for a good war story...


Kent Eagle
MTS Infrastructure Engineer II, MCP, MCSE
Tech Services / SMSS






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