Micron refunds €230 for failed Crucial 4TB SSD instead of €400 market price — AI shift blamed

A Reddit user, AssignmentGlass5591, reported that his Crucial X10 Pro 4TB SSD failed at just 1% of its rated lifespan. The drive did not wear out naturally but simply broke, and the defect was confirmed by Crucial's own Storage Executive software. However, when the user filed an RMA request and paid out of pocket to ship the drive to Micron's warehouse, the company told him there was no replacement stock available. Instead, Micron offered a refund at the original retail price of €230, even though the current market value of the same drive is around €400.

The incident stems from Micron's decision to shut down its Crucial consumer memory and storage brand at the end of 2025. The company redirected its NAND and DRAM production capacity toward higher-margin AI data center and enterprise customers, leaving no factory or inventory to cover still-active warranties on Crucial products. Despite Micron's explicit promise to continue warranty services for existing customers, this case shows that the promise is applied selectively at best.

The Reddit user expressed frustration not only about the low refund amount but also about having to bear the shipping cost. He noted that the compensation offered is insufficient to purchase a comparable replacement drive. The situation raises concerns for other Crucial customers with lifetime warranties on SSDs and memory kits, who may similarly receive refunds at launch prices rather than current market rates, leaving them with significantly less than they expected when they bought the products.