WD refused to answer our questions about its self-wiping SanDisk SSDs

Eleven days ago, we sent these questions to Western Digital’s head of public relations and posted them on the edge:

We’ve now received a response from Western Digital’s head of public relations, Robin Schultz, but nothing about the company’s stance has changed. Schultz repeatedly refused to answer any of our questions. His statement doesn’t even contain an acknowledgment of the problem and he doesn’t have a specific timeline for any actual response.

The only reason we print the Western Digital statement is so you can see it for yourself:

In response to recent reports of concerns about specific Western Digital portable SSD products, we want to reassure our valued customers that we are taking all necessary steps to address any product-related issues. We understand the importance of our products to our customers and we take these matters very seriously. We are conducting a thorough review to get a full understanding of the issues.

After receiving the statement, we asked Schultz three times if Western Digital would answer our questions. Each time, she strayed. She also gave no idea when, if ever, the company might share her findings.

There is One possible reason Western Digital is finally speaking up and saying nothing: the company has just been sued. As Register reportsCalifornia resident Nathan Krum filed a potential class action lawsuit, citing breach of contract, fraudulent and unfair business practices, and numerous other claims. Krum is suing for both the SanDisk Extreme drive and damages for the lost data. You can read the full complaint at the end of this story.

I won’t be buying a Western Digital or SanDisk product any time soon.