Consumer Alert Aldi Stores Australia Fission 8GB USB stick – Less Than 1 GB Actual Capacity
Posted by KittyFireFlash on June 14, 2011
Buyers in Australia wonder why their Aldi 8 GB Fission usb sticks don’t work properly – it’s the oldest reason, upgraded flash memory storage chips. Five units have been tested with h2testw, four report a real capacity less than 1 GB storage, one almost impossible to test. Buyers contacted Aldi stores about the fake capacity Fission 8GB USB sticks and received promises the retail chain would look into the problem.
Earlier FakeFlashNews published: ALDI Australia – 8GB Flash Drives Please Test Capacity With H2testw Before Using. Supermarket Chain Receives Bad Supply Of USB Flash Drives, Newest Victim In The Fake Flash Chip Memory Wars.
The flash drives remain for sale to unsuspecting Aldi customers despite detailed testing reports provided. Why?
At first buyers didn’t realize they were buying fake capacity, most thought the thumb drives were faulty. Losing data, files corrupting, write speeds decreaseing, what is the mystery? These are signs of usb flash drives altered to lie about their real capacity. See the photos on this flash drive causing consumer misery in Australia the end of this article.
Aldi buyers started to discuss the issue, what is going on? Some interesting comments and the dawning of awareness:
Posted
The first testing results for the Windows operating system were reported to SOSFakeFlash on June 3, 2011.
The first testing results under linux was reported at Technobabble and Nostalgia on June 3, 2011, Bad Aldi Fission 8Gig USB sticks.
The flash drive details:
Fission 8GB Aldi
8GB USB stick
UPS CODE 2609 3284
Fission is an Aldi registered trademark. However it is important to note, many retail chains buy from a supplier and have their own brand names embossed on items with different packaging. Often while items stamped with different names, the model frequently comes from the same manufacturing source, even the same factory. Flash memory is no different from other consumer items.
One Victim’s story on trying to warn Aldi and the detailed testing results:
I’ve now purchased a total of 5 “8GB Fission USB Sticks” from 2 Aldi stores in my district. All have been found to be under 1 GB via H2Testw. One week after buying & returning the first 2 to the Forster store, giving them a written report & phoning their distribution centre I returned to see them still on sale.
I then purchased 2 more at the Taree Aldi store & after testing them also left Aldi a full report & copy of the results. I was later informed my report had been sent on to the area Manager when I returned 4 days later to see them still on sale & then purchased a 5th one to test & photoghraph to send on to you.
Taree purchases:
H2Testw result for drive 5:
Warning: Only 8075 of 8076 MByte tested.
The media is likely to be defective.
953.9 MByte OK (1953664 sectors)
6.9 GByte DATA LOST (14583936 sectors)
Details:6.9 GByte overwritten (14583936 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
0 KByte corrupted (0 sectors)
0.5 KByte aliased memory (1 sector)
First error at offset: 0x000000003b9f0000
Expected: 0x000000003b9f0000
Found: 0x000000003b9ec000
H2testw version 1.3
Writing speed: 8.81 MByte/s
Reading speed: 15.6 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4Result for drive 4:
Warning: Only 8075 of 8076 MByte tested.
The media is likely to be defective.
973.9 MByte OK (1994624 sectors)
6.9 GByte DATA LOST (14542976 sectors)
Details:6.9 GByte overwritten (14542976 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
0 KByte corrupted (0 sectors)
0.5 KByte aliased memory (1 sector)
First error at offset: 0x000000003cdf0000
Expected: 0x000000003cdf0000
Found: 0x000000003cdec000
H2testw version 1.3
Writing speed: 9.62 MByte/s
Reading speed: 15.0 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4Result for drive 3:
Warning: Only 8075 of 8076 MByte tested.
The media is likely to be defective.
972.9 MByte OK (1992576 sectors)
2.2 GByte DATA LOST (4730659 sectors)
Details:2.2 GByte overwritten (4730659 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
0 KByte corrupted (0 sectors)
0.5 KByte aliased memory (1 sector)
First error at offset: 0x000000003ccf0000
Expected: 0x000000003ccf0000
Found: 0x000000003ccec000
H2testw version 1.3Forster purchases:
Flash drive 2 result:
The media is likely to be defective.
762.2 MByte OK (1561140 sectors)
6.2 GByte DATA LOST (13087652 sectors)
Details:6.2 GByte overwritten (13049096 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
18.8 MByte corrupted (38556 sectors)
62.6 MByte aliased memory (128394 sectors)
First error at offset: 0x000000002fa46800
Expected: 0x000000002fa46800
Found: 0x00000001f7800800
H2testw version 1.3Flash drive 1 test result:
The media is likely to be defective.
99.4 MByte OK (203672 sectors)
341.5 MByte DATA LOST (699496 sectors)
Details:0 KByte overwritten (0 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
341.5 MByte corrupted (699496 sectors)
0 KByte aliased memory (0 sectors)
First error at offset: 0×0000000006373000
Expected: 0×0000000006373000
Found: 0×0000000000000000
H2testw version 1.3
SOSFakeFlash routinely publishes on eBay sellers who sell fake flash memory and also issues warnings on internet sites. Retail chains are usually more careful about the products they sell and very responsive to their customers.
One of the early internet reports on these Fission 8GB USB sticks dates back to 2010-Dec-15. The clues for fake flash memory were there.
Six months later these Fission 8GB USB sticks are still being sold by Aldi stores in Australia. The FrankenFlash project and SOSFakeFlash have one burning question, WHY?
Fission 8GB USB stick Front Packaging
Fission 8GB USB stick Back Packaging
Fission 8GB Aldi Details 8775
Anyone buying a usb flash drive, regardless of the retail source should always test it for true capacity before storing any data files on it. Failure to do so, could lead to data loss and file corruption. The issue of upgraded digitally altered flash memory continues to plague consumers all over the world.
Additional Reading:
H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives
SOSFakeFlash 
Catherine said
I haven’t purchased a flash drive from Aldi… and now I certainly don’t intend to… but can I suggest that those consumers affected contact their state/territory Office of Fair Trading and report that the drives being sold are of fake capacity, and that Aldi is refusing to remove them from sale? This might have some effect on the retail chain.
stuart dowse said
hi my wife works in aldi management and after receving your email raised the question with upper management , they were not aware of the problem in the melbourne area .
she then brought home one of the questioned usb drives to test for her self , she found that it was not 8gig in capasity it was only 937meg.
she has faxed the results and your email to head office and receved a call an houre later comferming that they have sent an internal memo demanding the usb stick should be taken off sale imediately as of today . give it 48 hours and they should be removed from all aldi stores.
i hope this helps !!!
Karen said
Well, I bought one from Aldi at Top Ryde NSW this weekend unaware of the problem. Needless to say it has caused me grief! I have never in my life seen anything like it – I obviously lead a sheltered life. Why sell them when there is a reported problem. By the way they are only $13.99 now – but useless is useless at whatever the price. It’s write protected and I can’t even delete the files I’ve put on it. I mistakenly thought the files I put on it were there, and the files I copied were not copied properly anyway. Thank you to the person who posted the packaging as I threw mine out, at least now I have the phone number to call tomorrow and request a refund.
Donald said
Thank you for that, I too got dudded with the 8 Gb from Aldi. I only lost a few dollars but I will never shop at Aldis again, if they are willing to sell me a bad USB stick then they might just sell me bad sausages or who knows what.
They’re finished with me 😦
Thanks again
KittyFireFlash said
@Donald,
We were fortunate eBay victims reported Aldi. Word gets around. Australians do not take fraud lightly. In fact, Aussies are a perfect example of how individuals can make a difference.
We got the word out to registered victims in Australia. One of them had a family member working for Aldi. That employee showed determination and made sure that the company was informed. From what we know, Aldi removed the items from their stores.
We do not know how many buyers they refunded. Hopefully, anyone who asked for a refund and or referenced our article.
Oddly, Aldi reacted far more positively than super mega eBay has. Perhaps they care more about their customers. Hard to say. What is clear is that they showed senitivity to the issue.
Anyone who bought a fake at Aldi, should ask to speak to the manager of the store, show them a copy of the article and ask for a refund. The Fission branding is Aldi’s. so there should be no issue if somebody presents the flash drive to the manager.
If Aldi is truely sorry, we would expect the store not only give the refund but perhaps a gift certificate as good will and as a “thank you” for returning the fake to them.
About the sausages, do you not have a “best before date” on the packaging? Most countries have that now. Bad sausages will give you an upset stomach, but bad flash memory, well you will never get back your information, it is gone for ever.
BTW, like the Wisdomblogs.com site!
Vickie said
I bought one of these only 2 weeks ago from the Swan Hill Vic store. so they are still on sale in rural centres, probably think us country hicks will just throw them out..I will be returning it next week
lindsay said
I bought an 8gb fission flash drive from Aldi and it crashed and lost hundreds of photos cant retrieve them am so pissed off Aldi should be accountable,I can never get my pictures back of my kids,ski trips Qld holidays kids playing footy this is crap general living pics
Aldi you stink