The Great British Storage Battle
Choosing between eBay and Amazon for your next hard drive or SSD isn't just about the initial ticket price. It involves balancing warranty protection, delivery speed, and the massive price difference between new and refurbished enterprise hardware.
🛒 eBay UK
The king of refurbished enterprise storage. If you are building a home server or NAS, eBay is often 40% cheaper than any retail store.
- Best for £/TB value
- Refurbished Exos/WD Gold
- Bulk deal opportunities
📦 Amazon UK
The standard for new consumer drives. Unbeatable for delivery speed and hassle-free returns if a drive arrives DOA.
- Full manufacturer warranty
- Next-day Prime delivery
- Easiest return process
Head-to-Head Price Comparison
| Category | eBay UK | Amazon UK | Best Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10TB Enterprise HDD (Refurb) | £150-180 | £220+ | eBay |
| 4TB Desktop HDD (New) | £90 | £85 | Amazon |
| 2TB NVMe SSD (New) | £130 | £115 | Amazon |
| 16TB+ High Capacity | £280 (Refurb) | £450 (New) | eBay |
*Approximate prices based on February 2026 market data.
💡 The Golden Rule for 2026
If you need mass storage (NAS, Plex, Backups), go to eBay for refurbished enterprise drives. You'll get vastly better hardware for less money. If you need a boot drive or gaming SSD, go to Amazon for the warranty and speed.
Service & Protection
🚚 Delivery & Logistics
Amazon wins here with Prime. Next-day delivery is standard. eBay is slower, typically 2-4 days, and postage costs can add £5-10 per drive if not careful.
🛡️ Warranty & Returns
Amazon offers the "no-questions-asked" 30-day return. eBay protection is strong, but you're often dealing with individual sellers for long-term warranty claims on refurbished units.