# Cost of a USB memory stick



## Marianne S (11 Jan 2008)

How much should a 1GB USB memory stick cost? I need one for college. I had one a few years back (can't remeber the brand) but it malfunctioned after a few months, is this a regular occurence with flash drives, which brands are more reliable?


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## massey2 (11 Jan 2008)

I bought 1 4GB flashdrives on ebay the other day and they cost €29.24 for the two of them when you convert the sterling to euro


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## ClubMan (11 Jan 2008)

Try 

For example .


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## tiger (11 Jan 2008)

Got one from Peats, Parnell st. last week.  1GB = €10, 2GB = €20


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## WhoAmI (11 Jan 2008)

They shouldn't 'malfunction' very much, but like everything, it depends on how you treat it. My experience has shown me that it doesn't really matter too much whether you choose a 'Brand X' or a well-known brand. If it comes with a cover to keep the connections free from fluff in your pocket or wherever you store it, then use it.


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## GA001 (11 Jan 2008)

Should pay no more than €30 for a 8GB one.


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## rgfuller (11 Jan 2008)

Try www.shop4memory.com, they have quite a few options/brands under the USB Flash Drives tab, free delivery to ireland.


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## TomC (11 Jan 2008)

Its hard to beat ebay but pc world has the 4GB for 29.99 at the moment on sale.


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## mrplow (11 Jan 2008)

www.7dayshop.com has a good selection. got a 2G sandisk last year, very happy with it


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## ClubMan (11 Jan 2008)

Note that _7DayShop _shipping to _Ireland _is now GBP£7.95 (was £3.95) so it only makes sense for larger orders now.


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## RMCF (12 Jan 2008)

GA001 said:


> Should pay no more than €30 for a 8GB one.



Don;t think you'll get an 8GB one for €30 just yet. If so, tell me where so I can get one.

I bought a 4gb one last year at dvd.co.uk for £17.99 inc free delivery to NI. I think there are loads of places doing 4GB now for the same price.

For a 1GB one you should be able to pick it up very cheap as they are sort of too low now for many buyers, and most will be going for 4GB upwards.


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## ClubMan (12 Jan 2008)

_DealExtreme _have 4GB ones starting at US$32 _P&P _included which is about €22.


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## askalot (13 Jan 2008)

I needed a 16GB memory stick a couple of weeks ago and found ebay the best for price. I paid €47.71 which included delivery.


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## BlueSpud (13 Jan 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Note that _7DayShop _shipping to _Ireland _is now GBP£7.95 (was £3.95) so it only makes sense for larger orders now.


 
Yeah, shaggers. I was in the process of ordering a few rechargable batteries when I saw that.  Really takes the good out of it.


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## GA001 (14 Jan 2008)

RMCF said:


> Don;t think you'll get an 8GB one for €30 just yet. If so, tell me where so I can get one.


 
E-Bay.


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## rgfuller (14 Jan 2008)

You do need to be careful with Ebay, a number of memory storage devices sold by unscrupulous sellers are fake, for example see this ebay article:
[broken link removed]
Though not specifically talking about memory sticks it gives an indication of the risks.

Ok, found a similar review specifically on memory sticks:
[broken link removed]


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## ClubMan (14 Jan 2008)

GA001 said:


> E-Bay.


€30? Including _P&P_? And do you mean as a bidder on an auction or as a buyer of a _Buy It Now _item?


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## RMCF (14 Jan 2008)

I take it to get an 8gb memory stick for €30 you are buying from the Far East.

Well I'm sorry but I wouldn't take the risk.

I have been using eBay for 8 years and the increase int he amount of people getting scammed over recent months is frightening. I bought a 4gb stick last year and it turned out it was branded as 4gb but it was a 128mb chip on it. Could not get a reply from the seller.

Also a mate of mine recently was scammed out of £800+ on eBay for a laptop.

You need to be very careful on eBay these days, and I don't think I'd buy anything from the Far East again.


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## Guest125 (14 Jan 2008)

I agree with RMCF. I stick to the Power Sellers for any electronic Items and definitely avoid the far east.


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## GA001 (16 Jan 2008)

ClubMan said:


> €30? Including _P&P_? And do you mean as a bidder on an auction or as a buyer of a _Buy It Now _item?


Buy it now option - Don't have time for that bidding lark.



RMCF said:


> I take it to get an 8gb memory stick for €30 you are buying from the Far East.
> 
> Well I'm sorry but I wouldn't take the risk.
> 
> ...


 
Actually it was from Bray, Co. Wicklow, not the Far East. I'v been using E-Bay for 1/2 the time than yourself and have not noticed an increase (although I do not know many people who use it TBH) I have had one bad experience, but it was rectified after the seller refused to co-operate (the item was only €0.01 and P+P was €7.99 - item from Hong-Kong) I said I would report to E-Bay and I received a new item) - it was one of those iTrip like devices.

I have purchased many of those 4GB SD memory cards from E-bay, giving that at the time they were something like €120+ in the shops and they were €40 online, I think I will continue to shop (powersellers / high referrals only) with E-Bay.

In saying that, perhaps the memory stick that I obtained was initially sourced from another E-Bay member ? that I didn't ask the seller.

I just typed in "8GB USB" on E-Bay and received the following results:

[broken link removed]


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## ClubMan (16 Jan 2008)

Have you written and read back 8GB of data to your drive yet?


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## GA001 (16 Jan 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Have you written and read back 8GB of data to your drive yet?


 
I have, althought I primarily use it to watch films which are avi. format through my dvd player.

Why do you ask ie. whether such a deal could be 'trusted' ?


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## ClubMan (16 Jan 2008)

GA001 said:


> Why do you ask ie. whether such a deal could be 'trusted' ?


Because based on some of the info/links posted earlier some ostensibly 4/8/etc. GB drives are actually bogus ones with much lower capacity. I was just wondering if you had verified that yours is OK. If your's works then why not post a link to the specific _eBay _seller's shop rather than a search link that could include dodgy offers?


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## GA001 (16 Jan 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Because based on some of the info/links posted earlier some ostensibly 4/8/etc. GB drives are actually bogus ones with much lower capacity. I was just wondering if you had verified that yours is OK. If your's works then why not post a link to the specific _eBay _seller's shop rather than a search link that could include dodgy offers?


 
I have verfied mine as I placed 2 x 3.8GB films onto it no problem. Actually the first seller in that link was who I purchased mine from.


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## ClubMan (16 Jan 2008)

GA001 said:


> Actually the first seller in that link was who I purchased mine from.


Search links like that will return varying results - no guarantee that this will be the case.


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## GA001 (16 Jan 2008)

I initally typed in "USB 8GB" and I chose the cheapest / most logistical option, and just typed it again and saw that the seller I purchased from was the same.

More of a coincidence to he honest.


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## RMCF (16 Jan 2008)

Clubman,

Is GA001 allowed to give the sellers eBay username on here?


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## GA001 (16 Jan 2008)

RMCF said:


> Clubman,
> 
> Is GA001 allowed to give the sellers eBay username on here?


 
Not sure if I am / am not, regardless of the fact, I have actually given a link where it is contained. (for the purpose to show that such a price actually exists)


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## majee (17 Jan 2008)

got a lovely Sandisk (?) one from my local stationary shop recently. 2 GB for €19.99 and it doesn't have a cap that you have to take off and put on again i.e. a losable one. There's a little slot on the body of it that you push and out comes the USB insertion part! Kinda like how a Stanley knife works.


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## RMCF (17 Jan 2008)

Well I have just taken GA001s lead and bought an 8GB USB drive for £19.99 with free delivery.

Hopefully it will be kosher. But it is PayPal protected anyway and if there is anything wrong then I should not have any major issues getting my money back. Plus the guy is in Birmingham and has good feedback.

Will let you know how it pans out.


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## car (17 Jan 2008)

Cheapest USB key on the market.


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## ASFKAP (17 Jan 2008)

I've been through loads of USB memory sticks over the years, constantly running out of memory or losing them etc then I bought a 250GB 'Passport Drive', I know its a bit bigger than a memory stick but it easily fits in a shirt pocket, needs no external power and is a lovely piece of kit.
I got mine for €149 in PC World and I have my entire laptop backed up onto it plus some of my home PC plus a fewmovies, MP3s etc. 

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/06/western-digital-intros-250gb-passport-hard-drive/


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## ClubMan (17 Jan 2008)

Indeed - each memory/storage format has its own pros and cons but in terms of price per _MB/GB _a portable 2.5 hard drive would beat the pants off flash "drives" and would not suffer from the same "limited" (albeit limited to 100,000 or thereabouts) number of erase/rewrite cycles issue (which you may never actually hit in practice).


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## WhatsGoingOn (18 Jan 2008)

GA001 said:


> I initally typed in "USB 8GB" and I chose the cheapest / most logistical option, and just typed it again and saw that the seller I purchased from was the same.
> 
> More of a coincidence to he honest.



I got one of these during the week too, was posted from Wicklow, so presume it is the same ebay shop we got it from . It was 29.99 for 8Gb including postage and I had it in 3 days. Comes in a handy leather cover too.


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## RMCF (19 Jan 2008)

Well just to update you all - it looks like I bought a dud !!

The guy sent me an email saying that he was getting it sent out and said to test it and if I have any problems to get back to him before posting feedback as he would sort me out. I immediately worried when I read this as it sounded like someone who has had people complaining in the past.

Well to be fair to him it arrived in 2 days - very quick dispatch.

I tested it and although it is indeed an 8GB drive it is definitely NOT a USB2.0 - more like 1.1 at best.

The transfer rates are INCREDIBLY slow. I have come across this on USB pen drives sold on Ebay before.

As an example, I copied 2 files of 2.72GB in total.
In this new drive it took 22mins
In my old 4GB 'real' drive it took just over 9mins.

So I have just emailed him and took him I want a refund. I will update you on his response. 

I am baffled because he has excellent feedback, so I emailed a couple of the people who bought the same drive as me off him to ask if theirs run at normal speeds - I will let you know what they say too.

For the record his username is desmondchui and he operates out of Birmingham. I am a little worried because when I was searching a few days ago he had loads of items for sale, now he has NONE !!

But as I say I am PayPal protected so will get my money one way or the other.
[broken link removed]


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## ClubMan (19 Jan 2008)

Sounds like you were scammed! Why did you change your mind from your first post on this thread?


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## RMCF (19 Jan 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Sounds like you were scammed! Why did you change your mind from your first post on this thread?


 
Blind stupidity!!

No, I decided that if it was a real 8GB for £19.99 delivered then it was a good deal. And then I would sell my 4GB one and make a good bit of the money back.

Thats what you get for being greedy, eh!

Anyway, the seller offered PayPal protection up to £500, so PayPal will definitely refund me my money. Its their guarantee. I have availed of this in the past. I still believe that the seller MIGHT get back to me, because I am sure he doesn't want the negative feedback.

Will keep you updated on outcome. 

But I will learn and only buy from likes of Play, Amazon, MyMemory etc again.


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## askU (24 Jan 2008)

www.memoryc.ie - have an 8gig one on there at the moment for 33.80 inc vat 

Has anyone dealt with this croud?


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## doberden (24 Jan 2008)

8gb 29.99:


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## askU (24 Jan 2008)

doberden said:


> 8gb 29.99:


 
Transfer rate 
Read: 13 MB/s (90x) 
Write : 5 MB/s (35x) 

Write speed is not the fastest with this one..


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## galv (28 Jan 2008)

SanDisk Cruzer Micro - USB flash drive - 8 GB - Hi-Speed USB - black


£24.99 + P&P (£2.99)
Aprox €37.56

[broken link removed]

U3 smart enabled 
Loaded with the following U3 programs 

CruzerSync synchronization software
SignupShield password manager
SKYPE "Make video calls from PC to PC"
McAfee-30 day trial


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## RMCF (28 Jan 2008)

RMCF said:


> Blind stupidity!!
> 
> No, I decided that if it was a real 8GB for £19.99 delivered then it was a good deal. And then I would sell my 4GB one and make a good bit of the money back.
> 
> ...



To be fair to the eBay seller, he refunded my £20 the day he received my USB drive back.


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## ClubMan (28 Jan 2008)

On a slight tangent - this is quite funny (posted by a colleague of mine).


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## tosh100 (23 Feb 2009)

was in harvey norman today and they have 10% off philips usb memory sticks


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## adder1 (23 Feb 2009)

askalot said:


> I needed a 16GB memory stick a couple of weeks ago and found ebay the best for price. I paid €47.71 which included delivery.



pc world have 16GB for 39.95 harvey norman same price (16GB) but 10% off at the mo. argos 16GB 34.89 / 8GB 17.39 / 4GB 8.99 / 2GB 6.74 ARGOS offer ends 22 march don`t know when harvey norman offer ends


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## RMCF (23 Feb 2009)

Some of the prices mentioned above are scary.

In the UK online you can generally get USB memory sticks for £1 per GB, so a 16GB would be £16.99, an 8GB £8 etc etc.

I will agree that you have to go online to get these prices. Even likes of Argos in the North are expensive.


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## Canny39 (24 Feb 2009)

Keep an eye open for Aldi specials. I got a 4GB USB 2.0 one there a while ago and have had no problems (although I mainly use it as secondary back up). The offer was repeated recently.


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## Canny39 (24 Feb 2009)

Canny39 said:


> Keep an eye open for Aldi specials. I got a 4GB USB 2.0 one there a while ago and have had no problems (although I mainly use it as secondary back up). The offer was repeated recently.


  Sorry meant to say it cost €8.99


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