[1283]

I got one from ebay that was advertised "like new", appeared physically to be new

I can dig up my 10-year old hard drive, dust it off, and sell it "like new". Personally, I would not use any drive handled by another person, out of its original factory package.

What's the model number? If it's 5A250J0, then it has worn out ball bearings.

 

[1283]

Standard or advanced replacement shouldn't matter. It's unlikely for them to actually check the drive operation before sending out the replacement (for standard RMA) anyway. I have always used the advanced RMA to get the replacement faster, and I don't have to dig up a proper shipping box to return the drive.

I don't have personal experience with that model. I just looked up the datasheet at maxtor.com and saw that there are two different bearings available for that particular product line.