Damage data beyond reasonable recover without degausser

[AndreaF]

I'm in a very annoying situation my brand new premium portable mechanical hard drive died after 3 days(no more recognized by any PC with any cable) with sensitive data in it that have just temporary copied in it for a faster transfer in another PC.
I'm eligible for a refund but only if I return it according the terms, so it cannot have visible damages as drill holes and I cannot disassemble and scratch plates without create damages to sealing labels that cover screws.

The returned hard drive often are repaired and reconditioned and if the operator missing professional ethics could easily try to see if there is something interesting in it before complete the reconditioning procedure, so the risk is very concrete (especially if it is causes by a minor PCB defect).

I don't want to accept throwing the money in the garbage without any refund, it doesn't seem right to me, and since seller and manufacturer don't offer more reasonable alternatives as proof of destruction, I'm looking for a way to make the data inside reasonably hard to be recovered to avoid risks.

Professional degausser is damn expensive so is ruled out.

Seems using neodymium magnet from outside isn't enough according many videos.

I've heard very conflicting opinions about the microwave.

What do you suggest?

[diybit]

I don't know...

Better is probably to forget the RMA, because anyway what you try, you can't be sure data is gone.

Does the drive spin up?

[AndreaF]

I don't know...

Better is probably to forget the RMA, because anyway what you try, you can't be sure data is gone.

It 'enough to compromise them to the point that recovery is so difficult and compromised that is extremely unlikely that after it is repaired/reconditioned the data could be retrieved.

I don't know...

Does the drive spin up?

Yes. The drive spin.

[Arch Stanton]

I don't know...

Better is probably to forget the RMA, because anyway what you try, you can't be sure data is gone.

It 'enough to compromise them to the point that recovery is so difficult and compromised that is extremely unlikely that after it is repaired/reconditioned the data could be retrieved.

I don't know...

Does the drive spin up?

Yes. The drive spin.

What you mean by died then?

[AndreaF]

I don't know...

Better is probably to forget the RMA, because anyway what you try, you can't be sure data is gone.

It 'enough to compromise them to the point that recovery is so difficult and compromised that is extremely unlikely that after it is repaired/reconditioned the data could be retrieved.

I don't know...

Does the drive spin up?

Yes. The drive spin.

What you mean by died then?

As mentioned in the first post it isn't recognized anymore in any PC.

It disconnected itself during a copy from it in another pc and never connected again, every time I get "the connected device hasn't been recognized". So it doesn't allow me to perform any proper file deletion or shredding before RMA.