So far so good. I talked to customer support and they're shipping me a replacement unit. The guy I spoke to has filed my claim and I should receive some paperwork within a week or two.
The guy sounded upbeat about the prospect of my hard drive being replaced, but of course that decision will have to be made by their claims department. And there should be a section in the application regarding data recovery.
He mentioned that their claims department is busy with cases, so it may be 4-6 weeks before my case is resolved. I don't want to sit on my thumbs as the warranty process drags on, so I'm going to pursue a data recovery service for my hard drive and hang on to any receipts and paperwork as proof and (hopefully) the manufacturer will reimburse me.
As for the brand, Harper, you may be on the money ...