News AMD Aims to Protect its RX 6000 Launch Against Scalpers

[Executor Omega]

I like that AMD is at least doing something to protect against scalpers. I don't care if it is not perfect.

 

[Joseph_138]

That doesn't make sense whatsoever... You could make enough so there are double the number available than there are actual buyers and bots will still manage to get 75% of them then create artificial shortages to drive up resale prices.

There will ALWAYS be scalpers. The way to protect launches from them is to literally protect launches from them and AMD laid out the best possible ways that retailers currently have.

They need to be looking at billing information, addresses, email... everything. If 1 thing matches then no second sale.

Eventually they will need a database that retailers can access and that's updated immediately upon a sale. Then when you submit an order the system should insert an artificial delay of at least 5 seconds then at the end of the delay query the database and if a match is found..no sale.

Combine that with a complicated captcha system and a virtual line (queue) system. Then even if you line up at 50 (online) stores you will still only be able to get 1. Of course people using bots will find ways around this if they are really dedicated but they will be severely limited on the number they can buy.

Then more legitimate customers who want one on launch can get one. It would flip that 75% to the consumer instead of the reseller.

Most of the scalpers are only buying 1 or 2 to flip for a quick profit. Each scalper would have to buy a hundred+ to affect the market in the way you suggest, and it's doubful that any of them have enough credit on their cards to buy that many all at once.

 

[CorbeauNoir]

Sorry , but Online will always be cheaper and faster to get. I never bought any hardware off the shelves since 2001 ...

Also , Online gives you the chance to get any model you want , and not whats in stock only in the street market.

Memory Express will price-beat any online retailer no questions asked and I can stop into one on my way home from work. Feels good man.

But it's true that restricting sales to physical stores wouldn't solve anything, scalping has long predated the internet.

 

[HC1Gunner]

In an attempt to avoid suffering the same fate as Nvidia, it looks like AMD is prepping its partners for how to handle RX 6000 series orders to ensure as little scalping as possible.

AMD Aims to Protect its RX 6000 Launch Against Scalpers : Read more

No mention about AMD 5000 processors that will suffer the same Bot / scalper issue on Nov. 5th

Nvidia should have, and probably did know better, Huge cry for PC hardware just for MSFS 2020 alone. We already knew more people were at home because of the pandemic, and all types of PC hardware has been in high demand. Its more like Nvidia wanted to beat AMD to market, and released their 3000 cards early, thus not having much supply from a short production run.

BTW,
There are a few stores where you can buy processors for less than online, Micro Center just to name one.

All stores will sell out on 1st launch items as the initial demand is too high, so what difference does it make if an e-Retail sells out in 3 seconds or 3 days, with 3-days steps could be used to stop scalpers. Many methods could be use to stop Bots cold, and greatly lessen scalpers. I really think that most retailers don't give a crap about who buys their products, whether its real people or Bots

 

[cryoburner]

There are a few stores where you can buy processors for less than online, Micro Center just to name one.

Memory Express will price-beat any online retailer no questions asked and I can stop into one on my way home from work. Feels good man.

The problem with these examples is that each of those chains has only small number of locations. Micro Center has only 25 locations across the US, while Memory Express has just 15 locations across Canada, so relatively few people can "stop into one on their way home from work". Most would need to drive for hours to get to one.

 

[HC1Gunner]

The point is not there limited number available to the populous, but it was stated by someone that online stores are always less expensive, and I just provided a statement to make that false. All this Bot buying on anything trending has gotten way out-of-hand, to the point where legislation needs to step in.
On top of it you have auctions sites supporting the Bot / scalpers by allow new in-box items to be sold a 2x the MSRP.
To make it even worse are the dingbats that flock to to eBay, and pay those prices. If people stopped buying these types of 1st-launched items, scalpers would be stuck with a lot of expensive merchandise, and Bot / scalper raiding online retailers would come to a near halt.

 

[Pauline Demetry]

The amount of stock is what it is. The people that sell the stock are directly responsible for what happens in that stock disappearing so fast. Sites that do not use captcha's, do not utilize bot protections, do not check orders are one per customer and not going to the same address or PO Box, etc, these are what m,ake and break sales and a successful launch. As long as the retailers only care about money and do not give a flying F about the consumer, launches will go as they did with Nvidia, total garbage.

Blame the idiot sales people and their sites for not providing protections. If stock for any given company is X number, then X number of people should get a card regardless, one order, one card, not one arsehole getting 15 or 50 cards because their bot snatched them first because the sales site did not give a flying F**.