News AMD's 9000-series GPUs sell for up to $2,000 as opportunistic scalpers take control

[flowingbass]

I just read your comment as I posted mine. I don't ever see it as being illegal as long as there are two willing participants. People just need to show restraint and not buy products from resellers with inflated pricing. That's how this stuff all comes to an end !

It should be illegal. That's why they're called Scalpers and not resellers.
Resellers have licenses and permits, the works, they cater to customers that are out of reach of retailers (provinces, remote areas). They are regulated. They cannot just instantly make the price 200% for no reason just because they can.

Scalpers are not catering to anyone that are not already catered by retailers. They are not regulated that's why we see outrageous prices. Illegal prices.

 

[Confused_Counsel]

My apologizes, no I don't think it is worth it. Now if I was building a PC gaming rig on a color theme, then I might consider it if I was hard pressed. Though, i'm not that big on RGB lighting etc and the overclocking the GPU doesn't really add any value. If anything it takes away from the value so I stick with the vanilla versions. The only way I would consider a performance card is if it had more VRAM and a much higher level of performance vs the vanilla version. EVGA cards would be the exception because Kingpin helped design the faster cards when he worked at EVGA.

I wish he went to work for either Intel or AMD. He has hinted he's going to work with another AIB company.

Kingpin is great, and it would be nice to see him working at AMD making their reference models.

Just and FYI, the XFX 9070 XT Mercury cards for $830 sold out at my Microcenter before the 9070 XT MSRP cards. A sufficient number of people were willing to pay to a $230 upcharge for those cards before buying MSRP. (I would have gotten a XFX Mercury if not sold out before I got to the head of the line.) For me it would have been the magnetic whisper quiet fans. When all three kids are in their shared office gaming on their PCs it sounds like the Dulles Airport Taxi way. Perhaps others just valued the XFX Mercury brand enough to be willing to pay more for some perceived level quality. Regardless, some people are willing to pay above MSRP even when they have the choice.

But then some people drive Mercedes or BMW when a simple Mazda will do. And some people drive Challengers just to sit in stop and go traffic with a loud engine. Meh... To each their own.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I absolutely agree, although it should be made illegal as no one should be able to make 100% or more profit from any item one the reseller market. People really just need to stop throwing there money away to these scammers and wait till more availability is there.

As long as someone is willing to pay the 100% or more markup without being threatened or coerced, then it should not be illegal.

 

[baranlai]

I just read your comment as I posted mine. I don't ever see it as being illegal as long as there are two willing participants. People just need to show restraint and not buy products from resellers with inflated pricing. That's how this stuff all comes to an end !

Nope, there will always be people with enough money that don't care about the price tag that will make scalpers stay in business.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

It should be illegal. That's why they're called Scalpers and not resellers.
Resellers have licenses and permits, the works, they cater to customers that are out of reach of retailers (provinces, remote areas). They are regulated. They cannot just instantly make the price 200% for no reason just because they can.

Scalpers are not catering to anyone that are not already catered by retailers. They are not regulated that's why we see outrageous prices. Illegal prices.

But it's not illegal as long as a party of a willing buyer and a seller agree on a deal. If the person is not being threatened or coerced then the parties don't have to make a deal.

I own a Honda Element with ultra low miles and in excellent condition, like under 90,000. They are no longer made and are highly sought after. Book value shows it around $7K. I would take NO less than $15K. Does that make me a scalper? Is it illegal if I find a buyer who is willing to buy it at that price? I don't think so !

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Kingpin is great, and it would be nice to see him working at AMD making their reference models.

Just and FYI, the XFX 9070 XT Mercury cards for $830 sold out at my Microcenter before the 9070 XT MSRP cards. A sufficient number of people were willing to pay to a $230 upcharge for those cards before buying MSRP. (I would have gotten a XFX Mercury if not sold out before I got to the head of the line.) For me it would have been the magnetic whisper quiet fans.

That's the card I was l bought with RGB lighting and then cancelled.

 

[Gaidax]

I absolutely agree, although it should be made illegal as no one should be able to make 100% or more profit from any item one the reseller market. People really just need to stop throwing there money away to these scammers and wait till more availability is there.

It's a free market, and GPUs are hardly a basic life necessity to mandate doing that.

Scalpers are the symptom here, not the actual problem. You aren't going to legislate the actual problem away.

 

[beyondlogic]

currently pricing in uk is around £540-650 for 9700 non.

£629 is lowest ive seen a 9700xt go for. and as high as £770. some retailers scalping a bit more.

really depends where you are

 

[beyondlogic]

Time will come when scalping becomes an industry that it gets noticed by the govt or lawmakers. Scalping right now is a thing that is just frowned upon. Hope some politician gets hit and affected, and motivates a law to pass that makes it illegal.
Lol to the one that said scalpers are traders, you're resellers at least. Scalpers at best.

its been tackled in uk and usa before but government buckles probly because they would have to arrest themselves lol.

 

[tracker1]

Don't buy scalped cards... It's really that simple. Just try to deal with low settings on a modest card for a while.

The inflated and scalper process aren't worth it.

 

[renz496]

The problem is even retail did not sell at MSRP. In my country the cheapest 9070 start at $815 and the XT start at $950 when converted to US dollar.

 

[Pierce2623]

People paying $2000 for a 9070xt are getting cuxked even harder than those paying $3000 for a 5090. What kind of loser is so desperate that they’ll pay enough for a 9070xt to buy a 4099 on eBay?

 

[stuff and nonesense]

Perhaps the time has come for manufacturers and distributors to ONLY supply bricks and mortar stores with parts that are heavily scalped. To no longer supply web facing stores or to prohibit retailers from offering heavily scalped goods from offering them on the internet.

One card per person per visit to a chain of stores during launch time and for a period of X months while the initial rush subsides. I know scalpers will circumnavigate any mitigations to some extent.. whackamole comes to mind, but denying/restricting the ability of bots to scoop up everything available within seconds could allow end users to acquire the goods they want at a fair price.

 

[TAP_RN]

I don't understand why - in the UK, unlike the catastrophic Nvidia launch, they are in supply at MSRP or just above as I type, or available to pre-order (they sold quickly at launch as expected).

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Perhaps the time has come for manufacturers and distributors to ONLY supply bricks and mortar stores with parts that are heavily scalped. To no longer supply web facing stores or to prohibit retailers from offering heavily scalped goods from offering them on the internet.

One card per person per visit to a chain of stores during launch time and for a period of X months while the initial rush subsides. I know scalpers will circumnavigate any mitigations to some extent.. whackamole comes to mind, but denying/restricting the ability of bots to scoop up everything available within seconds could allow end users to acquire the goods they want at a fair price.

Unfortunately none of that, will fix the problem. What will fix the problem is two fold:

1) Don't buy products from resellers at a high markup.
2) There needs to be enough supply for demand.

Too many people are feeding the FOMO-OCD business side of things and are willing to part with their money which encourages the people who will buy them before the public does to sell the item at double the price back to the public.

In one word: "RESTRAINT".

 

[stuff and nonesense]

Unfortunately none of that, will fix the problem. What will fix the problem is two fold:

1) Don't buy products from resellers at a high markup.
2) There needs to be enough supply for demand.

Too many people are feeding the FOMO-OCD business side of things and are willing to part with their money which encourages the people who will buy them before the public does to sell the item at double the price back to the public.

In one word: "RESTRAINT".

Restraint.. yep, I buy 6 to 12 months into the cycles these days.. mostly. I did buy cpu/mobo/ram on my last upgrade probably too quickly though switching it all on and seeing the jump (from the now Linux rig to my current rig .. listed in sig) felt good! Gimme more dopamine!

 

[alceryes]

I was at my local Micro Center 20 minutes before they opened. The line was wrapped around the back of the store. I was ~150th in line. I still got the 9070 XT at the $599.99 MSRP price. In fact, you could've walked into the store an hour after opening and still purchased a 9070 XT at $599.99.
It is 100% the online scalping business that has made purchasing new sought-after components like running a gauntlet.
Unfortunately, going forward, you need to go into a physical store, on launch day, to get an MSRP card at MSRP.

 

[flowingbass]

I own a Honda Element with ultra low miles and in excellent condition, like under 90,000. They are no longer made and are highly sought after. Book value shows it around $7K. I would take NO less than $15K. Does that make me a scalper? Is it illegal if I find a buyer who is willing to buy it at that price? I don't think so !

You're a second hand seller. Let's not confuse second hand market with brand new and unused scalper market. With second hand you're free to price at your hearts desire.

The only saving grace scalpers are relying on is pc parts are not basic goods and commodities.

And scalpers are committing duress with "coerced by no choice". They're forcing someone (who had their gpu they use for livelihood die and therefore NEED it) to do something against their will because they have no other option avaliable. Like pressuring or cornering someone to take certain actions with no alternative path.

Because scalpers have hoarded and gatekeeped the NEEDED item for an exorbitant amount of money.

 

[DingusDog]

I think I'm going to switch to console gaming... LOL!

Or pre- builts. Something really needs to be done about scalpers or they are going to kill the DIY PC market. They have already severely crippled it.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

You're a second hand seller. Let's not confuse second hand market with brand new and unused scalper market. With second hand you're free to price at your hearts desire.

The only saving grace scalpers are relying on is pc parts are not basic goods and commodities.

And scalpers are committing duress with "coerced by no choice". They're forcing someone (who had their gpu they use for livelihood die and therefore NEED it) to do something against their will because they have no other option avaliable. Like pressuring or cornering someone to take certain actions with no alternative path.

Because scalpers have hoarded and gatekeeped the NEEDED item for an exorbitant amount of money.

First hand or second hand seller is irrelevant as the markup is huge. People are entitled to buy and resell as they want for whatever markup they please. That's why i'm not as mad for people buying and reselling their goods at a higher cost. It takes two to Tango. In this case a buyer and a seller. It is up to the buyer whether to accept the higher price or just walk away.

Case in point, Amazon is was listing an ASUS RTX 5080 for close to $1500 (and someone bought it). That is beyond the 25% tariff. Now that is close to 50% markup. I would not pay for that even if Amazon is the seller. Is Amazon a scalper? I would say no, they are just taking advantage of supply and demand. It is up to the buyer to show restraint.

 

[stuff and nonesense]

First hand or second hand seller is irrelevant as the markup is huge. People are entitled to buy and resell as they want for whatever markup they please. That's why i'm not as mad for people buying and reselling their goods at a higher cost. It takes two to Tango. In this case a buyer and a seller. It is up to the buyer whether to accept the higher price or just walk away.

Case in point, Amazon is was listing an ASUS RTX 5080 for close to $1500 (and someone bought it). That is beyond the 25% tariff. Now that is close to 50% markup. I would not pay for that even if Amazon is the seller. Is Amazon a scalper? I would say no, they are just taking advantage of supply and demand. It is up to the buyer to show restraint.

There is no moral justification for scalping, take for example a show, I want 2 tickets, I buy 4 and sell 2 for double the face value and booking fee. I go effectively for free, the people I sell to pay for me. That is morally reprehensible.

Same idea with GPUs .. equally reprehensible.

If I buy a car and use it and sell it at a fair price second hand I have had my use of it and the price I sell at reflects the wear and tear on the car.. there is no equivalence.

As has been said elsewhere in this thread the market needs people to show restraint, to not buy from scalpers.. to leave them with stock they can’t shift and to lose their ‘investment’.

Scalpers see this as a business whether it’s GPUs or pink fluffy sweaters, their aim is to deprive the market of reasonably priced goods and to force the desperate or stupid to buy at uber inflated prices.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

There is no moral justification for scalping

But it doesn't matter whether you believe something is moral or immoral, right or wrong, good or evil or scalping. The fact is, people have the right to sell non essential goods for what they have determined their value to be. Amazon was directly selling a brand new RTX5080 for around $1500 and someone appears to have bought it.

As long as you have a party of two that agrees to the price then that is all that matters.

 

[A Stoner]

Keyboard/Mouse support on consoles is better than you might expect.

OH, hmmm, I have a PS5, maybe I should look it up.

 

[Phaaze88]

Manufacturing > customer = X(generally can't go directly to the manufacturer to get product).
Manufacturing > retail(middleman) > customer = Check.
Manufacturing > retail(middleman) > scalper(middleman) > customer = C-check ?

I have yet to hear good justification that necessitates why we - err, some of us - as customers, need another middleman to get what we seek...

I recently found out that Alphacool's next gen Eiswolfs don't launch until summer, so won't be looking at a new gpu 'till then, or the fall.