News Data Engineer Examines Q4 Scalping in PC and Console Market

[Admin]

Michael Driscoll from dev.io shows how much money scalpers have made during Q4 of 2021 with AMD and Nvidia's latest silicon.

Data Engineer Examines Q4 Scalping in PC and Console Market : Read more

 

[deesider]

I wish I had no morals - looks like I could become very rich!

 

[Co BIY]

I don't have much faith in ebay auction sales data reflecting real deals completed.

Unscrupulous vendors often self-bid when they don't meet a target price. Effectively canceling the auction but sending a misleading market signal.

Lots of bogus bidding up to end deals and some reports of auto bidding to attack scalpers.

I think Nvidia should have released the 3090 and 3080 at much higher prices and pocketed more of that earlier adopter energy.

 

[Solandri]

Two solutions I can think of:

• Manufacturer auctions off the products themselves when they're first released. The higher prices being paid as early adopters bid it up ends up in the pockets of the manufacturers, who can then use it to help R&D of future products. Not in the pockets of scalpers.
• Manufacturer doubles the price while there's short supply, but offers a 50% rebate. Product must be purchased from an authorized reseller to qualify for the rebate (rebate check is made out to the name on the receipt), and maximum of one rebate per household address.

 

[DZIrl]

This only shows how some people are stupid!
How stupid must be to pay anything more than MSRP. 10% is ok but anything else is ridiculous, crazy.
There was a story how people are paying 1500 for 3080, twice!

 

[aisalem]

With all due respect but what's wrong with people buying product and selling it? It's typical business.
If people are happy to pay more than MSRP for the product then it's their decision.
I also don't see the reason for people crying that they cannot buy the product they want right now. It's just nuts, just wait an month or two, save some more money and you will be able to buy it.
General population got strange feeling that they should get the things right now at the time when they want it.

 

[gtarayan]

I see ebay auctions showing the seller has multiple cards on hand. One particular auction had pictures of multiple 3080 retail boxed cards packed inside a larger manufacturer's box designed to contain 5 retail boxes. What I do not understand is how in the world someone was able to get an order for 10+ cards fulfilled all the while we hear about all these "measures" taken to prevent such scenarios? Couple this with articles purporting that manufacturers such as Asus and MSI have very thin profit margins on these video cards, it escapes all reason as to why they (manufacturers) would sell such a hot product in large quantities to individuals who will instantly turn at least 100% profit. If the issue is that the manufacturers are constrained by Nvidia's terms and conditions in accordance with which they are allowed to design and sell their products containing Nvidia's intellectual property, it is no wonder these companies will find ways to siphon the product out of the retail channel to make profits through "scalpers". The bottom line is, it is impossible that somehow they don't know the product ends up in the hands of resellers (and I do not mean Microcenter or Best Buy).