# [V] BestBuy puts GeForce RTX 30 cards behind a paywall, scalpers rejoice



## 8051

So Best Buy is now in the scalping business themselves? Really why not? I can pay a scalpter +$200 MSRP for a videocard or Best Buy -- but at least with Best Buy my warranty will be honored.

Does this Best Buy service include increasing your odds of actually being able to buy a RTX 3xxx card?


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## EastCoast

8051 said:


> So Best Buy is now in the scalping business themselves? Really why not? I can pay a scalpter +$200 MSRP for a videocard or Best Buy -- but at least with Best Buy my warranty will be honored.
> 
> Does this Best Buy service include increasing your odds of actually being able to buy a RTX 3xxx card?


No, it puts you in the same pool as them for MSRP if I understood it correctly.


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## geriatricpollywog

Best Buy stocked up on cards before launching the $200 paywall. Cards were in stock for 4 hours and you had to pay $200 before buying one. I’m sure a lot of people found the cards out of stock by the time they paid $200 to enroll.


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## Maximization

this is insane


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## EastCoast

Maximization said:


> this is insane


I can visually how that board meeting go.
"Hey...how do we get in on the scalping without it looking like we are scalping".
Drone A - Just charge them more for it!!! 
Boss: 
Drone B- Become a exclusive supplier and do discord drops!!
Boss: 
Drone C- Create a special yearly $200 membership to gain access to buy. 
Boss: 
Later that day...Totaltech was born...


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## Jedi Mind Trick

BBY has been doing that goofy stuff for a while (it seemed like it was mostly the PS5/XBSX tho). Then they didn't have a drop for weeks and pulled this crap (not that I need another card, lol). Crazy times.


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## CynicalUnicorn

> For this reason, by putting a new shipment of graphics cards exclusively for Totaltech members, NVIDIA Founders Edition cards should now technically have a new MSRP, because yesterday Totaltech membership was required for purchase.


That's not what MSRP is lol


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## Jedi Mind Trick

CynicalUnicorn said:


> That's not what MSRP is lol


You didn't hear that nV told them to bundle it with their expletive total tech?
/s


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## The Pook

CynicalUnicorn said:


> That's not what MSRP is lol


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## geriatricpollywog

Jedi Mind Trick said:


> You didn't hear that nV told them to bundle it with their expletive total tech?
> /s


Best Buy wins because they get $200 for every FE model sold.

Nvidia wins because they don’t have to handle warranty claims for FE models. Best Buy’s 3rd party warranty company will.


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## 8051

EastCoast said:


> No, it puts you in the same pool as them for MSRP if I understood it correctly.


So you can pay $200 for their paywall and NOT be able to buy a RTX3xxx card? Or even increase your odds of getting an RTX3xxx card? What a scam!


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## Section31

glad i am skipping toll 5000 series /intel/amd one. By then mini-led/oled 4k144 plus monitors will be affordable enough for me to enter.


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## geriatricpollywog

Section31 said:


> glad i am skipping toll 5000 series /intel/amd one. By then mini-led/oled 4k144 plus monitors will be affordable enough for me to enter.


I thought it was a mistake when I bought my Samsung CF791 in 2016 because OLED monitors were right around the corner. Boy howdy was I wrong.


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## Insidious Supra

EW. Never liked best buy in the first place.


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## Section31

geriatricpollywog said:


> I thought it was a mistake when I bought my Samsung CF791 in 2016 because OLED monitors were right around the corner. Boy howdy was I wrong.


 i am monitor less after selling off my alienware 3418dw as was waiting for 4k monitors. Used my lg oled. 

Actually i am in the market for 32inch 4k monitor for work purposes in the office. The entry level 4k60 27inch lg ips isn’t cutting it for spreadsheet work. Doesn’t make sense to invest into 4k60 ips 32inch monitor (like lg un880b) when you can hold out for 4k144 + with mini-led/oled in the 1000-1500usd range


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## Sir Beregond

I always called it Worst Buy after they sold me and then exchanged repeatedly copies of games with used key codes back before Steam really took off then refused to refund when I had enough with whatever scam they had going on there.


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## UltraMega

If any of these companies actually wanted to sell to average consumers, they would have figured out how to do it by now.


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## Malinkadink

Sir Beregond said:


> I always called it Worst Buy after they sold me and then exchanged repeatedly copies of games with used key codes back before Steam really took off then refused to refund when I had enough with whatever scam they had going on there.


Boxes for PC games were out in the open, people cracked them open, copied the codes and redeemed them. Eventually BB wised up and put them in boxes that needed keys lol.


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## Section31

Malinkadink said:


> Boxes for PC games were out in the open, people cracked them open, copied the codes and redeemed them. Eventually BB wised up and put them in boxes that needed keys lol.


Those were the good days lol. Gaming was so much fun and affordable then. If there was an time machine, i seriously would travel back to that era lol.


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## Section31

UltraMega said:


> If any of these companies actually wanted to sell to average consumers, they would have figured out how to do it by now.


Changing times, if there wasn’t mining, the increased demands due to circumstances and the ever growing population (strain on resources as things are limited on single planet) i think gpu would be easily purchasable.

Government policies (or lack of resource management) allowed this to happen.


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## Sir Beregond

Malinkadink said:


> Boxes for PC games were out in the open, people cracked them open, copied the codes and redeemed them. Eventually BB wised up and put them in boxes that needed keys lol.


Well these ones were shrink wrapped. I want to say this was around 2005ish. Made me believe it was an inside job.


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## Malinkadink

Section31 said:


> Those were the good days lol. Gaming was so much fun and affordable then. If there was an time machine, i seriously would travel back to that era lol.


Ha got a few five finger discounted copies of WoW like that when i was a kid with no money


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## Section31

Malinkadink said:


> Ha got a few five finger discounted copies of WoW like that when i was a kid with no money


The world was an better place then too. Having money had some value then. Now its like everyday things getting worse.


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## Malinkadink

Section31 said:


> The world was an better place then too. Having money had some value then. Now its like everyday things getting worse.


Very true, got lucky with stocks with about 50% return overall in the last 2 years but the value of the dollar keeps falling.


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## NattyKathy

I don't like this, but the Founders Edition "MSRP" has been a joke for a long time now. Not Nvidia, nor Retailers, nor AiBs have a reason to want cards to be accessible at the prices NV announced them at and this is just another move to reinforce higher prices.


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