Key Takeaways
1. A customer ordered a high-end Nvidia GPU from Best Buy but received rocks instead of the actual product.
2. Best Buy initially promised a replacement but later stated they would not issue a refund or replacement for the order.
3. The incident highlights a growing trend of GPU and CPU scams where customers receive incorrect or defective items.
4. Customers are advised to consider filing chargebacks with their credit card companies for fraudulent transactions.
5. Previous similar scams included receiving unrelated items like backpacks, rice, and defective components in place of ordered hardware.
Another day brings yet another GPU scam. The most recent troubling incident involves a customer who decided to purchase a new top-tier Nvidia GPU from Best Buy. Instead of receiving the actual GPU, they got sent rocks, and now the retailer claims there is nothing they can do about it. This incident adds to the growing list of GPU and CPU scams, where customers have received incorrect products or dead-on-arrival cards, but this case seems to be particularly bizarre.
Details of the Incident
The unfortunate story was shared by a user named GnarDead on the pcmasterrace subreddit. They placed an order for a $1,200 Asus TUF Gaming RTX 5080 at their local Best Buy on November 25 and got it delivered on November 28. Upon opening the oddly handled package, which lacked any standard brown box, they discovered rocks instead of a shiny new GPU. Images posted by the user showed that the rocks were stuffed into the GPU cutout, wrapped in plastic and bubble wrap.
Best Buy’s Response
Even more disheartening is that Best Buy seems to have distanced itself from the issue. The user quickly filed a complaint, and Best Buy initially replied saying a replacement was being sent. However, on December 2, the user got another message stating that after looking into the matter, Best Buy would not be issuing a replacement or refund.
Sympathy has poured in from commenters who suggested that the user should attempt to initiate a chargeback through their credit card company. Since the original poster hasn’t replied, it remains unknown whether they managed to take this step or if they even made the purchase using a credit card.
A Growing Problem
This incident adds to a troubling record of scams within the GPU and CPU market. Just last June, one user received their RTX 5090 GPU order only to find crossbody backpacks packed inside the box, while another received rice, macaroni, and an old, random GPU. Additionally, a different user bought an RTX 5090 for $2,000, only to later discover that the GPU core and GDDR7 memory chips were missing. More recently, a reviewer ordered a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU from Amazon but ended up with an AMD FX 4100 that had a sticker slapped on top. Thankfully, most of these customers managed to get replacements or refunds, and hopefully, GnarDead will find a way to recover their money too.
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