Amazon customer buys RTX 5090, receives rice, pasta, and mystery GPU instead

[midian182]

Why it matters: If you still think that filming the opening of hardware boxes, even those that come from Amazon, is unnecessary, here's yet another case that could change your mind. A Redditor who ordered an RTX 5090 from the Netherlands branch of the world's largest retailer allegedly found the box contained a bag of rice, a bag of pasta, and what appears to be an old graphics card.

Ok-Atmosphere7655 posted that he spent weeks saving for an Aorus Master RTX 5090 card. The Redditor admits it's overkill for many people but wanted to make the most of his Samsung 7,680 x 2,160 monitor and its 240Hz refresh rate. He later confirmed that this is the 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9.

Ok-Atmosphere7655 chose Amazon NL for the purchase as it was the cheapest option in the Netherlands at 2,950 euros ($3,368). But after waiting a week longer than the week-long delivery date, the box arrived damaged and unsealed, filled with bags of rice and pasta.

There was also an old, scruffy graphics card in the box that the unfortunate buyer cannot identify. Based on the photo, it appears to be part of Galax's KFA2 European brand and comes from its EX/EXOC Pascal series, so it's likely a GTX 1080 or GTX 1080 Ti.

While we have seen cases like this before, there are some eye-raising elements to this one. The biggest is that the RTX 5090 box was damaged and unsealed with no stickers on it, though it was presumably inside a cardboard box when delivered.

The buyer also confirms that Amazon had this card listed as "new" and it was sold by the retailer itself, not a third-party merchant. The internal track and trace showed it had been shipped to the Netherlands from Spain, which is why it took so long, and it was delivered by an Amazon driver.

Amazon apparently waited several days after Ok-Atmosphere7655 contacted them. The company asked for photographic evidence and for the package to be returned for inspection. The Redditor writes that he has returned it, "but I have this really awful feeling in my gut that they're not going to take this seriously."

These sorts of incidents aren't limited to just online retailers. Last week brought news of RTX 5090 units being sold at Micro Center in sealed boxes that contained only backpacks. It was found that 32 boxes had their contents replaced at the Zotac factory in China.

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Amazon customer buys RTX 5090, receives rice, pasta, and mystery GPU instead

 

[Benses]

This is what can happen when you restrict a product in the country where the product is manufactured.

 

[ZedRM]

This is funny. The old switcharoo gag!

 

[VariableSpike]

This is what can happen when you restrict a product in the a country where the product is manifactured.

Yeah, supply chain black market deals sure do get a lot more lucrative...

 

[wiyosaya]

IMO, people who would drop so much money on a card like this make easy targets for scammers. I'm not blaming buyers since there are, obviously, market factors that contribute to the problem.

Buyer beware obviously applies.

 

[Cocojambo13]

2,950 euros

and ppl applaud nvidia for this.

 

[wiyosaya]

This is funny. The old switcharoo gag!

Except if it happens to you.

 

[RudyBob]

IMO, people who would drop so much money on a card like this make easy targets for scammers. I'm not blaming buyers since there are, obviously, market factors that contribute to the problem.

Buyer beware obviously applies.

How deep

 

[AlexIL]

Buying a video card for 3000 euros, somehow I find it hard to find compassion.

 

[wiak]

European consumer protection laws are much more strict than american ones soo

 

[Ashford]

Ordered cores and got carbs... at least he can render a dinner plan.

 

[Godel]

So it looks like for expensive purchases from Amazon and similar, you should get an independent witness to watch when you first unbox it.

That makes it harder to just blow off your complaint when they try the old "not our problem, you must prove it" defense.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Buying a video card for 3000 euros, somehow I find it hard to find compassion.

Ah yes, nothing like dunking on people for spending their money they earned at the job they worked on the hobby they enjoy.

I'm sure you're fun to hang out with at parties.

 

[StrikerRocket]

Conclusion: make a video of all hardware unboxing when purchasing a piece of equipment, preferrably with 2 cameras from different angles. Film the package from all side *before* opening it, and then open it carefully in front of the camera, with good focus to have some proof if something turns up.
Anyway, the seller is responsible here.
If I was to buy such an expensive card, I wouldn't mind paying like 10 euros more for insurance, compared to the price of the card, it's nothing.
I feel sorry for him. I imagine if it was to happen to me, how pissed I would be!

 

[ZedRM]

Except if it happens to you.

Not really. File a return and complaint. Then return it.

 

[DrSuess]

Buy it from a big box retailer and open it at the register with the cashier watching. If it is bogus get the manager to immediately swap it out for a good one.

 

[ChipBoundary]

Not really. File a return and complaint. Then return it.

Well, except here's the deal. Similar things happened with the 40 series cards and most people were rejected when they filed a complaint. It wasn't until relatively major media traction kicked off that people started to get their money back. There's zero incentive for the retailer to believe the customer, at all.

Had this happen to me, not on an expensive item like this, but still a significantly pricey item. Someone had swapped their old one in for the new one, old one was broken. Tried to file a return claim and sent pics in, they accused me of trying to scam them.

 

[Passcode3463]

The moral of this story is: GPUs are in demand everywhere; it's important to always inspect them, regardless of the source.

 

[GTvon]

This is what can happen when you restrict a product in the country where the product is manufactured.

Lol nice blame shift. It's certainly not the fault of the thieves, they are innocent in all this.

 

[GTvon]

Ah yes, nothing like dunking on people for spending their money they earned at the job they worked on the hobby they enjoy.

I'm sure you're fun to hang out with at parties.

I keep seeing people make this reference and it's time they learn something: people, being fun at parties is not the end-all and be all of human existence. There is much more in life that is so much more worthy of being an aspirational goal than being fun at parties. In fact I'd say it's near the bottom of the list of qualities that people should aspire to possess.

 

[captaincranky]

I keep seeing people make this reference and it's time they learn something: people, being fun at parties is not the end-all and be all of human existence. There is much more in life that is so much more worthy of being an aspirational goal than being fun at parties. In fact I'd say it's near the bottom of the list of qualities that people should aspire to possess.

When you say, "I keep seeing people make this reference", is that about you specifically, just a generalization, or perhaps the largess accompanying an unsolicited life lesson?

Speaking strictly for myself, I've always wanted to grow up to be a pompous, condescending, guidance counselor. Would you approve of such a lofty aspiration?

 

[captaincranky]

Not really. File a return and complaint. Then return it.

Well, let's be at least somewhat realistic. The potential for this type of abuse resides at the manufacturer's, the importer's, the seller's, and the buyer's end of the transaction.

Given the constant complaints about the working conditions in Amazon warehouses, and the huge number of lawsuits they likely face about them, it's not unreasonable to assume video surveillance is routine.

Given the price and scarcity of the product in question, it's also not unreasonable to imagine a customer might secretly hope to convert the transaction into a "BOGO" offer.

So while your approach is succinct, and delightfully flippant, it's not altogether practical nor always successful, considering the amount of money and type of product in question.

After all, a few gamers have SWATTED one another. Mere consumer fraud as a pastime, pales by comparison.

Without video evidence on "the victim's" part, this turns into your typical rape case sticking point, hinging on, "he said, Amazon said".

 

[ZedRM]

Well, except here's the deal. Similar things happened with the 40 series cards and most people were rejected when they filed a complaint.

That's when you take it to the card company and then the State Attorney General. Buyers are not required by law to take no for an answer. The onus is on Amazon to prove they're committing fraud.

 

[Rudyduu]

That's when you take it to the card company and then the State Attorney General. Buyers are not required by law to take no for an answer. The onus is on Amazon to prove they're committing fraud.

You think consumers have that much power with so little evidence? They say no, you go to the AG and fill out all of their forms, but then there are no updates for 12 months, so what do you do then?

Amazon doesn't have any evidence the items was stolen and swapped with something else, and the buyer doesn't either. So how are you going to tell Amazon they scammed you without evidence when Amazon has just as much evidence that you scammed them?

 

[johnwinter87]

Getting pasta instead of a GPU sounds like a metaphor for the current GPU market. At this point, unboxing feels like opening a loot box with real-world RNG.