Fake RTX 3000-series eBay listings claim they're targeting bots, but is it a scammer's...

[midian182]

Facepalm: As everyone who's desperate for an RTX 3000-series card knows, pretty much the only way of getting one right now is to pay an obscene amount on eBay. However, there are quite a few RTX 3080/3090 listings with prices lower than the MSRP, but make sure to read the descriptions: these will almost certainly be an image of the card, or an item just as useless. Although some sellers claim this is a revenge tactic against scalpers, a few are likely using the excuse as justification to rip off consumers; all auctions state "no refunds, no returns."

RTX 3000-series cards, the Radeon RX 6000s, Ryzen 5000 CPUs, and new consoles have all suffered availability problems, due in no small part to scalpers grabbing them to make huge profits on auction sites. A report from January showed that scalpers had sold over 53,000 new Nvidia/AMD cards worth $65 million, figures that will now be even larger.

There are numerous RTX 3080/3090 cards on eBay selling under their MSRPs, but it should go without saying that buying one will lead to disappointment; most are for nothing more than images of the products.

Always read the small print

These sort of shenanigans have long been present on eBay. It was widespread when the PS5 launched, tricking many desperate parents into paying a fortune for a digital photo of the console. What's different with a lot of the graphics card listings is that they warn people not to buy, claiming to be a trap set for bots.

"NO HUMANS ALLOWED!" states one auction. "DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU ARE A BOT OR WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE A DIGITAL ART PIECE OF THE CARD AS A MONUMENT TO CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS."

Anything that punishes scalpers should be welcomed, but it's easy to imagine that plenty of these listings include "bots-only" messages as a way of covering sellers' backs, especially as they have "no refunds, no returns" policies.

What's the recommended PSU for this cardboard box?

It's not only images of cards that scammers are pushing. PCMag notes one person selling an "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founder's Edition," though the description reveals it's a "New 3D PRINTED PLASTIC MODEL." There are other auctions for empty boxes.

If you are willing to buy an RTX 3080 on eBay, expect to pay more than $1,000 for the real thing—and make sure to read the description.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/88788-fake-rtx-3000-series-ebay-listings-claim-theyre.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I blame Ebay and Facebook marketplace for not dealing with this decisively early on.

The Scalpers - and the scammers - are both relying on Facebook M and Ebay's wide reaching audience and their policies to help them gain trust among potential buyers (and victims) and as far as I've seen neither Ebay nor Facebook did anything to curb this behavior. They just let it run.

People with fewer than 25 positive stars on Ebay should be probationary. There's too many scammers (not to mention bots) on Ebay who specifically are there to screw with GPU sales. Ebay used to have a switch to let you limit bids from people with few stars, but it just disappeared.

Fortunately, I'm out of the market and was able to land two 3090 FTW3 at MSRP (Still searching for a Kingpin at MSRP) .

But what bothers me is that everyone else trying to play games are now at the mercy of a market being manipulated by both scalpers and wasteful crypto miners.

Solution: Congress needs to claim crypto mining is illegal citing "environmental damage from wasted electricity" or " unnecessary strain on the energy grid".

However they do it - just get it done.

 

[Nobina]

I've been buying and selling from sites like Ebay for years and to get scammed you really have to be stupid. I guess some people click buy straight from the title.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Someone I know in my city fell for it twice, and I may have kept quiet after I looked at the eBay listings. I had to because he was convinced it wasn't a scam so he had to be taught a lesson.

He got his money back both times and ended up overpaying for a 3080 locally. What a maroon. Long story short, I got his 2070S for my 2060 plus $75 CAD.

 

[Toju Mikie]

In regards to the ebay listings, the seller has to put it in the correct category as well. If it is a box or picture, it cannot go into the "video cards" category, unlike what the sellers tried to do here. The listing will be removed for "miscategorized item."

 

[m4a4]

People with fewer than 25 positive stars on Ebay should be probationary.

We are (when we don't have much activity recently). Funds are withheld until after the ship date (or the buyer says they've received it).

Easy to get a refund if the funds are being held lol

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

I blame Ebay and Facebook marketplace for not dealing with this decisively early on.

The Scalpers - and the scammers - are both relying on Facebook M and Ebay's wide reaching audience and their policies to help them gain trust among potential buyers (and victims) and as far as I've seen neither Ebay nor Facebook did anything to curb this behavior. They just let it run.

People with fewer than 25 positive stars on Ebay should be probationary. There's too many scammers (not to mention bots) on Ebay who specifically are there to screw with GPU sales. Ebay used to have a switch to let you limit bids from people with few stars, but it just disappeared.

Fortunately, I'm out of the market and was able to land two 3090 FTW3 at MSRP (Still searching for a Kingpin at MSRP) .

But what bothers me is that everyone else trying to play games are now at the mercy of a market being manipulated by both scalpers and wasteful crypto miners.

Solution: Congress needs to claim crypto mining is illegal citing "environmental damage from wasted electricity" or " unnecessary strain on the energy grid".

However they do it - just get it done.

Why would mining be illegal? Also if congress makes it illegal how will they even trace someone? And finally they can make it illegal in the US but the rest of the world will still be doing it... The solution is what Nvidia has done with the 3060 to stop the cards and slow them down when it comes to mining (of course till someone finds a hack and mod to it like the AMD cards).

 

[gamerk2]

Why would mining be illegal?

Mainly due to the insane power costs; there's a point where the societal harm of taking up the equivalent of Argentina's power generation offsets the mining of a fiat currency with no real-world value. And given how several states recently had to have rolling blackouts when real-world events caused demand to outstrip supply, I can *definitely* see some action being taken sooner rather then later in an attempt by local/federal authorities to "do something".

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

Let’s see, Member since March 2021, Zero prior sales, Zero feedback, name I can’t pronounce, no returns, one “stock” photo....and oh, yes, a $3,500 Buy-it-Now price .....what could possibly go wrong?!?!?!?

 

[Ludak021]

Mainly due to the insane power costs; there's a point where the societal harm of taking up the equivalent of Argentina's power generation offsets the mining of a fiat currency with no real-world value. And given how several states recently had to have rolling blackouts when real-world events caused demand to outstrip supply, I can *definitely* see some action being taken sooner rather then later in an attempt by local/federal authorities to "do something".

That's a part of Fascism, your way of thinking. Ban what you disagree with or don't understand. So far left up yours that you went alt right.

 

[Achaios]

That's a part of Fascism, your way of thinking. Ban what you disagree with or don't understand. So far left up yours that you went alt right.

You have now officially lost the argument.

See Godwin's Law:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

 

[JKnight]

Mainly due to the insane power costs; there's a point where the societal harm of taking up the equivalent of Argentina's power generation offsets the mining of a fiat currency with no real-world value. And given how several states recently had to have rolling blackouts when real-world events caused demand to outstrip supply, I can *definitely* see some action being taken sooner rather then later in an attempt by local/federal authorities to "do something".

They started banning it in Inner Mongolia.

https://news.bitcoin.com/chinas-inn...bitcoin-mining-operations-by-april-this-year/

 

[Inthenstus]

Why would mining be illegal? Also if congress makes it illegal how will they even trace someone? And finally they can make it illegal in the US but the rest of the world will still be doing it... The solution is what Nvidia has done with the 3060 to stop the cards and slow them down when it comes to mining (of course till someone finds a hack and mod to it like the AMD cards).

Dude.. you’re so misinformed. Nvidia ONLY checks for Ether. There’s thousands of other coins that you can farm on a 3060 and return a profit on. NVIDIA is just pulling a marketing truck to look consumer friendly and you fell for it.

 

[MasterMace]

I blame Ebay and Facebook marketplace for not dealing with this decisively early on.

The Scalpers - and the scammers - are both relying on Facebook M and Ebay's wide reaching audience and their policies to help them gain trust among potential buyers (and victims) and as far as I've seen neither Ebay nor Facebook did anything to curb this behavior. They just let it run.

People with fewer than 25 positive stars on Ebay should be probationary. There's too many scammers (not to mention bots) on Ebay who specifically are there to screw with GPU sales. Ebay used to have a switch to let you limit bids from people with few stars, but it just disappeared.

Fortunately, I'm out of the market and was able to land two 3090 FTW3 at MSRP (Still searching for a Kingpin at MSRP) .

But what bothers me is that everyone else trying to play games are now at the mercy of a market being manipulated by both scalpers and wasteful crypto miners.

Solution: Congress needs to claim crypto mining is illegal citing "environmental damage from wasted electricity" or " unnecessary strain on the energy grid".

However they do it - just get it done.

Congress has a different power that they can use to stop it. Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution - "The Congress shall have Power ... to coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;"

 

[Bulllee]

Mainly due to the insane power costs; there's a point where the societal harm of taking up the equivalent of Argentina's power generation offsets the mining of a fiat currency with no real-world value. And given how several states recently had to have rolling blackouts when real-world events caused demand to outstrip supply, I can *definitely* see some action being taken sooner rather then later in an attempt by local/federal authorities to "do something".

Miners are already generating their own electricity through solar and wind.Some of them selling excess to the grid.

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

Dude.. you’re so misinformed. Nvidia ONLY checks for Ether. There’s thousands of other coins that you can farm on a 3060 and return a profit on. NVIDIA is just pulling a marketing truck to look consumer friendly and you fell for it.

Didn't fall for what you didn't buy. I'm perfectly fine with my small 3070 and 3080 mining rig at home bringing in $800 monthly. And if wondering my power bill only went up by $10 a month.

 

[gamerk2]

Miners are already generating their own electricity through solar and wind.Some of them selling excess to the grid.

The power cost of mining has been calculated to be the equivalent of the total energy generation of Argentina. Are you claiming that Miners are producing that amount?

I didn't think so. Putting back .0001% (probably less) of the cost of mining doesn't balance the scales here.

 

[Adi6293]

I honestly don't see a problem here, if you don't read a description of what you buying then it's your fault and your fault only for being stupid, people like this shouldn't be getting their money back, it would teach them a lesson

 

[undertaker2k8]

CYA on ebay at all times should be your motto...

 

[terzaerian]

The power cost of mining has been calculated to be the equivalent of the total energy generation of Argentina. Are you claiming that Miners are producing that amount?

I didn't think so. Putting back .0001% (probably less) of the cost of mining doesn't balance the scales here.

Of course an article about Ebay scammers derailed into another special needs hour debate about mining again from the usual band of sweaty, dishonest concern trolls.

So tell me, how much electricity is wasted by gaming to objectively produce nothing whatsoever?

Judge not, lest ye be judged.