Best Buy Locks Ability to Purchase NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs behind $200 Totaltech Paywall

Tsing

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Image: NVIDIA



Enthusiasts who are planning to score a GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics card from Best Buy will need to add $199.99 to the cost going forward, as the retailer has taken the clever and greedy route of increasing its margins by adding a paywall to these hot-selling products. As initially highlighted by @CameronRitz, both Founders Editions and AIB GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs have been locked behind Best Buy’s Totaltech membership, a program that grants customers around-the-clock tech support, extended return windows, and other perks for $199.99 a year. The latest benefit is exclusive access to NVIDIA’s latest graphics cards, a tactic that many say is directly comparable to scalping.



Founder editions say exclusive access event and we know what that means. Everyone’s favorite subscription model Total TechSign up...
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D!ck move, Best Buy. And I have been trying to throw them business too, just to have another option outside of Amazon.
 
My only surprise is they hadn’t done this sooner. Another sign that supply might be starting to ease so they are looking at ways to further capitalize
 
It is totally a dick move, but that said, $200 over MSRP (if you can actually get them) isn't bad these days.

I guess they got tired of seeing all the scalpers take the profits, and decided to nab some for themselves.
 
Zarathustra said:
It is totally a dick move, but that said, $200 over MSRP (if you can actually get them) isn't bad these days.

I guess they got tired of seeing all the scalpers take the profits, and decided to nab some for themselves.
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That's kind of my thought as well. I hate that, but if I'm already spending $1,500 or $1,600 on a GPU, it's not the end of the world.
 
Zarathustra said:
It is totally a dick move, but that said, $200 over MSRP (if you can actually get them) isn't bad these days.
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Doesn't guarantee you a card - that's $200 to play the already-crappy-race-against-the-bots that they have always had.

Maybe if they actually can maintain inventory, or actually implemented a queue of some sort. But right now it just sounds like $200 to watch whatever card I find mysteriously get deleted from my cart after 5 minutes of furiously trying to get the web page to respond when I check out does not sound like a good deal.
 
Brian_B said:
Doesn't guarantee you a card - that's $200 to play the already-crappy-race-against-the-bots that they have always had.

Maybe if they actually can maintain inventory, or actually implemented a queue of some sort. But right now it just sounds like $200 to watch whatever card I find mysteriously get deleted from my cart after 5 minutes of furiously trying to get the web page to respond when I check out does not sound like a good deal.
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I figured you could walk into the store and only sign up if you have a card in hand and are ready to check out.

If not, yeah, this is ****tier than I thought.
 
Rally what they should do is offer a 'card' tier membership. You tell them the model of card you want and you pay a monthly 'membership' fee during that time that gives you the other associated perks. BUT you are also placed into a queue as long as you maintain the membership. Let it lapse and the queue starts over when you re join.

Queue is 1 per customer per membership. You want 5 memberships you can get 5 spots in the queue. But cards are delivered to the queue at MSRP. Whatver that is. You also have the option of paying outright for the card once you join the queue but you must maintain membership during that wait still. Then once it's in hand there is no wait if it is your spot in queue you get next day shipped your card.

I don't know about you but as a consumer if I was in the market for one of these cards that would be the method I liked the most. Then you get an influx of people paying for the card at tax return time. AND paying a monthly lower fee like 15 bucks a month for their Queue length membership. Only once the card is delivered you are sent an option to maintain a regular membership at the regular rate or not.

It achieves establishing a queue that seems equitable for those that want to buy.

Those that want to buy multiple are able to for additional cost.

Best Buy gets the chance to win and maintain these customers who do get the membership.

And you can pre pay for the card. Of course if your membership lapses your payment is auto refunded.

It does put a burden on best buy to track the purchases and cards more closely. But I think the net benefit to their bottom line and potential future free profit is well worth it.
 
Did they walk this back? I'm seeing the online only now but all out-of-stock. Last time I'd checked any cards, they had a 'specail event' tag on them. I don't see that anymore???
 
Grimlakin said:
You are a horrible human being... wanna use that mad mining money and buy me a Harley Davidson Tri Glide? I'll even say please. ;)
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I've averaged around 3.5 ETH a year for the past 5 years off of 4-5x 1080Ti and 4x Rx580. Think I spent around $5000 on the cards back in 2016/2017. I'm sure you can do the math on where I sit today as far as profit having not sold any ETH.

That's all I wanted to invest in mining back then. Haven't spent a dime on mining since. Only reason I'd like a couple new cards is mine are getting kind of old. One 1080Ti died today actually. Well, it still works, but only gets about 15 Mh/s.
 
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