Zotac Uses Discord to Sell RTX 50 GPUs and Stop Scalpers

[Nomad76]

Zotac has come up with a new way to fight graphics card scalping by starting a "Priority Access Campaign" on their Discord server, with a Zotac employee named Bryant making the announcement. The plan is simple and has only one main goal: to help regular buyers get a real chance of buying NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090 models at the right price. These cards have been almost impossible to get because they sell out fast and end up on resale sites at high prices. Zotac says it wants to use its online community to help real gamers, not scalpers.

The process is pretty straightforward, with users being selected based on engagement in discussions and various challenges. Then, using a random number generator, eligible buyers will be selected. The campaign is already active (is limited to users in the U.S.) with special Discord channels to give out RTX 5080 models (currently Zotac has only ten RTX 5080 cards) while the RTX 5090 isn't yet available. The company has insisted on warning scalpers; each card sold via this method will have its serial number recorded, and any user caught trying to resell it at a higher price will be permanently banned from any future Zotac direct sales events or raffles. Zotac isn't the first to try this approach, in the past, companies like Newegg and NVIDIA have used lottery systems or sold directly to customers to avoid scalpers. While there is no guarantee of completely avoiding scalpers, the action is commendable and it is possible that we will see similar actions from other brands or retailers in the future.



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[Space Lynx]

It's nice to see proactive thought like this. I would rather prefer companies sell directly to only us gamers, and we prove it by doing a Zoom call with the seller at a set time, show them are rig, our steam library, most recent playtime, and talk what games we enjoyed and why we enjoyed them for 5 mins or so. Still not fullproof, but it would weed out a lot of crap.

 

[neatfeatguy]

Only 10 of the 5080 cards and no 5090, that's just sad.

Nvidia really screwed the pooch this time around with their very limited release. Too much focus on the big money game of "AI" to spare enough wafers for gaming GPUs it seems. Then telling folks it'll be a few months before inventory becomes more plentiful.....

Oh well, doesn't impact me since I don't want any of these cards. I just find it crummy.

 

[DarbyOGill]

The current retail prices for 5090 AIB cards here in Europe range from about €2700 - €3400 and zero stock anywhere.

Honestly at those eye watering prices the potential market must be as small as the stock allocation. Not much room for scalpers when the retailers are already doing it!

Also the 5080s are selling for 4090 prices, also zero stock. Madness.

 

[Legacy-ZA]

Nice of them, but U.S.A only.

I did send them an e-mail to try for South-Africa, but they haven't even gotten back to me, it's been a week. :/

 

[_roman_]

Scalpers are proud and have many ways to circumvent that.

This may help but is not fool proof. Some see it as sport to find a loop hole.

 

[Chaitanya]

Only 10 of the 5080 cards and no 5090, that's just sad.

Nvidia really screwed the pooch this time around with their very limited release. Too much focus on the big money game of "AI" to spare enough wafers for gaming GPUs it seems. Then telling folks it'll be a few months before inventory becomes more plentiful.....

Oh well, doesn't impact me since I don't want any of these cards. I just find it crummy.

Looking at how 4090 had street price of $2400 throughout its life cycle, fully expecting nGreedia to be even scummier this time around with "paper" launch of their latest GPUs and artificially pushing prices of their 90 series GPU north of $2500 and blaming it on current US administration.

 

[bug]

Only 10 of the 5080 cards and no 5090, that's just sad.

Nvidia really screwed the pooch this time around with their very limited release. Too much focus on the big money game of "AI" to spare enough wafers for gaming GPUs it seems. Then telling folks it'll be a few months before inventory becomes more plentiful.....

Oh well, doesn't impact me since I don't want any of these cards. I just find it crummy.

Normally they would have released just the 5090 (and maybe the 5080). But this round they had to divert silicon to 5070 and 5070Ti, too, to have products available before the import tariffs kicked in. And I also suspect they don't want to make too many cards because Nvidia themselves may not be sure the public will buy them with each price hike. Somewhere over there must be like: "How much does a high end card sell for? $500? Let's try $700. Oh, still sells, let's try $1,000, $1,500, $2,000... Wth, they're still buying?".

 

[Dr. Dro]

Nice of them, but U.S.A only.

I did send them an e-mail to try for South-Africa, but they haven't even gotten back to me, it's been a week. :/

If you happen to be outside NA or Western EU you might as well not exist to tech companies. This makes me irate, but alas, there isn't anything we can do but write mean posts on the internet. We come dead last and pay the most, because they will service the AI markets, the creator markets, then customers in privileged regions and we get the leftovers months down the road. This is why this empty virtue signaling does not impress me or even pass the marketable illusion that they give a shit.

 

[Chomiq]

Same ZOTAC:

 

[Dr. Dro]

Same ZOTAC:
View attachment 384179

Marketing guy had no idea the size of the "GFY" to gamers that post was. So painfully obvious the person behind this post did not play video games, nor understood cryptocurrencies at all

 

[ymdhis]

Another reason why I'm not buying Geforce cards.

 

[The Shield]

The only solution to this abomination - that has been going on for almost a decade... - is Ngreedia producing more Gpu and launch a product ONLY when there are enough GPUs to prevent the scalping.
Everything else is pure marketing BS that doesn't change anything.

I would rather prefer companies sell directly to only us gamers, and we prove it by doing a Zoom call with the seller at a set time, show them are rig, our steam library, most recent playtime, and talk what games we enjoyed and why we enjoyed them for 5 mins or so.

We need a fking Voight-Kampff test to be done before every sell!

 

[Nater]

The only solution to this abomination - that has been going on for almost a decade... - is Ngreedia producing more Gpu and launch a product ONLY when there are enough GPUs to prevent the scalping.
Everything else is pure marketing BS that doesn't change anything.


We need a fking Voight-Kampff test to be done before every sell!

I've got the feeling this is what Nintendo is trying to do with the Switch 2. I've seen a few news blurbs here and there that makes it sound as if they've been stock piling 10's of millions of them for launch day. There's not gonna be 2 units at each Wal*Mart and Best Buy, there's going to be 100 units.

Although probably not true, as somebody woulda stole one by now and made a TikTok.

 

[transdogmifier]

I'm having a large amount of issues deciding to spend the money on a 5000 series....my 3090 still does fine.

 

[TheDeeGee]

Stopping scalpers as as simple as not buying any cards that arn't sold by certified hardware shops.

But but people have the self control of a gnat these days.

 

[bug]

If you happen to be outside NA or Western EU you might as well not exist to tech companies. This makes me irate, but alas, there isn't anything we can do but write mean posts on the internet. We come dead last and pay the most, because they will service the AI markets, the creator markets, then customers in privileged regions and we get the leftovers months down the road. This is why this empty virtue signaling does not impress me or even pass the marketable illusion that they give a shit.

View attachment 384178

That's how you would do it if you were in their shoes. A city like NY or London, with many high-income households will gobble up more cards than some of the smaller countries. Those who do not move large inventories get higher prices via a series of other factors: fixed costs will be divided between fewer units, said countries are usually outside of a trade agreement, so cards get slapped with additional import tax... Not pretty, but hardly the fault of Nvidia. Or AMD for that matter.

 

[TheDeeGee]

Another reason why I'm not buying Geforce cards.

What are your other reasons?

Let me guess:

• Not liking leather jackets.
• DLSS is not open source.
• Not wealthy enough.
• You want real frames.
• Ray Tracing is a gimmick.
• BuyingMoreVRam.com is offline.
• Home breaker not powerful enough for GPU.
• Unable to plug in connectors.
• Only AMD are the good guys.

 

[lepudruk]

Hate to spoil your fun but it's not a "solution" - it's just a lottery, nothing more. If you don't have a stock to sell, don't tell people about "release". Pure and simple.
I also don't have time to spent whole day long hangin' on some Discord channel just to be able to secure my position for puchase - it's silly. There would be no problem with scalpers in the first place if stocks of merchandise would be reasonable - otherwise it will always be a free-for-all.

 

[Dahita]

So sick of reading about "scalpers" when the only issue is "10 cards".

 

[GamreCaleb]

What are your other reasons?

Let me guess:

• Not liking leather jackets.
• DLSS is not open source.
• Not wealthy enough.
• You want real frames.
• Ray Tracing is a gimmick.
• BuyingMoreVRam.com is offline.
• Home breaker not powerful enough for GPU.
• Unable to plug in connectors.
• Only AMD are the good guys.

That pretty much sums up why I switched to AMD.

 

[bug]

Marketing guy had no idea the size of the "GFY" to gamers that post was. So painfully obvious the person behind this post did not play video games, nor understood cryptocurrencies at all

Tbh, for marketing it matters little whether they deal with a video card or a potato. They just need to make it look good.

The only solution to this abomination - that has been going on for almost a decade... - is Ngreedia producing more Gpu and launch a product ONLY when there are enough GPUs to prevent the scalping.
Everything else is pure marketing BS that doesn't change anything.

If they waited to produce a lot of GPUs first, they would have been hit by the import taxes. As it is, there is some hope some cards will be available at MSRP some months from now.
I mean, normally I'd agree with you (start selling when you have something to sell). But this year is special. Extra special...

 

[Macro Device]

Bully 101: "If someone happens to be bullied you have to provide additional bullying to drive them into suicide."

Their actions are humiliating. I wouldn't in any case walk these additional miles to buy a what's essentially an overpriced piece of hardware that doesn't do blowjobs, nor does it save lives. This market is unhealthy as it is and itchy upgradeholics don't make it any better. Your "obscenely antique" RTX 3080 Ti is STILL A GOOD GAMING GPU.

Don't like the price, don't buy it. At least I won't, it's not worth it at the moment.

But this year is special. Extra special...

Just like 2013–14, 2017–18, and 2020–22 with COVID and mining hysterias. Huh. There will always be some "special" conditions. They don't want things to be good enough, they want to milk.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Only 10 of the 5080 cards and no 5090, that's just sad.

Nvidia really screwed the pooch this time around with their very limited release. Too much focus on the big money game of "AI" to spare enough wafers for gaming GPUs it seems. Then telling folks it'll be a few months before inventory becomes more plentiful.....

Oh well, doesn't impact me since I don't want any of these cards. I just find it crummy.

Well, Nvidia had yield issues with Blackwell that were fixed in september-October that required a metal ECO so they really only had mass production going for a couple months.

Launch should have been pushed out. It was basically a paper launch.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

One potential positive side to AMD's launch/announce delay is that they shouldn't have any excuse to have stock shortages on launch.

They'll probably find a way to muck it up, but they *shouldn't* have any issues with stock...