Reddit user discovers msi scalping own 3080s on ebay for massive profits

[Random_Person1234]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

That's not MSI international, that's MSI UK branch.  If it's actually proven that HQ had involvement in that then yes that's far more concerning.  Otherwise, it's intneral issues they need to work on.   Now, it's possible HQ aka International is involved in all this.   However, it seems more like their subsidaries are doing it.

My point was more that problems at MSI are not limited to the US branch.

[Mark Kaine]

3 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

That's not MSI international, that's MSI UK branch.  If it's actually proven that HQ had involvement in that then yes that's far more concerning.  Otherwise, it's internal issues they need to work on.   Now, it's possible HQ aka International is involved in all this.   However, it seems more like their subsidaries are doing it.

instead of finding excuses that aren't really convincing, you should rather seek to improve the companies business procedures and tactics, which is not something they seem to be able or willing to do"by themselves"...

 

We have a saying here, the fish rots from the head... 

 

That's exactly MSI strat, it's always some rogue employees or subsidiaries, *never* HQ...

 

 

I do believe they have to be very careful now and change their behaviors ASAP if they want to continue having a business at all...

[Random_Person1234]

Linus’ new video is sponsored by MSI’s Gaming X Trio 3080, a day after the scandal broke.

[Random_Person1234]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

He did report the incident to Nvidia if you've followed his twitter.  I think he found out about it after that video.

True, but the vid was posted 2 hours ago.

[Random_Person1234]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

Not sure how the contracting works there, so maybe they were legally obligated too.   Dunno.

I guess, but it just doesn’t give him a good look.

[Kid.Lazer]

Ceasing all business relations just because they may or may not have done one shady thing would result in nobody doing any business with anyone, ever. I'm not justifying any actions by MSI or any other company, but to say all relationships between them and LTT should be severed immediately is foolish.

 

On top of that, just because the video was posted a day later, doesn't mean it was made a day later. The scripting, shooting, and editing of said video was done beforehand, not to mention the agreement of sponsorship which most assuredly occurred long before this was known.

[Random_Person1234]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

Typically, the videos start on floatplane.  I'm not sure if you meant that or YT.   But, again, if they're legally obligated to then they're probably going to keep them on that video.   However, like with some other sponsors, they might not use them in the future.

I didn't think of that, the video was just posted on YT so it most likely was on floatplane first. So the video was first released before this incident.

[Quinnell]

It's probably buried in the thread, but did someone find any confirmation that the ebay listings from Starlit really MSI?

[Random_Person1234]

Just now, Quinnell said:

It's probably buried in the thread, but did someone find any confirmation that the ebay listings from Starlit really MSI?

MSI released a statement.

[spartaman64]

2 minutes ago, Quinnell said:

It's probably buried in the thread, but did someone find any confirmation that the ebay listings from Starlit really MSI?

msi admitted it on their twitter

[Quinnell]

5 minutes ago, Random_Person1234 said:

MSI released a statement.

 

3 minutes ago, spartaman64 said:

msi admitted it on their twitter

 

2 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

It's MSI's subsidary in the City of Industry, California, kinda on the same block as Gigabyte's.

Thanks guys.  I see the "recommended post" also has the link to the post.  Derp.

[vsteel]

MSI responded:

 

MSI admitted today that its subsidiary, Starlit Partner, had indeed sold the graphics cards on eBay. According to the eBay listings, Starlit Partner sold at least four RTX 3080 cards for $1,359 and $1,399 and at least eight to 11 RTX 3090 units for as much as $2,599—far above the normal $759 and $1,589 pricing.

 

On Twitter, MSI responded and confirmed Starlit Partner’s status as an “individual sales subsidiary.” Normally, it only sells excess inventory and refurbished items to customers. But following an investigation, MSI “found that an error” allowed Starlit Partner to access the newly launched RTX 3000-series graphics cards in the company's inventory.

 

MSI says it’s trying to make up for the scalping. “Starlit Partner has been instructed to contact the individual customers who purchased these graphic card products and offer two options—return the product and receive a full refund, or a partial refund of the amount paid over MSI’s MSRP,” the PC vendor wrote in the Twitter posting.

“Moving forward, MSI will enforce a stricter policy to avoid situations like this happening again,” the company added. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/msi-subsidiary-caught-scalping-rtx-3080-3090-cards-on-ebay

 

[bcredeur97]

4 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

you must be living on another planet ... 3 GPU launches ago was 1080/ti scammers and mining nightmare...

 

 

that's true. Time flies it feels like 1080ti wasn't that long ago lol. I was really thinking earlier than that

[spartaman64]

 

[Mark Kaine]

36 minutes ago, bcredeur97 said:

that's true. Time flies it feels like 1080ti wasn't that long ago lol. I was really thinking earlier than that

tbf I think that's when it all started.... also kinda coincidentally or not when GPUs became really powerful... before that your statement is probably about right.... no one really cared, a GPU is a GPU, but this changed, not at last due to Nvidia going crazy with pricing and barely any competition (ie market regulation)

 

 

 

[aisle9]

5 hours ago, sterdog said:

Even if it's a single rogue manager MSI should of provided training on preventing a situation like this from occurring.

Yeeeeeah. Training. Right. I wish I could train employees not to steal from me or take advantage of company mistakes.

2 hours ago, Random_Person1234 said:

Linus’ new video is sponsored by MSI’s Gaming X Trio 3080, a day after the scandal broke.

Unless there's material breach of contract, most contracts typically require you to honor your commitment. Linus was quick to call out MSI and contact NVIDIA, so it's not like he's letting that MSI sponsorship keep him from getting involved. It's like when Tunnelbear was bought out by McAfee (I think?). Linus had a contract with Tunnelbear and had to honor it, even if we all knew that Tunnelbear had just been bought out by the anti-Christ. It's not a "bad look". It's LMG not getting sued for breach of contract.

[leadeater]

 

[Chett_Manly]

MSI's response is basically an "Error let them do it". Once they had stock what else could they do but price gouge right?  

[CarlBar]

4 hours ago, valdyrgramr said:

In my opinion, that guy should be fired if not demoted. 

 

Depends. We know starlink got it's hands on some 3080's. We don't know if that was because they where mistakenly given them or because they deliberately accessed inventory they weren't supposed to. The latter is a disciplinary offence. The former is just them doing their job. 

[Mark Kaine]

5 hours ago, Quinnell said:

It's probably buried in the thread, but did someone find any confirmation that the ebay listings from Starlit really MSI?

 

[Tieox]

[realpetertdm]

6 hours ago, vsteel said:

MSI responded:

 

MSI admitted today that its subsidiary, Starlit Partner, had indeed sold the graphics cards on eBay. According to the eBay listings, Starlit Partner sold at least four RTX 3080 cards for $1,359 and $1,399 and at least eight to 11 RTX 3090 units for as much as $2,599—far above the normal $759 and $1,589 pricing.

 

On Twitter, MSI responded and confirmed Starlit Partner’s status as an “individual sales subsidiary.” Normally, it only sells excess inventory and refurbished items to customers. But following an investigation, MSI “found that an error” allowed Starlit Partner to access the newly launched RTX 3000-series graphics cards in the company's inventory.

 

MSI says it’s trying to make up for the scalping. “Starlit Partner has been instructed to contact the individual customers who purchased these graphic card products and offer two options—return the product and receive a full refund, or a partial refund of the amount paid over MSI’s MSRP,” the PC vendor wrote in the Twitter posting.

“Moving forward, MSI will enforce a stricter policy to avoid situations like this happening again,” the company added. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/msi-subsidiary-caught-scalping-rtx-3080-3090-cards-on-ebay

 

So it wasn't just four 3080s that they sold. They're making above 10k with those listings, $2500 for a 3090...

[RejZoR]

10 hours ago, vsteel said:

MSI responded:

 

MSI admitted today that its subsidiary, Starlit Partner, had indeed sold the graphics cards on eBay. According to the eBay listings, Starlit Partner sold at least four RTX 3080 cards for $1,359 and $1,399 and at least eight to 11 RTX 3090 units for as much as $2,599—far above the normal $759 and $1,589 pricing.

 

On Twitter, MSI responded and confirmed Starlit Partner’s status as an “individual sales subsidiary.” Normally, it only sells excess inventory and refurbished items to customers. But following an investigation, MSI “found that an error” allowed Starlit Partner to access the newly launched RTX 3000-series graphics cards in the company's inventory.

 

MSI says it’s trying to make up for the scalping. “Starlit Partner has been instructed to contact the individual customers who purchased these graphic card products and offer two options—return the product and receive a full refund, or a partial refund of the amount paid over MSI’s MSRP,” the PC vendor wrote in the Twitter posting.

“Moving forward, MSI will enforce a stricter policy to avoid situations like this happening again,” the company added. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/msi-subsidiary-caught-scalping-rtx-3080-3090-cards-on-ebay

 

While it's shitty that company making said graphic cards engages in such behavior (excuse it's just a rogue subsidiary doesn't float with me sry), the real problem are dumb morons who pay double the price of MSRP literally encouraging this shitty scalping behavior. If scalpers were left with piles of overpriced graphic cards for so long that their price would have to go back to advertised one, then no one would hoard them on launch. But if everyone is so stupid that they overpay the product for 2x, then of course they'll do it coz they'll know they'll double the profits because of these morons. People paying double what they are actually worth are literally a definition of people with more money than brain.

[artuc]

On 10/8/2020 at 2:24 PM, RejZoR said:

While it's shitty that company making said graphic cards engages in such behavior (excuse it's just a rogue subsidiary doesn't float with me sry)

 

It's actually very believable.

 

If you've seen excessive red tape and compartmentalising of a business or organisation it is completely believable.

 

One city department with underutilised fibre networks refusing access to another department and requiring overbuild, both departments have an overlap of scope but one is profitable.

 

Power distribution division needing to hire a crane and riggers when mechanical services already had one idle unused on site.

 

Having to bypass the proper procedure and have another departments network tech fix a mistake because the department we go through screwed it up and don't communicate internally, 

 

There are more examples and these aren't even that bad, just casual observations as an outsider.

 

I would not be shocked if MSI's internal structure is a complete flustercluck. Right hand probably doesn't know what the left is doing. Probably don't communicate well, have different budgets, don't share resources.

 

I think this and their past behaviour is not the head of MSI laughing maniacally, petting their cat while rubber stamping dodgy behaviour.

 

It is likely some sketchy people within and their structure doesn't keep it in check. So while that is their fault, it isn't exactly uncommon to have that sort of structure.

 

 

[spartaman64]

7 hours ago, artuc said:

 

snip

i can believe that the prices were not what MSI wanted but I can't believe they got the 3080s by accident. and since MSI chose to lie about that I wont trust them on the prices either