Random Selection Process and FAQ [Updated 4/1/22]
Comments
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Thank you for not bundling these video cards with other items in your raffle system !
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Thank you for your feedback!
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I live nearly an hour away from my nearest store location. How am I supposed to arrive within 10 minutes, if I have been selected, to prevent my voucher from becoming forfeit?
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Believe it or not, some people do not own a cell phone.
So, in order to get into the raffle, I need to buy a phone?
I believe MC is trying to make it fair, but why could an email notification system not work? Seriously, I really want to know.
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Greetings, As the raffle opens at 9am (at most stores - please see initial post to verify for your local store), and they start drawing for cards at 9:45 (at most stores - please see initial post to verify for your local store), I would advise you would want to remain at the store until the draw is complete for your chance at the card.
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Greetings, we appreciate your feedback on the system.
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when do they come in stock
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Greetings, Shipments will vary by the store for these high-demand products as delivery dates and times are subject to change due to the nature of trucking schedules, the weather, etc. We recommend coming to the store and speaking with associates in our Build Your Own department. They may be able to provide an idea of when they receive shipments.
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Is there any way to check the shipment dates ahead of time so that I can avoid driving up there for no reason? It's a good 3-4 hour drive to the nearest Micro Center for me, but I'm rocking a 290x and it's starting to show its age. Anyone with helpful resources, please lmk
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Greetings, our Community staff is not located in a specific store, the information we have on this as it is listed in this FAQ:
Shipments will vary by the store for these high-demand products as delivery dates and times are subject to change due to the nature of trucking schedules, the weather, etc. We recommend coming to the store and speaking with associates in our Build Your Own department. They may be able to provide an idea of when they receive shipments.
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Hello, can you please increase the time from 10 minutes to 45 minutes (or something longer that will allow more travel time to a local microcenter after notification of selection).
Gas is now pretty expensive as well, and it would be a waste to drive to microcenter, wait in the parking lot (since there is currently only 10 minutes to claim voucher) only to find out that you were not randomly selected. It will save a lot of money (and frustration) for customers like myself who do not live within a 10-minute drive of microcenter.
Thank you.
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Greetings. Thank you for your feedback.
As the raffle opens at 9am (at most stores - please see initial post to verify for your local store), and they start drawing for cards at 9:45 (at most stores - please see initial post to verify for your local store), I would advise you would want to remain at the store until the draw is complete for your chance at the card. Our process is not intended for customers to leave and return to the store.
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Basically, what I am hearing is 'scalpers are buying the cards, we do not care if it is inconvenient or impossible for you, the average customer with a day job to buy one , we are making lots of money without you'.
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Hey @N_L. The vast majority of our customers are not scalpers, and in fact, I'd be confident to say that they are few and far between. To my understanding, this new process was implemented to create a more equal opportunity for everyone shopping in-store to get a card. Previously, there were very long lines that one had to wait in for several hours to be able to have a chance to get a card. I feel that this system is much better than the previous method.
This process, along with other policies, such as the limit of 1 per house per 30 days, have been set in place to stifle those who intend to scalp these cards, as that is far from something we endorse.
I do see that your previous feedback has been passed on to our corporate offices, and I can assure you that your feedback is valued!
I wish you the best in getting a new card!
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@LandShark,
Not going to get into an argument with you. You hold the banhammer.
However; 'an equal opportunity'?
How is it equal when the only option is to drive to the store, wait for a text (IF you have a cell phone), and wait for an slim chance of being chosen. Once again, there are some of us who have to work for a living, and cannot simply abandon our job responsibilities for personal reasons. I seems to me, Microcenter is favoring and rewarding those who have no job or other responsibilities, or are otherwise privileged to be able to waste hours for naught.
Perhaps Microcenter should examine the process evga has implemented.
Please feel free to pass this onto corporate.
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Hi Ian, Thank you for your comment, but I think you may have misunderstood the point of my feedback.
My concern is that I and many other valued Microcenter Customers only have 10 minutes after we are notified to claim the voucher which results in a significant amount of wasted time and fossil-fuel (gas) needlessly consumed.
The reason is that of many us Microcenter Costumers who wait in the Microcenter Parking Lot will be notified that they were NOT selected to receive a voucher.
Why must a Microcenter Customer inconveniently wait at a parking lot? Microcenter Customers must wait in the parking lot because Microcenter currently gives their customers ***only 10 minutes*** to claim the voucher in-store after notification of selection.
Since many of your loyal customers waiting in the parking lot will NOT get selected, a lot of time and gas is wasted. This increases frustration in the Microcenter Community, as well as unnecessarily contributes to climate change (for those who believe that fossil fuel consumption contribute to climate change).
To reduce the amount of time and fossil fuel consumed and wasted by Customers waiting in a Microcenter Parking Lot, Microcenter should increase the time between notification and voucher claiming from 10 minutes to perhaps 45 minutes (or maybe even 60 minutes).
Increasing the time from 10 minutes to 45 minutes (or to a longer time) will allow your valued Microcenter Customers to ***conveniently*** await at work or at home (instead of waiting at a Microcenter parking lot) to be notified if they were selected or not.
Once the valued Microcenter customer receives the text they they were selected, they then have 45 minutes (or 60 minutes or longer) to travel from their home or place of work to the physical store and claim the voucher.
So please consider increasing the voucher claim time from 10 minutes to 45 minutes (or to a longer reasonable travel time). This will allow the following:
- Allow your wonderful customers to conveniently wait for the voucher notification at home or at work instead of waiting at a parking lot.
- Reduce time wasted and fossil fuel consumed for those who are not selected since they do not spend time driving to and waiting at a Microcenter parking lot.
- Help reduce (albeit a small amount) the contribution of wasted fuel to climate change (if Microcenter believes that fossil fuel consumption contributes to climate change).
- Increase the general satisfaction of Microcenter customers as this will make it appear as Microcenter is doing even more for their customers (as compared to Best Buy, Newegg, Amazon, and eBay, and other retailers).
Thank you.
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Apologies, and thanks for the feedback about my response. I've edited my response as Micro Center does not ship GPU locally or internationally and we do have requirements like a phone for verification purposes.
Both yourself and @buyNVDA have offered up great feedback! I'd be happy to share this with our corporate office!
Thank you!
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Found the scalper.
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How do I know when the store has a new supply of cards to join the raffle?
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Greetings, as our Community staff is not located at a specific store, the information we have on shipments is listed in the FAQ:
Shipments will vary by the store for these high-demand products as delivery dates and times are subject to change due to the nature of trucking schedules, the weather, etc. We recommend coming to the store and speaking with associates in our Build Your Own department. They may be able to provide an idea of when they receive shipments.
To add on to this FAQ answer, I have seen some store locations post a sheet out front when they do not have cards at or before their specified raffle time.
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this implementation is terrible! who thought of this extremely inefficient method? so i have to drive to the store each day that i want to sign up, without having an idea if they will have stock? that's a waste of time, convenience, driving, gas, pollution...
here's the system that would work: do the random voucher ONLINE, and if you win, you get an email with a code. Shop and pay online by using that code, and then go pickup the card. Simple, easy, convenient.
in other words, do what newegg (except that they are scalping the cards) is already doing, with the difference that you will pickup the card at the store after buying it
alternative system (one you have used in the past): announce when you will have cards and assign vouchers to the first people in the line, like best buy did a few days ago. i don't like that method personally due to covid, but it's cheaper to implement to the store.
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Greetings, thank you for your feedback. We are always looking into ways to improve the methods we offer. We do pass feedback like this over to our corporate teams to see what can be implemented!
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This is completely absurd. Expecting people to camp at a store for a "CHANCE" to be "RANDOMLY" selected, during typical work hours. This is yet another way of helping those self employed or with so much money they don't need to work. They don't care people. Anyone can see a random selection process is not fair. How hard is it to create a damn queue without favoring people based on how much money they have in their account? Reason enough to take your business elsewhere to be honest.
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Hello, @Aeon Thanks for your feedback about this. As @Ian Mentioned above, we are continuing to look for ways to improve our methods and your feedback is appreciated!
As I understand it, currently the time that the random selection process is implemented is based on the time that the store receives shipments and opens.
Camping is discouraged and has not happened in quite some time. I'd recommend that you review the original post on this thread for updated information about our current process.
Thank you!
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You go to the web page then at 9am scan a QR code, enter your credentials, this process ends at 9:30am then shortly after someone is randomly selected. I think I understand the process.
The worst part of this process is you have to start over every time you get stock. This forces people to save a page and literally refresh it like mad for months.
The fact that users have already posted that they live far away and are unable to get accurate feedback on incoming stock, does in fact promote camping. Because it is now impossible to speak to an actual human being with accurate information regarding stock. The only way to get accurate information is to be at the store before anyone else and actually speak to staff.
How in the world have you decided a random selection process was best? Does this random selection process bar anyone from buying just because they were able to be at the store before anyone else. Please explain why you have selected a random selection process,
What most people would expect as a fair system is the following:
You need to start a simple line and only allow 1 entry per household, gather each persons name and phone number. When new stock is available you simply contact whoever is next in line. Give each person a set amount of time (8hrs which starts after you call and speak or leave voicemail) ) to then drive to the store present ID and confirm their place in line then allow to purchase and leave.
I've been waiting to buy an EVGA 3080 since launch. Now it's a 3080Ti. Allowing someone that just gets lucky and is able to refresh a page 500x more than anyone else to literally cut ahead of someone like me, which I know there are a lot of is simply not fair to anyone.
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fjleon and Aeon understand, apparently Microcenter management does not. But, then why would they? They are selling product, so why serve their loyal, 'valued customers'? There is always someone else willing to spend their hard-earned (or otherwise) money.
The bottom line is the bottom line. Microcenter is in business to make money, not friends.
However, promoting their system as fair is quite disingenuous.
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Is there a way to know when a shipment is due? I’m 90 minutes from my micro center. I’ll make the effort if I at least know when a shipment is due.
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I made an account just to post on this after seeing this thread on the reddit and need to say what needs to be said.
Clearly some of the people arguing here with Micro Center reps need to take a step back and realize the people responding with the admin tags didn't make this process, aren't forcing you to shop at MIcro Center and unlike a lot of big businesses, are nice enough to still reply despite the fact you'll never be happy with their reply.
Stop baiting the min wage customer service employees and take a chill pill y'all, you guys are arguing with them like they personally are preventing you from getting a video card and wrote the process someone way above their pay grade decided on. Clearly some of you have never worked in customer service, what do you gain by coming in here an beating a dead horse about the same thing again and again. The commentors here are acting childish and if this was reddit, they would be prevented from posting further.
i personally found the FAQ detailed enough but perhaps no one posting here is actually reading and just wants to complain. My two cents.
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Greetings, as our Community staff is not located at a specific store, the information we have on shipments is listed in the FAQ:
Shipments will vary by the store for these high-demand products as delivery dates and times are subject to change due to the nature of trucking schedules, the weather, etc. We recommend coming to the store and speaking with associates in our Build Your Own department. They may be able to provide an idea of when they receive shipments.
To add on to this FAQ answer, I have seen some store locations post a sheet out front when they do not have cards at or before their specified raffle time.
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so i already purchased a gpu from microcenter about 20 days ago, if i return my old one does that 30 day thing get waived and still buy another gpu?
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