How does Microcenter justify selling USED GPU at 50% over New GPU MSRP??

Mattysparklea · January 2022

This seems like price gouging to me when there's a "shortage" (they have plenty of newer houses on shelves for less) but selling a 5700xt red devil that used to be $419 in november 2020 and $469 ($399.99 used) in Dec. 2020. Today is sold at (its not because tThey havent had a new one in forever) $639 NEW and $575.96 (USED) in january 2022 two full years later 50% over new price for a used GPU and they also made up a "was" price of $639 because it never was $639 as they haven't had a new 5700xt in nearly the same period of time...not only that theyre foolish enough to leave the old sticker under the new one all I did was peel it back to confirm what I already knew as I previously had bought many of these in 2020.

MageTank · January 2022

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/10509/how-does-microcenter-justify-selling-used-gpu-at-50-over-new-gpu-msrp

MSRP is a "suggested" price, it's not required by any means. You are also complaining about buying an expensive GPU while simultaneously bragging about buying "many more" in 2020 as if that is gonna earn you any pity from those that haven't been able to get a single GPU in that timeframe.

The simple fact is products are worth whatever someone is willing to pay for them. Scalpers proved this to be true and you did too by buying this card at the markup. Hope that ROI pays off sooner rather than later.

Mattysparklea · January 2022

I build PCs for a living and last year i donated a PC lab to an afterschool STEMM program so yes ive bought many gpus, also My house burned to the ground in may 2021, so i lost all of my personal rigs and have had to buy new ones. Its not been difficult as you make it sound to buy a new gpu. They're first of all on shelves every day at micro center locations but those people who arent near a mcirocenter can find one at best buy tigerdirect bhphoto newegg and others every single day for the last several months consecutively at the same price levels if not lower than microcenter. Im annoyed that they would leave the old stickers on and cover them with new ones doubling the price meanwhile ive had many of there employees personally say to me that Microcenter DOES NOT charge more than the MSRP and does not increase there prices bc of the shortage. They said that only the tariff has increased price and while the tariff did increase price it does not account for insane jumps of price including 100% -200% increase in price for a USED GPU, I purchased an open box 5700xt and have the receipt still for $219 in Dec 2020, now in Jan 2022 a USED 5700xt is marked at $600+ that's completely unjustifiable and not at all aligned with the message delivered to me personally but several of their employees. Furthermore they state that theyre willing to give a price break to 'certain' buyers who will used the GPU for gaming purpose as opposed to those who will use it to mine. This is a distrubing exclusionary statement and it truly is none of their business what a customer plans to do with any of the GPUs they buy. Everyone with the ability to pay should be offered the same fair price. Microcenter themselves have become the scalpers. How can anyone complain about scalping when they themselves are now charging prices commensurate with the same secondary market scalpers you complain about

MageTank · January 2022

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/39565#Comment_39565

Don't we all build computers for a living? Also, if it isn't difficult to find a GPU, why are you buying a used last-gen GPU and complaining about the price? Just go buy a new in-stock GPU, lol.

I live near a microcenter and several best buys yet their shelves are bare. I genuinely doubt you believe it is this easy.

Your annoyance with the ever-increasing price tags they put on GPUs is also silly. Supply and demand drives pricing in the business world. I've said it before but I'll repeat it again. MSRP is a suggestion, nobody is bound to it. Manufacturers like Zotac and Gigabyte are charging 50-80% more than their own MSRP on their own web stores... If you don't understand why prices have gone up in the past year and a half, I doubt you build PC's for a living. Besides, if that were true, you'd have contacts in the industry supplying hardware and not buying them open box from a retail store, lol.

If the price bothers you so much, go return it and buy one of those totally available GPUs off the shelf.

Also, I never complained about scalping above. I for one don't mind it, it's part of capitalism. If someone wants to spend all day camping outside of a store to mark a GPU up, then I respect their hustle because I value my time more than that.