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A hot potato: In yet another demonstration of the RTX 5080's scarcity, a Taiwanese buyer faced an unexpected dilemma when a retailer temporarily refused to release his purchased graphics card unless he paid an additional sum. This shouldn't come as a surprise: the extreme shortage of RTX 50 series graphics cards resulted in multi-day queues for raffle entries, rampant scalping, and retailers bundling cards with other products at inflated prices.
The incident, which unfolded in early February, began when a customer purchased an Aorus RTX 5080 Master 16G graphics card from Cool PC, a well-known computer hardware retailer in Taiwan, for NT$42,990 (approximately $1,312), including sales tax. The transaction was part of a larger order of computer components, according to an account on the Chinese tech publication MyDrivers/Fast Technology.
As the days passed, the customer received all the ordered parts except for the highly anticipated RTX 5080. Upon inquiring about the missing item, the buyer was confronted with a demand: pay an additional sum or return the graphics card upon delivery. This unusual request came despite the fact that the card had already been paid for and was supposedly in transit.
The customer, understandably distressed by this turn of events, took to local tech forums to seek advice and share his experience. The post quickly gained traction, igniting a firestorm of criticism against Cool PC's practices.
As the controversy grew, Cool PC eventually relented, honoring the original price and delivering the graphics card to the customer. The retailer also requested that the customer remove their original forum post, which they did. However, the discussion continued on other platforms, with some speculating that the incident might have been the work of a rogue salesperson rather than a company-wide policy.
The severe scarcity of RTX 50 series GPUs has sparked a wave of questionable tactics in the marketplace. Long lines have also been endemic
One example is Central Computers, which held a raffle for 20 RTX 5080 GPUs, with entries accepted from February 5 through February 13. This extended entry period required customers to visit stores in person, leading to long queues. Micro Center stores also experienced lines stretching outside their locations, with many customers leaving empty-handed due to extremely limited stock.
Meanwhile, scalpers have sought to capitalize on the situation, purchasing GPUs and reselling them at inflated prices. On eBay, sold listings of the RTX 5090 have reached over $6,000, which is a 200 percent increase over the $1,999 MSRP.
In response to the high demand and limited supply, some retailers and manufacturers have implemented their own pricing strategies. Third-party manufacturers have increased their selling prices for the RTX 5090, with the Asus ROG Astral reaching $2,799, a 40 percent increase over the MSRP.
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