Retailers Paywall Consoles, GPU's, Black Friday Deals Behind Expensive Annual Passes

Yeah Capitalism sucks when it doesn't benefit us. Playing devil's advocate, a system that rewards it's most profitable customers doesn't seem like a bad business move. Also the people who find extended warranties worth it as well as use the installation services(ie. not us) will find the BB TotalTech worth it. The included Apple care seems like a deal for those who buy Apple.

DA hat off, I'd be careful if I was BB as benefiting only profitable customers disregarding cost conscious consumers has hurt them in the past. Foot traffic and whatever the online equivalent is, matters.
 
If you're going to charge me a fee beyond the cost of the product to simply shop at your store then I won't buy anything there. It's really that simple.

Big one on that list is Target. They just lost all of my weekly business.
 
People pay for Costco memberships?

In fact when a new Costco opened near me earlier this year, they had something like 84 Xbox Series Xs on hand as part of the Grand Opening. And they all sold out over a couple weeks as people figured out they had them. If that had been at a GameStop, Walmart, etc without a membership required don’t think they would have lasted a day.
 
If Amazon goes the route of needing a Prime Membership to purchase high end graphics cards then I'm covered. Have Prime, Hulu, unlimited everything plus 120GB Hotspot for $78 per month. :)
 
For you maybe, for me it's just beyond pathetic

The stores trying to out-greed the scalpers while the end user gets the shaft in all scenarios
What is your solution when 1000 people want 100 GPU?

When there is that much demand and that little supply, prices are going to go up - the only question is about who makes the margin.

If you're just unhappy with the shortage, that's fine, it does suck. I wish I could afford a Ferrari but the greedy people who own them all want too much for them....

What's your solution?
 
What is your solution when 1000 people want 100 GPU?

When there is that much demand and that little supply, prices are going to go up - the only question is about who makes the margin.

If you're just unhappy with the shortage, that's fine, it does suck. I wish I could afford a Ferrari but the greedy people who own them all want too much for them....

What's your solution?

Obsessively pursue getting a Ferrari until you have one.
 
BestBuy, Walmart, GameStop, Target. Their hands are contractually tied from selling high-demand consoles and GPU's at above MSRP. Yet they are very aware how much more those products are reselling for at street value. They've had enough of standing idly by while human filth dances out of their stores with consoles and GPU's under each arm, destined for eBay and Offerup. Now it's about revenge. Their solution? Creating a door fee for the privilege of buying consoles and GPU's you can't buy, and a door fee for Black Friday.

BestBuy has introduced TotalTech for $199/year. Last week's online Playstation 5 drop required it for purchase. The upcoming Halo Edition Xbox drop will also require it.
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Walmart has introduced Walmart+ for $100/year. If you want a shot at Black Friday deals, it'll be required. Expect console drops to give preference to it.
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GameStop has had PowerUp Rewards Pro for some time, but it's less at $14.99/yr. It's been required for some GPU and console combo drops.

Expect Target, Newegg and maybe even Amazon to join the fun and excitement shortly.


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The Walmart I work at the electronics dept. hasn't seen a PS5 since last year 2020 we only got 3 boxes of them or like x6 of them.
We have all the controllers you could ever want if you want to plug and play USB. Picked up a next gen X-BOX controller last year for PC use.
I noticed we carry a boat load of Gaming Monitors at store level but most all of them at 27" and 1080P IPS to kick =) We have some Ultrawides believe it or not but I have no idea what the rez is. I almost knocked them over hauling cardboard bales from one side of the store to the other. I knocked over a 70" TV a month ago due to lack of width of the aisles I'm sure it still works that stuff should be anchored better to the stack bases.

Even if I say a console in the case I would never buy one the exclusives are exactly the same as PC releases.
God of War is the only game that I never got to try for the PS4 because I sold it to some console junkies who were shopping at Gamestop.
 
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I'm not sure how I feel about this...

On the one hand, anything to screw scalpers, I am all for.

The regular customers who (would otherwise get in line to buy) also gotta pay the fee, which sucks. But the price is about the same as the market is bearing, so for that I can't really blame BestBuy.

Does this TotalTech allow them to buy a limit of 1? Because if it doesn't have a limit, then this will actually help scalpers. If it has a limit, great.

I did the wait in line thing at BB and got a 3090. Friend also did it a month later and he got a 3080Ti. But, while he was checking out, they found that ppl buying 3090's were using the same credit card over and over... a scalper was paying people to wait in line and buy for him, to bypass the limit of 1... They refused to sell him any more, but he got 4 or 5 cards like that... I think changing to this membership thing and imposing a purchase limit is the only way to combat some of that shit... unless they get someone at the door to examine the credit card each time (card as well as name on it) and keep a lookout for those shenanigans... it sucks, but this is the world we live in.
 
Not to defend gamestop but the $15 a year membership has been around forever. Was not invented for PS5. They do however give members a heads up on their PS5 drops via email. I joined end of July, had a PS5 end of August. Pretty painless and my local gamestop store manager was great answering questions and signing me up. Not to mention the $50 in coupons I got back from them to boot. I don't shop at walmart or bestbuy or target or amazon. Only time I hit best buy is when I need a new tv and they have one I actually want in a store.
 
If you're just unhappy with the shortage, that's fine, it does suck. I wish I could afford a Ferrari but the greedy people who own them all want too much for them....

What's your solution?
But the msrp on a Ferrari is what stops you, not greedy people buying them up and reselling, or the dealership charging 100k for a membership that allows you to buy one
 
But the msrp on a Ferrari is what stops you, not greedy people buying them up and reselling, or the dealership charging 100k for a membership that allows you to buy one
Completely out of the subject, but I feel there is some underestimating about how easy it is to buy a new Ferrari even if you have the money (and many models are secret VIP membership only and they have a black list of people not to sell too and so on), it is usually a very long and complicated process for people that are the normal rich , but that part of the experience (I think you can even get process of your car being made with you name on it, visit the factory and everything) and I imagine why they keep their value ridiculous well.
 
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See, this is the Corporatism that only megacorps in our dark cyberpunk future can bring to the table. :borg:
How this is legal is hardly beyond me - the politicians who should be making this practice illegal have been bought and paid for, and now it is what it is, so enjoy literally needing to pay again to pay to play.

Oh, but those dirty scalpers, it's all their fault, riiiiight. :whistle:
People who defend this kind of corporatism are either benefitting from it, or they're suckers who would defend an economy that has left them high & dry, broke, and with dire family situations. The downward trajectory of the USA couldn't be any more apparent. We're not at Ron Paul levels of "It's Happening!" yet, but we will get there in due time, and it might happen faster than you'd think. Nobody is going to give a shit about Black Friday when gas & food is nigh unaffordable. Hard working people are checking out of the system and finding ways to build communities that will sustain through these hard times. Ted K will be considered a hero someday, you can count on it.
 
Completely out of the subject, but I feel there is some underestimating it is to buy a new Ferrari even if you have the money (and many models are secret VIP membership only and they have a black list of people not to sell too and so on), it is usually a very long and complicated people for the normal rich people, but that part of the experience and I imagine why they keep their value ridiculous well.
Can confirm. Know a guy that bought a Lamborghini and then a year later dealership bought it back for more then he paid for it. If you follow some youtube channels there is a number of people that get very exclusive cars which end up going up in value instead of down like the cars us plebs drive.

Topic at hand, i really dont like membership fees either. In this case, it seems like a fair solution. That fee + selling them at MSRP is still a better deal then buying from a scalper.
 
Can confirm. Know a guy that bought a Lamborghini and then a year later dealership bought it back for more then he paid for it. If you follow some youtube channels there is a number of people that get very exclusive cars which end up going up in value instead of down like the cars us plebs drive.

Topic at hand, i really dont like membership fees either. In this case, it seems like a fair solution. That fee + selling them at MSRP is still a better deal then buying from a scalper.
To be fair, that's like every used car over the last year (e.g. has gone up in value :(

OnTopic: Sadly this behavior seems to be the norm in the almost-post-pandemic days. Another example: DisneyLand Annual Pass Holders who purchased the new 'DreamKey' annual passes for $1400 (with NO BLACKOUT DATES) cannot get park reservations for weekends or holidays for the rest of 2021. Meaning (if you work a real job) you gave Disney $1400 and got N-O-T-H-I-N-G in return.
 
If I was a retailer I would be super keen on making direct sales more and more attractive to the companies that MAKE the products I sell.
 
So if by chance I was able to Buy at video card in store at Best Buy, I would have to pay a $200 dollar fee?

Don't think so. It seems to be more for online drops.
So far it has only applied to consoles. No way to be sure until they drop more cards on their website.

** Cards dropping right now on BestBuy.com, the TotalTech is not required
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Well, might have spoke too soon. Once it was ready, it then just said "No cards available within 250 miles.." But I am working, so I wasn't watching it closely.
It still could be that if a card was at a nearby store, the TotalTech might have been required after all.

Edit: I got a 3080Ti in my cart ready to checkout at BestBuy.com, no TotalTech needed:
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Well, this is interesting - last night I got an email from Playstation saying I was invited to a que event to try to buy a PS5.

I thought it was spam but it was legit - logged in today, waited about 5 minutes, bought a PS5 with optical drive for $499

So maybe direct emails like this to real customers is a good process as well.

The weird thing about this economy is - I don't even know if I want a PS5, but it feels crazy not to buy one if you can because if you don't want it, you can always sell it...

(I'll probably keep it though)
 
just signs of the times folk. Wont be long before people will be wiling to hand over their first born to get what they lust after.
"Mommy, why have we had onion soup for eight days in a row now?"
"Well son, daddy just has to have that high end GPU or else."
 
So far it has only applied to consoles. No way to be sure until they drop more cards on their website.

** Cards dropping right now on BestBuy.com, the TotalTech is not required
View attachment 405158

Well, might have spoke too soon. Once it was ready, it then just said "No cards available within 250 miles.." But I am working, so I wasn't watching it closely.
It still could be that if a card was at a nearby store, the TotalTech might have been required after all.

Edit: I got a 3080Ti in my cart ready to checkout at BestBuy.com, no TotalTech needed:
Congrats on getting a card.

That said just love the engrish on that "Wait times can take up to few minutes or longer..."
 
Yeah Capitalism sucks when it doesn't benefit us.
When Capitalism doesn't benefit the customer, it isn't Capitalism, it's Corporatism.
There is a difference, and what these corporations are pushing for is a clear benefit to themselves and little to no benefit to the customer.

The customer now has to pay through a literal paywall just to access what before was accessible for free, and without even a guarantee of the actual availability of said product, making it more of a gamble to the customer in the end than an actual guarantee.
This is a clear case of Corporatism that only benefits the corporations pushing these policies, which again are entirely legal due to said corporations greasing the wheels of the politicians and law makers who should be making practices like this illegal.

Have to pay for the chance to pay to play - it's the megacorp way. :borg:


Not to defend gamestop but the $15 a year membership has been around forever. Was not invented for PS5. They do however give members a heads up on their PS5 drops via email. I joined end of July, had a PS5 end of August. Pretty painless and my local gamestop store manager was great answering questions and signing me up. Not to mention the $50 in coupons I got back from them to boot. I don't shop at walmart or bestbuy or target or amazon. Only time I hit best buy is when I need a new tv and they have one I actually want in a store.
See, this is an example of Capitalism.
An optional fee can be paid for which benefits the customer in additional ways, but is not required by the customer in order to buy said products.

This policy is beneficial towards both the corporation and the customer.
GameStop is Capitalistic, while Walmart, Best Buy, etc. are all Corporatistic - see the difference, Eymar?
 
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Until (or even if) the silicon market ever gets back to a point where supply outpaces demand, prices will continue to have premiums for anything chip Oriented.
 
$15/year at Gamestop is nothing to get the torches out over. The sales tax on the console or video card is higher than that.
 
"Mommy, why have we had onion soup for eight days in a row now?"
"Well son, daddy just has to have that high end GPU or else."
The first to die when shtf. I do think most people have more appropriate priorities. If not at least the people I care to hang out with do.
 
Not sure how it is now, but when I worked there they would NEVER discount services or warranties. They might discount other items on the same receipt. The end result to the consumer is similar, except that if you need to return the item then you are returning the discounted price and you can't return services. Not sure how it would go with this though.
You can easily return services at Best Buy.
 
If you're going to charge me a fee beyond the cost of the product to simply shop at your store then I won't buy anything there. It's really that simple.

Big one on that list is Target. They just lost all of my weekly business.
What on earth did Target do?
 
So how does this thing work with Walmart now? I seem to have a scheduled delivery for Friday at 4:09pm for a PS5? When they dropped a little after 3pm. It wouldn't let me do pickup. I haven't been charged either. I don't have the Walmart + thing either.
 
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