Summary: A Hong Kong PC enthusiast had a disheartening experience when he purchased a used MSI GeForce RTX 4090 card, only to discover that it was missing its GPU and several VRAM chips. The buyer’s attempt to seek justice proved challenging, highlighting the difficulties of pursuing second-hand transactions. This cautionary tale reminds buyers to exercise caution when shopping on online marketplaces with limited buyer/seller protections.
The world of second-hand transactions can be a treacherous one, as Mr. Hong from Hong Kong recently discovered. Eager to upgrade his PC, he turned to the Carousell online marketplace in search of a used MSI GeForce RTX 4090 card. Thinking he was being cautious, Mr. Hong arranged a face-to-face transaction and inspected the product before purchasing it for HK$13,000 ($1,660).
Upon returning home and installing the graphics card, Mr. Hong’s initial relief quickly turned into disappointment. The card’s fans failed to spin, and there was no graphical output. Suspecting foul play, he sought the assistance of a local repairer, who confirmed his suspicions—a missing GPU and several removed VRAM chips.
Seeking justice, Mr. Hong approached the local police, only to find their lack of interest in his case disheartening. The limitations of pursuing second-hand transactions became evident, as he struggled to contact the seller and the case failed to reach the Hong Kong Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
This cautionary tale serves as a reminder to buyers worldwide to exercise caution when purchasing second-hand goods, especially from online marketplaces with inadequate buyer/seller protections. Even highly reputable sellers do not guarantee genuine products. Incidents have emerged in the past involving prominent online retailers, such as Newegg, which delivered metal blocks instead of a Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card.
Furthermore, scams involving high-demand products like the AMD Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs have persisted on Amazon, highlighting the need for buyers to remain vigilant and take additional precautions. It is advisable to keep records of interactions, including receiving parcels and unboxing, particularly for expensive items.
Therefore, buyers should be aware that the risks associated with second-hand transactions extend beyond local incidents, and they should exercise careful judgement and communication when engaging in such purchases.
The source of the article is from the blog lokale-komercyjne.pl