- The buyer of an RTX 5090 in India got an unpleasant surprise
- They paid more than $3,000 for a GPU box containing laundry detergent
- This was from a third-party seller on Amazon, and is a timely reminder to avoid the temptation of purchasing expensive products from such sources.
Someone who reportedly bought an RTX 5090 GPU from Amazon in India found a packet of laundry detergent inside the box instead of the flagship graphics card, serving as a clear warning about not trusting third-party marketplace sellers.
VideoCardz spotted this tale of misfortune on Reddit, and of course, as with all reports of this type, we have to take it with a grain of salt, although it appears to be authentic (it’s a very detailed fabrication if it’s made up).
The Redditor explains how they bought a Gigabyte RTX 5090 on Amazon in India from a third-party seller, via a “fulfilled by Amazon” order, a GPU that costs around $3,200 in the local currency.
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As you can see from the photo provided on Reddit (check it out below), what was actually in the battered graphics card box was a 1kg packet of Ghadi detergent.
The buyer has an unboxing video, although unfortunately for them, it is not continuously recorded and has been the cause of some skepticism from other Redditors, but it is clear that the weight of the package (1.56kg on the official shipping label) is too light for a boxed RTX 5090.
Hopefully this last point will be key to processing a refund, but for now we’re told Amazon has refused to issue a refund.
Apparently this person is not the only one who has been sent laundry detergent instead of an expensive graphics card, as they have discovered other similar complaints about the same third-party seller.
Analysis: Scammers are more active these days of expensive GPUs
Regardless of whether this is true (and as noted, that appears to be the case, although of course we can’t be sure), it serves as a timely reminder that as GPU prices rise, don’t be tempted by deals from obscure third-party marketplace sellers on Amazon or any other retailer.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And it’s simply not worth the risk of spending thousands of dollars on a fictitious product, whether it’s a box with a rock or piece of metal (as we’ve seen in the past with GPUs) or detergent (a new twist on this type of scam). You are simply flirting with the possibility of getting burned.
Of course, going for a cheap product isn’t a big deal, but I wouldn’t really consider a high-value purchase from a third-party seller as it’s simply not worth it. Yes, you should always be able to get your money back, but that process can be stressful.
And with expensive items, it’s actually sensible nowadays to record a full unboxing video as a matter of course (for starters, it shows the entire package clearly unopened, or ideally, a film from the moment of delivery).
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