Buying a new graphics card today often means an investment worth an entire gaming PC. That’s all the more shocking for one buyer who ordered a GeForce RTX 5080 from the official Best Buy store. The package arrived, the packaging looked authentic, but upon opening it, instead of a graphics card, he found only a few rocks placed where the GPU itself should have been.
According to his words, it was an original retail package without any additional box, with the shipping label directly on the product packaging. This is what might have made it easier to handle during shipping. The customer immediately contacted the retailer and was initially promised a replacement. However, after an internal investigation, Best Buy announced that it found no fault on its part and denied the claim.
The case once again brings up a topic that the community is addressing more and more often – the risks of ordering expensive graphics cards online. This isn’t a problem of a specific brand or model, but of logistics, shipping, and often times the human factor.
How to protect yourself when ordering a graphics card
- If possible, record the unpacking of the package on video.
- Check the packaging for signs of opening or damage.
- When purchasing expensive hardware, choose a credit card payment option that allows chargeback.
- Consider personal collection or purchase from retailers with a clear returns policy
While such cases are rare, they’re a reminder that even buying a high-end GeForce RTX 5080 may not always go smoothly. Caution definitely pays off at today’s GPU prices.
Check the current GeForce RTX 5080 lineup and compare prices and availability. Choose the most powerful graphics card from trusted retailers and don’t pay for stones.