Request for Arc Availability and Distribution Regulation - Regarding Scalping and Nefarious Sales

[ElectrostatDischarge]

Dear Intel,

The Arc B580 has been sold out since launch here in Canada.  Newegg is over pricing their product at $399.99.  I contacted Canada Computers, who have the only fair price in Canada, and they told me that scalpers are using bots to make on-line purchases as soon as products are listed.

Is there any way that this can be mitigated???  As customers, we are frustrated with unfair purchases, over inflated prices, and poor availability.

Some are charging $700.00+ Canadian for the B580.

What can we do as customers to help with this situation?

Because Canada Computers is selling at a fair price, I think they should be rewarded with first pick as long as they restrict purchases to pickup only, one per customer, and fair pricing.

[Mike_Intel]

Hello ElectrostatDischarge,

Thank you for posting in Intel community Forum.

For product availability and price inquiry, you may contact your resellers and Distributors.

Please use the links below to look for a resellers near you.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/partner/showcase/partner-directory/solution-software-and-service-providers.html#sort=relevancy

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/partner/showcase/partner-directory/distributor.html#sort=relevancy

If you have questions, please let us know. Thank you.

Best regards,

Michael L.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[ElectrostatDischarge]

Ontario Canada

Bestbuy - Sold Out

Newegg - Sold Out

Canada Computers - Sold Out

Amazon - Sold Out

Partner Boards are being sold at more than $550.00 CAD to $700.00 - No way that I am supporting that type of price gouging.  And the fact that those are still in stock in some places shows that other people feel the same way.

Any word on when the 24GB edition will be released?

[Mike_Intel]

Hello ElectrostatDischarge,

Thank you for the update.

I understand however here at the Technical team, we don't have any access on the availability or pricing in your area.

Try to coordinate with the local resellers and Distributors.

As for the release of the new product, there is no update yet. Try to visit our website from time to time for the announcement.

If you have questions, please let us know. Thank you.

Best regards,

Michael L.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[ElectrostatDischarge]

I watched availability in different stores in my province on "Canada Computers" web site for the last few days, and two showed up in my area yesterday.  My friend and I were able to call and have them hold them.  We picked up one each.

They are installed and running well.

Very nice improvement going from a GTX 1660 Super on an i9 11900HK and RTX 2060 on i9 13900H.

[n_scott_pearson]

I want to make sure the message is understood. For completeness, I also answer some of the other associated questions.

1. Intel DOES NOT deliver boxed products directly to storefronts. Intel delivers boxed products based upon orders placed by authorized regional and locale-specific distributors. Other than the time it takes Intel to get boxed products to these distributors, Intel had absolutely no control over when, where, how much, or final storefront costs for their products. Intel has regional warehouses through which it maintains boxed product volumes in order to speed up delivery to distributors.
2. Intel Customer Support agents typically do not have access to any information regarding the delivery of boxed product to regional warehouses or to individual distributors. Regardless, Intel Customer Support agents are prohibited from speculating on such deliveries with individual customers. Don't ask; you won't get an answer.
3. In the case of Intel's Software products (including drivers), Intel Customer Support agents are prohibited from speculating on the features or availability of specific future releases of Intel's Software product. This includes the implementation schedule or availability of fixes for individual issues. Don't ask; you won't get an answer.
4. Intel only warrants products purchased through authorized distributors. Products purchased elsewhere will have no warranty.  Further, you do not have a warranty from Intel for any silicon products embedded in an OEM's product (PC, laptop, add-in card, or otherwise). Your warranty comes from the OEM. You should contact them for any questions you have about your warranty.
5. Intel delivers its silicon products to OEMs in bulk trays. On a regular basis, OEMs will discover that they have purchased more Intel product that they can consume in their own products. With some regularity, they will attempt to sell their over-purchased Intel tray products on the gray market. The most common thing you see is tray processors. You can often purchase these processors at prices below that for Intel boxed processors. Understand, however, that you will be considered the second owner for these tray processor(s). Since Intel only warrants the first owner of its products, secondary owners do not have a warranty from Intel.

Clear as mud?

...S

[ElectrostatDischarge]

When I worked in a computer store as head technician (many...many years ago), I was told that some manufactures have rules regarding minimum and maximum MSRP.  is this actually more up to the distributors than the manufacturers?  Some distributors would drop clients if the clients created unfair competition.  So is this regulation on the distributors or is it more like an unwritten courtesy?

[ElectrostatDischarge]

From what I see in what you wrote is that, basically, a graphics card purchased from a "scalper" has no warrantee because the warrantee can only be covered through the originating reseller/distributor. - A form of regulation.  (A lot of the general public probably don't know this.)

Perhaps I will suggest to a few vendors to post a notice to this effect on their sales pages.  This may help to steer some customers away from re-sold, over inflated priced products on places like e-bay.

[Thomas40]

It would appear Intel is the problem with the ARC B850 card shortage (but correct me if I am wrong).  None of the reasonably priced cards are available anywhere.  If Intel made more B850 chips, then the manufacturers would make more cards, then there wouldn't be a shortage, and scalpers would have no market.  

If there is such a shortage on these cards, why isn't Intel stepping up manufacturing?  You would think they would want to produce more to sell more and establish a larger share of the market.  The longer the shortage continues, the more consumers will give up waiting and buy something else instead.

I really would like to see Intel succeed with Battlemage.  It seems like they have a good product but they just need to get production and distribution ironed out.

[ElectrostatDischarge]

Actually, it might be a problem with production demand at TSMC...  It might also be that the Chinese New Year inhibited some production.  AMD and NVIDIA seem to be having shortages too.  It would be nice for intel to get their FAB finished in the U.S.  Maybe that would help.  Personally I would like to see them build a fab here in Canada.  We have good tectonically stable areas for chip production, and lots of hydro-electric production for power.

[n_scott_pearson]

Well, I can only provide my opinion...

Yes, I would think that manufacturers will sometimes assert, um, 'guidance' on pricing. Distributors who don't follow this guidance may end up losing their preferred status with the manufacturers. This preferred status is critical when it comes to shortages.

In most cases, I would think scalpers would be hidden from the process. Folks are pretty much anonymous at the point of purchase. A scalper purchasing a card from an authorized storefront and selling it to you is pretty much the same as you having your big brother purchasing a card for you.

Controlling scalping is something that the storefronts need to do. It's not in their best interests to let it happen. Their efforts are, in general, pretty awful currently.

Again, just my opinion. I am retired now, so have no influence in this - or their, IMHO, crummy decision to outsource support.

...S