At the beginning of the month, one unlucky Reddit user went to the r/pcmasterrace subreddit to ask for advice. After scoring a deal on an Asus Tuf Gaming RTX 5080 at Best Buy and waiting for it to ship out, they opened the box to find the graphics card replaced by a pile of rocks. After nearly a month, user u/GnarDead finally has their RTX 5080 installed.
We've seen plenty of similar stories in the past, from an RTX 5090 box being filled with macaroni and rice to an RTX 5080 being replaced with a brick. We rarely hear what happens next, but GnarDead was gracious enough to update their original post with the results of the investigation, and how they were able to get the $1,200 graphics card in-hand.
If you missed the original story, the buyer found a handful of rocks inside the box for their graphics card, along with a tampered seal. Best Buy's customer service didn't offer to refund the buyer or replace the card; GnarDead claims that an investigation into the issue went on for just seven minutes before they were denied. After hitting a dead end, they proceeded to go into a Best Buy store for support, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, start the process of a credit card charge back, and file a police report.
The smoking gun ended up coming from FedEx's tracking system. Somewhere during transit, the package weight went up nearly three pounds. After learning about the weight change (and with a bit of coercion via the BBB), Best Buy conceded and gave the buyer a refund. As a gesture of good will, Best Buy also price-matched the original purchase price, as the cost for the card had gone up over the course of December.
(Image credit: u/GnarDead via Reddit)
To close the door on the experience, GnarDead got a tattoo of the Asus Tuf logo inscribed on a pile of rocks — a "gap-filler" from his girlfriend to bridge other leg tattoos.
Although this story has a happy ending, many similar stories don't. It's your word against the retailer's, and the retailer always wins that battle. GnarDead offered a reminder to film your unboxing on expensive purchases in the event it was tampered with during transit. Another option with retailers like Best Buy is to ship the product to a store for in-store pickup; in that case, you can open the box inside the story to ensure you're getting what you bought.