With the launch of the new RTX 50 series, an old problem re-emerges. The graphics cards are hardly available and are being bought up in bulk by scalpers and bots. However, some users have come up with a creative solution. They are offering images of the RTX 5090 on eBay.
What kind of offers are these? On eBay, there are many listings for the GeForce RTX 5090 that range in price from €2,500 to €6,000. The high prices are far above the recommended retail price of €2,329 for the Founders Edition (via nvidia.com).
The increased prices are due to the low availability and high demand for the cards. This situation is exploited on eBay by so-called scalpers and bots.
What is the problem with the bots? Bots are programs that automatically buy products in large quantities even before human buyers can act quickly enough. These bots ensure that the cards sell out quickly, while scalpers (resellers) sell the products – usually at inflated prices.
This makes it even harder for average users to get their hands on the graphics cards.
Users want to outsmart bots
This is the idea of the eBay users: Some users on eBay have come up with a way to combat the bots. They are not listing the graphics cards themselves but instead are selling images of the RTX 5090.
In response to Gizmodo, the users explained that their goal is to lure bots into a trap. Instead of buying real cards, they are supposed to purchase only useless images. Often, it is noted in the title or description that it is only an image being purchased. Some listings even advertise with the words: “3CALPER BOT3 WE1COME,” which translates to “Scalper bots welcome.”
Is there a catch? Because the listings only sell images, it becomes harder to find legitimate offers. It is not always clearly indicated whether it’s a real offer or a fake listing.
This lack of clarity could also be exploited by scammers. Unwary people might fall into the trap and pay for useless images instead of actual graphics cards if they do not read the description thoroughly.
Our sample has shown that we primarily find such images on the US site of eBay, i.e., ebay.com. On the German eBay site (ebay.de), these fake listings are currently less common and do not have the same significance or reach. The method seems to be particularly popular in the US market, where scalpers and bots represent an even greater problem than they do here.
Is selling images allowed? eBay appears to be already taking action against some listings, indicating that they are not permissible. eBay’s policies do not allow misleading or deceptive listings aimed at defrauding buyers. An offer that sells only an image and not a real product could be considered a violation of the guidelines for fair trading and product representation. Repeated violations may result in eBay removing such listings or suspending the relevant accounts.
When looking at the listings on the German eBay site, it is noticeable that the phenomenon of scalping is not as pronounced here as it is in the USA. This problem was particularly evident during the peak of the PlayStation 5, when the console was highly sought after but hard to obtain.
Many scalpers took advantage of the scarcity and sold the PS5 at highly inflated prices. However, due to Sony’s major sales campaign in 2022, the tables turned and many scalpers were left with unsold PS5 consoles.
