Memory Scam Exposed

[elite]

Monday I went into office depot becuase they had a 128meg stick of ram on sale for aroun 179, and a 50$ rebate on top of that!

Well of course they were out but I was prommised they would be back in stock in a few days.

I go to the store today and the guy says all of the "PNP" Ram was recalled so I left and called PNP..

Funny thing is that PNP denied this and said there are no recalls on that chip and the only one they had in the past was on a 32 meg chip package having a 64meg chip in it!!

Well I thought you should all know this and see if they give you the same recall story and if so reply here so we can really slam them..

A few minutes ago I just called Office Depot Corp. to complain and will fill you all in when I get more info back..

[BBA]

I am fed up with the crookedness of PC suppliers of late!

I think we should all join an "Internet wide" petition to not buy any ram until the prices drop to a reasonable amount.
This is clearly an organized price hike in the market, and apparently a lot of sellers are taking the same lines.


I vow to not buy any ram until the prices drop to $128 for a 128M DIMM. This is not as low as it was, but I figure a dollar a meg should be the going rate again.

If I can get 50% of every person who may read this to do the same, no matter how bad they want/need memory, then we can effectively influence the market!

Here goes! Post this message to every board/site person you possibly can! We can beat them, we are the customers who pay their bills!



[This message has been edited by BBA (edited 09-29-99).]

[j_k]

The price is rising because demaind is rising
- I am as mad as you are but barring go to China and buy direct - there is nothing the consumer can do!

If there are enough people out there needing
chips and they join HERE to bulk buy em
the price is very very reasonable /forum/smile.gif

No idea what the end price might be

[lost1]

I agree with BBA- I'm desperate for another 128 megs, but I'll do without till they bring the price down. I think it's all a big scam- it's like gasoline: if there's not a shortage, create one. It's great for profits... Sorry, but I'm not that big a sucker!
I was born at night, but not LAST night! /forum/wink.gif

[daveleau]

This is ridiculous! The price of RAM has gone from $80 for 128 6 months ago to $240! I agree that we should do something!

[MrEd]

I'm with ya BBA.

NO MORE RAM!
NO MORE RAM!
NO MORE RAM!

$1/MB is not a bad price. I would like it cheaper (of course), but a buck a meg is a good start.

-MrEd
/forum/smile.gif

[bigslammer]

I'm with you till the bitter end BBA, hehe. I still can't believe the prices have gone up soooooo much. I can't believe that consumers would actually put up with this. I go to the store and i actually see a few people buying memory. Granted the .80 cents or so a mb of ram was real cheap(way back in the good old months) and maybe a $1 or $1.25 per mb is acceptable but $270 for 8ns ram is insane. I mean gasoline companies can collude and raise prices on gas since it's an inelastic good but memory is definitely an elastic good and these companies will find this out(hopefully soon and not later). I'll boycott until it drops to around $1 per mb. I don't even think you'll have to tell people not to buy it, it seems that most people(who aren't in absolute need) won't buy something that has almost tripled in price in such a short amount of time. Down with monopolies and cullusion. This is not OPEC.

[U-96]

Hehe I'm real tempted to go down PC World and buy their bargain basement PC just for the memory and spare monitor. The memory itself would be 40% of the price at current rates!

As for who buys at such stupid prices, I imagine its people who dont know better, like first-time buyers, and companies who scheduled a mass hardware upgrade six months ago. Guess they don't care because the cost gets passed on to us through their own services and products.

I'm with you BBA! Fight the Power!

U-96

[welsh wizard]

It's not only end user's that are p****d off with ram prices, there are a lot of small OEM's like myself who are as mad a h**l about these price hikes, after all, people like Dell, Compaq, HP, to name a few are on 12 month price contracts so any ram we buy at the higher price subs them, sucks don't it, being small means we can't afford to hold large stocks of ram at these infated prices becuase when it comes down we then end up with over priced systems, so most of us just refuse to buy stock except when absolutly ness. A number off us have started going to bankrupt's auctions and buuying up Brand new systems just to break up to obtain ram at a fair prices, I tell my customers if they want ram, if you can avoid buying the longer you can put it off the more likly prices will fall, if nobody will buy then they will have to come down.
ww
(JKEelectronics)

[jbob]

Were OEM like welsh wizard, and in a small town of about 3600, we haven't sold near as many machines in the last 3-4 weeks as we have during the rest of the spring and summer. About a month or two ago, we were accidentilly shipped a whole box of 128 meg PC100 mem!! 150 pieces we counted, and only paid $850 or so. Almost $20,000 worth of memory!!! /forum/smile.gif If the boss wasn't so honest, we'd be sitting pretty good right now.

[nilknarf]

I with you BBA! /forum/smile.gif

I want more RAM, but not at the current prices!!!! /forum/frown.gif /forum/frown.gif /forum/frown.gif /forum/frown.gif /forum/frown.gif

p.s. - I think you've got more than your 50% /forum/smile.gif

[Krueger81]

I just got 32 MB SDRAM from PNY for 48.50 which is rediculious but I had to get some because I ould have only had 32 w/out the 32 MB Stick but I will wait now till the prices go wayyyyy down.

Krueger81
P.S.: I am with you /forum/smile.gif

[KillerBug]

I vow not to purchase PC100 128 sticks until they are $120 or lower, 64s I will only buy for under $60, I will probably buy one of these $20 32mb chips sometime, they are a fair price. Infact, aside from the 32mb sticks, I will never buy another PC100 stick because of this, untill the PC133 sticks of 128mb go below $150, I will not buy another high capacity PC100 stick.

[astro]

I was told at 2 different Office Depot stores that the Taiwan earthquake was the reason for the sore being out of chips. (I also wanted to buy the 128 that had a rebate.)They said when they did get some, it would be very high in price because of this. They said silicone came from Taiwan. I told them that the chips didn't just go up last week. You know they have orders from higher up to hold them for a higher price. I bet the store was full of them.

[elite]

Exactly my thoughts at least he used a semi valid exuse. What they told me was a out right lie!

You should still complain that they advertised something they dont have nad should honor it.

1. Start with store Mgr. and tell them if they dont you will complain.. when they get a complaint to corporate they loose there bonus checks for the whole store. And there bonus checks compile so if they go one month for example they might get say for a wild example 25 of there salery. If it has been 2 months 3% etc..

Bottom line its gonna hurt em /forum/smile.gif just like they try to hurt us /forum/smile.gif

[Nutcase]

No More RAM!!! No More RAM!! **** people ripping us off like that. I got a stick of PC100 64mb for someone for about $130 and I got a 6.4GB hd for them as well and the HD was only $100!!! THEY ARE RIPPING US OFF THIS HAS TO STOP!

[pickel]

I went to Office Depot today, just to look around, and saw that the 64Mbs of RAM I bought for $50 bucks after rebate 3 weeks ago
was $179.95. I remember, in 1973 when &*^%$(*
Arabs shut down and ripped everybody off.But
this RAM thing has gotten out of hand real quick. I'm sure this was all planned in advance and knowing the hungry vendors and suppliers, I wouldn't doubt that they didn't have something to do with the earthquake in Taiwan. I guess I was lucky to get what I got before the onslaught. But I'll be dammed
if I spend another dime in acomputer store
til things seem to be more in the comsumers
favor!!!!

The Pickel

[AuraEdge]

69 bucks for 128 PC100 DIMM
12 bucks shipping

Look at them prices now.......
holy cow
Whens the next drop off? does this usually happen (this bad)?
Im a newbie as far as timetables and prices go

[theCorvetteDoctor]

This RAM issue is just like the Oil Prices, a little more demand, NO price at the well increase, JUST demand and away it goes.. Forbid any thing like the quakes that have played havoc on the poor Asia's people, this is only fuel for the fire for the many middle men and retailers to rip us a new orifice.

[Bill Kunert]

I had a rain check on 64 meg of pc100 at Office Depot for $80. Last Friday they called me to say it was in. When I checked out it rang up at $230. They did let me have it for $80. Problem is it was the day after the PNY rebate ended. PNY hasn't answered my e-mail about honoring the rebate 'cause the store was out.
Bill

[MrEd]

Socalgal will probably reprimand me for posting twice, BUT, I just found 32MB PC-100 made by Centon at Circut City in Denver for 39 bucks. After looking at the ad a couple times, I called, and sure enough I'm picking some up tomorrow.

Sorry Socalgal, but this was such good news to me I just had to post it in other than the PC Steals and Deals area.....

-MrEd
/forum/smile.gif

[Joel Kleppinger]

I'll tell her to go easy on ya. /forum/wink.gif

----
oh, just noticed... this is my 400th post.. WOOHOO! OK, so I'm no Bleeding Edge or socalgal, but I try. /forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Joel Kleppinger (edited 10-07-99).]

[socalgal]

MrEd "reprimand"? Icky word. /forum/smile.gif I like to think of it as "helpful suggestions" or maybe "gentle direction", I don't want to be a cop... =-P (Besides, your post has a significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand /forum/wink.gif )

Hey Joel, congrats on #400! I haven't even looked at my profile for awhile, am I still here? lol.

[Zacko10000]

Down with RAM prices!!!! the domain name www.nomoreram,com is not taken yet, if someone has an extra $75 lying around and some time, create a petition there, launch a massive effort to get people to "sign" it. It would take work, and even if you got a great many "signatures" it might not have any effect on the RAM companies. When you get enough then send it to the RAM companies, if they are overwhelmed by people vowing not to buy RAM at these prices, maybe, just maybe they will change. Though a companies lust for profits may be more powerful then even the people...Just an idea, who knows if it would work.
I vow not to buy any more RAM at these insane prices,
Zach

[Zacko10000]

Sorry, repeat post, I hate it when that happens...

[This message has been edited by Zacko10000 (edited 10-07-99).]

[Carl Uman]

I have been recommending to a good number of people not to buy memory until it comes back down in price. I also agree that I will not buy any memory for myself and will try hard to discourage others from buying also.

As to why the price has went up here is a good article from a guy that 1) know his stuff and 2) does his research. I don't like articles that bash other sites but I doubt that anyone can make a good argument against what he has to say.

[Chasrome]

WOW!

I just bought a replacement MB and was getting ready to buy upgraded memory for it right now today!! I was totally out of touch with the pricing situation. I thank ALL OF YOU especially the saint that started this BB!

I am halting my upgrade plans right now. At these prices, I'd save money throwing away the MB! I'll just go back to making more MP3's. My current system does this just fine, thank you very much.

If this continues, it means that folks selling SCSI cards, CD burners, etc, etc are in for some hard times (not to mention computers, telephones, etc.). What is this? Wreck the world economy for the new year or what?

[cwizard]

Hey Guys:

You'll be thrilled to know that the memory industry now says they are out of memory due to, ha excess demand, and they MUST allocate.

What a bunch of it. They were switching to rambus which doesn't work. Now there's a shortage? Give me a break.

BOYCOTT MEMORY.

[awwall]

Keep up the good work folks. I am behind this BoyCott 100%. SomeBody, somewhere, is taking a lot of people for a RIDE. I read that Taiwan is responsible for only 10% of the world's production of Ram, why did we not see a 10% increase, even if we lost all of the production from Taiwan.

I bought 128meg PC100 Sdram in Aug for $88.00, shipped. I've recently seen prices for the same ram in the $300.00 range...no way!!!


Carl, can you give us the link to the article you refer to in previous post?

my 2 cents

[CMonster]

I am not buying any memory until the bargain stuff is at least $1 a meg once again...

...Oops should learn how to spell thanks SCG

[This message has been edited by CMonster (edited 10-12-99).]

[Vampiel]

HERE HERE! BOYCOT DA RAM! NO RAM NO RAM! I take the same voy!@!

[rockinwy]

It all makes sense, first "intel" decides to use rambus memory for their new chipset. At the time sdram was cheap and plentiful, manufacturers and pcmakers said it will never work because sdram is cheap and rambus is too expensive. Shortly after "intel" says they will use sdram on the new chipset for a while, and then ram prices skyrocket, going from $28 for 64meg sdram to over $120 within a few weeks. Now intel says their new chipset doesnt work right with sdram and are considering going back to rambus and convieniently the prices of sdram are now high enough to justify the higher price of rambus memory. sounds a little too planned to be accidental. Like it or not the whole computer industry revolves around intel, if they dont make the chips, motherboard manufaturers dont make the boards and memory doenst sell. Amd is fighting to stay alive but with the media saying amd cant make it and telling people not to buy athlon stuff and intel telling manufacturers not to make athlon motherboards things look bad. All it would take to put "amd" on top and intel in its place is some good press, People listen to what the see and hear if the media says go "amd" then most people will do that, but they are not. Intel has the money to buy whoever they want to get the press and whatever else they need to stay on their side. Its a dirty business just like any thing involving big money and dont let anyone try to tell you otherwise.

[Vampiel]

Yes, I agree the thing is AMD WONT go down though because of people like us, that KNOW there stuff and arent computer illiterate... Allthough I do agree the maj. are computer ill. but for those of us who arent AMD makes enough and they spend the $$$ for there proccessor and l8tly Intel has been spending it on ads (dont get me wrong intel still makes good proccessors, but they arent the best value honestly unless you have the money to spare but over 450mgz is just wouldnt make sence to go intel) Notice Intel has been advertising spending that $$ and AMD was just sitting back spending there $$$ on research and now look at THE SOLID STATS :
http://www.anandtech.com/index.cfm
and ATHLON 500mgz has outperformed INTEL's 600b proccessor. Thats 100MILLION calculations per second more (every 1mgz is 1 mill. cps) and ATHLON 500 out performs pIIIB-600. Now if only AMD had the $$$ to advertise and research, but you would have to be microsoft to pull that one |)
Most of those stats are backed up by ziff davis if you dont know who they are thats the corp. that makes/authorizes around 50percent of official computer magizines.

[Carl Uman]

Seems that I forgot to post the link above...

www.realworldtech.com/news/editoria/memory-prices.cfm (http://www.realworldtech.com/news/editoria/memory-prices.cfm)

[This message has been edited by Carl Uman (edited 10-13-99).]

[cruzlow]

I'm with ya BBA for the Duration of the Ram wars. NO MORE RAM!!!!!!! Atleast until its a $1.00 per MB I stand my ground!! Its ashame that people like us and small self owned Buisnesses like mine have to suffer like this. Its hard to build computers when the prices for Ram is through the roof. And motherboards arn't much better,because they are trying to blame the earthquake for that too /forum/frown.gif (Go figure). They are just stabbing at the idea that christmas is on the corner and this is a way to make extra money.

[kgb]

I agree, lets boycott the RAM. I'am fed up paying high prices when a couple couple later it drop to half, and with a month the price get high ..again. A 1$/Ram sound really reasonnable for home users.

This technology industry is not doing a real good thing for us as a society. We buy, and buy and buy and it never end. You buy, what you think is a good deal at the time, 5 months later (or less) it loses half of it value. It doens't surprise to hear employees stealing RAM from their computers at work to put them on their computer at home. If its not RAM it graphic card, or hard drive...ect. I'm happy with 32 ram right now, but I would like to increase the performance of my computer with more RAM but not until it goes down..to 1$/mg ram.

If we all boycott ram, they will bring it down.

my 2cents