3w ago

'I want to acknowledge that we messed up': NZXT addresses concerns about its controversial Flex gaming PC rental program and commits to taking action

The company's also tried to clear up some misconceptions.

This response is not nearly enough in my book.

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NZXT Flex customers have never experienced a pre-tax subscription price increase and will never experience one unless they decide to switch subscription tiers.
I think they're forgetting the part where GN themselves were a NZXT flex customer who experienced subscription price increases. So this statement is already proven to be false before they even said it.

Nah, fuck them. They thought they could get away with this predatory debt-trap system that was marketed at children and they are clearly salty that they got caught. Not to mention the whole idea of not even owning your own PC or the data within which would set a bad precedent for everyone everywhere.
There are so many competitors in the industry NZXT operates in; it would be very easy to avoid ever buying their stuff again. And I intend to do just that. Get bankrupted, you pieces of shit.

Here at NZXT, we strive to deliver the best products and services to customers, but sometimes, we don't fulfill that desire.
Sure, we spent thousands upon thousands of man hours intentionally designing a pc rental service to rent out falsely advertised, subpar pcs, at stupendously high cost to you, our loyal customers...
And sure, we're only issuing this statement because we got caught, and even while apologizing, we are heavily qualifying our actions and emphasizing things we think we so well...
But what is most important is that we want you to know:

https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxVO5Fp6lepwAP6lXZ4z_SuxmDypXfhgj8
NZXT has posted a statement which not only misrepresents facts, but distorts the reality of their predatory rental computer program. The statement ignores major points and introduces several new concerns. GamersNexus has become aware of deeper elements connected to this story that GN has begun independently investigating. While we will put together coverage of NZXT’s inadequate and manipulative response in short order, we are also actively beginning work on a longer form investigation that could take weeks or months to finalize, depending on the depth of the rabbit hole. We will have more for you as it becomes available, starting with a deconstruction of NZXT’s statement.

Oh, I don't think they messed up at all. I think it was intentional and calculated. Business decisions don't just materialize out of happenstance, they are written, proposed, and approved by multiple people. They came up with and implemented the pricing and the bait-and-switching of components. Their lawyers wrote, reviewed, and approved the contract. Their public relations personnel came up with the untrue statements that should be said in sponsored videos. And now that the shift has left the ass, the CEO wants to pretend it was all a mistake? Fuck off.
- Their lawyers wrote, reviewed, and approved the contract.
  This is what most people, who've never worked for a large business, never seem to get.
  As an employee I can never say anything about my company unless I want to be fired. For people farther up the chain who have responsibility for making public statements, everything is first vetted by the legal team.
  Hell, at times we peons are given stock responses to give to certain questions.

Renting a gaming PC seems dumb as fuck.
- Renting most things long term is dumb as fuck, yet Rent-A-Center is a thing. Technically they do rent to own, but they will set you up with a whole shitty bachelor pad. $10 a month for the table, 20 for the couch, and only 50 for the TV. Over a five year loan. They will and do repo shit and rent it to the next dumbass. Quick what's 50 times 12 times 5? Doesn't matter I have a shitty big screen for only fifty bucks!
  
  Even if it works out to spending $3000 on the end, that's still only $80/month, and their demographic is people living paycheck to paycheck who don't have the few hundred at any one time to buy the stuff outright.

Nah, I think this should tank them as a company. Once a scammer, always a scammer.

the availability of different components requires specification changes, sometimes in real-time. In fact, customers may experience a free upgrade based on changing inventory levels.
They couldn't help but try and make "getting randomized components" sound like a good thing
- The surprise spec mechanic gives buyers a sense of pride and accomplishment.
  
  Are you in marketing?? If not, you should look around and see if you could.

That's an understandable take, I hope that when he drags himself out of the ashes of his failed company, dusts himself off, and starts a new company when his bankruptcy ban expires, it's a scooch more ethical to start with.

This should have been stated day one.
It's still hollow until they actually do something, but it's the least they should have done.

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