Don't fall for "PC rental" scams like NZXT Flex

[r.linder]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pomC1CfpC0

TL;DW for people that don't want to watch a super long video:

1. NZXT offers a "service" called Flex, where consumers can rent a gaming computer from NZXT for a certain monthly fee.

2. The monthly fee is constantly increasing and cancellation has proven to be a hassle, and also a massive security risk for users as NZXT lays claim to all user data left behind on the machine, even if that data is deleted but still recoverable from the storage drives.

3. NZXT constantly changes the specifications of their machines but doesn't change the price and forgets to change performance data on the webpages, so you might rent a machine and expect much better performance than what you actually got. People often wait before buying as well so they might even go back to finalize their purchase without noticing that NZXT downgraded the specs for the same price without notice.
The only caveat to this is that NZXT's contract states that if the machine isn't within 10% of the advertised performance, then the machine can be returned on those grounds, and because NZXT doesn't update all of the advertising information, they're making that front easier.

4. NZXT advertises this service through various brainrot influencers on YouTube, TikTok, etc. that spread NZXT's scripted lies. Things like "for as little as 59 dollars per month, you can own a high end gaming PC!" (when you don't own the machine, NZXT does, and the hardware is far from high end on the low end side of the program), making false claims on warranty (there is no warranty for the user, and if they break it, NZXT will likely expect them to pay damages), and false claims on there being "no strings attached" when there are many strings attached in NZXT's contract with the consumer.
One such advertiser also claimed that you could rent the PC for a month to win a Fortnite tournament to build or buy your own machine and then cancel the Flex contract.
These advertisements are clearly targeting youths and people in dire financial straits that can't afford to dump over $1000 at once on a gaming machine and don't know how to maximise performance per dollar with other methods like deal hunting on the second hand market.

5. GN has completely permabanned NZXT from ever advertising through them ever again (and started a ban list on their website) and their $23,000 ad campaign set for December was cancelled with no charge made for NZXT. They will only cover NZXT when absolutely necessary like in instances like this and the H1 case fire issues that NZXT danced around.

[Nonebit]

Originally posted by r.linder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pomC1CfpC0

TL;DW for people that don't want to watch a super long video:

1. NZXT offers a "service" called Flex, where consumers can rent a gaming computer from NZXT for a certain monthly fee.

2. The monthly fee is constantly increasing and cancellation has proven to be a hassle, and also a massive security risk for users as NZXT lays claim to all user data left behind on the machine, even if that data is deleted but still recoverable from the storage drives.

3. NZXT constantly changes the specifications of their machines but doesn't change the price and forgets to change performance data on the webpages, so you might rent a machine and expect much better performance than what you actually got. People often wait before buying as well so they might even go back to finalize their purchase without noticing that NZXT downgraded the specs for the same price without notice.
The only caveat to this is that NZXT's contract states that if the machine isn't within 10% of the advertised performance, then the machine can be returned on those grounds, and because NZXT doesn't update all of the advertising information, they're making that front easier.

4. NZXT advertises this service through various brainrot influencers on YouTube, TikTok, etc. that spread NZXT's scripted lies. Things like "for as little as 59 dollars per month, you can own a high end gaming PC!" (when you don't own the machine, NZXT does, and the hardware is far from high end on the low end side of the program), making false claims on warranty (there is no warranty for the user, and if they break it, NZXT will likely expect them to pay damages), and false claims on there being "no strings attached" when there are many strings attached in NZXT's contract with the consumer.
One such advertiser also claimed that you could rent the PC for a month to win a Fortnite tournament to build or buy your own machine and then cancel the Flex contract.
These advertisements are clearly targeting youths and people in dire financial straits that can't afford to dump over $1000 at once on a gaming machine and don't know how to maximise performance per dollar with other methods like deal hunting on the second hand market.

5. GN has completely permabanned NZXT from ever advertising through them ever again (and started a ban list on their website) and their $23,000 ad campaign set for December was cancelled with no charge made for NZXT. They will only cover NZXT when absolutely necessary like in instances like this and the H1 case fire issues that NZXT danced around.

No sane person would actually rent a PC for a monthly fee anyway in my opinion when you can simply just save up and build a computer yourself (or buy a prebuilt if you can't build a PC)

[Omega]

I find especially the marketing surrounding the service morally corrupt and purposefully deceptive, worse, it is aimed specifically at people who do not know any better and fall for these lies.

[76561199793899658]

if you buy every 3.5 years a 1800 euro pc (case only) and buy every 7 years for 60 euro a new minitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers (headphone/mic/webcam)

that adds up to 50 a month.
that basicly means you could buy a system with a 9800x3d and 5070 and by the time we are at the 7070 (2 series from now) replace it...

or put diferent
970 - 2070 - 4070 would be the systems you woulf have owned.

the only 50 a month service I could see usable is like those magazin maps.

like where you can get amap with 20 this weeks magazines for like only 10% of what those 20 subscriptions would cost.
you xan also choose 1 week delay thats 9%.. and so on

upto 50 week old.
so the magazine maps gp from person 1 to 2 etc...and all get a good deal.. and the magazine map offering this service earns more than the subscriptions cost 50x10% still is more than they spend.

if there was a pc service where they perpetually upgraded your pc as soon as any part comes out thays better.. that be interesting as no hassle to sell used parts for us.. and decent price to upgrade..

but thats not what this is.. so useless service.

[Crashed]

I was just about to post this. Jayz2Cents's comments section is starting to pop off.

[Crashed]

Originally posted by Outcast82:

if you buy every 3.5 years a 1800 euro pc (case only) and buy every 7 years for 60 euro a new minitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers (headphone/mic/webcam)

that adds up to 50 a month.
that basicly means you could buy a system with a 9800x3d and 5070 and by the time we are at the 7070 (2 series from now) replace it...

or put diferent
970 - 2070 - 4070 would be the systems you woulf have ownec..

If my old hardware is still usable I sell it on eBay so I get some of the money back.

[DevaVictrix]

Wow, rent a pc! They’re probably testing if there’s a market. People rent coffee machines so it doesn’t surprise me.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by Nonebit:

Originally posted by r.linder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pomC1CfpC0

TL;DW for people that don't want to watch a super long video:

1. NZXT offers a "service" called Flex, where consumers can rent a gaming computer from NZXT for a certain monthly fee.

2. The monthly fee is constantly increasing and cancellation has proven to be a hassle, and also a massive security risk for users as NZXT lays claim to all user data left behind on the machine, even if that data is deleted but still recoverable from the storage drives.

3. NZXT constantly changes the specifications of their machines but doesn't change the price and forgets to change performance data on the webpages, so you might rent a machine and expect much better performance than what you actually got. People often wait before buying as well so they might even go back to finalize their purchase without noticing that NZXT downgraded the specs for the same price without notice.
The only caveat to this is that NZXT's contract states that if the machine isn't within 10% of the advertised performance, then the machine can be returned on those grounds, and because NZXT doesn't update all of the advertising information, they're making that front easier.

4. NZXT advertises this service through various brainrot influencers on YouTube, TikTok, etc. that spread NZXT's scripted lies. Things like "for as little as 59 dollars per month, you can own a high end gaming PC!" (when you don't own the machine, NZXT does, and the hardware is far from high end on the low end side of the program), making false claims on warranty (there is no warranty for the user, and if they break it, NZXT will likely expect them to pay damages), and false claims on there being "no strings attached" when there are many strings attached in NZXT's contract with the consumer.
One such advertiser also claimed that you could rent the PC for a month to win a Fortnite tournament to build or buy your own machine and then cancel the Flex contract.
These advertisements are clearly targeting youths and people in dire financial straits that can't afford to dump over $1000 at once on a gaming machine and don't know how to maximise performance per dollar with other methods like deal hunting on the second hand market.

5. GN has completely permabanned NZXT from ever advertising through them ever again (and started a ban list on their website) and their $23,000 ad campaign set for December was cancelled with no charge made for NZXT. They will only cover NZXT when absolutely necessary like in instances like this and the H1 case fire issues that NZXT danced around.

No sane person would actually rent a PC for a monthly fee anyway in my opinion when you can simply just save up and build a computer yourself (or buy a prebuilt if you can't build a PC)

They're targeting buyers that don't have a whole lot of sense, that's the problem.

Originally posted by Omega:

I find especially the marketing surrounding the service morally corrupt and purposefully deceptive, worse, it is aimed specifically at people who do not know any better and fall for these lies.

Exactly this, it's purely evil and very greedy marketing.

Originally posted by Crashed:

Originally posted by Outcast82:

if you buy every 3.5 years a 1800 euro pc (case only) and buy every 7 years for 60 euro a new minitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers (headphone/mic/webcam)

that adds up to 50 a month.
that basicly means you could buy a system with a 9800x3d and 5070 and by the time we are at the 7070 (2 series from now) replace it...

or put diferent
970 - 2070 - 4070 would be the systems you woulf have ownec..

If my old hardware is still usable I sell it on eBay so I get some of the money back.

Yep, and you can't even do that with NZXT because it ain't even yours.

Originally posted by Crashed:

I was just about to post this. Jayz2Cents's comments section is starting to pop off.

Haven't watched Jay in years as he doesn't bring much to the table and has been wrong about quite a number of things, and he isn't as entertaining as other channels like LTT (in my opinion) so there isn't any real point for me to watch his content specifically.

GamersNexus is the best for information, LTT for entertainment. RandomGamingInHD is also a good channel because he heavily covers more lower budget options.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by DevaVictrix:

Wow, rent a pc! They’re probably testing if there’s a market. People rent coffee machines so it doesn’t surprise me.

They aren't the first and won't be the last, but it's a market that doesn't need to and shouldn't exist at all.

[A&A]

lol
"Win a Fortnite tournament to build or buy your own machine..."

Actually talking about esports, nobody needs a 4090 to bottleneck the CPU.
The only thing they have to do is to decrease the resolution.

Like playing CS or valorant on 800x600 or hell even 640x480 is good enough or at least for me

[r.linder]

Originally posted by A&A:

lol
"Win a Fortnite tournament to build or buy your own machine..."

Actually talking about esports, nobody needs a 4090 to bottleneck the CPU.
The only thing they have to do is to decrease the resolution.

Like playing CS or valorant on 800x600 or hell even 640x480 is good enough or at least for me

Yeah that's literally what one of them said, which is really some stupid teenager logic right there. Absolutely predatory.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

I thought meant lease, but actual renting, yeah that a no-brainer to say no to that crap, and whatever else they might try to sneak on you.

$59 ~ $259 like wtf... I can see dummy wanting $59 monthly fee because they're broke AF, but for 16 months could've just bought a PC that same, or better. And whom ever paying $259 are brain-damaged as they can just buy same PC if waited several months if they were putting $260 away each month, think about it if PC costed around $2k in parts that 7 - 8 months time.

Like leasing makes WAY more sense to people that desperate, or needing something ASAP lacking funds, but rental is just dumb thing anyone would do.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

I thought meant lease, but actual renting, yeah that a no-brainer to say no to that crap, and whatever else they might try to sneak on you.

$59 ~ $259 like wtf... I can see dummy wanting $59 monthly fee because they're broke AF, but for 16 months could've just bought a PC that same, or better. And whom ever paying $259 are brain-damaged as they can just buy same PC if waited several months if they were putting $260 away each month, think about it if PC costed around $2k in parts that 7 - 8 months time.

Like leasing makes WAY more sense to people that desperate, or needing something ASAP lacking funds, but rental is just dumb thing anyone would do.

Even financing a machine doesn't cost nearly as much over time, that's the crazy thing, you might spend a couple hundred extra financing a machine compared to thousands more over time through Flex

[_I_]

dell did some pc rental/lease scams like that years ago
stay on a payment plan and get a new pc every few years

that was mainly for business pcs or servers tho, not consumers

[Crashed]

JayzTwoCents just dumped NZXT and is editing his videos to remove the sponsors.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

That's like renting a car and you plan to drive to work... EVERY DAY.

LOL what.