What happened between Starforge Systems and Linus Tech Tips? Controversy explained

One True King's (OTK) Starforge Systems and Linus Tech Tips (LTT) have found themselves embroiled in a controversy. On October 20, 2023, Starforge Systems issued a public statement (which has since been removed) in which they asked Linus Tech Tips to "clarify and correct" some of the content of their most recent video.

For context, Linus Tech Tips recently published the second part of their popular Secret Shopper series in which Linus and his team anonymously buy and analyze pre-built PCs from various well-known builders. Starforge Systems was featured this year.

In a now-deleted press release, The PC building company brought up Linus' claims that the cost of shipping the computer to Canada was more than $300. Stating these statements were incorrect, Starforge Systems wrote:

"Linus states our price to ship to Canada is over $300; this is incorrect. Our one-rate shipping to Canada is $99.99 USD, which is comparable to others in the industry. The reason it may appear higher is that we collect international sales tax and duties during checkout, in an effort to prevent items being held up in customs (saving our customers time and frustration)."

According to Starforge Systems, a "quick look" at the checkout page would have prevented the "error" reported by the Linus Tech Tips team:

"For international orders, the receipt specifically highlights that Duties and Taxes are included with shipping in the same line item. A quick look at our checkout page by the LTT team would have prevented this error reporting."

---

"Single video with a few misrepresentations can harm a company's reputation" - Examining Starforge Systems' complaints regarding Linus Tech Tips' recent Secret Shopper video

Starforge Systems also responded to Linus Tech Tips' claims that the PC they received was damaged. Asserting confidence that the product was damaged "in the course of shipping," the company elaborated on the types of testing that a PC goes through before being shipped:

"Regarding the damage to the system that LTT received, we are confident that the system was harmed in the course of shipping from Texas to Canada. All of our systems are inspected three times prior to shipment: at built, at testing, and at final packaging. Inspections include comprehensive burn-in testing, as well full visual and physical testing of all components."

Starforge Systems expressed disappointment in Linus Tech Tips for "not mentioning the reality" surrounding packaging and shipment damage. They wrote:

"Regarding LTT's comments about our packaging, of the nearly 1,000 Horizon II Primes shipped recently, we've received only four reported instances of significant shipment damage. We're constantly looking at ways to reduce the odds of such damage occurring, but as with all products that rely on external couriers, mishandling by third parties can happen. It was disappointing to see LTT not mention this reality when discussing our product, when they've done so in the past with other PC companies."

Starforge Systems' press release in response to Linus Tech Tips' recent video (Image via X)

Starforge Systems disclosed that they provided a full RMA (return merchandise authorization), which included return and replacement:

"In this specific instance, we arranged a prompt support call, and upon understanding the damage was done to the system, our customer support immediately issued a full RMA (return and replacement)."

The OTK-affiliated PC builder concluded the address by saying that "misrepresentations" in a single video by content creators as big as Linus Tech Tips could harm both a company's reputation and its employees:

"While we appreciate Linus and the LTT team, it is important to mention that accuracy in reporting greatly affects smaller businesses. A single video with few misrepresentations (especially at LTT's viewership scale) can harm a company's reputation and its staff, which is why diligence in reporting matters. We respect Linus and LTT and only ask for consistency and fairness when reviewing our products."

---

"We'll be reshooting a portion of Secret Shopper 3 Part 2" - Linus Tech Tips responds to Starforge Systems' call-out

Starforge Systems took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier today to announce that they had contacted the tech YouTuber's team about the concerns. They said:

"We appreciate everyone's support on our last tweet. We have made contact with members of the LTT team and are working to resolve our differences in private. We ask that no hate be directed towards anyone - hate does not reflect who we are as a community. We admire the LTT team and the tremendous work they have put in to create one of the most respected tech media platforms in the world."

Linus Tech Tips responded by stating that they would be reshooting a portion of the second part of Secret Shopper 3 to "better reflect" the "new understanding":

"We appreciate Starforge Systems reaching out, allowing both sides to provide additional context. On our end, we'll be reshooting a portion of Secret Shopper 3 Part 2 to better reflect our new understanding of what happened with the shipping costs on our invoice. Our comments about packaging in the video reflect our personal experience, and we hope this is an outlier like Starforge claims."

---

While part 2 of Secret Shopper 3 was not available at the time of writing, part 1 was still accessible on Linus Tech Tips' YouTube channel.