A:AnswerThere's a limit on pre-orders to prevent scalpers from reserving multiples. In theory this sounds like a great idea, but of course, with the new verification system put into place, it's not really working.
A:AnswerI feel that the most logical answer is that people are having pre-orders cancelled which runs through their system and ends up showing up as the "micro-drops" that some are seeing via HotStock. Of course, nearly everyone barring a few handful haven't managed to score through these "micro-drops." And the thing is, in nearly every case of a "micro-drop," it ends up being what is considered to be a 'false alarm'. This is where the button to pre-order will be available (turn yellow) for a few seconds, and those that end up managing to get through the verification process in those matter of seconds end up receiving the "Out of Stock" notification before it refreshes and the button is now greyed out (unclickable) with the message "Coming Soon." Personally, I don't think the majority of people, including scalpers, are going to get through the new verification system unless an actual restock happens, and even then that only lasts about 5 minutes or so.
Now, prior to the new verification system, scalpers basically had free reign to any form of restock. I pray for the absolute worst for scalpers.
For some good news, hopefully, there are rumors of something Zelda-related happening this upcoming Tuesday (3/28). The source of the rumors come from a variety of Zelda/Nintendo-related youtubers, and they've been somewhat accurate, but I wouldn't put too much weight into these rumors. For many that do have some form of belief in the rumors, whether it be a slimmer of hope or false naivety, there is a possibility of the Zelda Oled Version being announced this upcoming Tuesday (3/28). For others, there seems to be a floating possibility of another major restock happening this upcoming Tuesday (3/28). Again, these are rumors, so it shouldn't be taken to heart, but it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on the Zelda situation for the next couple days.
A:AnswerIn regards to Best Buy caring about loyal customers, sure Best Buy emphasizes Total Tech members in some scenarios, but in the end, all Best Buy really wants is $$$ and scalpers are still paying for pre-orders.
As for the other point of letting Total Tech members essentially have early access to waves of pre-orders. it's really not ideal for them. Again, they do emphasize Total Tech members in some scenarios, but their bigger customer base primarily aren't Total Tech members so it's really a matter of which 'side' profits them more.
A:AnswerTo answer, the new verification was designed to prevent/combat scalpers and bots from reserving multiple pre-orders for the ToTK CE. Unfortunately, as you and literally everyone have experienced, it's not actually helpful to anyone trying to reserve a pre-order unless an actual major restock happens.
A:AnswerYeah, it's been speculated by some that they don't have the rights to sell the ToTK CE for whatever reason. Others have speculated that Amazon is waiting to sell the ToTK CE once they've received an actual number for stock purposes. I would keep an eye on the situation via HotStock.
A:AnswerBecause Nintendo most likely predetermines how many they will manufacture before preorders even start. As frustrating as that sounds. You'd think they'd want to sell as many as possible.
