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CultureQuiet 10d · day 17

Walmart's Zelda Switch 2 pre-order fiasco spreads to Target, Best Buy, UK buyers

A day before the Triforce-themed Switch 2 console was due, Walmart began canceling pre-orders for stock it never had, and the mess only grew through launch week.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 13d ago21 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • Walmart canceled pre-orders for the special-edition Zelda Switch 2 bundle the day before scheduled delivery, citing lack of stock.
  • The same console then appeared on Walmart's site from third-party sellers for nearly $200 above the original price.
  • On the Oct. 29 release day, an internal memo and point-of-sale blocks kept stores from selling even in-stock units until Nov. 6.
  • Target and Best Buy customers reported similar delays and cancellations; Walmart later gave affected buyers a 48-hour window to place a new order.

The dispute Whether this is a Walmart-specific failure of overselling pre-orders or part of a broader, retailer-wide shortage affecting Target, Best Buy, and international sellers alike. · positions read across 1 posts and comments

most voices

Walmart's practice of taking pre-orders beyond available stock is unethical and should be stopped.

many voices

The fulfillment chaos isn't unique to Walmart — UK buyers and other retailers' customers are hitting the same delays.

  • “Head to r/NintendoUK to get a snapshot of the absolute shitshow of a day it's been for Zelda Switch 2 deliveries in the UK today.”

    Commenter · Polygon ↗
some voices

Affected buyers express resigned frustration at simply being unlucky in a broken allocation system.

  • “literally isn’t [a console] in stock to send me and I just was one of the unlucky patrons who got fucked.”

    Walmart customer · Reddit (via Kotaku) ↗

“They shouldn’t allow pre-orders beyond what they can stock. This denied their competitors a sale and denied an excited customer a chance at limited edition merch.”

Affected buyer, Reddit poster whose pre-order was canceled · Reddit (via Kotaku) ↗ · Oct 27

Walmart Retailer selling the Zelda Switch 2 bundleNintendo Maker of the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 consoleTarget Retailer also selling the special-edition consoleBest Buy Retailer with a later, Nov. 5 console release

Walmart's Zelda Switch 2 pre-order fiasco spreads to Target, Best Buy, UK buyers
Kotaku

How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 4h at Oct 29, 7 AM; 21 pieces over 17 days (17 articles · 4 posts) Oct 27, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Oct 27, 3 PM — quietOct 27, 7 PM — quietOct 27, 11 PM — quietOct 28, 3 AM — quietOct 28, 7 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Oct 28, 11 AM — quietOct 28, 3 PM — quietOct 28, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Oct 28, 11 PM — quietOct 29, 3 AM — quietOct 29, 7 AM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Google News 2, Newswires 1Oct 29, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Oct 29, 3 PM — quietOct 29, 7 PM — quietOct 29, 11 PM — quietOct 30, 3 AM — quietOct 30, 7 AM — quietOct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Oct 30, 7 PM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1Oct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 3 AM — quietOct 31, 7 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 1, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Oct 31, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Oct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Google News 1, Mastodon 1Nov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietNov 7, 2 AM — quietNov 7, 6 AM — quietNov 7, 10 AM — quietNov 7, 2 PM — quietNov 7, 6 PM — quietNov 7, 10 PM — quietNov 8, 2 AM — quietNov 8, 6 AM — quietNov 8, 10 AM — quietNov 8, 2 PM — quietNov 8, 6 PM — quietNov 8, 10 PM — quietNov 9, 2 AM — quietNov 9, 6 AM — quietNov 9, 10 AM — quietNov 9, 2 PM — quietNov 9, 6 PM — quietNov 9, 10 PM — quietNov 10, 2 AM — quietNov 10, 6 AM — quietNov 10, 10 AM — quietNov 10, 2 PM — quietNov 10, 6 PM — quietNov 10, 10 PM — quietNov 11, 2 AM — quietNov 11, 6 AM — quietNov 11, 10 AM — quietNov 11, 2 PM — quietNov 11, 6 PM — quietNov 11, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quiet 12–34
Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9now · 2:03 AM ET
  1. 4

    Walmart gives canceled customers a 48-hour window to reorder

    Walmart told customers whose Zelda Switch 2 pre-orders were canceled that they would have 48 hours to secure a new order for the console.

    1. 2 outlets If Walmart Canceled Your Zelda Switch 2 Pre-Order, The Store’s Giving You 48 Hours To Get A New One

      first by Kotaku, 13d ago · also IMDb

      1 more headline

    • Walmart gives $519 gift cards over botched Zelda Switch 2 orders https://www. polygon.com/nintendo-switch-2- zelda-ocarina-of-time-walmart-compensation/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Polygon @ polygon-polygon

      polygon@flipboard.comMastodon12d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. 3

    Problems spread to Target and Best Buy customers

    Polygon reported that beyond Walmart, Target customers faced canceled orders or shipping delays into mid-November, while some Best Buy game pre-orders would ship late; Best Buy's hardware, with a later Nov. 5 release, was comparatively less affected.

    “Head to r/NintendoUK to get a snapshot of the absolute shitshow of a day it's been for Zelda Switch 2 deliveries in the UK today.”
    — Commenter, Polygon reader comment · source
    1. 1 outlet The 'Zelda' Switch 2 Console Release Is A Confirmed Disaster For Some

      first by Polygon, 14d ago

  3. 2

    Launch-day supply chain delay blocks even in-stock consoles

    On the console's official Oct. 29 release day, an internal Walmart memo told employees some stores would miss shipments 'due to a supply chain delay,' and a point-of-sale block prevented staff from scanning and selling units already on hand until at least Nov. 6.

    “We showed up at Walmart at 6 a.m., spoke to an electronics person, and was told that they were unable to scan the consoles they had in stock (three units).”
    — Reddit user (Walmart customer)
  4. 1

    Walmart cancels Zelda Switch 2 pre-orders a day before arrival

    Buyers who pre-ordered the Triforce-adorned special-edition Switch 2 bundle received emails saying their orders were canceled as 'out of stock,' even though the console then reappeared on Walmart's site via third-party sellers for about $200 more.

    “This is unethical sales practice,…”
    — Affected buyer (Reddit)

    1. 5 outlets first by Polygon, 12d ago · also GoNintendo, Notebookcheck, https://tech-insider.org/, Nintendo Life · read ↗

    2. 3 outlets first by Nintendo Life, 15d ago · also My Nintendo News, Kotaku · read ↗

    2 more claims →

What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 1 · verbatim