SNES Classic Edition News: Walmart Cancels All Pre-Orders Due to Technical Issues
Walmart has canceled all pre-orders for the upcoming mini Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition console.
On the night of July 21, Walmart was surprisingly the first retailer to start accepting pre-orders for the throwback Nintendo console. As expected, the item was sold out immediately. The wave of customers scrambling to make sure that they would get a unit of the mini SNES Classic Edition for themselves even caused Walmart's website to crash.
However, as soon as the following day, several people shared screenshots of their conversation with Walmart customer service representatives who told them that the retailer had to cancel their mini SNES pre-orders.
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At the time, the scope and reason behind the cancellation were still vague. Then, earlier this week a detailed email was sent presumably to all the customers who pre-ordered the mini SNES Classic Edition and brought the bad news: all orders needed to be canceled "due to a technical glitch."
According to Polygon, the email was signed by Walmart's senior director for customer care, Deserie Dulaney, and explained that the mini SNES Classic Edition was not supposed to be listed as available on July 21 until the said technical glitch made it happen.
The explanation makes sense, especially considering that other known retailers did not open up the pre-order process for the sought-after mini SNES Classic Edition. This could only be possible if Nintendo and Walmart agreed to some kind of limited-time exclusivity, which does not appear to be the case.
"We, regrettably, will have to cancel this item on your order. We know that this is incredibly disappointing to you, and we're truly sorry for this mistake," Dulaney said in the email.
Unfortunately, the email did not indicate a specific date for when the real pre-order will begin. It only advised customers to keep on checking Walmart's website for updates prior to the console's release in September.
Meanwhile, Dulaney's email also stated that customers who paid with credit card do not have to worry as their cards have not been charged. For others who purchased through PayPal or with a gift card, a refund will be issued once the order is canceled.
The mini SNES Classic Edition console will be out in the market on Friday, Sept. 29 for $79.99.
