I saw a Pinside ad recently that made me feel kind of sick. Someone had put down a $1000 deposit for a Godzilla Premium, and they were trying to flip it for $3k. I think the ad is gone now, but I don’t think this is an isolated example.
This is something that distributors should have full control over. If someone calls and says “I sold my spot”, tell them: “That’s fine, have the new buyer contact us, and once they’ve paid a deposit we’ll refund your $1000” (or whatever the deposit is). Let’s support distributors who publish and enforce this common-sense policy. Or better yet, support distributors like Flip n Out who don’t require a deposit at all. Then if you change your mind, your spot can go to someone who’s on a waiting list.
We can’t do much about flippers who resell their new or NIB game, especially if they do it off Pinside. But for crying out loud, someone should at least have to OWN the game (paid in full and delivered) before they can sell it.