Quoted from RonSS:Imho, the spot should be non-transferable. This has nothing to do with the OP. The manufacturer policy is allowing this.
Non-refundable should be just that. Lay down your 1k and wait. When your order number (name) pops up, if you don't want it, you lose your grand and a new spot opens up.
As it stands now, scalping is almost encouraged.
But what do I know?
Well the problem with the current situation is that it does encourage scalping, at least for very desirable titles like R&M.
A simple solution that is perhaps more forgiving of changing circumstances for buyers than simply losing their deposit is for Spooky to alter the terms of the deposit contract such that if you want to give up your spot they would keep a waiting list of potential buyers and so long as they had someone waiting to pick up a spot you would be refunded your original deposit amount, minus a reasonable administration fee.
If Spooky has no waiting buyers you are free to try to sell your spot privately, again, with an admin fee to Spooky for changing the reservation.
This would provide reasonable flexibility to buyers while eliminating the prospect of profiting from simply holding a spot in the queue, and also the tempation for folks who have no expectation of taking delivery of the game to acquire spots anyway to flip.
IMHO, buying and taking delivery of an actual game is a different matter and at that point the free market can do its thing.
