Nintendo Now Allows Pre-Order Cancellations Within 7 Days

Buyer's remorse is real. And pre-ordering a game is a risky decision. Fortunately, Nintendo has updated their Nintendo Switch purchasing system to allow users to cancel a pre-order, as long as you don't wait too long.

Previously, when you pre-purchase a game on the Nintendo eShop, you would be charged the listed price and the game would automatically be downloaded once it was released. Users were not able to cancel these purchases and refund their money. 

According to an update on the Nintendo Japan website, they're trying a new format where users are not charged until 7 days before the game's release, and they will be free to cancel the pre-order up until that point.

This information is reflected in Nintendo's English website as well, in the FAQ and help section.

This brings an interesting discussion as to the nature of pre-orders. The user does not put down any money before the 7 day period. In a way, this means that pre-ordering any earlier than that point does not serve any purpose other than to automatically charge you once within that time frame. While it now offers the chance to back out before payment is made, why bother pre-ordering before that time anyway? Users could simply wait until that seven day period to actually pre-order and submit payment.

With physical game copies, pre-ordering without full payment is a pretty common practice. This is to help the stores calculate how many physical copies of the game they need to order. But the Nintendo eShop is digital, with an essentially infinite supply to draw from. So again: what would preordering before the seven days actually serve?

Either way, something that gives the consumer more freedom is never a bad thing.