eBay has a strict policy of only items to be pre-sold if they will ship within the next 30 days.  Most sellers abide by this rule and wait until the item is within 30 days of release or delivery, with many of them waiting until the item has been received before listing it for sale.

If a seller lists an item as being released or delivered outside this 30 day window, then eBay may cancel the auction.  However, a number of sellers get around this requirement by simply stating in the auction that .... in accordance with eBay policies, the buyer may request a refund if the item is not shipped within 30 days...  They will not mention in the listing the actual release date of the item.  In many of these cases, the seller knows that the item will not be released within the required 30-day period.

What happens when a pre-sale item is not delivered within 30 days?  After 30 days, you do not have any recourse through eBay or PayPal.  You will not be able to request a refund.  Your only option would be for a chargeback through your credit card.

Some things to look out for when buying a pre-sale item:

• Check with the manufacturer when is the actual release date. Be wary if the seller is trying to sell an item more than one month from the release date.
• If the seller does not list the release date, ask. If you do not get a reply, then it is likely that the item will not be released within the next 30 days.
• Low minimum bids. Most items (including collectibles) do not sell above retail price during a pre-sale. If a seller is selling the item below cost, that is a serious red flag
• 1- or 3-day listings. Sellers want their items to be viewed and bid upon by as many potential buyers as possible. 1-3 day listings are usually reserved for time-sensitive items (such as tickets). Pre-sales are not time-sensitive.
• Negative feedbacks for non-delivery of pre-sales. Check the seller's feedback. Even if the seller has a 95 to 97% positive feedback rating, do you want to take the chance of being in the 3 to 5% that end up with nothing?

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