The worldwide struggle to bag a Nintendo Classic Mini NES has been tough on everyone. If you’ve managed to resist the lure of the eBay reseller (damn their eyes), we have some good news for you: the Nintendo Classic Mini NES will be available to buy on Target’s online store on Monday for $99. Here are some online buying tips to improve your chances.
We’ve all felt the frustration of missing out on an online flash sale. It sucks – especially if you made it all the way to checkout, only to receive a ‘sold out’ message at the last second.
While there’s no way to ensure against website crashes and other technical issues beyond your control, there are a few tips you can employ to increase your chances of success. But first, here are the important facts about Monday’s Nintendo Classic Mini NES sale.
Nintendo Classic Mini NES Target Sale: What Time Does It Start?
Target will sell the Nintendo Classic Mini NES from December 12 at 8.00am AEDT. There is a limit of one per customer and as with all previous sales, stock is expected to be extremely limited.
Nintendo Classic Mini NES Target Sale: Can I Get It In Store?
Nope. The console will be sold exclusively through Target’s online store. Here is the link to Target’s Nintendo Classic Mini NES product page. Target is recommending customers sign into their Target Online account prior to the sale starting. (If you’re already not a member, you can set up a Target Account here.)
Nintendo Classic Mini NES online buying tips
This is a flash sale and stock will sell out in minutes, if no seconds. Provided Target’s servers are suitably equipped to handle the load, you can increase your chances of buying one by following these tips:
- Use fast, reliable internet: Well, duh. If your home internet is a bit rubbish, you might be better off buying through your smartphone.
- Log in well before the sale starts: You should be in front of Target’s Nintendo Classic Mini NES product page by 7:45am at the latest. With that said, don’t constantly refresh the page. The sale won’t start before 8am, so hammering refresh will achieve nothing (except possibly crashing the website.)
- Use two devices: Get a friend you can trust to follow the same process, thus doubling your chances. (If you’re both successful, you can sell the second one on eBay for a tidy profit. You blackguard.)
- Have a backup ‘guest’ tab ready: During the infamous EB Games website crash, the retailer sent out an urgent tweet urging people not to use their EB World profile. (Previously, customers had been advised to sign into their accounts before the sale to improve their chances.) It therefore might be worth keeping an incognito tab open of the Nintendo Classic Mini NES product page, just in case.
- Make sure shipping details can be auto filled: If the computer you’re using doesn’t have any of your details saved, sort this out ahead of time. If the fields can be auto filled, the checkout process will be much faster. (You can do this by purchasing a random product on Target’s online store, paying for it online and immediately canceling it. The cookies relating to order processing will now be saved.)
Remember, this thing will likely be freely available in the new year – so if you don’t specifically need it for a Christmas gift, we advise you just wait.
[Via Target]
Comments
24 responses to “Nintendo Classic Mini NES Target Sale: Online Buying Tips”
You’ve mentioned two different start times. I hope no one hangs out until 12pm expecting to bag one…
Even worse is trying to go to basket and get an error message
then try again and make it all the way to checkout it asks for your password then errors again
when you refresh the page it puts you back in the line with the 30 seconded countdown that just keeps going in a vicious circle
ARGH…. checkout, error, checkout, error, checkout, error…… green dot dot dot, green dot dot dot, error
Yep – same here. They should’ve anticipated increased traffic – what a waste of time. I don’t really understand why stock is being drip fed to retailers – especially in the lead up to Christmas. People might lose interest in the new year and won’t end up buying one in the end.
OMG. I have been at the checkout at least 50 times this morning with the NES in my basket. I kept getting the error message but I have now been placed in a target checkout queue….. same 30 second countdown….. good luck!
Same here. When it eventually (3+ hours later) let me go beyond the address details in checkout, the item had been taken from my basket and sold to someone else.
If I have one of these in the basket and I cant check out because its so busy what are the chances I will loose the item.
Beyond frustrated, started first thing (7am for us in Qld), using the Target app, all details prefilled, in the first queue.. got thru added the item to basket, went to check out… then a queue to check out and finally thru… and item is no longer in the basket! aggghhhh Three times this happened and now I can’t even get thru to purchase, I’m constantly in a queue!
who cares, buy a ps4
all gone?
they are still some left i just got to checkout again a tried to use paypal and just got email from pay pal saying it went though but not thing from target to say it worked
I kept getting the error screen, it was in my basket go to checkout and error, it said it was processing payment but error again. Checked email just in case and I had received a confirmation email. Fingers crossed that means i really got one, i’ll have one happy husband on Christmas day.
been on the checkout queue for like an hour… theeeeeen, error.
well it took 3 hours witch started before 5 am as in wa but just got confirmation email from target
SOLD OUT! priority went to target employees- just saying
Ive been in the queue since 7:45am and its now 11:14am….. should i stop wasting my time??? if i get to the checkout and an error or something like other people have said happened i will probably throw my laptop through the window ……
so after nearly 4 hours of watching that 30 second countdown screen it now says sold out…..i will be seeing that red timer in my sleep tonight with nothing to show for it
🙁
it’s all out. went to my paypal account, started processing. then error!
now my basket was emptied out 🙁
ALL GONE!! Up since 6.50am (qld time)…if I see another 30 second clock, I think I’ll smash my screen lol. And unsuccessful. Bugger! Any other shops getting stock before xmas anyone know of?
Got to the checkout twice and my basket emptied each time I tried to pay! Grrrrrrrrrrr 🙁
after two hours payment was made but no confirmation. target said they will refund the money. Great
went to target website it has the item there but when you click on it it takes you back to the first page that says out of stock i think these are just gimmicks to get you to go to there page to buy other stuff. besides they are selling them for 30.00 more than regular price i didnt think stores could do that
Bots people, use bots. That’s what people are using to grab as many of these as possible from online retailers when they are available. There is no other way to get these.
I was lucky enough to bag one from target on Monday no bots just patience logged in at 745am checked out by 935am the only thing I did was when at payment screen and it crashed I hit refresh and then it came up payment approved and target sent a email today saying goods are on the way
I cant help but feel that Nintendo are trying drive up hype by making the Nes Classic limited supply to retailers. It wont surprise me if they release a second revision of the Nes Classic next Christmas or a SNES classic.