Coming soon? German courts ban vague release dates on pre-orders

Germany has banned vague release dates for pre-orders, meaning retailers won't be able to list pre-orders without also providing a shipment date.

As reported by Eurogamer, a consumer protection group brought the issue to the attention of the German courts, which ultimately decided it was unfair for retailers to accept pre-orders when theyyhaveyno idea as to when a product might become available.

The Higher Regional Court of Munich ruled that consumers must know when they can expect a delivery after placing a pre-order, so from now on retailers won't be able to use unclear terminology like "coming soon" or "release date TBC."

The ruling applies to all products listed for pre-order in the region, including video games. Of course, the decision won't affect how pre-orders operate in other countries like the United States and the UK. We'll let you decide whether that's a good thing.