I've mentioned that before, myself. With Nat Turner, it was a more plausible excuse, but to not recognize that there was an overwhelming demand for Outkast over Sister Rosetta or a readily available Phoenix album that they sold a standard version of to members a few months ago doesn't add up. They'd prefer to oversell something than to risk overpressing it. This way, they can also force members to select something different in it's place, namely the other two tracks that they didn't really want, or to pull something from the archives for a swap. They do, actually, block you from swapping once it sells out, though. The option to switch, if you haven't already, vanishes. It simply isn't offered as a selection anymore. There really is no justifiable excuse for this fiasco. Especially, when it's become standard practice, at this point. These aren't flaws in the system anymore; they are the system.
BUT... consider this. Storf literally came on reddit and claimed that they were doing an Outkast repress, specifically, for all of those people that wanted it after the 36hr window that it sold out within. He claimed that the repress was for the extra demand, not for the people who already had it in their orders. When some people got concerned that this would, ultimately, unveil itself as being another Nat Turner situation where they didn't really receive it on time -- or even worse, something like Weyes Blood, where half the people don't get it at all -- random idiots started calling everyone whiny and paranoid again, while claiming that was why the forum got shut down. Jump to the VERY NEXT DAY and they are sending out emails telling people that their records are delayed, just as speculated.
SO... what does this mean for anyone who was forced out of selecting Outkast, because of a sell out? Well, I'd imagine that, along with whatever they selected as a consolation/alternative, they will need to purchase the Outkast album on top of it, rather than instead of it. Considering that VMP had proposed a system where the waitlisted items are sold for an increased price -- is it $40 for a double LP, again? -- that means that, by it "selling out" they are guaranteed a pressing number, when the represses/waitlists come through, and are avoiding overpressing them. Then, when they do push the repress, they can do so at a markup. Even if they don't, they have still managed to unload albums that they wouldn't have otherwise, in its place, and will be pulling in more than the $23 fee on a side sub, if nothing else. Nat Turner isn't a swap right now, but it IS an overpriced former ROTM in the shop, for example. Also, by having it sell out and "forcing" a repress, they funnel everyone through this system which perpetuates the idea that it is still limited and that their releases are in high demand.
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