This was the email they sent me, and from the looks of it, others as well:

Dear Customer:

Unfortunately, Batman, The: The Complete Animated Series is no longer available, therefore we have cancelled this item from your original order. Be assured that you were not billed for this item since it was never shipped.

We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and hope that you visit our online store again soon.

Sincerely,
Warner Home Video Online Customer Support

And here is their response to my question of why they canceled the order:

There was a limited amount of units duplicated for this title and unfortunately we have run out of inventory so were unable to process this order.

Yet.... they continue to take orders. Nice.

Yeah I sent them another email asking about that as well. What pisses me off is that I sold off my original 4 Volumes of the show so I could get this.

I'm pissed.. I wanted that set for the bargain price I paid for it.

I just got the same email. If the set eventually does get released, I'm going to call them on it.

I have no doubt we'll be able to find exactly one copy in each BB on Tuesday for the stupid price they want for it.

How does a company underestimate the demand for a title like this so badly that they have to cancel orders? Or did WB do it on purpose? I'm not one on conspiracy theories, but I've had this set on preorder through the online store since September 12.

I ordered the Man From U.N.C.L.E. set from Warner 3 months ago. It says it's still in process. Has anyone else received the one that they ordered?

FSA,

Mine still says "in process" as well. I ordered about the same time as you. I wish I had ordered this elsewhere, as Warner has recently started to send my items by Media Mail (which takes 3 to 6 weeks to Hawaii). Hopefully, with this larger item at least, they will upgrade to UPS when they eventually get it out.

I did the same thing :P

I got the bullshit email today too regarding cancellation of Batman, The: The Complete Animated Series. As others have noted, it is still listed for sale on the site, albeit for $79.95 as opposed to $60.45. I preordered this on 24th August. Idiots.

Nope. I pre-ordered it back in July as well, and when they didn't ship it by the release date, I canceled that item from my WB store order and re-ordered it from Barnes & Noble for $5 less (using my membership discount and a 20% off online coupon.)

Perhaps your luck will be better than mine, but I've never had WB send me a pre-ordered item if it wasn't shipped by the release date [They just stay stuck "in progress" until I call/email them to cancel the item(s).] On this particular order, I got 4 out of 6. (I had previously canceled The Big Bang Theory: S1 from this order after it hadn't ship three weeks past its release date.)

I got mine before the official release date.

uuuuuggghhhh... got my cancellation e-mail for B:TAS as well. i guess i'll just have to wait until it eventually goes on sale for that same ~$55 price in stores. and it will... eventually. i have the four volumes already, so i don't mind waiting. luckily i didn't sell them off like i had planned to (and like others did), but that's really messed up of WHV to do that.

I order Batman TAS on July 25 . I didn't get the e-mail yet but when I checked
my order at my express checkout it was canceled.

I doubt you're gonna see the price get that low. It is true that this was announced as a "limited" release and these cancellations seem to fall in line with that announcement. If DDD still has it in stock when their 20% sale rolls around, it'll be $60. The big question, though, is whether the WB shop just didn't get ANY or if the print run is really this low.

I called Warner Bros about the Complete Batman and was told to wait until Tuesday. On Tuesday, if the Complete Series set is still on the Warner Bros website to place a new order. Then call customer service and give them your old order number. They will credit your account with the discount. Of course this was not in writing and it is certainly possible to call on Tuesday and be told no we won't do that. That is me being cynical. I know any order canceled by Warner Bros is gone. They never uncancel an order though at one time they started shipping canceled orders when they redid their shipping as many of us remember.

^ I called this morning, too, and the CS person will be getting back to me later today with a plan. With a little luck it'll be the same plan you mention. But good gravy, this is still stupid.

So, if someone orders it right now they are just going to cancel it because it isn't Tuesday?

Wow.

I've ordered it from Amazon. It's another $20, but I guess I don't feel like taking a chance on the WB store, just in case this thing did have a limited print run...

Also got the Batman: TAS cancellation e-mail and promptly sent them one back inquiring why it is still available for purchase on their site. This is really frustrating. I pre-ordered it months ago.

What's the phone number? I'd like to call them about something else.

That's why I never order from WB. Been burned a few times with outrageously slow shipping (we're talking months here) and confusing emails from them. Talking to the CSRs, I feel their pain as their system is so fucked up. Apparently, it still is. See, the problem is not getting an order when everything is fine--any company can ship you something that is readily in-stock. But making sure the company knows how to prevent situations like this when ordering product that is not available, knowing the product is not available and/or in limited supply, and stopping a shitload of phonecalls which back-up their phone support, and so forth.

If WB was in charge of voting booths, I'd vote Obama but they'd have it in their system as Ross Perot.

rkndkn: Thanks for your reply about The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I just received an email from Warner that it was on backorder, and that it could take up to 30 days to ship it,

FSA,

Are you going to let your order stand, or can you cancel?

I haven't received that backordered e-mail, so I just called them. According to the rep, it is at the warehouse preparing for shipping. He was puzzled why it didn't ship before the 10/21 release date. He put in an inquiry on the status for me and I'm supposed to get an e-mail answer in a couple of days. (Last time, I inquired, I never did.) Anyhow, if it really doesn't ship soon, I'll try to cancel it.

My "Supernatural S3" (11/11 release) also shows it's getting ready for shipment, so he can't cancel it. Who knows. In any case, I cancelled my "Shawshank" order for 12/2. Told him it's frustrating because they USED to send items UPS to me and I got it in good time. Now, with Media Mail, I'm still waiting on the items which shipped on 10/13. After all this is settled, no more WHV orders for me if they use Media Mail. He said they try to get it to the customer by release date, but that's pretty impossible if they send it one day before and use Media Mail!

Movielib -- the phone number is (800)364-6928.

Thanks.