In the case of this ebay pre order, yes, that's pretty much how it works. Other retailers, usually just take your email and confirm the price with you at a later date. You don't actually put any money down ahead of time. That way, if you come across a better deal, you can choose that one. Whereas, with this Ebay sale, you're out of 1000 bucks upfront and are at the mercy of whenever the seller gets their product, which could be before, or after other retailers get theirs.