maybe when their data was last updated they did have stock, or is this meant to be up to the minute?

My original reply to this thread was eaten by a server so it never posted. Too lazy to repost aside from the fact that itrackr is really hit and miss and only a good resource to go off of but don't depend on it. (ie. call before running over)

Anyway, itrackr really isn't all that sophisticated. Basically, it tracks every store that has a stock inventory checker online. However, when items are really popular, these are deactivated on the product page for that particular item. It's still in the system, there's just not an easy way to check. Instead, there are a number of backdoor methods to obtain that information which have been spread around the web for some time. The websites simplifies that for you by doing it for you for all of the stores this is possible with, except TRU & Best Buy. I'm surprised TRU isn't on this as they also have an online system and I thought itrackr used to include them. I actually find their system to be one of the more reliable ones. I think Best Buy is the only store with this ability where no easy backdoor was found.

Walmart on the otherhand, has absolutely no online stock checker available through their public site.

The issue with the supply "lies" or whatever:

 itrackr isn't real time. The 39% is based on a specific time of stock availability. Just because it was 39% doesn't mean its 39% now.

The same was said for the PS3 about 2 months ago: It started showing cracks at 40-50%, while most stores still didn't see them instock, but it was only shortly thereafter that stock actually began to flow.

new here first time posting.

just my 2 cent

I think itrcker can be creating a hype of available Wii to cash in on a few bux when others actually pay 1.99 per a search.

or maybe those major retail chain is holding stock for this sunday, as I saw some ad on BB and CC saying wii available on sunday.....39% is pretty accurate if those major retail chain is holding stock for this sunday... walmart+CC+BB+target can account for 39% of the market if each of of their store is holding stock until this sunday.

Well I got one, Future B-Day gift for a realtive. My Wal-Mart is werid, they had them, but they keep them in the back and don't even put a sign or anything letting you know they're in, just got to ask the cashier. Once the woman rung me up they put the others in the back again. I think it's because they have no free shelf space anymore in the game cases so they just sit on them untill Sunday or something.

Pretty much you and stickball are right. I had to ask my freind about this. It seems as if the EB/gamestop stores take 24 hours to update so just like Foo says if the clocks are grey chances are they are sold out. But even using my own experience, I "KNOW" some stores will have the item in stock and wait until a sunday sale and I am pretty sure many others have had that experience as well.

I personally see this as argumentum ad hominem against itrackr because you, foo, are not happy with the percentages. I am pretty sure that even if it is more than 10 hours off, 39% of the stores at one time has had a wii in-stock, across this nation. So whatever failures you may have had you use to discredit ALL of the information. That similar to saying if one or two PS2's 360's and PS3's fail than all of them will.

What still bothers me is why would you believe a person over the phone more than a faceless and unbiased tracking system?

EDIT: Out of curiousity... how many people here have had success using itrackr?

there are 63K + members on the site, if Itrackr was false I am sure you would have heard more about it. 

Well speaking about national availability is somethig I can't do, but anecdoctally I can. I bought my PS3 on Dec 17th when I was walking back from a girls house completely and total hungover at 2 in the afternoon. I walked by hte Circut city in Van Ness and say a sign that said no Wiis but didn't see one that said no PS3s so I asked if they had any fearing they woudl be the 20 gigs. they had 6 PS3 60 gigers in Stock so I bought one. In fact I ahve seen PS3s in Stock in the Bay Area in every electronics store that I have been in since late december. even when I flew out ot Washington DC and visited my family in NJ in January...I was hunting for a DS lite for my Neice finally ended up getting a used one...Unfortuanatly I found out later that Sears had them in stock and the Marlton GS had them too but oh well. the point is I saw real evidence of the PS3 being in stock when it happened and I own one because of it and still have it though I am waiting for my box to get here from Sony since it broke when updating to 1.6...which sucks I want my ninja gaiden demo.

I don't think people are upset with iTrackr. People are mostly reacting to the misuse of these stats to support a particular fanboy point of view.

One last thing Itrackr doesn't really 'lie' but it does get outdated. As someone mentioned before it is probably an indication of shipments and it is neccesary to call teh store ahead of time to ensure it is there. As I said before it showed 2 stores in my area the Bay Area Emmeryville CompUSA and Albany Target as ahving them in stock. I had called them over 3 days ago and they said they were sold out but yet they still show as having them in stock.

there are a couple of possibilites.

One Itrackr doesn't update frequently enough.

Two the instore inventory doesn't update frequently enough.

Three those two stored sold out later than there stores and haven't updated since than.

Four as the recent inclusion of gamestop availability indicate they are reported as having stock after the fact due to a delayed update.

 Five stores are listed as being in stock with incoming shipments

Six the stores are hording Wiis for relaunches on Sundays.

Seven (Nintendo ships on Sundays) some stores recieve their shipments slower than others and are updated via the shipment in the Store inventory but haven't yet recieved them.

this is only for stores that it reports as having stock but don't say they do.

I am not about to call every store in the nation to find out. However Cleveland appears to have large availaility anyone from there?

Stauncheon, I would trust a phone call to the store over a faceless internet website solely for the fact that if they have them in stock they want you to buy them. True you may run into a lazy employee but can you tell me why they would lie at a 100% rate between multiple stores every time? Unless it is because they aren't supposed to sell them until a certain date due to ads inthe papers in which case they really aren't available are they?

 That's one thing and it is perfectly understandable. I do not think Itrackr is perfect either. The site is in beta and it does have some issues. 

 After this is said though....

"Find one store, with at least one Wii in stock. Just find one. I don't believe you will. You can call a 100 stores, not one will have a Wii in stock. "

Is pretty much implying that the site doesn't work or is inaccuarate the "majority" of the time. I used the site myself twice and it worked and it has a high ammount of users. So the chances of it not working at all is really not believable and sounds more like an attack instead of saying that the sight may be worng at times.