I get that they don’t want people to pre-order them cancel and get a code out of it, but at same time you can just withhold the 80 from any refunds for people who cancel. I dont want to pay 130+ after taxes and such then go and spend another 40 probably more after taxes just to playthr game at launch. The worst part you don’t even get money refund after you enter your physical code yoy just get battle.enet balance, I don’t want battle.net balance I want the money you swindled out of me. This CAN’T be hard enough for them to figure out its clearly designed just to get an extra buck out of thier most dedicated players
The way I look at the Bnet balance refund is game time. I don’t plan on unsubbing any time soon so the money would have just gone to my sub anyway. 
You buy the epic edition
You then buy the collectors edition
You get $80 back, that’s your payback
They are sold by retailers not by blizzard
That’s 6 months of wow you can buy right away with the $80 blizzard credit
Then don’t buy the digital edition if you don’t want the blizzard credit, just wait till launch to redeem collectors edition
Also, if you purchase the physical CE and they send you a code, you’ll essentially get two codes. Why would they open themselves up for that exploit?
They could do what FFXIV does and have a separate “preorder” code which unlocks whatever preorder benefits there is (in this case AR DKs, or ARs of last expansion, or DHs for legion), that way if someone cancels they’re not really losing anything,
That preorder code also gives you like 3 days of launch play, but shuts off if you don’t put a full code in after.
Retailers are the ones selling them not blizzard, if they sold the collector’s edition on their own website sure
Retailers sell FFXIV boxes too, they get preorder codes. This has been a thing for years btw, on many different games.
Then it’s more of an abuse problem probably
They did it last time with heroes of the storm and StarCraft II
Pre order legacy of the void collectors edition, get Artanis for free in HoTS
Well people pre order it then cancel said pre order, kept the hero in game
I could swear I ordered BfA CE directly from Blizzard. Could have been a Blizzard site with the third party seller’s API in it, though…
Blizzard Gear
Has the rights to sell blizzard products, but not part of blizzard itself
Fanatics own it
In that case maybe
But these preorder codes wouldn’t cost Blizzard anything, they’re not losing anything if you cancel. And it’s more convenient for your customers.