Having grown up poor I know it's not uncommon for parents to save during the year for that one big annual gift. This customer of Unicorn is one example:
> “I am upset he basically robbed everyone of his customers and is closing without delivering any scooters,” Rebecca Buchholtz wrote in an email to The Verge. “This was my daughters Christmas gift and now I cannot get her any gift.”
https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/7/21000094/unicorn-electric...
> if you're really doing the above, why would you take a gamble instead of buying something currently available?
It wasn't sold as a gamble or a risk, it was sold as a product on an online store from a company founder who was reputable.
I have no idea why HN users tend to degenerate into victim blaming in these situations - the bad party here is the company and the founders