This seems to be an ongoing issue at the moment - it wasn't just the Movable Type beta:

On June 1st, Microsoft sent out the promised e-mail to iView Media Pro users who'd purchased it earlier this year, with a link to the free license code for the Microsoft-branded upgrade (Expression Media). If, when you received the e-mail, you foolishly clicked on the link, you got a webpage saying "sorry, we're not ready yet. come back in a day." Why not just wait until you're ready before you send out the e-mail?

Today, Parallels released version 3.0 for the Mac. The press release proudly crows about how doing "check for updates" in Parallels Desktop will guide you through buying an upgrade. So what happens when I "check for updates" this morning? I get told "you're up todate!". Fine. I'll go to their online shop and buy it (as also mentioned in the press release). But when I get there, the only option is to buy a full version. Meanwhile, I also have to get the copy upgraded for my wife's new macbook (purchased a couple of weeks back in May, so it qualifies for a free upgrade to 3.0) - on the forums, I notice somebody was told that in order to get their free upgrade they have to post a form in and wait "8-10 weeks".

So what's the problem? Why is it so hard to coordinate these things?