Can the store cancel my order if it was made before the price of the item I intend to buy went higher?

You may want to talk with a lawyer about your specific situation. It sounds like the seller covered itself by having the written notice that it could cancel any sale for any reason. However, this may not hold if the sale was actually covered by the Uniform Commercial Code or by state law and if either of these overrides the contract. You may want to check with the California Department of Consumer Services. Also, most manufacturers do not want their items sold in a misleading manner. However, it sounds as if you also were speculating on a price, rise since you pre-ordered 5 of the item. If the website seller is being forced to pay the higher price, then it seems logical and fair if they are trying to pass that on to you, since their sales contract allows this. The only way to find out is to inquire of an appropriate agency and give them full details about what you bought, from whom, and the contract.

If you actually purchased the product (the store cashed your check or ran your credit card), you shouldn't have to pay an additional charge to obtain it. However, if the agreement was that the store would reserve an item for you until it became available and the actual price was not agreed upon at that time, you may have to pay the full price. Check the fine print on the agreement.