I've had quite a bit of correspondence with Heighway this week and I played Alien (pre-prod) last night. I'm still on the fence as to whether i should order one. The lighting and art package is fantastic. The pre-production game obviously had some issues and non of the call-outs were working (in terms of where you should shoot) so the game was hard as hell to figure out what you had to do.

The outlanes are absolute drain monsters, unique design, but man i spent alot of money last night.

I love the movies, love the theme, just not sure on the pin yet though.

Care to elaborate?

Anyone know what the fiber ramps look like? That's $800 and a factory only option.

Yeah sorry I more meant the lights than actual call outs.

I'm going to assume all 10 are spoken for as well.

Excellent! I am not a patient person

Did this get answered? If it's a Wells monitor or similar, then yeah $500ish isn't terrible.

Fair point. Sounds like it's commercial, in which case the price is in-line for a 27" display.

What?! Never have messages on a forum been misinterpreted, that's non-sense!

Well as soon as Heighway gets back to me. I'm in and paid in full. 27" LCD, shaker, EL blades, beacon lights, fiber optic ramps, PDI glass.

It's an LE without the special artwork i guess...

LE isn't a deal in any way as I'm aware. If you add things up, it's the same cost I believe. You are just getting the special artwork and goody bag. None of which i care about.

Not really, nor waiting several months for it. If the artwork is holding it up.

Yeah believe it's a $400 price difference, but i suck at math So $300-$400 (depending on your math) for special artwork, gloss cabinet and green trim

I would guess Wells Gardner, thats kind of the industry standard.

Here are the totals in USD

Screen Shot 2017-04-06 at 12.10.50 PM (resized).png

Because some of us simply don't want to wait... we want to play pinball... on a new alien machine

I do want to say that the Heighway team has been great to work with this week. They answered all my questions promptly regarding the machine and ordering process. Seems like a solid company and i'm looking forward to getting my machine.

I think many of you have never worked with large corporations, let alone marketing teams. You just don't get it.

There is nothing speedy or efficient about these processes... period...

what?! where did you get one from?

Interesting, wonder how it works for those of us that ordered direct with Heighway... and where we are sitting the que related to Cointaker.

LOL, so true! I think there are a lot of us impatiently waiting for our machines. I think it would be nice to just know the darn things are actually shipping.

Zero other than the ones from TPF i believe.

I don't think i've seen a single person post other than the ones that were from TPF, beyond pre-production units.

I certainly haven't read all 12k posts, but i'm pretty sure i've read everything over the last 2-3 weeks.

My apologies. I didn't realize you could search on just one person's posts in this thread, had never needed to do that before. Read back a few months, yes looks like games are trickling out. Slowly.

I don't know about patiently

I'm sure others paid in full long before me, but it's makes nervous as hell to put down that kind of cash and not have a firm date or even idea of when it'll arrive.

Everything I've seen and read about Heighway makes them look like a great company. But I do feel as having paid in full I'm owed some updates or timeline. Even if I have to sign a NDA, that's fine I just want to know when my game will arrive and what's holding it up.

I watched your first stream, that one game you had (200m i think) was great, it was cool to see all the modes and effects/etc.

Yeah, that double scoring was sweet. SO that's what was it was shooting the ramps 4x/each? Missed that part I guess.

It's all detailed a few pages back. It's $280 difference if you put the same options on both, and that $280 gets you the artwork, gloss black cabinet, different color legs, and the goody bag.

Great updates on the game code, thanks guys!

So I gotta ask, are you a full paid or down payment?

There is no way I could stay sane waiting 3 years on a full payment. I would have bought and sold many many machines in that time!

He said they were targeting Alien day or the release of the new movie. However, again they are at the mercy of Fox.

New glass design?

So definitely more left drains... not 2 though

I have requested a full refund as well as of a few minutes as ago. I was paid in full.

For $9k I am not comfortable with the lack of information and delays.

Yup, it's a lot of money and my expectation for that amount of money is updates and status progress. I had a conversation with Andrew on the phone and I said i understand not wanting to post information on the forums and things can get blown out of proportion. But if you are a customer, paid in full, i'm sorry but you deserve updates and reasons as to why your game isn't shipping. Even if you can't share that publicly, you have a right to know when you are putting down that kind of money.

Then you sir are a rare breed!

Deleted, not worth it...

I wish I could say the same.

I merely stated an opinion. Nothing more, why is it wrong for me to wish I had my refund? I didn't state anything other than a desire to have my money back, I will feel better once i do. Sorry i offended your delicate flower.

Yup I requested a refund at 6am CST. I did receive a response from Morgan at 8:30AM, but not confirm my refund. I replied simply asking for the refund again. There is no doubt that they have gotten my request, so now i'm just waiting for them to process it. Simple as that.

I'm not trying to start anything. I think it would be nice for people that are uncomfortable with the process to able to receive a refund in a timely manner. I will happily post back once I do, and i hope it's early next week to show that Heighway cares and responds quickly.

It's 2017, refunds don't take weeks/months to process.

The 2 best things they can do for the community are to ship machines, as i'm sure everyone would love to get one that has preordered, and to handle any order issues (I.E. Cancellations/Refunds) promptly.

Yes, one person, who didn't order direct, instead ordered through Cointaker.

Show a post of someone who ordered direct getting their refund promptly, then we'll talk.

I'm sorry, but I don't buy that as a valid reason. There was no delay in taking my order and processing my payment. I'm aware of the time difference, and like i stated previously, they replied to my email asking for a refund, so they got my request just fine.

I'm trying to stick to the facts, not opinions.

Regardless, I'm done. I'm sure i'll get support from some members and chastised by others. That's the internet for you.

Once I get confirmation from Heighway on my refund, I'll post so others know, as well as when it actually goes through.

I wish the company the best of luck and I sincerely hope people get their machines, I think it's a cool title, I really do. I think the LE artwork looks amazing. Just because I wasn't comfortable with the timeline and other things, doesn't mean others won't be or aren't.

That is all.

Thanks. Yes I just hit a point where I was no longer "in it". I don't need any further promises or timelines, just would like my money back so i can continue to invest in the hobby we all love.

It would be nice if you were 100% committed to customer service.

I know of 3 of us waiting for refunds and your company hasn't bothered to respond to a single one of us or acknowledge any of our requests for refunds. That's roughly $24,000 you are refusing to give back to customers.

You know what irritates me is that i have an inbox full of the same story, people waiting for a response, getting the run around by Heighway and empty promises, anything to string people along longer. Anything to keep people on the hook longer.

It's ridiculous.

Posting on here seems to be the only way to even get a response from Heighway. After posting this morning, now all of us waiting on refunds got this canned email within the last hour:

--------------------
Hi xxxxx,
I sincerely apologise for any delays in our response to your refund request. Our standard refund policy is to refund your payment within 30 days. As we are moving towards full production this process maybe delayed up to 60 days. I am sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause but we will endeavour to resolve your refund as soon as we can.

Thank you once again for your time and your interest in our games.
--------------------

I don't honestly believe it for one bit, it's just yet another "wait, there's more".

I told them that 2 weeks ago when I called them and they said they knew about it.

This

No it was on my order. But I was told the coding wasn't done yet. I requested the game ship without it.

I have also found out that it appears they haven't ordered the fiber yet from the supplier and when they do it's at least 2 months out. So I highly doubt LE's will ship in June or even July as they don't have the actual parts. Heighway can comment on that if they like.

Because we were told that paying in full puts you at the front of the line. I confirmed and confirmed the timelines with Heighway many times before I ordered. Shame on me for believing them.

Fickle? I don't agree with that at all. I'm sorry but as I've stated before I'd you pay $8k-$9k for a machine you are owed some degree of information.

Is it my opinion, let me state that again, my opinion that Heighway doesn't actually have the money to refund customers that want out. I also believe that games have not shipped and there is no evidence otherwise to suggest so. Games have shipped to events because it's good PR and it generated interest and revenue. Given how active this thread is it's unlikely that people with machines wouldn't post them if they had them. We only see pictures if games from people who had pre-prod units and people who brought them home from shows. I haven't read all 13k posts but I would imagine give all the excitement that if somone had a machine they would have posted something.

Heighway also does a good job of coming on here and posting just enough smoke to keep people happy and dangle the carrot yet again for people.

There is no evidence that games are actually being built and delivered. There is no evidence that games are production ready. We know of issues with the xeno board, we know the fiber coding isn't done yet and I'm sure there are other things.

It's harsh but that's what I see. I tried to hold off on posting something like this, but I feel obligated that information needs to be posted so that people can be informed and make a good decision if they choose to order a game.

I also understand that it is law in UK that refunds have to processed within 14 days or 10 working days.

Games are shipping based on what? Your horoscope for the day?

Other than a post by Heighway what proves that games are actually shipping and being delivered?

Why doesn't Heighway provide a list of how many games to what countries?

I am also aware that some people in this thread will provide blantant support and help the Heighway marketing engine for some reason.

And I'll continue to get bashed for providing information to help others.

And posting on here is the only proven way to solicit any sort of response from Heighway.

Probably!

But the idea of myself or others not getting their refund back bother me a lot, not sure I can let that "just go".

I think it's a great game and theme I really do. I do want them to actually ship the game. I do want them to succeed but not at the expense of others.

Every business I've ever been a part of and every company I've interacted with that I've had good experiences with was honest about what was going on and didn't ignore customers.

Public financials from December 2016 showed roughly $480k that was due to be repaid by March 2017 if memory serves.

Yes sorry, not USD.

I did not know about the financials, whether it's true or there's another side to it, it is what it is. Otherwise I had been reading/following for awhile and I believed the hype and message being communicated. That's on me.

Regardless, the issue is that several people are waiting for refunds, and only by my posting on here have any of us gotten any traction. So in that regard i'm happy to help those requesting refunds.

That is what should happen, Astropin was just stating his thoughts, doesn't mean it will happen that way. Not sure what they will do, and given how challenging it's been to get refunds, only time will tell for those still in and that paid for it. Huge bummer though as I believe Romans glass is the best.

I've had several communications over the weekend and my refund request has been confirmed.

Not processed but at least confirmed. Just wanted to provide an update.

Refund update: 3 weeks, still waiting

Nice to see a few games have trickled out though for those still "in".

I got confirmation about a week later after emailing back/forth with Andrew directly. Beyond the initial generic email that a bunch of us got (that you referenced), I wasn't really given any timeline.

I don't believe the other guys got theirs, otherwise I would have heard through PM's.

You'd get a refund before you get a LE most likely, even with how long it takes. If you have been in since the beginning, you have been pretty patient. I would imagine LE's would ship this year at least. Compared to how long you've waited, not much longer.

But yeah, a lot of games coming out this year.

Only you can decide when enough is enough for you. There have been numerous delays, some people just get tired of it. It's a personal decision and no one should be judged for it or how they want to spend their money.

As for people backing out affecting the business that's poor business planning in my opinion. You should have accounted for that in the business plan. As times/dates slip, people are going to get frustrated, and people will want out.

Fool me once...etc

I agree, I ordered a AFMr LE within the last week and I'm willing to bet I take delivery on it before I get my full refund.

I'm the same, I'm not comfortable waiting 6+ months. That being said, i had spoke with Heighway around delivery times before I ordered. I do think i would have gotten my game eventually, but I wasn't comfortable with the timeframe and situation anymore, and that's why asked for a refund.

I feel much more confident in AFMr, but this isn't the thread for those discussions. I'm also only in for a deposit versus I was paid in full for Alien, and I went through a reputable company i've done business with in the past for my deposit instead of direct.

I've had plenty of conversations with Heighway over the past month and I do think they'll ship games eventually, so I hope that they do deliver and continue shipping games for all the people waiting. I'm not sure they will meet the timelines people are thinking, but games will continue to trickle out. (based on my own thoughts/information, not something they told me)

Maybe you should have the facts before you open your big mouth.

Trust me I have very valid reasons as to why I backed out but I was asked to keep conversations confidential and I will honor that, so don't bother asking.

What question? I have been reading posts but I apparently missed that.

And yes i refrained from posting in this thread for the most part because of shit like this. Some of you are just out to attack anyone that isn't all rainbows about Heighway or Alien.

If you don't want to hear from me, tell Heighway to give me money back and I'll be done with this thread and people like you. Except I'm far from the only one waiting for their money...

This question? What was the point of responding to this as you are making it clear your opinion on this.

Yes I ordered and then when timelines and promised dates weren't met repeatedly, I requested a cancellation of my order.

Sorry you see it that way, as i stated before, i posted so that people would know what they are getting into. If they are comfortable with the delays, more power to them, but I feel you should have all the facts if you want to get in on a preorder.

I was actually responding to someones post regarding the business, and i stated it was my opinion/thoughts.

I have stated before that I do like Alien and I do want Heighway to ship games. So that whole conspiracy theory that people are buying in and then backing out to try and tank the company is just f'n ridiculous. I would sure hope people have better things to do with their time.

I'm sorry, but you cannot tell me a single person thinks 30+ days for a refund is acceptable, what other transaction or purchase have you ever made in your life where that was ok. The obvious dodging of people asking for refunds and clearly not having the money to refund, if that isn't alarming to people, then i guess it is what it is. Not to mention the publicly available financial status of the company. Whatever.

There are a number of other people in the same boat as me, but they aren't posting. As i said before, my inbox got flooded with stories and messages regarding a lot of things once i posted that i asked for a refund. However, most of them are not posting, and i'm starting to see why they don't bother. If you say anything bad about Heighway, you get attacked. Fun.

Life is short, i have better things to do with my time than argue with asshats on PinSide regarding Heighway. I've tried to make information available for people thinking about getting in. I'm done with this thread. I'll post when/if i get my refund, but other than that, I'm moving on.

I wish Andrew/Heighway the best of luck and I do sincerely hope people actually get their games regardless of whether i agree or disagree with how the business is run. I really do.

I'm not following this thread anymore, but I said I'd post when i reached resolution.

I had paid in 2 equal payments through PayPal. PayPal ruled in my favor on the disputes and I've received my money back through PayPal. Heighway refunded one payment (half) through the dispute, but did not refund the other half. I'm squared up though on my end, which is what matters to me. I didn't want to wait for them to process my refunds, so I disputed the charges. Some may disagree with that, but that's what I did. I know of 4 others waiting on refunds, and I hope they get resolution soon, 3 of them are at 30 days now.

I wish everyone the best of luck, and I hope all get their machines soon. Take care.

Someone pinged me about this so I thought I'd respond. His response was not way out of bounds.

Yes, my dispute locked their account. Andrew emailed me about it. I assume that's why they refunded half and not the full amount, that might have been what they needed to get it unlocked. Buts that's an assumption on my part. But I have no other logical reason as to why they refunded half but not the full amount.