(Topic ID: 216367)

Cabinets still splitting WTF

By john041160

5 years ago


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#167 5 years ago

So I’m contemplating trading/buying a GB Premium made in November 2016 from a local guy. He has had it for 1 1/2 years and it has just over 700 plays. While there doesn’t appear to be any major ghosting, there does appear to be two very small slivers of it at the jackpot and add-a-ball inserts near Tobins Spirit Guide.

I’ve been trying to convince myself that this is minor and won’t get much if any worse given the time and plays already passed. Now, however, I’m reading that not only do I have to worry about a possible flawed playfield but also the possibility that the cabinet will start splitting and falling apart as well? I’m having serious pause and considering avoiding any 2014-present Stern games altogether. Certainly wouldn’t buy anything NIB from them.

In what world is it okay to charge $6k-9k for a product and use such cheap materials and cause customers such angst and headaches? Who cares if Stern will replace these cabinets. They then make the owner figure out how to disassemble an entire machine and transfer everything on their own? Many like me would have to pay someone $300-$500 to come over and do that. Entirely unacceptable IMHO.

Stern needs to be held accountable for this. Apparently, they think they can get away with it because they are still mostly the only game in town and most will continue to buy their cheap stuff regardless of how shoddy their quality is. That company would almost be out of business in any remotely competitive industry.

#169 5 years ago
Quoted from Breaking_Dad:

Not World....mostly just us Americans...

Nothing apparent about it....they can and have been getting away with it for years...I've watched it happen my entire short time in this hobby (5 yrs).............Joey

So does anyone know if the GB cabs built in late 2016/early 2017 are prone to the splitting/ cracking issues? I'm assuming most of the stuff built in recent years may be prone but any insight is appreciated.

The people running Stern either aren't learning their lessons and/or aren't that bright. Cutting corners and costs on pf's and cabinets is likely costing them a lot more money in replacing, shipping, and damage to their reputation then if they had just built them with higher quality materials in the first place.

Good thing they aren't publicly traded or the CEO and a lot of upper management probably would have been sacked already.

#174 5 years ago
Quoted from cpr9999:

Dude- just buy this machine! Like others have mentioned in other threads this is all minor. It’s a machine. If you buy a 2 - 3 yr old car it is going to have scratches and dents.
If you want perfect- than buy new in box. You get perfect but you will take depreciation hit like a new car. You buy and live with some imperfections you don’t take big depreciation hit.
Figure which way you lean, then invest and enjoy!!!

Scratches and dings, yes. I would never buy a used car if the paint was bubbling or other glaring factory defects were starting or occurring. You’re excusing major structural and other issues away saying just buy NIB? Tell that to all those that have been buying NIB for the past 2-3 years having major playfield or cabinet issues with 6-12 months of purchase.

In the auto world, a manufacturer issues a major recall or has you take the flawed car to a dealer that fixes and switches out anything free of charge. Stern? Fight them for 6-12 months until they finally send the new part and let you deal with figuring out how to do everything. If you can’t or don’t have the time to figure it out on your own, hire a local pinball guy and and pay him $50-$75 an hour to fix the factory problems on your own dime.

Guys that think these type of problems are acceptable and just the same as some dings and scratches on a used car have pretty low expectations of what a product that costs 6-9k should be IMO.

#175 5 years ago
Quoted from Who-Dey:

If you buy a NIB game and the cabinet splits they will send you a new cabinet. If you buy a NIB game and it has playfield problems, Stern will send you a brand new populated playfield so i think that they are being accountable for their mistakes.
Yes it sucks when these things happen for sure, but its not like they are sending out a terrible product and then telling their customers to F off. My GB is September 2016 and i have nearly 2k games on it and the cabinet hasnt fell apart yet and the playfield still looks beautiful.
You are seriously over thinking this way too much and i suggest that if you are as worried as you appear to be, that you buy a NIB game so you can get any issues that may arise taken care of by your distributor and Stern. This is pinball, its supposed to be fun so take a deep breath, relax and enjoy it. You will have to work on these games from time to time though so dont think you can buy a game and just play the hell out of it and never have any maintenance issues because thats not how pinball works.

My comments are more general then in respect to whether I buy a used recent make GB or other pin. I don’t think people buying new and paying what amounts to a very large sum of money for a product should have to put up with multiple and ongoing QC issues from a manufacturer that appear to largely be related to cost and corner cutting.

Like I said before, if there were 2 or 3 large competitors in the pinball market (rather then a few niched ones), Stern’s reputation and sales would be reeling. I think a lot of people in this community want to give them a pass because they feel like they kept pinball alive. That may be true, but why has their quality on all this stuff tanked in recent years while prices continue to rise?

I won’t give them a pass on some of this stuff. I’d rather wait on buy their products 2-3 years old to see if what I’m buying is holding up rather then falling apart but maybe that’s just me.

#177 5 years ago
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:

Buy and install the $5 w/b leg brackets from pinball life, install them, and be at peace your can will hold together.

Thanks. I am going to buy a used one next week and have already ordered Marco’s leg brackets for the cab. As long as the one I’m buying doesn’t have any cracking or splitting already, it won’t be a problem.

I just don’t understand why Stern doesn’t make them that way at the factory. On games shipped before they realized the issue, why not be proactive and send out brackets to those that bought games in the timeframe the issue started?

That would be the right thing to do by customers and for business. Waiting and trying to act like it isn’t a problem until it cracks and you have to replace an entire cab is probably more costly and also potentially more damaging to trust and your company’s brand.

#184 5 years ago
Quoted from cpr9999:

Don’t stress - just buy NIB. Then you get your worries answered through warranty.
Enjoy pinball.
This is a hobby not an investment.

I know its a hobby. However, I don't think is unreasonable to expect something you pay 6-9k not to have shoddy quality that leads to major issues within 3-12 months. That is why lemon laws were put in place.

I realize it isn't thr majority but it sounds lime it happens often enough it should have been addressed and better materials used a long time ago.

#185 5 years ago
Quoted from Who-Dey:

Well im definitely not going to argue about it but all i can say is i have never known anyone yet that Stern didn't take care of their problem. I also dont think Stern thinks bad playfield quality is normal, i dont care what their warranty states. They probably have that in place for the people who make a big deal out of nothing at all and yes there are definitely people who do that all the time. I have no doubt that if i get a bad playfield or a busted cabinet that Stern and my distributor both will take care of me. If i felt any different i damn sure wouldn't hand them 6 or 8 thiusanf dollars ever again.

I'll agree with that. If you have to replace the pf or move the entire machine and electronics to a new cabinet, does Stern also pay for te labor costs you could incur?

#188 5 years ago

NJ

Quoted from iceman44:

I have the exact same minor ghosting inserts
Never got worse over time
I’d have zero concern but sounds like it bothers you so move on

Glad to hear it never got worse. Reassuring this one won't be a problem.

I'm getting a feeling that calling Stern out for cutting corners on some of this stuff is like calling some of your guy's babies ugly, though.

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#189 5 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Nope.
If you can't do it yourself, and you are not buying from a local distributor that can do it for you under warranty, then DO NOT buy a pinball machine.
Just like buying a Jet Ski:
If you don't have a trailer, and a truck, and the ability to back it up at a boat launch, then DO NOT buy a Jet Ski. It will cost you a fortune to have someone come take it out of the water for every service it needs.

Are you really comparing knowing how to back up a trailer and get a jet ski in and out of the water to knowing electronics well enough to perform a complete pinball machine cabinet swap?

I will agree with you about buying a used game. Sure things are going to break and need tweaks here and there. However major issues in a NIB game that require major playfield and/or cabinet swaps of electronics, parts, etc shouldn't happen often. If it does, at a price point of 6-9k, all parts and labor to fix should be paid by the manufacturer IMO (including labor costs incurred)

#194 5 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

That's funny.
Sea-Doo will not pay to pull your Jetski ($17,000) out of the water, it's up to you to drag it into the closest dealership for repair.
Stern will not pay someone to come fix your game, it's up to you to drag it into your distributor for repair.
If you are not ready to service your own game, I beg you NOT TO BUY A PINBALL MACHINE!

Not really a great analogy to a jet ski but I get your point. Guys, I already own 7 games, most of which are 20-30 year old Bally Willians games. I have problems off and on with them. If I didn't have a few guys locally that know how to fix stuff when I can't, I wouldn't be in the hobby.

Of course, that was never really the point. The point is Stern should be upping their game and QC given the rising price environment, not cutting corners and causing a lot of headaches for NIB, loyal customers.

#197 5 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

If you’re not satisfied with Sterns quality, please don’t buy their games. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment. I promise you.

I agree. I’ve decided I will never buy anything nib from them unless something with their QC drastically changes. Used, maybe if it isn’t falling apart.

#203 5 years ago
Quoted from Who-Dey:

I wonder why that they didnt replace your playfield or cabinet or whatever it was that was wrong but they seem to stand behind everyone elses? Why is that, any ideas??

How do you know they stand behind everything? Maybe it is case by case and only the worst ones where they have no choice are reolaced. Maybe those with milder cracking or the beginnings of it may not get the same treatment.

I'm not pretending to know how they make decisions. However, I think questioning someone's personal experience because your own or your friemd's may have been different doesn't carry much weight..

#205 5 years ago
Quoted from Who-Dey:

I never questioned his personal experience, i simply asked him if he has any idea why they didnt fix his game? Just a simple question, not trying to debate him or anything like that.
I also have no way of knowing if they fix every single persons game that has a problem. I dont work there or know anyone who does but my guess is that they do not have 100 percent customer satisfaction, no company does that i am aware of.
I can tell you this much though, they definitely have a pretty good track record of making things right with their customers and i have seen playfields replaced that wasnt bad at all imo so kudos to Stern. I would probably suggest that you dont buy a new Stern because i just have this feeling that you are going to end up unhappy with your purchase no matter what. It also would just be dumb on your part to spend 6-8k on a product that you feel is of low quality. I would never do that in a million years.

Like I posted previously, I have no intention of buying anything nib from Stern anytime soon. That may change in a few years if they get tbeir QC issues straightened out.

#208 5 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

It's never going to change.
Stern's QC is better than Williams or Bally ever was, but it's still just a piece of commercial vending equipment, not a Patek watch.

Ok. Sorry I couldn’t reply sooner. I just got back from buying my new jet ski.

#226 5 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

What did you get?
I have a Sea-Doo’s RXP-X 300hp with speed control bypass and HP prop.
Stupid fun.

Hell no. I bought a Yamaha. If I want QC and more mechanical headaches, I'd have bought a Sea-Doo.

Buying one of those new is kind of like buying a nib Stern pinball machine .

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