Quoted from gliebig:Same. Maybe I'll finally get around to renovating my bathrooms.
Nice way to turn a bad shit show into a good shit show!
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Quoted from gliebig:Same. Maybe I'll finally get around to renovating my bathrooms.
Nice way to turn a bad shit show into a good shit show!
If anyone who has reported these issues to Stern in recent weeks gets anything other than radio silence (like I have) please share it here.
Quoted from ercvacation:I was told by Stern that the issues aren't widespread and are only being talked about due to a very vocal minority
Great. Then they should have no problem swapping the defective playfields for those unfortunate few who are affected. I assume I’ll be getting a call any day now.
So Stern just let me know they will replace the playfield on my Met with some hairline clearcoat cracks around an outlane post. They gave me a choice between a populated playfield swap and an unpopulated playfield. I opted for the latter to avoid the hassle of the swap (undoing/redoing mods, playfield protection, etc.) and because the damage is currently not too bad and seems to have stabilized.
I am satisfied with this outcome. Stern has done right by me (assuming I actually get the new playfield soon!) and hope others with similar issues get taken care of. This is the second NIB from Stern I have purchased, and they also swapped my ghosting GB playfield. These clearcoat issues are definitely concerning, but I do feel like--at least in my case--Stern is standing behind the product. Once it seems like the vast majority of playfields going out are problem-free, I won't hesitate to buy another Stern.
Quoted from Sako-TRG:This was on a Metallica? Do you have any pics you could share?
Sure.
719F6E28-3402-43A0-9A13-22627B2E391D (resized).jpegQuoted from JWP72:UPDATE: Well yesterday I received my new IMDN unpopulated playfield.
I’m still waiting on mine (Metallica). Did yours come pre-drilled for easier swapping?
Quoted from newpinbin:Does Stern require you to send in the defective palyfiled after you transfer the parts onto the new playfield?
No. If they send an unpopulated playfield it is yours to keep and do with it what you want (swap, keep as is, sell, whatever). If they send a populated playfield, you first need to send your old populated playfield back in an empty box they send you. Once Stern receives it, they will send you the new one.
Quoted from Borntolose:I sent them photos and video 2 days ago with no response yet!! Hoping they get back to me ASAP
I’d suggest also reporting it to Stern with pics. My distributor ignored my issues and I only got some traction when I dealt with Stern directly.
Quoted from newpinbin:Have you had any luck with that?
I was persistent, but they offered me either a populated replacement playfield to switch out or an extra unpopulated playfield for my Metallica. The clearcoat cracks were pretty bad, though mostly in one outlane area.
Quoted from MrBally:Michigan Small Claims Court limit is $5k per "disagreement".
The newer games are obviously more than 5K as a whole, but what about just the populated playfield?
If they send you an unpopulated playfield, that’s all you get. It’s up to you if you want to do the swap (at your time/expense), sell the playfield, keep it to sweeten the next sale, etc.
Quoted from Yoko2una:Why can't they just do it already at their current prices? These are six f*cking thousand dollars for base models.
...And they cost less than half of that to manufacture. I can deal with that crazy markup if the quality is there, but it ain’t. I bought two NIB Sterns and got two defective playfields (ghosting GB and pooling/cracking MET). Stern more or less handled the issues with some prodding, but I’m sick of these hassles. I’ve decided to turn myself into a pickle to avoid Stern for now. I’m Pickle Rick! Can’t wait for R&M.
Quoted from Who-Dey:If your distributor is the one i am thinking of in your state you will never get any help, just broken promises. You may as well get a hold of Stern yourself and see what you can do.
I have only had success (two replacements for defective playfields) by dealing with Stern directly. Distributors have done nothing for me.
Quoted from NoQuarters:We are paying extra money with the last price increase anyway. An improved playfield would be welcome.
As long as sales are strong and they aren’t losing money on PF replacements, I doubt it will happen. And allowing an upgrade option would acknowledge that some playfields are substandard, which they won’t do.
That really sucks, but why not at least give Stern a chance to make it right? Who knows, maybe they’ll surprise you and send a proper playfield.
I have received two replacement playfields from Stern over the past few years. My distributor did nothing for me. I did all the legwork directly with Stern, which was a bit of a hassle but Stern came through for me. I do wonder, though, if having the distributor (one of Stern’s largest) copied on my emails helped grease the skids to get it done. Guess I’ll never know.
I’ll add to the list the annoying (and cheaper?) moving of the power switch from the bottom of the cab to the side of the backbox.
Quoted from zaphX:Well the solution is obvious...buy one to play and one to look at and keep pristine.
Dude, for the life of me I can’t figure out why you’re willing to put up with this crap. This is clearly a solvable issue. Spooky did it. Why can’t the billionaire JJP investors do it? They can, but apologists like you make it unnecessary for them.
Look, I agree the games are great. And I feel bad for the designers who just want to make the best games they can without dealing with playfield issues. But what about at least calling out the bean counters who apparently have decided that it is financially advantageous to keep putting out the crap playfields and not address egregious issues? Why give them a pass? I understand pinball fans don’t have much choice. If we want to buy new games it’s not like we have dozens of companies to choose from. But why make it so easy for them to screw the customer to save a buck? Even if you decide the playfield lottery is worth it to you to have a fun new game, at least call a spade a spade and admit that these business practices are unacceptable—and call out the bean counters.
Quoted from PtownPin:Why would JJP ever offer a buy back option? It would cost them $800-$900 just in shipping charges (reimbursement + return shipping). It just makes zero sense financially when they can provide a play field for $400 and call it good. I'm not saying thats a great option, but we all know from history that satisfied most people who were impacted.
Your argument makes sense if JJP can actually provide a good playfield. It doesn’t seem like that’s the case for now, at least consistently.
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