GOT defective playfield. What would you do?

Post some pics

Is there any way from under you can use some epoxy to stop them from sinking and than attack what needs to be done on the top side?

The least they could do is offer to cover the cost of a PF protector/overlay...

That insert can also be leveled from underneath and glued back into place. Won't fix the cracked clearcoat but it will help.

I would literally go postal and tell Stern this playfield is getting shoved up someone's ass if they don't do something about it!!

Just another reason why I won't buy new Stern games.

That looks obviously defective to me.

Have you tried contacting your distributor?

Edit. Didn’t realize this was second hand. Why didn’t the original owner get it replaced? Are you sure it only had forty plays? If so, that insert would’ve been that way from the factory.

Oh. I think you’re SOL now unfortunately. See if you can level it out some how and reglue it. Then cover the top with Mylar.

I haven't done it on a newer game, but on WPC era and older. Why is newer a problem?

I'd say you have nothing to lose. I would do a test on one. Heat it up from under side with hair dryer or hot air gun. If you haven't done it before, be conservative at first. Find the right heat level when you can start to move it. Push it level with playfield. I would do this with the playfield vertical from the sides so you can have one hand on each side. When level, epoxy around the bottom of the insert. If the lip really is recessed too far it may make a good ledge for epoxy to set on.

What would cause this?....and stern sucks for not helping out, even though its 2nd owner.

I would talk to Stern again and try to get them to sell you a new playfield at cost. It's clearly a defect regardless of you being the second owner. They should do something to make it right.

I would email as high up as you can at Stern and see if you can get some kindness. The other choice is to send it to a professional and have the insert leveled and re-cleared. If you love the game, it might be worth doing.

that is INSANE!

That pf needs to be corrected no matter what. Based on the age of the game it should NOT have inserts like that!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just because Stern ignores you doesn’t mean you should stop trying. I would be calling Patrick Powers daily until they agreed to send me a populated playfield. They would have to sue me for harassment before I would stop. That is BS, and why I am done with Stern. I wouldn’t buy a GOTG for half off the way Stern is making games.

BTW who is the distributor? I believe that also makes a difference in how Stern chooses to resolve things.

Really? Even though the OP is neither a customer of the distro or stern? I would think stern would help this guy out because I’ve heard of them doing that before for people past the original owner, but not sure the distro or stern has a responsibility to do anything here.

I thought you said your inserts are sinking? But you're afraid the epoxy is too strong? I don't follow this logic.

I would ask your distributor nicely for a playfield at cost. If you can't do the swap yourself try and buy a populated one. It's out of warrantee but they generally help out.

If Stern accepted the request then you are getting a new populated playfield. It just takes a while. Maybe 6-12 months. Keep playing the pin in the meantime.

Could it be that the first owner saw it coming and sold it early enough.

Playfield protector definitely seems like the easiest solution here

can you talk with the original owner and have them put in the request. Frankly it is none of Sterns business what your relationship is with the original owner so it may be worht a try to resubmit under their name.

This happened to an insert on my TSPP, of course that's a lot older than this, but.. I went under the playfield and heated up what remained of the insert glue, and when it was nice and soft (of course you don't want to melt the insert), I gently pushed up on the insert and leveled it with the playfield. Then I had some water thin super glue that I loaded into a syringe, and I injected it under the insert (between the bottom edge of the insert and the lip of the routed insert hole). It's held up fine and level over a lot of games for more than a year, so I think I'm good. That's just an option if you get nowhere with Stern or a distributor.

vid1900 has a playfield restoration thread that describes how to re-level inserts. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration#post-548585
Use the key posts index, there are more than ten posts discussing the process.

In all fairness, the game is not "playable" in that condition. Ball will be jumping all over the place.

What would cause this?!!

dont try and fix this. CALL stern EVERY damn day. Call the distributor EVERY dman DAY!!!

Seriously, get so far up their butt they dont know where you and and they start.

Post that picture on every social media outlet, pinball forum, FB group you can find and make it a point to tell how few plays the game has, how old it is, and your service.

It does not matter 1 iota that you are the second owner, that is a defective pf and a known issue they have had.

Let the original owner take possession of the game again and then get the playfield replaced. I do not think being the second owner is the problem, because I just got my MET playfield replaced being second owner.

I thought that technically the distributor was Stern's customer and the end buyer is the distributor's customer. The distributor will most likely have to make this happen.

IDK, when I buy a GE refrigerator from Home Depot and it breaks do I call Home Depot or GE????? GE

Except in this situation you bought your neighbors GE fridge after he had it for a year.

I gotta believe if you keep calling stern that they will replace the playfield because it's clearly defective. If it were me, I would be calling them everyday as others have said if that's what it takes. I would also call the shitty distributor out publicly on these forums that didn't handle this situation properly. That way the people here on pinside and people on the internet who research this distributor will know not to buy a game from them anymore.

It also doesn't sound like they have told you that they aren't replacing your playfield just yet so I think you might be jumping to conclusions a little too early and assuming they aren't going to. Have they officially told you that you aren't getting a new playfield yet or not?

Thats just how Stern rolls now, no more replacing playfields that are defective, just had the same thing happen with my Game of Thrones had 7 inserts ghosting, and Sterns response was that it was normal.

Not supporting their product is going to coast them in the long run, I canceled my GOTG order that day.

Few of my inserts, not the worst ghosting Ive seen but 7 inserts on one playfield is normal?

got1 1 (resized).jpg

I got my playfield replaced through my distributor, but I was the original owner. Yes, being the second owner makes this a lot more complicated. I hope it works out.

Did you go through your distro? Your distro should help you out. Every time there is an unresolved issue, we stop buying from any manufacturer. We had an issue with our GB playfield and stopped buying until the issue was resolved. It took over 12 months and we are happy with the outcome. We are buying again. Vote with your wallet. It puts a bit of pressure on your distro to resolve issues.

Are the other 5 inserts worse than the two you have circled? My old eyes would have never even seen that probably unless I used a magnifying glass lol. I'd like to see the other 5 inserts.

About the same, some have more on multipule edges, all are slivers, but who knows what will happen down the road as its only 3/4 of a year old, I messaged them months ago but never heard back until now.

Man that one insert is gross! Definately forgot the glue there!

What ever money they lost on GB pf replacements, they more than made up for when BM66 super Le went from 30 to 80 units. Imo don’t feel bad for Stern, I’d want them to fix shoddy work.

What a coincidence the contacted you today, right after you start this thread....hmmmm

I was thinking the same thing.......

For the game, I'd stick a protector on it, no question.

As for Stern, I'd crucify them every day until they replaced it. That is a defective playfield. I'd have pictures every day on Pinside. I'd be in every single Stern thread. My squeaky wheel would get greased. I will say, you missed that. But no matter what, it's defective and they should put a new one in.