Quoted from MinusWorlds:

Thank you for your service.
It may not be a bad idea to email JJ and Stern letting them know you are being deployed and the pins will sit untouched for some time and you are concerned with the recent issues. At least that way when you come home if there are issues you have a record of the communication. I will say I doubt Stern would leave a serviceman hang in who was deployed.

Quoted from chubtoad13:

Of course it's your fault if you drop your playfield or mess up your cabinet putting it in...

Quoted from Who-Dey:

Come on, you dont have a friend, wife, neighbor or somebody that would help you for 5 minutes to lift the playfield out of your machine and put it in a box? I kind of find that a little hard to believe.

Quoted from smassa:

Gimme a F'ing break. Shit happens with these machines & if Stern is willing to replace the defective ones with fully populated replacement Playfields thats great. Those that whine about having to put them back in the cabinet probably shouldn't even have a machine in their house. I had an issue with my ACDC Luci & my distributor was able to get me a New populated PF which me & a friend swapped out. It took a little time but I was happy they took care of the issue. I'd wager any owner with issues would be more then happy to take the time to swap out a fully populated PF if offered it by Stern.

Quoted from Who-Dey:

And I would definitely help you out also for sure. I see your point but thats a very rare occurrence that would be an issue I would think. I mean Stern can only do so much, and I think sending a new populated playfield is satisfactory truthfully. Its also exactly what Stern should do also. If they are going to charge a premium for their games then they definitely should be obligated to back them up too.

Quoted from Who-Dey:

Are you from Cincy?

Quoted from ledge:

i think there's more than enough existing issues, to get the ball rolling from Sterns end.

Quoted from marvinmax:

Update on my machine with playfield issues, which could be interesting for European GBLE buyers with issues....
My playfield has 4 ghosting insert not out of the box, but after about 50 games. Made pictures and send them to my distributor and Stern. My distributor was on holiday for 4 weeks, got his reaction 2 days ago. From the pictures I send him 5 weeks ago my playfield situation was not bad enough he said. The same day I got a reaction from Stern (by e-mail) that my case was still under investigation and no decision was made yet..... Strange.... Mailed my distributor with Sterns reaction and asked him how it is possible that Stern tells me something different from his story. Still waiting on his answer.
I also send new pictures to the distributor and Stern, because my playfield has gotten worse in the last couple of weeks. Seems like the extra ball insert and the light storage facility insert are sinking into the playfield. If you rub over these insert with a finger you can feel that they are 'sunken'. The clear coat at bottom of the extra ball insert is cracked (you can feel that clearly if you go over it with a fingernail) and it seems the clear coat at the light storage facility insert is starting to crack (see pictures). Here a pictures taken yesterday, what do you think? Should my playfield be "in the program"?

Quoted from rubberducks:

I don't think they will at all. Hence why Stern won't look after people. The cheapening is to increase margins. Replacing stuff (with higher quality product) would lower them again. Though given the scope of the problem, I'd be surprised if nobody in the US initiates a lawsuit.
Outside the US, it's very different. In the EU the sellers are legally obligated to fully repair, replace or refund the owners at no cost to them, given that the goods are demonstrably faulty. If this drags on, some who want resolution will force the resellers' / distributors' hands. At that point, if Stern still won't budge, it'll be the latter that take them to court. Some will be forced to, as they won't be able to sustain the losses incurred by Stern's inaction.

Quoted from marvinmax:

My distributor called me yesterday. He met Gary in person on Sunday (Gary was in Europe he said). This is what Gary said about the issues in general, what also counts for my playfield:
- Stern will replace all the bad playfields, mine included. What he understood is that Stern will look at each case individually.....
- in January Stern will ship the new playfields to everyone, and not before. My distributor didn't mention how this is done, so I asked him (no answer yet). I assume that it's the same procedure as mentioned earlier: the customer gets a return box to send the bad playfield to stern, after they receive it, a new one is send to the owner. So a complete playfield swap.
So the program that is mentioned for the USA applies to European customers as well and I can't imagine the rest of the world. So everyone who has issues and haven't informed their distributor / seller, let them know!
Will Stern make this 'program' public in the upcoming month? Let's hope so!

Quoted from 85vett:

To be fair. I doubt 95%+ of operators even care about a couple of ghosting inserts and will likely not take part in the program. This is probably more driven and utilized by the home collector.

Quoted from Rokablly:

I just got the email saying my GB Premium is being shipped to my distributor today and payment is due (only the deposit was paid). What is the consensus, is it safe, do I pull the trigger or is it not safe and I should cancel?

Quoted from Chambahz:

I'll state it again: Playfield problems are solved.
Officially we have to wait for a few weeks/months before everyone is going to agree, but new Premiums are being received without complaints.
To each their own; if you feel better waiting, there's nothing wrong with that strategy.

Quoted from Chambahz:

I'm telling you: problems are fixed. The new Premiums that have arrived appear to be problem free.
Go ahead and give me thumbs down, or whine and complain all you want -but I challenge anyone to ACTUALLY FIND A PROBLEM PLAYFIELD ON A GB PREMIUM MANUFACTURED IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS OR NEWER.
That's the test. Not whether some guy presently working at the Stern factory in Kabul says so. Especially since many of these guys have been ripping into Stern non-stop for days.

Quoted from Mitch:

This is the most ridiculous contradicting sentence I've read today.
You can't say "problems are fixed" followed by "appear to be problem free"
Appear to be problem free is just a guess. No where near long enough to be sure.

Quoted from ledge:

so they just rely on pics from the buyer to ascertain whether the playfield makes the grade for a swap ?

Quoted from Chambahz:

You should read the warranty (below) -the playfield isn't covered. At all.
That puts both Stern and the buyer in an interesting situation. Stern can legally tell buyers to pound sand, but then people stop buying future products. Then again, at what point is a full exchange warranted? 1 slightly ghosting insert? 1 fully ghosting insert? 3? 4?
Another good point you made is: do ghosting inserts indicate future issues are more likely to pop up? THAT'S what would concern me.
Zero ghosting today, chipped playfield 6 months from now? Hope not.
6.2 WARRANTY
500-55H6-01
Stern Pinball machines are assembled in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, USA; each pinball machine has unique characteristics that make it a one-of-a-kind Amer- ican-made product. Each machine will have variations in appearance resulting from differences in the machine’s particular wood parts, individual silk screened art and mechanical assemblies. Stern Pinball has inspected each game element to insure it meets stringent quality and playability standards.
STERN PINBALL INC LIMITED WARRANTY
Stern Pinball Inc (‘SELLER’) warrants only to the initial purchaser of its products that the items listed below are free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service for the warranty period specified:
• Printed circuit boards (game logic): 2 months
• Dot Matrix Display boards: 9 months
No other parts of seller’s product are warranted.
Warranty periods are effective from the initial date of shipment from seller to its authorized distributors.
Seller’s sole liability shall be, at its option, to repair or replace products which are returned to seller during the warranty peri- ods specified, provided:
1. Seller is notified promptly upon discovery by purchaser that stated products are defective.
2. Such products are properly packaged and then re-
turned freight prepaid, to seller’s plant.
This warranty does not apply to any parts damaged during shipment and/or due to improper handling, or due to improper installation or usage, or alteration. In no event shall the seller be liable for any anticipated profits, loss of profits, loss of use, accidental or consequential damages, or any other losses incurred by the customer in connection with the purchase of a Stern Pinball Inc Product.
WARRANTY DISCLAIMER
Except as specifically provided in a written contract between seller and pur- chaser, there are no other warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Quoted from stoptap:

We've said it before and we will say it again, here in Europe that Stern 'warranty' isn't worth the paper it is written on.
You want to sell stuff in Europe ? You abide by European consumer law.

Quoted from catboxer:

You cracked the case!

Quoted from rosh:

Brings up an interesting issue, down the road when GB is not being made and NIB games come up for sale, guessing manufacture date is going to be really important to look at. Not like two years from now Stern is going to swap a playfield. Even with dates on boxes, I'd be concerned, no guarantee bad playfields won't find their way back into the production line.

Quoted from Rob_G:

I wonder if the program covers bubbled inserts? Almost all the colored jeweled inserts on my game have this. No ghosting though...
Rob

Quoted from HighVoltage:

Ghosting
I just had the opportunity to play a brand new GB Premium this weekend. It was put straight into public play after being set up. I talked to the owner about the playfield issues, and he said the playfield date was October. I also noticed and verified that it had the new thin PET-G playfield protector installed. It probably had over 100 plays by the time I got there to check it out. The Super Jackpot had ghosting. I came back the next day to check again, I estimate 100+ plays later, and now Add A Ball and Tobin's Spirit Guide had also ghosted significantly. I will add the pics I took later.
Playfield Protector thoughts
Obviously, the protector did nothing to prevent ghosting. Some other thoughts on the protector... Curiously, contrary to what I've heard, it slightly dulls the sheen of the new playfield. The playfield looked glossier at the exposed edges. I did not notice any difference in play physics. The game played fast and there were tons of air balls, but that seems to be standard on GB. I did not notice any shifting of the protector. The owner hoped it would protect from dimpling, and looking closely, it did probably help a little: the dimpling looked less pronounced then on the new, unprotected ST Premium I recently acquired.
GB Premium thoughts
A shout out and big thanks to the owner for putting it out in public, I really enjoyed playing it. I did think it was more fun than the pro. I was looking forward to see the Pepper's ghost effect, but was underwhelmed by that. The right lower "270-degree" ramp (not sure what folks are calling it) seems to have been a compromise to the original design. I probably played close to 20 games and many seemingly good shots would almost make it up, but come right back down. I wonder if that's common and if it can be tuned, I think I only hit it twice. The lane guide jumping is as annoying as I've heard. The scoop shot SDTM about 50% of the time, but fortunately the ball save helps. I hadn't heard the screaming lady (librarian?) when I played the pro before, and that was impressive! With the flipper gap and outlane hopping, the game is definitely more challenging than most, making for some lame-scoring games. But I still had fun, scoring 200m+ a few times, and getting on a roll for 750m one game. Thumbs up from me.

Quoted from kpg:

Now that you have a JJP game, you might notice that it barely dimples vs a Stern game. My Hobbit playfield is pretty much glass smooth after about 500 plays or so since I've had it. There's definitely some type of difference, but dimpling never really bothered me.

Quoted from 27dnast:

Amazing. So Stern has been pumping out problematic games and they send you that?
"Dear Mr. Johnson, sorry about your warped playfield. Please accept this perfectly sh*ty playfield manufactured during a time that known playfield problems emerged. P.S. - Enjoy the ghosting. -Stern's Epic Marketing Dept."

Quoted from kpg:

Exactly- they could have easily had a form that people filled out online for playfield issues, or even a site dedicated to it.
Instead, they decided to make a dedicated website and application form for a $15K Batman SLE edition.
You can see where their heads are at with that one.

Quoted from iceman44:

I would say F minus.
And its so easy to fix.
Need to get a signed customer petition going or some kind of attention getter. The random ramblings on Pinside don't seem to be doing any good. And people are going to keep buying them because they love pinball, but how about some respect for the customers.

Quoted from kpg:

Please sign this petition if you have been affected by a defective Stern Pinball product, or support Stern Pinball Inc. assisting customers in the pinball community who have been affected:
https://www.change.org/p/gary-stern-replace-defective-stern-pinball-machine-playfields?recruiter=662410736&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
My attorney has requested that I first start this petition and get signatures before the next step- thanks!

Quoted from Who-Dey:

I can see Gary busting a playfield over KPG's head right now! lol

Quoted from Azmodeus:

I have no skin in the game yet but love the thread.
I will be a nib buyer one day, if I'm lucky.

Quoted from Kiwipinhead:

More to the point, has the OP got a new playfield?

Quoted from Who-Dey:

Is coding really that terribly bad though? I know Batman is just God awful, but what else is? I was always under the impression that Kiss was a disaster but right now as we speak you got guys talking about how the Kiss code is pretty good and only need minor work done to it. What games other than BM66 are so bad? Im not saying there arent any, im just asking.

Quoted from Who-Dey:

Yeah I know Eskaybee but I fall into that average or casual player group that Capguntrooper is talking about. I dont even come close to knowing and understanding the rules of these games like alot of you guys on here. I can't even wrap my head around some of the things that you guys talk about sometimes, its true and im not too embarrassed to admit it.
I just pick up bits and pieces from you guys and learn a little here and there, and sometimes you guys get so deep into the rules that it makes me scratch my head. Im ok with that though because that helps me enjoy my games longer, because im always learning. For me, GOT seems like it has great rules , because I just dont know it like you do and im obviously not as good of a player as you either. I havent even been to the Iron Throne yet on GOT, and I may never get there for all I know. I consider myself a decent player, but the iron throne isnt easy to achieve.
I think Capguntrooper nailed it. Most players just dont see these games in the same way as the really good players do. I learn alot from people like you on here for sure, but sometimes im kinda glad that I don't understand some of the things that you guys are taking about even if I am trying to reach that point. I love pinball and its my main hobby now, but i just havent studied the rule sets hard enough to put myself on that level yet. When i use to race cars, i was at that level because its all i thought about 24/7, but i just havent put myself there with pinball yet, even though i do love it alot. Anyway I'm rambling, not sure if any of that makes sense to you but I think it probably does.

Quoted from PanzerFreak:

The last sentence of your post is why I'm done, for now, with Stern.
I love Ghostbusters but I won't drop nearly $7k on a premium that doesn't have substantial code updates being released. Ghostbusters has a lot of cool features but they will never reach their potential if the code isn't deep enough.
Theme alone, no matter how much I like it, won't get me to spend $7k. I rather spend another $1k-2k and get a Dialed In that I know will be loaded up and have deep and unique code with substantial updates that don't take 6 months to a year (or longer) to come out.

Quoted from fosaisu:

It came from the factory looking like that?!? Almost unbelievable.

Quoted from jeffspinballpalace:

wtf was ghosting issue never resolved? Stern QC on GB courtesy of Jody Dankberg beginning at 11:03 mark.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=UR2WflOczwU

Quoted from tamoore:

Can you imagine what these things would cost with proper quality control??????

Quoted from Jvspin:

Don't have much time on TWD, may need to revisit it. It seems like code revisions have elevated it.
I was initially underwhelmed by the feel of the playfield, ie. clunky orbit and well walker bash toy, prison doors bash toy that open to reveal a bash toy and ramp that lifts to reveal a ... bash toy.

Quoted from J85M:

Pretty sure there have been several times when characters say the name of places that are featured in the game during the show.
When they are heading to and reach places in each session they often do a lot of talking about them so there must be some create audio clips that could be lifted featuring - CDC, barn, terminus, tunnel, prison and they definitely say shoot a lot in the show, with some creative editing and cutting, these could be made to direct the player like the original hillbilly callouts.

Quoted from PinMonk:

The Game of Thrones left orbit diverter "fix" is the clearest incontrovertible confirmation Stern often doesn't care. A fix for the bad diverter design/install that COMPLETELY BROKE the Martell mode was supposedly coming forever. Then they issued a software update that disabled it and said it was working "as designed" which was complete bull. Even disabling it, the Martell mode was broken because the ball took way longer going through the pops than around the orbit, eating valuable time off the mode clock. To say it was "as designed" was a slap in the face to owners and Steve Ritchie, but of course he can't say anything publicly. I'm sure he's still pissed.
The crazy thing is a fix wouldn't have cost that much (change the shape of the diverter arm a little), and the problem was found early enough that all newer GoT off the line at that time could have had it installed at the factory, costing very little. Stern chose to lie about it and move on. That's a lack of caring.
» YouTube video

Quoted from PinMonk:

He acknowledged after the "as designed" lie? I didn't know that. Like I said, I bet he's still pissed about that.

Quoted from skywalker:

Any pics to prove this statement please.

Quoted from flashinstinct:

Should be smooth because the insert are glued in the playfield and after wards the entire playfied gets sanded down. Afterwards, graphics are printed and then clearcoat is applied. If you feel something it means the insert is lifting. Mind you a micron won't change much but if it keeps progressing you'll get a lifting insert. Sometimes the clearcoat is so thing that what you are feeling is the ink layer (TF is a great example of that)

Quoted from Darscot:

If this pin was a few years old and looked like that I would think nothing of it and it would not affect the value to me at all. Its so minor, the problem is in 5 years the playfield might be trashed. It will be interesting to see what these look like in 5 years. No one knows what will happen long term. How bad did some of the Ghostbusters get before being swapped?

Quoted from RVApinballer:

What game is that on?

Quoted from TheLaw:

Well yeah they pretty much have basically...not title but yeah you gotta have pics of those inserts for sure.
And that many inserts above...all right out of the box...jeez.

Quoted from AtTheArcade:

Man...what really stinks about this is all of us with games from last year that have playfields that need to be replaced. I've been waiting on a replacement for my GBLE for over a year now. I was trying really hard to get one a few months ago when everyone was reporting the issue was gone but now here we are again.
It'll be very disappointing if I get a replacement playfield and have ghosting again.

Quoted from J85M:

Wow! Literally no words for the screw ups Stern are continuing to make, its at the point where its laughable now.
Can you explain what you mean about the noticeable difference in quality of the playfields and it not being for the better? I have a replacement playfield due hopefully sometime this year for my BM66, so you have me curious and a little worried.

Quoted from RobF:

I received a replacement KISS Pro PF. On the new one, while the clear coat looks fantastic, the printing quality is a step down from the original. The colors seem a bit washed out, especially for the black on clear inserts. In hindsight I might have preferred the original PF with ghosting LOCK insert and chipped inlane with more vibrant colors over the replacement.
capguntrooper: Did you notice the same with your new replacement?

Quoted from Vino:

The hits just keep on coming.
Next up, Sparky in a Star Wars machine as the emperor.

Quoted from AtTheArcade:

Just a quick picture I took with the glass on but you can see a little something going on to the left of the "g" in storage facility. Hopefully that's not ghosting.

Quoted from PinMonk:

Probably more likely Stern was phished.