Anytime someone says they will take care of you, tell them that answer is not good enough.

I had an auto shop tell me that it would take care of me, and boy, did they ever take care of me.

Unless you have something on paper, don't trust a retailer. Never trust a retailer unless you have him pinned to the wall. Not all retailers are bad, but there are enough out there who are undercapitalized, behind on their rent, or whatever that they will say whatever they think you want to hear

You have what they want: Money. Make them EARN it.

I've had some lack luster experience on the customer service end with them. I've boght two machines from them in my time, and once they help me get a ghosting playfield issue fixed quickly, so I wont shit all over them too badly. I will say, however, their prices suck and the way he talks on the phone makes it seem like you're bothering him when you try to give them money. Sorta oddballs.

Kind of how I felt on the phone with them the other week.

How did you pay automated? Cash, check or credit card?

Is that supposed to be a plausible excuse for Automated? If they said they would do it, then they buy the decal set and eat it.

large discount and free shipping for cash/wire payment. I live in TN and got both games in 2 days or less. Can't remember who he used for shipping, but it was super fast and he ships same day you pay if before a certain time. They actually answer their phone EVERY TIME I call is a huge plus in my book.

I’ve had the attitude on the phone as well. I finally had enough and said, “Jackass, you realize I’m about to drop 18K on two games? Kill the apathetic, tough-guy routine”. That got a laugh out of him.

so weird. He has always been very nice and helpful with me.

I think it just depends on the day. I’ve bought all my nib games from him in the past.

I can see why OP wasn't pleased given the statements that were made at the time of payment vs. condition of games when he received them. That said, step one for me would always be to go back to the seller and give them a chance to make things right before posting on Pinside. If this was an oversight maybe they'll fix it or give you a few bucks back to cover their error. And if they tell you to fuck off, you've got more juicy details to add to your Pinside rant.

Everybody has a bad day. I get it.
However, when I’m about to drop some serious cash you had better make me feel like I matter.

Im at 11 games from Mike with all issues taken care of quickly if I have one. Kayla is my go to contact there she has gone out of her way for me a few times and Mike has always been very respectful even when grumpy and has even sorta talked me out of buying a game recently(LZ).

Mike never told the labor guys to do anything to your games if I had to guess Jason. That is my only issue ive ever had with Automated in general is they get there wires crossed being so busy or forget to follow through if you dont hound them sometimes.

$8,900 is a boatload of money.
On a lighter note, you will love the JP Premium. It’s a terrific game.

I had a great experience with Mike on a NIB purchase. Pleasant to deal with - transaction was smooth and I'm very happy with the machine. I can understand why you're upset with the condition of your games - give them a call and see what they say. I have no issue with you posting about your experiences - not chasing someone up first to fix something is not a prerequisite to post here. It's been a balanced discussion and I appreciate learning from everyone's perspective.

I bought from Mike and had an issue with a nib machine. It was handled quickly without issues. When I picked my game up he turned on showroom games and said feel free to play them. I did while they got my game out in lot. He was very nice and appreciated my business. Sorry you had issues.

reminds me of when i paid thousands for a new paint job and they tried to give me a dirty car on delivery or 1500 for a new set of tires and they didnt even wipe off the dust and finger grease.best to pickup used machines cash on glass and you get what you see

It’s the after sale support. Mostly not his fault it’s Stern. My ticket should have been submitted earlier. Like I said he was cool on other stuff. And the phone call two weeks ago an no reply to email about buying a game. Saved me 6k though. Lol.

Distros really have to go out of their way to mess up NIB sales, not sure why its worth mentioning that NIB sales have been good when that should really just be a given. After the sale is another thing though. Buying used games is really where the rubber meets the road however.

I was literally just about to post the same thing. Everybody's gushing about NIB sales like it's rocket science to take a card number over the phone and put the right address on the box. Sheesh...

I've been to Game Exchange and the showroom has a ton of used games for sale. They're all clean, shopped and fully functional. That's what you pay "retail" for. Sure, I chuckle at the prices because they're high, but J.J. told me it takes him about $1600 to get a game ready to sell.

When I bought nib from my distro, he removed the game out of the box for me to play/evaluate before spending a dime. Game was also delivered and setup for reasonable fee. To me that had value back when I was not very experienced. I've heard stories of how good/bad some retailers are at helping with issues after purchase. There is definitely more to the nib purchase than just taking a credit card but point taken.

$1600 sounds like a lot to get an average game playable unless you are really doing it up. Still, retailers bills to pay and labor costs.

here's the bottom line.. if you want to feel like a retail customer, buy from a retailer. if you want to feel like a hobbyist/enthusiast, buy from a fellow collector. both options are always at your disposal. you learned the hard way. lick your wounds and move on with your new-found lesson. but with this post, you're not telling anyone anything they don't already know.

is no one going to talk about the guy who overpays by $2500 for pinball machines but won't pay TEN CENTS for grocery bagging? i get the feeling he doesn't return his cart either.

Kids get paid to retrieve the carts. I'm not going to put anyone out of work.

As I stated, I picked up my NIB pin from Automated and they hand trucked it to my car and helped me load it. Mike gave me a cash transaction discount in-person. Easy transaction and that was appreciated.

I’ve bought and traded games with Automated. They are the best hands down. Love Mike and Kayla!

looking forward to seeing you on cart narcs

I bought a #Walking Dead floor model/used pin from Mike @Automated Services about 2 weeks ago. My communication with both Beckey and Mike before, during and after the sale was outstanding. He kept his word on everything. I live in VA and drove up to CT to get it. They wrapped and loaded the machine for me like it was their own. Made sure that it didn’t move an inch and was protected for the ride.
It rained in every state on the way home and the pin never got wet.

Loved their service!