wow.. Whaat is the deeeal with Mad amusements?

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They blow, thats what. Would never order from them again.

What really irks me about rgp lately is the number of jackasses that will post "He's always been good to me". What the hell does that have to do with the number of overseas folks he has screwed?

I'm not suprised at all that there are now vendor issues. He was already showing his low morals with out of country customers. Just took him a little longer to build up the courage to screw some of the big fish.

Cheers,
Duane

I always got what i ordered from them quickly and without hassle. Until now i have been unaware mad amusements had a bad reputation. I'll be interested to hear how this cpr deal turns out.

I just got 700 bucks worth of parts from MAD, no issues for me . Mike even cut a pop bumper cap for me without even asking . I felt I was treated very fairly.

It will be interesting to find out what the hell Kevin is talking about.

Jim

Its kind of obvious that the MAD guy runs hot and cold.I hope this can be resolved.

Firing up the Gold Medal commercial popcorn machine. Per the instructiins, I will make a minimum of four batches and will add genuine Flavocol. Accept no substitutes.

Also, can someone post Mad's address? Could one of the posters here or on RGP that travel alot stop by and find out what the deal is?

Yeah, that was pretty vague... I guess it might get their attention, and that's really the point of it, but yeesh....

The more I've dealt with CPR, the more I like dealing with them. They have gone to great lengths to make sure that I was ultimately satsified with the only purchase I've made from them. I totally support them calling out vendors that are being d-bags when warranted. Wonder what the heck is going on...I don't think MAD would be supplying them with any parts for the PFs or backglasses...

Does Mad Amusements sell CPR products?

yeah whats the deal with mad and cpr?

If Mad sells CPR stuff, looks like Net 30 or Net 10 just changed to Cash in Advance.....

LOL

No one has blasted Mike Ducker and Mad more than I have on the forums. In the past couple of years I helped several people overseas to get their orders fulfilled by calling authorities in Brick, New Jersey for assistance. I won't go into details here right now . . . just too lengthy . . . but here are two opinions.

1. BAD BUSINESS:

- The man is one of the rudest people I have ever talked with over the phone.
- Answers the phone at sporadic times and you can never count on reaching him.
- He will tell you to email him to discuss your problem and then he never answers the emails.
- For the overseas customers, it is always THEIR fault.
- One guy in Europe bought over $1,000 worth of parts and miscalculated his payment. He was $1.50-something short. His order was held up for MONTHS because of this, but he was unaware of his mistake. When he finally got in touch with Mike, he was told about not sending enough money. The guy elected to knock off one item worth about $3-$4. Mike was fine with THAT! He wouldn't send a $1,000+ order because it was short a Buck, but he let it fly after he shafted the guy by taking a more expensive item off the order.
- He does not have a store-front business for walk-in trade.
- Operates out of a warehouse with an unknown address
- Uses a Drop-box service to run his business, which most likely allows him to evade local business taxes, etc. I do NOT know this as a fact! Just assuming.
- Is not registered with the local New Jersey Better Business Bureau. There is no local record of a Mad Amusements doing business in or near Brick, N.J. When I contacted local authorities, there was nothing documenting this business operating there.
- This Drop-box service is located in a shady part of town. In my investigation, his local bank told me they would not drive there and get out of the car for it was too dangerous of an area.
- He absolutely runs hot and cold. Some kind of tragic thing happened to him and it appears to be that he once had a serious illness from Lyme Disease. The one caused by ticks. That is the reason you see that topic on the left side of his web page. I believe it has affected his health. He could LEGITIMATELY blame his business faults from the residual affects of this disease. Perhaps he feels good some days and then there are others where this disease causes him weakness, confusion, etc.???? I'm just guessing here. I really do think there is a physical ailment he has that is working into this equation.
- VERY UNWILLLING to get on the forums and defend himself. In fact, I don't think he ever reads the forums. Either he is hiding and afraid, or he just doesn't give a shit. I believe it is the later.
- Sometimes he writes very scolding emails filled with excuses or blaming the customer, the Post Office, Customs, and the banks for the problems.

2. GOOD BUSINESS:
- Has one of the most extensive inventories of pinball parts.
- Has some of the very best prices out there on products.
- Has fulfilled my OWN orders very quickly. I PERSONALLY have always got what I ordered and in a timely manner!!!
- Has such great potential to be a leader in pinball parts sales.
- Sometimes he actually will write the most sincere emails of apology.

SUMMARY: I use Mad Amusement as a last resort.

Good luck Kevin and CPR!!!
Mike in Kentucky

It is not far from some bad areas.... An LEO was killed in Lakewood last year. Which is actually where the JJP warehouse is located. JJP might be lucky there is a gun range down the street where cops are constantly practicing and one of the few places in NJ you might find people carrying concealed. The brick address is a whole 2-3 miles away. I don't mind people talking dirty about NJ( ) but I think it's fair to have context instead of hearsay. Would I move there? NOPE but I'll be happy to investigate the local areas if you need help in the future. Don't take this the wrong way. Your post informed me well about his reputation. I am posting because I live close. It has nothing to do with opinion or pinball. Just the location.

I have had countless exceptional transactions with MAD. The moment a problem arose when a board he shipped me was DOA, the dude lost his shit. I personally, have never experienced a less professional customer service experience in my life. That guy is a douche. I pray that someone steps up and starts carrying the extensive catalog of parts that he does.

everytime i do a search for a part and find out its on his site... i don't buy it!
too bad cause he does have great prices and hard to find parts but man customer service is so bad i'm affraid it's gonna happen to me overhere.

There are always two sides and they are just posting their experience. It does not mean that overseas orders do not still have a valid complaint.

Well, it's in their name. I guess they've finally gone Mad.

You know what I do when a business wrongs me? I write a review on yelp, and it's usually effective (not that it doesn't hurt to post on pinball forums). I've NEVER heard a single thing bad said about pinball life, and it's probably because Terry is so awesome. I've personally never had issues with Mad, but I only order from them when I have to, or the price is better.

Who cares? I've never had any issue with Mike. I've spent thousands! funny how CRP calls Mike out but doesn't want to comment on the real issue. That's chicken Shit! Make the call or shut the hell up! Idle threats, Pinball is full of them! It's a bitch move!

A warning shot across the bow is certainly not a bitch move.

The HMS Hood tried that.

LTG

Hey Wolf...Consider the source....

Why is CPR threatening to air this out?

Really don't know how they are going to pressure MAD into conceding to there demands when everybody knows they are not happy with their experience with him just by the innuendos they already posted. They can't put the genie back in the bottle, their threat is already a negative in itself. Even if MAD makes things right with them, the damage is done as everybody knows the extreme it took to make matters right.

When you post on a forum that your objective is blackmail legally that is a stupid move and if it goes to court you have automatically lost and could face charges.
The thread is like one of those cliffhanger shows where you have to "tune in next week" to see the ending.
If you have had a bad experience and are to the point of posting about it then spill it.

I bought a HS base game, plastics, ramps, caps, NOS spinners, stencils etc. on the premise I would be able to get a repro PF.
2+ years later I sold the game and the parts at a loss when it became obvious the PF was never going to happen.
I also had a Firepower and got on the list for a PF but bought a nicer example and sold the one I had instead of taking the gamble that this PF would actually be made.
I will no longer deal with MAD or CPR.
From what I have read the FP PF's were a crapshoot, some were good and some not so good.
I don't need some POS sent to me and then have to decide if I can live with a flawed product or go through the hassle of sending it back when it shouldn't have been shipped to me flawed in the first place.
I would imagine that the guys that buy a lot of PFs get the nice ones, first time buyers that may only buy one get the seconds.
My buddy just finished reconditioning a FP and repaired the original, I told him from what I have read it is a crapshoot if you order one and he may get one of the ones that was returned.
When I buy a game now it is all about the PF, if it is unacceptable I don't buy the game unless I already have the PF for it in my hands.

I don't have a clue what is going on between Mike and CPR, neither one had stated their case.
All I know for sure is Mike has screwed overseas buyers and CPR has shipped substandard PF's out.
I won't gamble with my cash dealing with either one.

Firing up the Gold Medal commercial popcorn machine. Per the instructiins, I will make a minimum of four batches and will add genuine Flavocol. Accept no substitutes.
Also, can someone post Mad's address? Could one of the posters here or on RGP that travel alot stop by and find out what the deal is?

You really need to either use real butter or Butter Buds.

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Wow hard to believe there is such a discrepancy between experiences.

I have ordered a lot of parts and only had great experience with Mike. Just a few weeks ago I ordered some HS2 decals. Sent them right out and no fault to his they had duplicate coin door decals and no back box decals. I emailed him with a pic and he shipped me out the back box ones asap and included a UPS return so I could send him back the error ones.

Like I said I have only had good experience with him. Maybe he does not put up with bs. If a customer is rude to him he does not suck it up like Wal-Mart but rather tries to get to the bottom of it. People always try to rip off businesses like if you sent a DMD board out and the purchaser said it was DOA, what do you do? Could the buyer have swapped it? Who knows. It’s tough for small businesses to deal with this. The bigger places bake this error and fraud right into the price. But then again the board could be DOA. It’s just a no win situation for both sides.

More importantly, who puts orange slices and fake butter on raw salmon. It's mmm mmm horrific.

LOL!

But the fresh dill really pulls the meal together does it not.
The salmon is not the issue here, I can get the flavor of two full pounds of butter on my tub of popcorn.

Dill and orange....think I'm gonna vomit now. Might as well put peppermint and garlic together while we're at it.

...or something REALLY dopey...like bacon and chocolate!

Never have and never will purchase from Mad Amusements due to the negative history reported. I even removed him from my bookmarks!!

I just ordered several hundred dollars worth of stuff from MAD two weeks ago and the transaction went fine.

Is this just more pinball guy drama or is there a valid issue? If there is a problem people should know about, then state it. Otherwise, this sounds like more insubstantial dribble from an at fault customer or his competition.

I don't have a problem if he is not a registered business. As long as the guy isn't selling stollen goods I will probably buy from him again in the future. He has very competitive prices on a large inventory.

It is a person's business, yes?
I was looking to possibly buy a Pinbot play-field from CPR not too long ago.

I guess this depends on what you consider to be a valid issue?

Do you consider a mile long list of not shipping parts to international customers until the law gets involved, ignorant/insulting emails to customers, and (apparently) problems with vendors to be valid issues?

Your mileage may vary, but all the "Mike has treated me fine blah blah blah cheap prices" posts at this point are just sad. Many of the horror stories start out with "I had ordered from MAD many times without issue UNTIL.... usually followed by a screw up on MAD's end leading to insults/lack of resolution on the issue at hand.

Or maybe this has all just been the longest and most well orchestrated set up by a bunch of "pinball guys" who like drama.

Pick whatever outcome you think is more likely, and shop accordingly.

You can have costs awarded if you’re successful. US/Canada border suits aren’t as “scary” for those wishing to issue as they used to be.

As for MAD, and Mike, and being Canadian myself, I have ordered many times, and as recently as a couple months ago, and despite an initial shipping email that always seems to get lost and holds things up a week or so, everything else has been good in my dealings. Even had an issue with an aspect of something bought, that wasn’t related to MAD, which he was very quick to respond and assist with.

I’m not posting this in his defense so much, as I’m aware many have issues with ordering from him, but posting to note that there are some international buyers that don’t have issues.

I hope all gets resolved, as MAD really does get a lot of stuff that no one else has, and is usually the cheapest as well. It would be nice if they eventually were known for great service for everyone in the future, in the best interests of the hobby.

Interesting sidebar; OK, informative hijack, TL.

What would be your recommended ratio & timing of application thereof...in for example, a 4 oz. Theater Pop 4: post pop or during?

Always been a Flavocol guy myself.

So the story is that Kevin and Mike stopped receiving gummy hotdogs and hamburgers in their orders. The reason has to do with Red#5 and Canadia outlawing it.

Post pop, hot air popper.
I use real butter and in a 1 gallon bowl I fill halfway, popcorn salt then 1/4 stick of butter.
Fill to top more popcorn salt then another 1/4 stick of butter.
I like to make sure there enough popcorn on my butter.
Hot pop a second smaller batch to mop the butter left in the bottom of the bowl.
I can feel my arteries clogging up just talking about it.
I kicked the habit about 3 years ago along with chips and eat cashews and walnuts now.

I don't even remember what theater popcorn tastes like, the last movie I saw in a theater was Platoon at the Arlington in Santa Barbara back in '86.

I don't see how anyone can get screwed by mad amusements. You pla e your order, pay with paypal, and it ships the next day. If it doesn't, you can send an email. If that's ignored, dispute with PayPal and if no shipping tracking info is shown, PayPal auto refunds you. You get some huge amount of time to dispute also. Like 30-45 days.

You get screwed if you are the guy supplying MAD parts and then MAD doesn't pay for them. That's just a guess as to how you can get screwed dealing with MAD.

Well you could handle this one of two ways:
1) you drop ship to the customer when mad sells
2) you don't send product to mad or anyone else without payment

It doesn't matter here though. You are only speculating.