Sounds like you found a coupon code submitted by someone unrelated to Mezel Mods, that took it out of context and put it somewhere it didn't belong (anyone can submit to those sites).

I think you should have gotten a message about it sooner, but I don't see why they should have to honor a code that was never meant to be put on a coupon site with no context.

How did you order from them but never see their website? Lots of suppliers offer free show pickups. Seems you missed the fine print on this one.

How did they rip you off? I assume you either paid the shipping (thereby completing your order) or they refunded you?

All coupons have conditions or circumstances where they can be used. Your order qualified for them to deliver it for free to the Chicago show... How are they to know you weren't going to be there? As mentioned before, this is a service alot of vendors provide. I'm sorry you found a random coupon that Google scraped from their site that didn't include the terms... sounds like your beef is with whoever aggregates that coupon data, not Mezel.

It never ends around here. Rip Off alert for some random coupon you found "via google?"

Come on man.

What the hell I entered code EXPO and they didn't even give me muh damn free shippin!

I think you should just suck it up and accept that the code was for a circumstance that doesn't apply to you. If you found it randomly through google who knows the genesis of how it got there?

The thing literally says expo, clearly they only made it for people going to the expo. Just because their website accepts the code doesn't mean you are entitled to the discount.

You still haven't. They didn't reneg on their offer, they'll still bring to Expo for free.

The issue is that you weren't given the *full information* ON what the specifics of the offer was from whatever website this had been posted to.

I agree their website checkout may not have described it in full, but short of modifying their web store just for this specific promotion, the people who received direct notification of the offer from them seemed to know what it was.

So, respectfully, the lesson isn't "avoid mezel mods," it's "check your sources."

I was just joking but the code literally is expo lmfaoooo

How do automated forms on the internet work? I have no idea.

Look, all goofing aside, I can see why you would have made this mistake, but to actually then refuse to understand and carry on and be mad about it, well thats just a little silly. As soon as they explained to me what happened, everything would have clicked right then and there and I would have been completely understanding. Then I would have either paid the difference or canceled my order and that would have been the end of it with no animosity toward Mezel Mods and perhaps a slight embarrassment to myself but no big deal.

... And I totally get your disappointment, and I promise I'm not trying to downplay that, I've been there. But the problem is that second sentence that begins with "I assumed..." and I'm afraid you weren't correct, and now you're declaring that they're to blame for that assumption.

... When in fact, they DID mention the intention of the coupon when they first publicly posted it on their social media, and that's attached below.

With respect, the blame should be on the site where you found the code that didn't give you all of the information, not mezel mods.
Screenshot_20230927-152156_Instagram (resized).jpg

Wait. You Google-Fu'd a random coupon code and landed on the Expo free shipping code? Those are industry standard in this hobby. They apply to the weekend of the show. They don't apply otherwise. No one expects them to remain open forever, nor be honored forever. You think that you should get free shipping because someone forgot to disable a coupon code that is obviously not applicable for your use. You sound like a real "finder's keepers" guy. No one likes that guy.

The show hasn't happened yet the offer is still good. The offer was never free shipping, it was free pickup at the show. It just changes your shipping charge to free because obviously shipping charges do not apply. Lots of people travel from all over the world to this show too so its not even unreasonable that somebody with a Massachusetts address would use this code.

You're correct about this. However, in your case the code just was not applicable.

there's a Yelper born every minute.

Look, I know that somewhere, somehow, SOMEBODY must be getting screwed every now and then on a deal from a pinball company. The problem is, when you see stuff like this, again and again and again, you just start to assume that the customer is always, ALWAYS wrong when it comes to pinball.

That's why I'm endlessly cynical about these whining threads, and always assume it's just an impossible to please psycho who can't accept reality or reason.

Some day, this may come back to haunt me and I'll seem unreasonable. But, until then...

Mezelmods won't ship your Lumalegz? I know it can be embarrassing carrying those through the airport and all...

j/k

Oh, then great news. The code is applicable to your order. Just go to Chicago to pick it up in-person, with no shipping charge. Problem solved.

It's not invalid or expired though... you're welcome to go to the expo and get it.

And there was an indication it didn't apply to your order right on the social media post where Mezel mods announced this coupon. You got it from somewhere else, that isn't their fault.

I love a cheap skate and a troll. If you cant accept the free pickup at a tradeshow, oh well. Move along. You won't get any sympathy for a $35 order.

IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!!!!

Op has issues.

I can even believe you thought it was a good idea to fight with them. And then have a audacity to post a defense here.

You have no reason to be mad or even try to make them look bad.

This!

Well posting here will definitely change the entire situation. Man please just check yourself you're being cheap dude!! Just move on & do something else like telling kids to get off your lawn!

while were here, OP may as well post some private exchanges between him and Mezel Mods. just to see how right he really thought he was.

A lot of ordering systems don't explicitly have an easy way to specify local pickup for an external location. So, sometimes workarounds (like a special coupon code) are needed.

Nobody is ripping anybody off. It just sounds like you grabbed the coupon code without seeing the full instructions that went along with it.

Our hobby is so niche that there generally aren't coupon codes just floating around on the Internet at large or on the usual coupon sites, like you might see with bigger national companies. If a pinball company does offer coupons, the best places to check for it are their website, their social media, or Pinside.

So--I'd recommend either picking it up at expo like indicated in the instructions, or just cover the shipping to get it to your front door.

Why do folks treat pinball mod companies like Amazon or Walmart?

Because people as a group are a bunch of self entitled ashholes.

Myself included

So op... What have you learned from this thread?

Coupons for pinball? I gotta open my valpaks more often!

Why are you still fighting this?

You didn't meet the requirements to use the discount - own it.

You took some third party explanation, either ignored it, or it was incomplete, and expect the vendor to adhere to YOUR interpretation?

You're just digging yourself a hole.

Classic example of a person who cannot admit their own fault. Starting this thread to attack a business person I've bought from a lot and very pleased over the years is absurd. Time to grow up capecod

Op. Welcome to pinside and your first 2 post were great but this one sucks a@s. You’re going to complain about a great company on here and this is common practice for shows. You might want to apologize quick and change the name of your thread “sorry Mezel…. I’m an idiot”

Mezel Mods have always been courteous and professional. Good people.

Well... Tim's not always professional... but that because we're friends and ex coworkers.
That's why Mrs mezel ejected him to only be a booth babe

Not gonna get any sympathy around here. You made a mistake, like it or not.

Tim and Kristen Mezel have been around for over 10 years and mostly loved for making some of the first and best mods for our games!

What a great week for Pinside. Asac_shrader thread and now this. I’m gonna cancel my Hulu and hang here.

Sounds like a future episode of "Extreme Couponing."

What did I miss?

Op ditch buying a mod. Buy this machine instead from Asac_shader. I’m sure you 2 will get along really well!!
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/153350

I think this is at LEAST a future fourth runner up candidate for Best of Pinside...