I shouldn’t chime in here, but I will. I usually purchase over $75k from Moss every year. We’ve never had the slightest issue other than delays in shipping from a jukebox manufacturer one time. In many cases, an instock piece of equipment that’s ordered on Monday is here Tuesday (freight lines don’t run that fast post COVID unfortunately.) Anyways, let’s consider the current environment of things:

One, our economy and world around us is trying to regain normalcy post pandemic. There’s huge demand and limited availability of most any product right now, and coin-op seems to have been hit as hard if not harder than anything. Distributors have hardly any equipment to sell, and customers wanting to know when they can expect their desires. Manufacturers have no answers because they have bo clue as to when to expect their parts suppliers to fill the orders. Everyone is scrambling to grab cash and get the ball rolling, but there’s not much to trade to make this happen.

Second, the LE craze for Mandolorians has been ludicrous. The way the events have transpired, it’s almost like the script of a Mel Brooks movie. Don’t want to give me $13k for my LE? What’s the matter Sanders, chicken?

To the OP, it’s unfortunate you didn’t get your machine. If you’re in business and charging $150k/month on your credit card, you should know how messed up supply and demand currently is. This is the new norm. Pun intended-this is the way. I’m not taking a shot at you. This really is unfortunate. At the same time, some of your comments regarding the Moss family were inaccurate and unwarranted. Did you get shafted by them? Yes. But you didn’t get fucked the way you made it out. It’s a pinball machine. There’s going to be more. You’ll get one. They come and go. Do I wish this had worked out in your favor? Absolutely! I’m sure it ultimately will in time, with patience.

To everyone that’s saying Stern should cut loose of Moss as a distributor, or blasting them without ever dealing with them, or for that matter even ever heard of them, I have one statement: If my memory is correct, Moss is one of the oldest DE/Sega/Stern distributors. Terry has probably sold more pieces of Gary Stern equipment than anyone. He’s been an integral part of keeping Stern, and for that matter pinball as a whole (remember when the only manufacturer left standing was Stern), alive. This doesn’t give anyone a hall pass.

TL:DR it sucks this happened. We’ve heard from one side. Not the other. It’s unwise to refrain from forming opinions when you don’t have all the facts. I’m not taking sides or defending anyone. Hell, maybe I’m wrong? I’m just a dumb fat kid from Oklahoma. Y’all remember, it’s just pinball. Pinball is for fun. It’s not life or death.