Sounds like him!

Nice job working on the issue, JJ.

To the OP, you really can't have a better distributor on the case. JJ will get the most of Stern that they're willing to provide. Just hang tight.

The scratches should warrant a decal, for sure. I'm not so sure about the leg bolt holes. Would I be mad about it? Sure. But my NIB AC/DC had a few minor scuffs from the factory (seriously, minor) and my GBLE had a couple of dents from packing it up. It happens. It doesn't mean that it's not disappointing.

The real issue is that it won't affect anything on how the game plays at all, but some jerk will hammer the OP about condition if/when he tries to sell the game. I get that he doesn't want something on his game that somebody is going to want to ding him $300-$400 for, especially for something that was present direct from the factory.

Personally, I wish we could chill a bit more about those little flaws when buying a game. As long as the playfield is in good shape and there's no structural damage, I tend to let any other little concerns just go. Maybe it means that have a cab with a hidden ding or scratch in my row of pins, but nobody ever cares until I try to sell it on Pinside and suddenly it's a HUGE ISSUE.

All that said, because of the resale value issue, I hope the OP gets taken care of properly by Stern.

Way to selectively quote me to make it better fit your agenda. What you're suggesting is taking used parts and lying about their condition. Stern didn't do this.

Look, I wouldn't want the covered up holes either (if they are holes and not just marks), but they will literally have ZERO impact on the game and they'll be under the legs anyway. The only issue is selling on the secondhand market where the current batch of collectors gets hung up on something so ridiculously minor like this. So yes, he should be upset and he should seek resolution based on that factor, but I really miss the days when this sort of thing would have no bearing in the used game market.

So yes, hopefully the OP gets everything made right, and I understand the frustration due to the current atmosphere in pinball collecting (pricing, insanely picky buyers, etc.), but I think this probably warrants a new decal and some sort of compensation...not so sure about a brand new machine. I would have to think that some free alternate translites, some Stern Store credit, or maybe even a reasonable partial refund should set things right.

Aside from everything I've said, Stern's quality control is still a sad joke, and we know that. Heck, my GBLE playfield replacement has issues that just indicate that it wasn't test played. One flipper mech was missing a lock washer, so it couldn't be tightened and from the first flip it would go out of alignment. There's no way anybody flipped on that playfield before shipping it. Slimer was broken, a gate was installed incorrectly, and a few more things.

Stern needs to be better. But until they are better, the only real way to handle things is to stop buying NIB games. I'm done buying NIB from Stern until they can prove for a long time that they're committed to quality and to giving us an acceptable product for the cost. There are some other factors as well, but this isn't the place to discuss that.

Yes, Stern needs to be better, but at this point we know what we're getting. All of us that have kept sending in money despite problems persisting share the blame for allowing it to continue.