Quoted from estrader:I keep reading there is more to the story that only the people involved know so let’s hear it. As for the distributor let them tell their side of the story. Stern obviously told them to knock it off and the games Jonathan was selling dried up. If stern didn’t pull their distributorship back in August why would they do it now?
I don't believe the distributors were "responsible" for my awful Rick & Morty transaction.
The responsible parties were myself and JD/ASOA. Period.
If you read my story (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/beware-of-jonathan-demare-asoa#post-6132804), I guess you could argue the 4 successful Stern transactions "primed" me for the awful Rick & Morty transaction. If so, why punish distributors that helped with my successful transactions? Just doesn't make sense. I don't believe this was a conspiracy!
The distributor that never produced my Rick & Morty can't be tracked since I never received a game or game #. JD/ASOA is the only person that knows the R&M distributor. If a distributor never existed, then invoice #631005 (12/16/19) was fraudulent. If a distributor did exist for this invoice, then the situation is more complex, for sure.
Nevertheless, my R&M fiasco was resolved in 2 phases: 10/13/20 (AIQ Pro delivered) and 2/16/21 ($1,750 balance paid as a result of the Pinside "arbitration").
I/we are "big boys", responsible for our actions!
The idea that I/we were dealing with a known shyster just to save a few bucks is ludicrous. I did business with JD/ASOA willingly, for many reasons. He had exceptional Pinside reviews at the time (which we all value when making transactions), he was passionate about pinball (we had many long conversations on gameplay, rules, designers, etc.), and he was giving me timely support on the Stern games I purchased. JD/ASOA also seemed plugged into events/people in the pinball industry. Lastly, on a couple occasions JD offered support/advice on selling games purchased through other distributors.
Again, I don't see the wisdom of going on a witch-hunt for distributors. The distributors and their agreements with pinball manufacturers is opaque from where I sit. If someone impacted by JD/ASOA sees value/virtue in going after the distributors, they are free to do so!
P.S.: Despite being made whole recently, this failed R&M transaction still "cost me" (to the tune of a ~$2,000 premium on the local/open collector market), since I really wanted this title for my son (who was 9 when we embarked on this hobby together). Now 25. Even though I never heard of R&M, I'm now a huge fan of the show, game, and Spooky. If this weren't the case, this transaction would suck even more! Sometimes pain is worth the gain?