(Topic ID: 296505)

Pinbits Appears to be Unresponsive

By ForceFlow

2 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 41 posts
  • 23 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 9 months ago by Zitt
  • Topic is favorited by 3 Pinsiders
  • Topic is sticky in its sub-forum

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    #1 2 years ago

    Based on several posts on the forums, it seems that Pinbits.com has become fully unresponsive since late 2020 or thereabouts. The latest website news update was from May 2020. Various individuals have reported that their website still accepts orders, but items have not been shipped, nor have they received responses from email or phone inquires.

    If you have not received your order or a response from them, it seems the recommended approach is to file a paypal dispute.

    Until pinbits starts responding again, it might be wise to avoid ordering from them from the time being.

    On a personal note, I hope Pam and Martin are doing well. They have provided the community with a lot of nice products over the years. If anyone happens to hear from them, I'm sure everyone would be interested to know how they're doing.

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinbitscom

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/anyone-place-an-order-from-pinbits-recently

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/is-pinbits-still-filling-orders-the-sequel

    #2 2 years ago

    Sorry to continue to hear of this as Pinbits has been a great source for various parts and mods over the years!

    #3 2 years ago

    As it turns out, I came to Pinside to see if there was anything about Pinbits recently. I placed an order on June 9th. Payment accepted, no further updates. I've reached out via the website as well as Pam's email. No responses.

    Thanks for the PSA.

    #4 2 years ago

    please be sure to let us know when we can bash them without any sense of moral responsibility or concern of repercussion. it's been a little too friendly around here lately.

    #5 2 years ago

    Go over to the white water for sale thread for that stuff

    2 months later
    #6 2 years ago

    I just happened to check on pinbits today, and their website appears to be offline with the message:

    "WARNING: An Error occurred, please refresh the page and try again."

    That could mean a technical issue with the website, or possibly that the web hosting service was not getting paid.

    3 months later
    #7 2 years ago

    Has anybody heard from Martin or Pam? It seems like they just dropped off the face of the Earth. I'm worried.

    4 weeks later
    #8 2 years ago

    Really hope they start selling products again or sell the business. Their protectors are the absolute best. I haven't found a company producing good plastic protectors. All of the companies currently making protectors match the outline of the plastic which provides limited protection. Pinbits are larger than the plastic providing better protection.

    #9 2 years ago

    I ordered something, got the error but PayPal still took the money. Any idea what to do?

    #10 2 years ago
    Quoted from DaveTheTrain:

    I ordered something, got the error but PayPal still took the money. Any idea what to do?

    Just start a claim with Paypal. After starting the claim, you can manually "escalate" it to save some time since you do not want to wait however long they allow for the supplier response which will not happen.

    I still find it very strange that nobody here is friends with them or have any idea what happened? Why the sudden radio silence? They are not out to scam anybody.

    #11 2 years ago
    Quoted from snakesnsparklers:

    Just start a claim with Paypal. After starting the claim, you can manually "escalate" it to save some time since you do not want to wait however long they allow for the supplier response which will not happen.
    I still find it very strange that nobody here is friends with them or have any idea what happened? Why the sudden radio silence? They are not out to scam anybody.

    PayPal refunded me almost instantly. Was impressed!

    Shame about pinbits though

    #12 2 years ago

    Cliffy seemed to know them. Anyone reach out to him?

    #13 2 years ago

    Surely some one has to know Martin and Pam on a more personal level. They were great to me over the years.

    2 weeks later
    #14 2 years ago

    Does anyone have Pinbit's Pop Bumper Drilling Template. Pinball Makers still has this template listed as a specialty tool. We should probably try and duplicate the template for prosperity sake.

    3 weeks later
    #15 2 years ago

    Wish I had seen this earlier. I needed metal ramp flats and ordered in Feb from their website. I haven’t received them or heard from them. I checked my cc and I was charged 4 times. I’m going to have to dispute the charges with my cc I guess.

    Does anyone know where I might find ramp flaps for JM and RS?

    #16 2 years ago
    Quoted from jazc4:

    I checked my cc and I was charged 4 times

    4?!? yikes

    1 month later
    #17 1 year ago

    Has anybody talked to Martin or Pam and know what happened?

    #18 1 year ago

    I would love to know as well. They had the best protectors and mods in our hobby. Hopefully they are healthy and ok.

    #19 1 year ago

    No disrespect and this is not aimed at Pam and Martin, but when a website goes black, why do they continue to accept money?!?!??!?

    #20 1 year ago

    Last time I checked, there even was a pinbits2 website, I would not order from any of the two sites at this point. But I don't think either sites work anymore (I can't connect using my cell anyway). If people can still order, I guess everything just keeps on going by itself?

    #21 1 year ago

    I've been to their house to pick up orders years ago and both are super nice people. Never in a million years would I think they were rip-offs. After coming across this thread, I was tempted to stop by, but then "chickened" out thinking that would be really weird.

    #22 1 year ago
    Quoted from Saltimbanco:

    Last time I checked, there even was a pinbits2 website

    I think that was a clone site someone else made. I don't think it was affiliated with pinbits.

    Quoted from rx3:

    I've been to their house to pick up orders years ago and both are super nice people. Never in a million years would I think they were rip-offs. After coming across this thread, I was tempted to stop by, but then "chickened" out thinking that would be really weird.

    Maybe drop off a letter or something?

    #23 1 year ago
    Quoted from rx3:

    Never in a million years would I think they were rip-offs. After coming across this thread, I was tempted to stop by, but then "chickened" out thinking that would be really weird.

    I don't think a majority of people assume that they are rip-offs, not at all in fact. But they just went off the radar - it could be for many reasons! If you were to stop by, they should know that a lot of people here would gladly take some parts off of them. They may as well liquidate whatever they still have in stock if they are no longer in business.

    #24 1 year ago

    I personally would love to hear they are doing great! Also they went back in business or sold the business like Art did with comet Leds. Such a loss for our small pin community.

    #25 1 year ago
    Quoted from ForceFlow:

    I think that was a clone site someone else made. I don't think it was affiliated with pinbits.

    Maybe drop off a letter or something?

    Yes, but the letter could be ignored and we would still be stumped. Also, it would be no different than mailing a letter, which anyone can do. Just do a search for "pinbits address" and you will quickly find their address.

    #26 1 year ago

    Martin and Pam were always great to deal with back in the day. I restored my AFM years ago with parts that you could only get from Pinbits like the saucer plate with the tab. Also Martin rebuilt my strobe light board (a new one was unobtainable) and it still works great to this day (I still have the game).

    I still have some unused Pinbits plastics for the that TRON lightcycles sit on and an unused blackout board. I should list some of these items that I will never use.

    Like everyone else, I hope the are well.

    5 months later
    #27 1 year ago

    Anyone knows how to reach out to either Martin or Pam? Or know what is going on with the pinbits.com business? I just tried it, and it seems it will operate on some other platform.. maybe the biz was sold off.

    2 weeks later
    #28 1 year ago

    It's appeared to functionally cease a number of months ago. I don't believe there was ever any official follow-up. Some folks had tried to reach out directly, but I don't recall ever hearing more from that (for reasons of either failure or just privacy?)

    #29 1 year ago
    Quoted from jonnyqtrek:

    It's appeared to functionally cease a number of months ago. I don't believe there was ever any official follow-up. Some folks had tried to reach out directly, but I don't recall ever hearing more from that (for reasons of either failure or just privacy?)

    I spoke to a mutual friend a while back and he said Martin and Pam are fine. I miss seeing them at the shows but I’m sure they were a lot of work for what was at most just a side gig. Great folks tho, hopefully whatever they’re up to these days is making them happy.

    #30 1 year ago
    Quoted from gunstarhero:

    I spoke to a mutual friend a while back and he said Martin and Pam are fine. I miss seeing them at the shows but I’m sure they were a lot of work for what was at most just a side gig. Great folks tho, hopefully whatever they’re up to these days is making them happy.

    I think it's been said a few times on at least a couple of threads, but there's a way to end doing business and let customers know. And not leave a website active so that people actually ordered stuff through it at one point, without any reply. I also know someone tried to mimic their website, probably to get some folks to send in their orders so they could take their payments. So informing clients and closing the website should have been the obvious thing to do.

    #31 1 year ago

    I tried to go to their website as I remember some things they had, ugh...
    At this point new mod places should buy old ones out...

    #32 1 year ago
    Quoted from marksf123:

    Martin and Pam were always great to deal with back in the day. I restored my AFM years ago with parts that you could only get from Pinbits like the saucer plate with the tab. Also Martin rebuilt my strobe light board (a new one was unobtainable) and it still works great to this day (I still have the game).
    I still have some unused Pinbits plastics for the that TRON lightcycles sit on and an unused blackout board. I should list some of these items that I will never use.
    Like everyone else, I hope the are well.

    Tagged for interest

    #33 1 year ago
    Quoted from Saltimbanco:

    I think it's been said a few times on at least a couple of threads, but there's a way to end doing business and let customers know. And not leave a website active so that people actually ordered stuff through it at one point, without any reply. I also know someone tried to mimic their website, probably to get some folks to send in their orders so they could take their payments. So informing clients and closing the website should have been the obvious thing to do.

    I don’t disagree, and the weird pulling a fade thing isn’t what I would expect of them either… but that is what had me worried. Anyways, it is what it is.

    3 months later
    #34 1 year ago

    Bump in hopes anybody has been in contact with Martin or Pam and can at least give a general update. Anything at all?

    #35 1 year ago
    Quoted from snakesnsparklers:

    Bump in hopes anybody has been in contact with Martin or Pam and can at least give a general update. Anything at all?

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinbits-appears-to-be-unresponsive#post-7198984

    #36 1 year ago

    Pin_Fandango got to actually contact Martin. Was not easy and required some detective work! I would follow up with him.

    4 months later
    #37 9 months ago

    Would anyone would be open to tracing the plastic protectors?

    I really want a set

    #38 9 months ago
    Quoted from Ranpastrana:

    tracing the plastic protectors?

    you are going to have to be more specific. What game?

    #39 9 months ago
    Quoted from Ranpastrana:

    Would anyone would be open to tracing the plastic protectors?
    I really want a set

    Reach out to Rob @ Silverball Designs.
    He made custom protectors for my X Files. He’s
    Awesome!!
    https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1259-silverball-designs

    #40 9 months ago
    Quoted from Zitt:

    you are going to have to be more specific. What game?

    I want to get a set of protectors just like the pin bits version. The one piece sling/lane protectors plus the zen plastic that goes by the scoop.

    Pictures attached

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    #41 9 months ago

    @Ranpastrana, pm me. I have files created but was never able to get final install documents to offer them for sale.

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