Sorry to hear about your issues. I have a friend that can't get any help at all from Stern.
There are quite a few threads about their crap ass customer service and parts issues.
Here's one thread about an operator that is losing a lot of revenue:

Parts trouble? !?! (Operator can't get parts/support from distributor or stern)

I hear you and I vote with my wallet. Just look at my avatar, they (stern) out bid behind (Spooky)Charlies back and got TOHO to go with them to make Godzilla, my grail of all grail pins but I refuse to give stern a dime of my money. I bought a CGC Attack from Mars remake when they first made them and till this day (knock on wood) zero issues, not saying nothing will ever happen but just sayin'.

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I'm lying low and waiting to see if anything takes place and from who on BBB.

Unfortunately this is standard practice from them. They really just don't care. Sometimes I think they only have two people working to read over the emails coming in from customers with a $10k boat anchor sitting in their home.

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