Yes, more are being made very soon.
It is currently slated for production in November.

We are a dealer and taking pre-orders with a $500 deposit.

The problem is however you may run into. It is unclear yet how many myself or any dealer will be receiving from
this build so if most dealers are like myself....we have a long wait list for this title as it hasn't been built last since 2021.
With that being said, I feel it is doubtful if I was to take your pre-order you would receive it from the November
build. You may very well be falling in place for the next build that is unscheduled yet.....maybe late 2023?
The future is uncertain with that title.

They did not actually build any in November 2022, and this has been known for a long time. I put a down payment early last year, and I recently received an updated invoice which implied that Feb 28th 2023 would be when my machine is available, and the price has climbed from 8,799 to 10,500 which is a 19% price increase which I am expected to eat. Stern has not updated the price on their website, it is still listed as 8,799 as of 14 Dec 2022.

The game is cool, but no where near worth that much. I get that Stern can't honor 8799 when a cornerstone premium is 9699 starting Jan 1, but it sure does sting for potential buyers.

That can be said for a lot of pins. Current market values for NIB and popular games trading second hand seem to reflect it is so Stern will likely sell every one.

I have one on order also with an initial mid-8's purchase price. If it comes in (if it ever comes in) and the price goes to the 10's, I will most likely be reneging on the purchase.

It's 10.5 apparently.

I am looking into legal options or perhaps contacting congressmen in my state and Chigago to see if this is a promissory estoppel thing or if there is any consumer protections that can end this crap. I'm fed up with Sterns scummy business model.

Not clear what you are fighting but good luck.
Remember you can choose not to buy these things.
If you are upset you can sell them too.

When deposits are made at an agreed upon price it's gets sticky.

One can argue (I believe) that by not honoring the agreed upon price this did financial harm to the consumer.

Where am I going? There needs to be a change and without prodding it won't happen.

If this looks like legal trouble for those taking deposits maybe THOSE people can get up the manufacturers asses and facilitate some consumer friendly business practices.

Are the deposits refundable?

Good luck with that on a “Luxuary” item no one force you to buy nor you need it to survive.

Hilarious

Noobs say the darndest things

By the way, “Stern” doesn’t take deposits; distributors do.

Most companies taking deposits are doing so with no real contract or real terms involved. Essentially they will just tell people "oops, price went up, want to cancel or heres your money back"

I purchased my first machine in 1992 and never stopped. I think I qualify as being around a while.

The environment we are all operating in now is new. The whole model has changed. NewBs think the world started when they arrived on scene and nothing was happening before.

My comment was more a casual observation of the way things are being done these days and a curiousity of the legality of it all.

If someone holds an invoice/receipt with a non refundable deposit on an item at an agreed upon price.... yes I think there is interesting smoke there to investigate. And yes I think Stern may have some legal obligation to manufactur the entire announced run of machines at a fixed price.

They do say X amount at a confirmed price. Not some at this price and some at another price if they decide not to fill orders right away.

Could be Stern is in the clear but distibutors who took money have some liability. Maybe both. Could be the distributors are the first victim.

I'm curious. You should be too.

Legal or not the current model is scummy. Not consumer friendly at all.