(Topic ID: 183627)

Stern Playfield Replacement Program - How was your experience?

By jar155

7 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Linked Games

Topic poll

“What's the status of your playfield replacement?”

  • Received a playfield replacement first and then sent my old one back 7 votes
    14%
  • Received an empty shipping box, sent my playfield back, received new playfield 23 votes
    46%
  • Received an empty shipping box, sent my playfield back, waiting on new playfield 5 votes
    10%
  • Was not accepted for playfield replacement at this time 15 votes
    30%

(50 votes)

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There are 81 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
#1 7 years ago

This isn't a thread to debate Stern's policies or get into manufacturer fanboy wars. The point of this thread is to share information about your playfield replacement experience with Stern Pinball. If possible, provide time frames and how things were handled to help others know what to expect. If you're still waiting or your swap is in progress, please provide updates as they occur.

If you want to vent about Stern, please use one of the threads that were created for that purpose to help keep the noise down in here. Feel free to share whether or not you've been satisfied with the overall customer service experience, however.

#2 7 years ago

Got my replacement GB playfield months ago. Had a minor problem with the replacement that was immediately rectified. Very happy overall.

#3 7 years ago

My experience is that it made KPG disappear

#4 7 years ago

my experience was great on my Met PF.
Contacted CT, they said that I would get a box from Stern. I did, sent back my PF, and got a new one. It took a while, but was a great experience.

Gotta give some prop's to Melissa at CT....made it very simple.

-1
#5 7 years ago

Got approved for my Spider-Man VE replacement back in November? December?

Was told by my distributor (JJ) that it will be a while before they start sending out the replacements. I don't mind the wait.

#6 7 years ago
Quoted from burningman:

my experience was great on my Met PF.
Contacted CT, they said that I would get a box from Stern. I did, sent back my PF, and got a new one. It took a while, but was a great experience.
Gotta give some prop's to Melissa at CT....made it very simple.

Nice. Do you have a rough guess of how long you waited for the replacement after shipping your playfield off?

#7 7 years ago

Got my Ghostbusters Pro replacement playfield delivered to my house by my dealer, where he did the swap and took the old one away all in the course of 20-30 minutes or so.

Started the process in mid August 2016, was replaced on February 4 2017

#8 7 years ago

Received a box for LE PF to be shipped to Stern today. Pulling it tomorrow or Wednesday. I will update once complete.

#9 7 years ago

There should be an option for accepted for play field replacement but have not yet received an empty shipping box. This is my situation.

#10 7 years ago
Quoted from twenty84:

There should be an option for accepted for play field replacement but have not yet received an empty shipping box. This is my situation.

Yeah, I missed that one...sorry.

#11 7 years ago

My experience was really good. I contacted Trent about my Metallica Pro LED playfield that was beginning to peel around the magnet. Stern shipped me a box, I removed the original playfield and shipped it back to Stern, about a week later my new playfield arrived. I personally think it is best to go through your dealer with any issues instead of contacting Stern directly. Over all I was very pleased with the outcome.

#12 7 years ago

How will this work with the rest of the world?

#13 7 years ago
Quoted from jar155:

Nice. Do you have a rough guess of how long you waited for the replacement after shipping your playfield off?

Mine was heavily modded. I asked Melissa about this and she said they would reinstall my mods, which they did. (I did remove a few to make it as easy I could for them)....it took about 8-10 weeks but this was also at the beginning of them doing the PF swap thing. I am sure if it was a stone stock playfield the turnaround would have been much faster.

#14 7 years ago

Timeline for our GoT Premium playfield replacement here in Norway:

Late April: Told distributor about the bad playfield.
Mid October: Received new populated playfield.
Today: Old playfield sitting here in the box, waiting to be returned or destroyed (TBD).

#15 7 years ago
Quoted from Toads:

How will this work with the rest of the world?

Distributors will get their replacement pf's in bulk and replicate what's happening in the US. Mine is due next week I think.

Edit: at least that's what's happening in Australia. Not sure about other countries. Also not 100% sure how the local distributors will handle getting the pf's to and from the customers.

#16 7 years ago
Quoted from Toads:

How will this work with the rest of the world?

The local distributor adds another $1000 to the retail price of the next Stern title and all current inventory to cover the cost of the GB replacement program and then claims the new price rise is due to currency fluctuations with the US dollar.

#17 7 years ago

Process started in August 2016. Received box to ship back LE play field March 14, 2017. Special thanks to JJ at GEX for helping with the replacement process and providing updates as applicable.

#18 7 years ago

I'm pulling my playfield today after work and putting it in a box. It'll ship back to Stern tomorrow. I'll let everybody know how long it takes to get the replacement.

#19 7 years ago
Quoted from jar155:

I'm pulling my playfield today after work

You can't possibly say this and not expect me to make a joke...

#20 7 years ago

I am a shell of my former self. PF dropped at UPS today.

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#21 7 years ago

Anyone in Europe even heard anything about getting their playfield swapped??

1 week later
#22 6 years ago

I'm supposed to be receiving my replacement playfield today. I'll install tonight, replace my mods, and report back with how it is as I put a bunch of plays on it.

#23 6 years ago

Our experience was fantastic. We took our old playfield to our distributer and he gave us our new one. New playfield is definitely different to the original. We are of the opinion that ours is the only one that needed replacement. Ours was chipped everywhere, the clear was lifting in places and we had scratches under the clear. The other returned playfields only had minor ghosting, no chipping or scratches. Ours was the only one returned that had chipping in the shooter lane. We did not inspect all the returns.

We feel that Stern is replacing playfields that they do not have to. It is quite possible that customers with genuine issues have been side stepped for others with minimal issues.

#24 6 years ago

Shipped out March 14 and received March 31. Two weeks is not too bad of a turn around when you factor in UPS ground shipping to Stern and returned to us via LTL truck.

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#25 6 years ago

My turnaround was 2 weeks too. The new playfield looks great, but there were some things installed wrong and my Slimer is practically impossible to make register a switch, even by hand. Working on that now. This is in switch test mode...only one register.

#26 6 years ago
Quoted from pinballaddicted:

We are of the opinion that ours is the only one that needed replacement. Ours was chipped everywhere, the clear was lifting in places and we had scratches under the clear.

What? Mine is chipped everywhere, the clear is lifting, ghosting on 7 inserts, 3 of which have sunken substantially bellow the pf, and the shooter lane clear is badly chipped. I can assure you, there are plenty of playfields other than yours that need replacing.

Having said that there has never been any question Stern and our distributor would look after us.

#27 6 years ago

My noob will be showing here, but what's involved with disconnecting a playfield on an modern stern?

I'm soon to receive my box from Stern to swap out my SMVE playfield (ghosting issue). I was expecting to find quick disconnects on the wire bundles coming from the playfield, but to my horror just now it looks like some don't have them and go straight up to the backbox where they fan out in a million directions to the main boards..... am I missing something obvious I hope?

#28 6 years ago

Just noticed this thread. Like a month ago somebody I know in Netherlands got his GBLE playfield swapped. This was done by the dealer where it was bought.

It was apparently a smooth full transaction.

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#29 6 years ago

Dropped my ghosted playfield off at UPS on 4/1 (Saturday), it didn't actually get on a truck until 4/3.
Received a call from the freight company, replacement is being delivered tomorrow (4/12) between 8-10am.

#30 6 years ago
Quoted from MattS:

Dropped my ghosted playfield off at UPS on 4/1 (Saturday), it didn't actually get on a truck until 4/3.
Received a call from the freight company, replacement is being delivered tomorrow (4/12) between 8-10am.

I sent mine back on 3/31, and received the new one yesterday. Jan 2017 date on the playfield, looks great. I'm having one tech issue that I'm trying to work out now--its prob something simple I overlooked yesterday--but overall the process has been pretty easy so far.

#31 6 years ago
Quoted from MattS:

Dropped my ghosted playfield off at UPS on 4/1 (Saturday), it didn't actually get on a truck until 4/3.
Received a call from the freight company, replacement is being delivered tomorrow (4/12) between 8-10am.

Exact same experience here. I sat on my empty box for two weeks and finally decided to send it back middle of last week. I already got the call today that my new playfield is being delivered tomorrow.

#32 6 years ago

I have not heard a word on my Metallica replacement playfield. Are they sending new ones out? Mine chipped around the sparky magnet. It has been about 8 or 9 months now.

#33 6 years ago
Quoted from marksf123:

I have not heard a word on my Metallica replacement playfield. Are they sending new ones out? Mine chipped around the sparky magnet. It has been about 8 or 9 months now.

To clarify, mine is from GBLE.
Did you contact your distributor about the chipping?

#34 6 years ago

Can anyone post pictures of how they packed the play field with the included foam?

No instructions from stern. Can't figure out this puzzle.

#35 6 years ago

Just installed my new GBLE playfield yesterday and it was a piece of cake. Glad we live in 2017 and not 1977 when it wouldn't have been near this easy. New play field is absolutely gorgeous and smells like a nice scent of lacquer.

#36 6 years ago
Quoted from zene10:

Can anyone post pictures of how they packed the play field with the included foam?
No instructions from stern. Can't figure out this puzzle.

Here you go

The 4 corner pieces only really fit one way, the 2 pieces that are flat go top and bottom of the box (edges of the playfield).

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#37 6 years ago
Quoted from pinballaddicted:

Our experience was fantastic. We took our old playfield to our distributer and he gave us our new one. New playfield is definitely different to the original. We are of the opinion that ours is the only one that needed replacement. Ours was chipped everywhere, the clear was lifting in places and we had scratches under the clear. The other returned playfields only had minor ghosting, no chipping or scratches. Ours was the only one returned that had chipping in the shooter lane. We did not inspect all the returns.
We feel that Stern is replacing playfields that they do not have to. It is quite possible that customers with genuine issues have been side stepped for others with minimal issues.

minor ghosting means all the issues are going to happen... so they deserve a replacement.

#38 6 years ago

are the le replacement playfields signed by john trudeau?

#39 6 years ago
Quoted from Hasi:

are the le replacement playfields signed by john trudeau?

Yep

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#40 6 years ago
Quoted from NeilMcRae:

minor ghosting means all the issues are going to happen... so they deserve a replacement.

I've got 3 ghosted inserts on my GB but from what I've heard, Stern won't replace the PF unless the clear actually starts chipping in these areas. I agree with you though... issues are likely going to happen.

1 week later
#41 6 years ago
Quoted from MattS:

Here you go
The 4 corner pieces only really fit one way, the 2 pieces that are flat go top and bottom of the box (edges of the playfield).

Thank you. Part of the issue I had was that at least one of corner inserts was not from my game. Maybe a GB?

2 weeks later
#42 6 years ago
Quoted from Archon9000:

I've got 3 ghosted inserts on my GB but from what I've heard, Stern won't replace the PF unless the clear actually starts chipping in these areas. I agree with you though... issues are likely going to happen.

I'd make sure you register that with them so when the rest follow you can say you contacted them at the start.

#43 6 years ago
Quoted from MattS:

Here you go
The 4 corner pieces only really fit one way, the 2 pieces that are flat go top and bottom of the box (edges of the playfield).

On my GOT, I had to remove a node board to get it to fit with the corner foam they provided. They sent me the box, I sent them the playfield, they sent me a populated one.

Overall it took 6 months from first report to the new playfield going into the cabinet. That seemed like a long time to me, but it was before the "replacement program" even had a name. I've sold the game since then.

#44 6 years ago
Quoted from DaveH:

Overall it took 6 months from first report to the new playfield going into the cabinet.

Mine took about 7 months from reporting to new playfield installed. My distributor said "play the shit out of it until you get the new playfield" which I happily did.
I had no intention of selling the game so the wait was a non issue but I totally get the frustration from the guys that want to sell.

5 months later
#45 6 years ago

I'll add my 2 cents. My Met pro started ghosting soon after getting it (Aug 2016). I notified Stern in November but really didn't push for a new playfield. This was a heavily modded Refinery edition...so a lot of work I paid for to have someone mod it, I'd have to undo and redo myself. In August 2017 I notified Stern again...the ghosting was slowly getting worse and new inserts were being affected. Again, I didn't demand replacement, just wanted to protect my playfield from further damage (I put Mylar over the ghosted inserts). I also wanted to know if Stern would help me out down the road if chipping became a problem. Pat at Stern said he'd forward my pics on to see what was appropriate. Last week I got an email from Pat that stated I had a replacement playfield ready and they were sending a box for my old one. I spent all weekend carefully removing the mods, and undoing the wiring from the back box to the playfield (Damn near the whole back box wiring). Even though this a pain for me, I greatly appreciate what Stern is doing to remedy the situation. I have had nothing but positive results from Stern on both my Met pro and SW premium (I was one with a blown 9D/fork ramp board).

#46 6 years ago

Thanks for bumping this thread!

My experience wasn't very good at all. It took Stern 13 months to replace my GBLE playfield. I had several ghosting inserts and chipped clear in the shooter lane.

Unfortunately, my new playfield has a ghosting insert as well. So far it hasn't spread but I imagine I'll be back in the same position in a few months.

Needless to say, my latest NIB purchase was a TNA by Spooky. QC issues are one thing but taking 13 months to resolve an issue by giving me another bad playfield isn't acceptable to me.

2 weeks later
#47 6 years ago

got my empty box today to ship my MET playfield back. Started the process 3 weeks ago, so things are moving pretty fast. I will get it packed up this weekend and shipped back Monday. I will hopefully have my new playfield in the next couple weeks. So far Stern has been fantastic.

I have one of the old bad playfields from 2015. Just been sitting on it waiting for the dust to settle.

#48 6 years ago

bad playfield in the box and on its way to Stern. Lets see how long it takes to get my new one. Thanksgiving will probably slow things down.

1 week later
#49 6 years ago

Hi!

How was the replacement playfield shipped? Was it put on a pallet and strapped in? Or was it just being sent off as a regular packet without any pallet?

#50 6 years ago

My new playfield is getting shipped to me Monday. It is strapped to pallet.

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