This is awful. I guess the refusing shipment is the way to go. Hard to do, for sure, after waiting so damn long.
Hope it works out.
(Topic ID: 166658)
Linked Games
The Big Lebowski
Dutch Pinball, 2016
Topic Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
We are still working out the details, but keep your eye on the marketplace. Someone may get a good deal on a Lebowski project machine.
Sorry to hear about this. Hindsight is 20:20 but I would have just refused delivery, let them figure it out.
This really sucks but I think you did the right thing. You've already paid for the game so refusing it would just put it in the hands of the idiots that caused all the damage and you may never see it again. The problems you're having may or may not be related to the shipping damage and if it was me I would fix it up and get it playing 100%. I mean, why not? Selling it for a loss will just make things worse. At the same time keep working on getting reimbursed, at this point you have nothing to lose.
Quoted from Jgaltr56:This really sucks but I think you did the right thing. You've already paid for the game so refusing it would just put it in the hands of the idiots that caused all the damage and you may never see it again. The problems you're having may or may not be related to the shipping damage and if it was me I would fix it up and get it playing 100%. I mean, why not? Selling it for a loss will just make things worse. At the same time keep working on getting reimbursed, at this point you have nothing to lose.
He won't sell at a loss, especially with Cointaker involved. Their support in ridiculous (in a good way).
He might keep whatever it sells for and the insurance claim pays the rest of the balance to replace the machine.
That's just an example of many ways It could be handled.
You would pay $8500 for a machine and have no problem fixing it yourself? You shouldn't have to do this PERIOD.
OP very sorry to hear about this.
Quoted from hardware:He won't sell at a loss, especially with Cointaker involved. Their support in ridiculous (in a good way).
He might keep whatever it sells for and the insurance claim pays the rest of the balance to replace the machine.
That's just an example of many ways It could be handled.
You would pay $8500 for a machine and have no problem fixing it yourself? You shouldn't have to do this PERIOD.
OP very sorry to hear about this.
I hope it works out. That would be amazing if Cointaker takes responsibility for something that is clearly the fault of the shipping company. In any case I would fix the problems and play it until it gets resolved, but that's just me.
Quoted from Jgaltr56:This really sucks but I think you did the right thing. You've already paid for the game so refusing it would just put it in the hands of the idiots that caused all the damage and you may never see it again. The problems you're having may or may not be related to the shipping damage and if it was me I would fix it up and get it playing 100%.
I have to disagree. Although I can absolutely understand how hard it would be to do so in this case, the best recourse if a game is damaged as this one was, is to take photos and do not accept the game. Put the onus of financial responsibility for its employees' ineptness on the shipping company and wait for a replacement thru Coin Taker and DP.
Yes that's the key. The game was damaged severely it seems. This was not just a decal scratch. This is a delicate object, and should be delivered in one piece.
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:I have to disagree. Although I can absolutely understand how hard it would be to do so in this case, the best recourse if a game is damaged as this one was, is to take photos and do not accept the game. Put the onus of financial responsibility for its employees' ineptness on the shipping company and wait for a replacement thru Coin Taker and DP.
Of course. But the reality is DP does not have a warehouse full of games ready to ship so unless they step up and give you someone else's game it could be a long time before it gets replaced. Make the best of a bad situation. Hopefully the shipping company is reputable and will work to get this resolved so you at least see some money. I have dealt with freight companies before and it will come done to the fine print on the contract and the chain of ownership after it left the DP factory. Even then it's like pulling teeth to get them to do the right thing. Good thing is you have Cointaker fighting on your side which helps tremendously.
Quoted from Jgaltr56:Of course. But the reality is DP does not have a warehouse full of games ready to ship so unless they step up and give you someone else's game it could be a long time before it gets replaced.
I have waited 2.5 years for my TBL and I would gladly wait a while longer to get an undamaged machine! I would of taken pics of the broken game and then told the jackasses that delivered it/broke it to haul it back. Accepting delivery of a damaged/broken game is dicey because when you signed for the game you most likely signed away your rights to go after the shipping company for damages.
wow! what a horrible experience. unfortunately, it seems as if none of these drivers know what (or care) about the value of the goods that they are handling.
not to take away from your experience (I feel your pain), I had a cabinet built and decaled by doug huse a few years back. when the fedex ground truck pulled up, before they opened the back door, I heard a couple of huge "thuds". I helped the driver carry in the cabinet and back box into my house and noticed that the box for one end of the cabinet was all crushed.
I had him document the damage before I signed for the 2 parcels. after opening up the box for the cabinet, I found the explanation for the "thud!". this idiot had literally rolled the cabinet end over end to move it to the back of the truck and crushed in entire left front corner, separating it at the rabbit joint. I had to phone doug, explain to him, send photos and order another set of decals from phoenix arcade and have them shipped directly to doug while he had to deal with fedex on the claim.
it all worked out in the end after receiving the replacement cabinet (it took a few weeks to get the claim settled), but what a nightmare and not something that I would wish anyone to have to go through.
I hope that melissa can square things up for you to your satisfaction.
Quoted from Jgaltr56:Of course. But the reality is DP does not have a warehouse full of games ready to ship so unless they step up and give you someone else's game it could be a long time before it gets replaced. Make the best of a bad situation. Hopefully the shipping company is reputable and will work to get this resolved so you at least see some money. I have dealt with freight companies before and it will come done to the fine print on the contract and the chain of ownership after it left the DP factory. Even then it's like pulling teeth to get them to do the right thing. Good thing is you have Cointaker fighting on your side which helps tremendously.
I can't speak for other TBL "Early Achievers", but I would expect (and understand), given this type of circumstance, that DP would create a replacement game and include it in the next container to be shipped out once that fault has been conclusively assigned to the shipper.
A shipper is paid to safely transport and deliver your item in the same condition that they received it. If they clearly fail to do so, as apparently was the case here, and the damage is not something that the receiver is willing to accept and remedy, the item should not be accepted. Once you sign off as accepting a delivery, you are weakening your legal leverage with them.
More details to come once it's fully hammered out (don't want to jinx), but the game was insured, and we are working with the insurer to come up with a solution that will lead to the best outcome for all. What I will say is that Melissa has been awesome in helping to deal with this, as have Barry and Jaap, and the insurance company's guy has been good to work with as well. This is all taking a bit longer than I'd like, especially since I have a $10K paperweight in my house, but we are making progress.
As for my prior comment about a sale, please disregard. Initially, the insurer wanted me to test the waters to gauge interest if they were to try to salvage and sell it to recoup some of their losses. But, DP can't have an extra production machine out in the wild (licensing), so if it is replaced, the original machine will be parted out.
Quoted from zsciaeount:But, DP can't have an extra production machine out in the wild (licensing), so if it is replaced, the original machine will be parted out
Sounds like game is a fixed run in realty.
Quoted from zsciaeount:Still waiting. Game is more hosed than I initially thought. I had some friends over last weekend and we tried to play and so many things were wrong that we just turned it off and played something else. They were disappointed, since they made the trip from Chicago specifically to play Lebowski. Basically, I have an $8500 paperweight, and I'm just waiting for a resolution. So much for being one of the first in the US to get their machine...
Is it an $8500.00 paperweight, or a $10,000.00 paperweight?
Quoted from elcolonel:Is it an $8500.00 paperweight, or a $10,000.00 paperweight?
$8500 when I bought it at the preorder price. But that was then. Now they retail for $10k.
Quoted from sd_tom:Sounds like game is a fixed run in realty.
Probably not as far as the film studio is concerned, perhaps on DP's part. But DP will be paying license fees per machine delivered. They don't want to pay license fee for a machine which some brain dead delivery guys totalled.
Quoted from elcolonel:So are you pressing the shipping company for 8.5K, or 10K, or considerably more, for pain and suffering?
Kind of a dick comment for a guy that put out big money in a preorder and had a game ruined
Btw...... I heard that DP may do a small run yet and guess what the price is. 10,000 dollars !!!
Quoted from elcolonel:So are you pressing the shipping company for 8.5K, or 10K, or considerably more, for pain and suffering?
If I were the OP I would be asking for the insurance company to replace the machine. That means $10K because that is what it would cost to replace it.
What I paid for it would have no bearing on the insurance claim, it is the REPLACEMENT cost I would be seeking.
2 weeks later
Quoted from elcolonel:So are you pressing the shipping company for 8.5K, or 10K, or considerably more, for pain and suffering?
I'm not looking to profit, though it has been a bummer to not be able to enjoy the spoils of hopping on the pre-order immediately.
Here's the short story: insurance company is replacing. They payout was exactly what was needed to get the new machine here. No more. No less.
Melissa, Barry, and Jaap were awesome and believe it or not the insurance guy was also really good. He seemed to care about the issue.
My new machine left the port in the Netherlands earlier today. I'll be getting mine nearly 3 months later than originally hoped but it'll be a working machine that I get to unbox myself.
A happy ending but it has been a very gut-wrenching ordeal.
Quoted from zsciaeount:I'm not looking to profit, though it has been a bummer to not be able to enjoy the spoils of hopping on the pre-order immediately.
Here's the short story: insurance company is replacing. They payout was exactly what was needed to get the new machine here. No more. No less.
Melissa, Barry, and Jaap were awesome and believe it or not the insurance guy was also really good. He seemed to care about the issue.
My new machine left the port in the Netherlands earlier today. I'll be getting mine nearly 3 months later than originally hoped but it'll be a working machine that I get to unbox myself.
A happy ending but it has been a very gut-wrenching ordeal.
Awesome dude glad it worked out.
Crossing my fingers that the replacement machine is pristine when you personally unwrap it...in time for Christmas? Thanks dude for sharing your saga with us and the detailed review...cool to have a happy ending on this one! Adding it to my wishlist...
London
Quoted from labnip:congrats.
what happens to the old machine?
I imagine it is now the property of the insurance company and they will send it to auction at some point to recover what they can from the payout?
Quoted from Homepin:I imagine it is now the property of the insurance company and they will send it to auction at some point to recover what they can from the payout?
I think the game is heading back to cointaker. I believe each game has to be accounted for. (may be because of licensing)
Quoted from Homepin:I imagine it is now the property of the insurance company and they will send it to auction at some point to recover what they can from the payout?
I wonder how that works in regard DP won't want a compromised pin doing the rounds from a reputation point of view ?
Quoted from drinkduffbeers:I wonder how that works in regard DP won't want a compromised pin doing the rounds from a reputation point of view ?
Not much DP can do about it really. I also doubt where it ends up is any of their concern. The insurance company effectively "bought the machine" and so they can probably (legally) do anything they like with it. The licence fee has been paid on the damaged machine as well as the replacement so I don't see the problem there.
Quoted from zsciaeount:I'm not looking to profit, though it has been a bummer to not be able to enjoy the spoils of hopping on the pre-order immediately.
Here's the short story: insurance company is replacing. They payout was exactly what was needed to get the new machine here. No more. No less.
Melissa, Barry, and Jaap were awesome and believe it or not the insurance guy was also really good. He seemed to care about the issue.
My new machine left the port in the Netherlands earlier today. I'll be getting mine nearly 3 months later than originally hoped but it'll be a working machine that I get to unbox myself.
A happy ending but it has been a very gut-wrenching ordeal.
Great news!
May no one else go through what you have suffered.....
Quoted from zsciaeount:I'm not looking to profit, though it has been a bummer to not be able to enjoy the spoils of hopping on the pre-order immediately.
Here's the short story: insurance company is replacing. They payout was exactly what was needed to get the new machine here. No more. No less.
Melissa, Barry, and Jaap were awesome and believe it or not the insurance guy was also really good. He seemed to care about the issue.
My new machine left the port in the Netherlands earlier today. I'll be getting mine nearly 3 months later than originally hoped but it'll be a working machine that I get to unbox myself.
A happy ending but it has been a very gut-wrenching ordeal.
Love those happy endings. If the same morons show up to deliver your replacement pin, we give you permission to kick em in the nutz.
Quoted from Rensh:All's well which ends well
Good news for you !!
But what if the same jerks deliver again 
Quoted from zsciaeount:A happy ending but it has been a very gut-wrenching ordeal.
I hope this is true... but until that box/machine is upstairs and on legs... I don't consider it a happy ending yet.
Quoted from Zitt:I hope this is true... but until that box/machine is upstairs and on legs... I don't consider it a happy ending yet.
snicker snicker...
Quoted from sd_tom:But what if the same jerks deliver again
We'll kick'me in the nuts!!! 
Quoted from Zitt:I hope this is true... but until that box/machine is upstairs and on legs... I don't consider it a happy ending yet.
Agreed...we are eagerly awaiting another detailed synopsis of your long awaited delivery and unveiling...however this time we want that "happily ever after"...and to see you post some plays since you'll have a working machine!!
1 week later
really sad to see this, in the end Im sure it will work out one way or the other for the best.
I cant imagine the disappointment tho. I got to play one at the ohio show and was on it for about a half hour with one game, full line behind me and it truly is a work of art.
I try to do things myself because there is just too much room for error even from professionals, rather do it myself and with some buddies who will actually pay attention to instruction.
3 weeks later
To answer a lot of the questions that have been posted since my last update:
The DP guys made me a new Achiever Edition #6. The only thing they couldn't replicate is the apron, which I will be swapping from my old machine to the new one... which is fine since it's one of the few parts that WASN'T damaged by the company.
As some have speculated, the machine won't be going back into the wild, since the licensing deal apparently has a hard cap on the number of machines out there. So, it will be returning to Cointaker to be parted out.
The bummer right now is that my schedule is so terrible that the earliest weekday I could wrangle free is in December. So, I will continue to wait... not ideal for someone who made it a point to be one of the first orders delivered to the USA, but at least it will be a brand-new machine, and I've been assured it won't be delivered by a bunch of fucking amateurs.
Unboxing pics to follow... in 3 weeks...
2 months later
Shepparton
Is it nearly new unboxing time?zsciaeount
Vancouver, BC
2 weeks later
Quoted from Fairground:Is it nearly new unboxing time?zsciaeount
I've had the new one for about a month now. Things I didn't realize were broken on the original were crystal-clear upon delivery. Very happy with the outcome.
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