Thanks for posting pic of your decals. Hope this issue gets resolved. I just cancelled my plans for calling around to order a NIB Metallica next week.

yeah thats totally unacceptable.

and yeah whats the deal with the rusted bolts?

what ever happened to QA. no time for it?

back to the distributor definately.. and keep us informed on the progress

Like I said, that's just a little surface rust and will wipe right off. Could be from moisture during transport, or from moisture at the OP's location. The bolts are fine. The decals are definitely not fine.

I just bought my NIB MET pro from the 2013 run from Automated. Non LED with wood backbox, for this and many other reasons QC and cost cutting issues. I have totally lost interest in the new design and system after converting from a die hard B/W collector just a few years back . Time to try Heighway and JJP out.

Stern should ship a new cabinet . . .

I would want to send it back for anotherone, what a pain in the butt. That sucks

So would I. There is no reason for that $9000. That is total bullshit. You shouldn't have to go through the mess of re-decaling a machine you just bought

I agree with this FWIW. Let Stern fix their screw up. IF they don't like the expense, maybe they will actually not ship out garbage next time.

And I don't honestly expect perfection. That is just so far off the map from what you should expect in a "collector's" game IMO it does warrant the nuclear "ship back to Stern across the ocean, OR have them ship a cab to your distro and they can do it" option.

This would be the playfield equivalent of having a few extra holes sloppily drilled into the playfield, in locations you can see every time you play (considering you would probably be able to "feel" the crappiness near the flipper buttons, you probably won't just be able to forget about it).

I couldn't agree more! Haven't bought a NIB Stern since AC/DC. I won't buy another NIB and will be quite happy purchasing a HUO that's up to date or corrected problems, code & everything else. Way too much money to put out for those issues. Good luck and I hope your Distributor gets you a new LE!

That sucks man. And I'm thinking of buying my first nib stern. If it came like that I'd send it back. Someone I know got a kiss with the head decal upside down. Not as hard of a fix but how do they send that out? He got new decals but has to do the works thats bull..

For $9,000 LEs the games should have real silkscreened cabs.

Decals are garbage.

Despite all of this, it will be hard to resist the temptation of a Ritchie GOT.

The fake backglass is lame, but a non-issue if you typically buy Pro or Premium.

No powder coating on Premiums is lame, but a non-issue if you typically buy Pro.

The power button location is weird, but the improved sound quality more than makes up for it.

I like that they're including RGB inserts with Pros now.

I like that they reverted to putting spinner targets in Pros.

I was contemplating breaking the bank for a GOT LE, but I think I just talked myself into a Pro. That is assuming they get the cabinet decal issues sorted out. I do not want to deal with that crap.

Seems like Borg focuses more on the Pro's and Ritchie like's dressing up the Premium's/LE's. I'm totally happy with my MET Pro and probably should have gone with KISS Pro (instead of the Premium). Not unhappy with my KISS Premium, but smassa convinced me there isn't enough in it to justify the extra $$. Would feel even better if/when Stern is able to get the physical ball lock to work reliably. Another Borg idiosyncrasy...both MET and now KISS have problems getting the ball lock mechanism to work properly. Odd.

I'm sorry your decals have some puckering, there is no doubt this sucks. As the others have stated, this is from torqueing down of hardware while decals are still curing, or the result of production line power tools being used to install hardware on a delicate surface. However, I have also seen this happen on decals that have sat for a while.

Shy of sending the game back, which is going to be nearly impossible to do, I recommend trying the following steps to help decrease or eliminate the puckering: Remove the hardware at the affected areas. Apply some moderate heat with a hairdryer to help soften the decal and relax the adhesive. Ramp up the heat slowly until you feel the decal relax, but not too much heat that will damage the decal. Using a very soft cloth wrapped around a plastic spreader tool or your fingers, gently try to push/slide the decal flat again and relax the puckering. Let it cool and watch to make sure it stays flat, let sit for a couple hours to cool, then reinstall the hardware carefully.

I agree all this shouldn't need to be done on a NIB game, but it is what it is - and this repair is MUCH easier than removing and replacing the entire cab decal. Still try and get something out of Stern for your hassle and grief though, maybe a new set of decals for the future or whatever. Hope this helps and congrats on your new game!

Great post

Some people here didn't like my answer to the KISS that would boot. That was an issue the owner knew about and was an easy fix, so in my opinion he was just whining...

This however, is completely different. The decals on that game are not acceptable. The only solution that I would accept is having them send you a new cabinet to swap everything into. Don't take a new set of decals because people just leave them in a closet (kind of a bitch to do them right at home, and even worse if you've never done it). Those ones are a mess and are just going to crack and tear at the flipper buttons.

I would be so pissed if it were mine! I hope you get it fixed to your satisfaction. No excuse for that given how much it costs. Good luck!

My Kiss Pro has a similar wrinkle under the left flipper button. Fortunately some custom armor covered that.

There were other defects, a chip in the design around the left speaker art. I filled that in with a black sharpie. Can't notice it now really.

My translate also appears "warped" when viewing from a certain angle, like humidity does a book left in a car.

But the one that really bothers me is the front cabinet decal, above the coin door's frame - the decal isn't sealed to the cabinet. It has this pocket of air about inch and half long across the top of the door trim, right above the center bolt. It's an eyesore to me only when Im sitting down in and the cabinet is eye level. Maybe ill take the door off eventually and see if i can seal it and put the door and frame back on after giving the decal time to seal. Sounds relatively easy, hopefully it will be.

Ideally I'd like a replacement translite from stern and the rest I've fixed myself. I definitely have no interest in installing a replacement front decal.

I'm very OCD, but being a member here as soon as i placed an order for a KISS Pro and seeing issues other posters have had with not even being able to play a game outta the box has assured me to just breathe about these other cosmetic issues and enjoy playing the game.

I am definitely cautious to buying another NIB, if I do, I'll go through someone like Pinball refinery next time.

I would ask Stern for a $2000 voucher towards your next machine or they should just send you that amount to make it right.

The will send you decals. I had a couple machines which messed up decals and my distributor got me new sets.

If you read his post again, he didn't bitch. Are you a moderator?

Situation like this being NIB w/valid warranty Stern, or any other manufacturer for that mater, should either ship back and replace or send out/outsource techs to apply new decals and do right by their customer. Best of luck Pascal!

It's the removal of the current ones and application of the new ones that's the problem.

Pinball machines are a luxury item. All this talk about getting decals sent and having to install them is crazy.

If it were any other item other than a pinball machine it would be easy to rectify. It would be repaired or replaced at the manufacturers expense.

So many on Pinside think its acceptable because its pinball. And you just have to deal with it.
Well its 2015, pinball is in the home market. More than ever before. Premium and LEs are geared to the collector market.
It should be treated like any other luxury item purchase.

Either it gets exchanged at Sterns expense, picked up and a new one droped off.
Or repaired. Some one comes over and either redecals the cab or swaps it out completely.

And the owner should be compensated for the inconvience.

Its that easy. Its a manufacturing flaw.
NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Here is an eg. From Sterns facebook.

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I disagree with quality and integrity OVER profit. IMO they should all go hand in hand. Seeing stuff like this is more likely going to cause people to sit on their cash, not fork it over. And don't send out garbage for premium prices. If this was some $500 barn find, fine. Rust, crap decals, poorly working VUK's go with the territory .

At a $9K+ price point geared at the home collector market? You gotta be out of your mind to think that is acceptable, AND to somehow think it will be good for business.

I got my kiss premium nib today and also have decal issues. Not as bad as the op but bad enough.

In addition to that the switch for the vuk doesn't register. The game goes into a ball search when the ball makes it back there.

Also, there's enough extra clear on the shooter lane to the point where the ball sometimes doesn't rest on the auto plunger and I need to shake the machine a little to get the ball in a position to actually make it up to the playfield.

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just curious what warranty covers with these things? i for one with the decal issues wouldnt accept anything less than a new machine and pronto too,as many others have said these machines dont cost peanuts

These Kiss games seem to of been mass produced being quantity over quality. That sucks with all the cost cutting going on. Seriously why is there not a coin door decal, that was always cool to see that Stern started.

Yeah right! Kiss bought 50 and jacked up the price and the other 50 went to pinsiders.

I agree. $9000 for a badly applied big sticker.

It maybe didn't used to matter in the operator market but in the luxury goods market, screened cabinets are what I would hope for.

You want silkscreened cabs and a mirrored backglass? Come on man!

Saw the game in person yesterday and it looks as bad in real as the pictures show.

The game also locked up once during yesterday's league. And did a reset onetime.
Game has latest update and a faster sd card.

so whats the op doing about this? contacted the distributor yet

Id throw some lollipop covers or custom hardware over it. best a luck.

The irony is that Stern had been promoting the skills of their decal applicators on facebook just recently... Jinx'd it

Yup.. lol.

Pretty pathetic that those could make it out.. they use wet method so its easy to fix before installing hardware.

EDIT: Looking at the pics again they could have installed a few of those correctly (the ones by carriage bolt and flipper button) but over tightened or twisted them while installing causing the wrinkles. OP may be able to remove and fix with a hair dryer.

i would only accept to swap the machine!

what i don't understand is is Stern

A: such a unprofessional factory without any quality controls

or

B: they are so arrogant and send this out with this known problems

i dont understand both
that the costumer will not be happy with this is 100%
and more work and costs to fix it later then in the factory

should be postet at there Facebook site.

Quantity over quality. Looks like Heighway takes pics of games prior to shipping etc. Obviously Stern is to good for that nowadays..

The OP should not have to do a re-decal or PF swap on a brand new machine. While most people who own pinball machines can do this kind of work it doesn't mean you should have to on a NIB machine. There are people out there who know how to work on cars so does that mean a dealer can just expect them to fix factory issues on their own once they get it home? Stern should replace this machine with a new one and have the distributor go pick this one up and send it back. The OP shouldn't have to be put out because of Stern's lack of quality control and hopefully they make things right.

Wow. That's just horrible.

called Stern about my Metallica head decals peeling off, they said email the picks with SN and return address and they would send me out a new set. Since its the head its an easy fix. Helps that I do vinyl decals on the side. lol. Hard part is getting the old ones off older machines. Looks like the head decals are coming off easy. Maybe I should contract with Stern to be a roving decal installer since there is so much need.

I don't know how far you are from your distributor, but I would physically take the machine back to him and leave it there until it's swapped/re-decalled.

This is not acceptable. It is clearly not of acceptable quality.

See Sale of Goods Act and quote it to your distributor. Replacement or refund. Who on earth would re-decal a cabinet??!

Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)

This covers all contracts made by consumers when purchasing goods. Consumers are given full rights under this Act in all circumstances, these rights cannot be restricted by the terms and conditions of the contract.

Consumers can expect that goods will be:

As described. Goods provided must conform to any description applied to them; this description can be made verbally or in writing.
Of a satisfactory quality. Satisfactory quality means that the product should be of a quality that a reasonable person would expect from the goods taking into account any description, the intended purpose and the price that is paid.
Fit for the purpose made known. If a consumer intends to purchase goods to use for a specific purpose other than that which it is intended and this is made known to the seller, then the goods should be suitable for that purpose.

Generally a consumer can claim a repair or replacement of the goods if they become faulty or do not conform to the contract, if this is not possible or not economical the consumer can look to claim a full or partial refund. If the consumer notices the fault, misdescription or unsuitability quick enough after the purchase then they may be able to reject the goods for a full refund.If second-hand goods are being purchased the purchaser must take into account the age, condition and price of the product. Consumers get the same rights when purchasing second-hand goods unless a fault is related to reasonable wear and tear or they are made aware of any faults before purchase.

Totally agree with cooked71 on this one. The distributor should be doing more than telling you to email Patrick considering the distrib sold you the machine. Would be like noticing a problem with your brand new car and having the dealership telling you to call Ford and complain to them.

Shapeshifter, if the pin works it is fit for purpose as the ucc defined it. Regardless OP is not in the U.S. so is not covered by it anyway.

This is the reason I would only use my American Express card to purchase a NIB machine.

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