I've been waiting on my AIQ premium and just missed out on the run a month ago. When the price increase rumored started showing up on the cointaker website I contacted the distributor and told them I wouldn't be paying 1k more for the machine and just cancel my order if that is the case. He said he would do what he can once the increase becomes official but if the increase is that much there probably isn't much that could be done on their end.

I was called last week and told my machine had shipped to the distributor and should be shipping to me this week. I've not heard yet but have paid in full so hopefully it is on it's way to me before the increase.

600 pros, 1k premium, le is not as specific but somewhere in the 1k-1500

Cointaker already has updated prices for most machines on the website that matches that.

Stern also said the ones coming before 1/1/22 will bear the 200 cost increase of the stern connected. So expect to pay that 200 or some subset negotiated with your distributor after the machines start being built with it. I'm pretty sure that started this week.

I've had 4 new in box delivered from stern over the past few years and not one was wrapped in plastic. All in the standard cardboard box. My latest came yesterday and luckily no damage to the box or machine from shipping. I have had two though where box damage almost made me decline delivery. Overall though they are packaged quite well for anything but water damage.

The problem is the distributor/manufacturer system in place. The deposit is with the distributor and not with Stern. When stern raises their prices it's an immediate increase to the wholesale price the distributor pays so it would be the distributor that would have to eat the cost increase to keep the price the same for the buyer. In this case we're talking over 1k for premiums and LE's and 600 for the pro. I don't know what the wholesale price of a pinball machine is but I doubt many of the distributors can handle taking a loss on the machines. They may work with you if the machine gets delivered close to the time the increase takes effect but that's going to be on a distributor by distributor basis.