If he's having to operate under different names, then his business name is starting to suffer from bad publicity.

I've been following this thread for quite some time, and have been very hesitant to post about it, as I try very hard to stay out of what happens with other vendors and manufacturers in this industry. Yet I think this situation is egregious enough that I'm going to break my "don't get involved" rule here. That and some upcoming legal changes overseas are coming into play which skew this situation greatly.

The first issue is that Mad Amusements, as with any re-seller, are utterly dependent on manufacturers for product. Now, Mad Amusements has never approached me to be a re-seller. If he did..... I don't know if I'd rapidly deny his application, or just ignore him. But he'll never be able to buy Siegecraft Electronics products from me under a wholesale agreement. Some of us see what's going on, and stand with the customers. I know other manufacturers have had sour dealings with Mad in the past which were very publicly brought out on Pinside. I try very hard to not interfere with my fellow manufacturers business practices, but as customers you can have these discussions with parts suppliers. Let them know the displeasure you're having with Mad. Trust me, the last thing a manufacturer wants is the sour reputation of a vendor to taint their product. Just keep it civil please. If you say things like "I love your product, and this re-seller is making you look bad", you'll get a lot more traction than saying "I hate you because Mad sells your stuff".

Second issue is that there have been big tax law changes in the UK regarding sellers that ship there, and similar things about to roll out with the EU. So this will cause a huge shift in buying practices that wil cause much grief for Mad Amusements. (Unfortunately, all the 'little guys' are going to suffer from these changes). So if you live in the UK or the EU, please share with your pinball buddies that they may only be able to buy parts from larger resellers going forward, and plan accordingly. I don't know if this will shift people to, or away from, Mad Amusements. But it's something to watch.