Quoted from snaroff:

Got it...thanks for the detail. I have a lot more NIB purchasing experience and I’ve seen a steady increase in NIB “issues” (Munsters CPU died after 30 games, KISS Node board failure, IMDN PF issues, etc.)...roughly around the introduction of “Spike”.
I value my time as well. I could make an argument that dealing with Stern and their distributors *cost* me a lot of valuable time. OTOH, just picked up a BM66 Premium from a great locale collector. Got to play it, inspect it. Knew what I was getting...no NIB “surprises”. Oh yeah, the code is also now worth playing after the update!
I understand the attraction of NIB...I’ve been a NIB buyer since LOTR/TSPP over 15 years now! Based on much experience, the last 5 years have been much more of a crap shoot than the first 10 years (slowly pushing me away from NIB joy).
I’m not trying to convince you of anything. Just documenting my experiences. I’m also considering a JP Premium and will be patient and wait for one to pop up on the local market.

Quoted from snaroff:

The impatient addicts likely outnumber the thoughtful collectors (I'm an impatient addict in recovery
For me, it all about being truthful/transparent...folks will make up their own minds.
No doubt that Stern is unlikely to change without feeling some financial "pain". Distributors are hoping speaking up...they feel a lot of the heat when problems arise.