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Minty fully restored pin for sale.. don't mind the credit dot

Durzel

Durzel

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Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
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Location
Bath, UK
Been searching for a TAF to buy recently, ideally one that has been restored with LEDs, and my search has been frustrating to say the least...

I get that people don't have to know much about pinballs to sell them, but what is it with people selling stuff supposedly as "mint" and "fully restored", when they send me images or a video which clearly shows a credit dot?

The last guy i spoke to about one I had to explain what a credit dot meant... doesn't inspire confidence.

Also don't really get why people try and sell these things with a credit dot at all, unless you're acknowledging the fault in the description & price. It's like selling a car with an unknown fault, could be an underinflated tyre, or a complete integral mechanism that might not even be easy to replace that isn't working.

Grrrrr.. just venting really.
 
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There are a few games where a 'dot' can simply be showing that a switch hasn't been touched lately, though Addams doesn't feature amongst them. Two frequent culprits are Getaway and WhiteWater

But I agree it's worrying to see a dot accompanied by terms like 'fully refurbished'
 
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I wouldn't over fixate on credit dot. I would go over the machine in detail credit dot or not. Its so easy to make a dot go away...
 
Sorry, yeah.. I get that a dot can be anything including the date/time not being set, but when you're dealing with potentially buying something remotely plus someone who admits to not knowing much about what that means (genuinely I think on this occasion), it doesn't inspire confidence.

I guess the bigger question is whether or not it's safe at all to buy remotely... but then I guess people are buying these things off eBay for £5k+ sight unseen.
 
oh I agree.

I wouldn't buy any pinball machine via ebay unless I was able to view it before paying. But in trying to get a monster bash I did buy one from Germany that was on Ebay from a dealer but was also on their website; I bought it via the website and paid with CC and PayPal; turned up and apart from one minor motor issue and needing a clean it was lovely.

I've done ok, 2 Star Treks, No Fear, I500 and Theatre of Magic of eBay. ST:TNG had battery damage but the rest of it was in fantastic shape part from the usual odd bulb, dodgy connector, cleaning and most of them needing flipper rebuilds, but I didn't pay for any of them until I'd seen it. Hire a van, make it a fun road trip :D Even on this forum, there are those that I know will describe a machine accurately, and plenty that don't.

Neil.
 
True, true.

I'm very much an end user. I can change bulbs, unplug and plug ribbon cables and connectors back in again, use the test menus, but beyond that I'm pretty clueless. I'm going to try and graduate to adjusting a leaf switch soon, its in my syllabus. :p

As such I'm pretty much totally reliant on stuff being solid at point of sale. As you say, and has been said before, there is a big spread in condition both claimed and actual, and prices. It's a bit of a minefield if you're unskilled in maintenance.
 
Durzel said:
True, true.

I'm very much an end user. I can change bulbs, unplug and plug ribbon cables and connectors back in again, use the test menus, but beyond that I'm pretty clueless. I'm going to try and graduate to adjusting a leaf switch soon, its in my syllabus. :p

As such I'm pretty much totally reliant on stuff being solid at point of sale. As you say, and has been said before, there is a big spread in condition both claimed and actual, and prices. It's a bit of a minefield if you're unskilled in maintenance.
Click to expand...

If the machine is in good physical condition with no playfield wear, decent cabinet and it plays, then anyone who is half competent can sort issues with the expertise and advice from this forum.
If a board is knackered just post it to pinball heaven and pinball mania, both of whom give good advice too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I think the problem is that most people describe their stuff as mint, whether it's pins, cars or ice cream. Only the latter one is usually true. :)

The trouble, especially when you're a layman, is knowing just how mint something can be. Without a decent frame of reference you're pretty much at the mercy of the seller.
 
The alternative is to pay £2,000 over the odds and get one with a years warranty from HLD or Liberty Games.

Suddenly, figuring out the basics yourself and knowing the difference between a left handed screwdriver and a right handed screwdriver seems like the way to go !!!!
 
AlanJ said:
The alternative is to pay £2,000 over the odds and get one with a years warranty from HLD or Liberty Games.

Suddenly, figuring out the basics yourself and knowing the difference between a left handed screwdriver and a right handed screwdriver seems like the way to go !!!!
Click to expand...

I don't think thats any guarantee Alan, I got an Apollo 13 from Liberty. what a pile off steaming ****e it was. I wrote a three page email with all that was wrong with it...
 
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