What's new

Zpeakabonks - avoid

DRD

DRD

Registered
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
5,441
Location
Newark
I am normally Lilly livered. Turn the other cheek. No point creating a scene. No-one benefits from a row

But folk need warning here, and plenty of people on here know I am straight.

When I bought my Fathom, I did so knowing the backglass was screwed. But Zpeakabonks had one. As did setflip in Europe so I was relaxed about sourcing a backglass. Marco, Bay Area and Planetary in the USA also had them

I immediately emailed zpeàkabonks, but received no reply. So I called Zpeakabonks, spoke to the man. He was going to email me an invoice with the correct shipping cost. I did not haggle, I was prepared to pay his asking price. Nothing came

I called the landline about a dozen times, leaving a couple of messages. Eventually an answer, got a mobile number. Tried the mobile more than once, no answer. Sent email, no answer. Contacted via pinballinfo, no answer.

In the meantime over about a fortnight, setflip sold out of backglasses. Marco sold out of backglasses. Zpeakabonks sold out of backglasses

So I today ordered from another USA based supplier

I have bought bits from pinball heaven, pinball mania, one stop, best of pinball, ministry of pinball, Marco. All have been flawless

But Zpeakabonks is totally dissatisfactory, so tread carefully guys
 
This is the same person that bought @Chester_Pete 's CPR playfields, only to flip them on his website.
 
Last edited:
I got my Candy Cab from zpeakabonks and that went OK. Communication via email or on here was certainly much better before I'd paid than after I'd paid but was trying to get updates, and it took a fair time longer than than originally quoted to arrive, but overall the transaction was OK.
 
Got to agree from my experience his communication is non existent despite trying a few different contacts.
 
I've bought machines from Michael. Had no problems but communication has been hit and miss. I'm not sure what his after sales service is like as I haven't needed to use it. That's the gamble I thought was worth taking, as his prices are good, especially with the current euro rate.

I can only assume if he doesn't answer it's because he doesn't have the item in stock. I do think it's bad form and bad for business not answering emails though, as this thread proves.

Or maybe he's busy and doesn't have time to answer all of his emails, in which case he needs a secretary!
 
  • Like
Reactions: JT.
@BigIan. If I had been after some coil sleeves, flipper rebuild kits, or some bog standard parts I would agree with you. Or if it was just a case of losing a few quid, or waiting a couple of weeks, again I would agree with you.

I paid a lot to secure a fathom and it needs a backglass. The Americans go mad and pay big prices for Fathom so I was concerned about parts. I did a good trawl round the internet before buying the game to make sure I could buy the parts I needed. To get messed around and ignored for two weeks after Michael and I had spoken on the phone agreeing a sale was mildly annoying. The day after we spoke his website was updated to say the backglass was sold out. But setflip still showed one in stock

To hear nothing from Zpeakabonks and then see the only other available European backglass I could find at setflip taken off the market was hugely annoying. I had begun lining up arrangements to collect this as a fallback as setflip would not mail it. So my next port of call was Marco in the USA, but by this stage it too had sold out.

This may just be bad luck, or coincidence. I don't know. But after @Chester_Pete 's experience it does strike me as odd that the two French based backglasses disappear from sale within days of contacting Zpeakabonks. So I am left grossly overpaying including US transport and probable vat and duty on this. And it has left a sour and very expensive taste
 
Annoying for you, but poor comms not that unusual in any hobbyist scene.

Regarding the resale of items, buyer can do as they will with them. This always seems to irk people but it's a big bad world and not a lot you can do about it. Assume Pete got what he wanted for them.

Sent from my Sinclair C5
 
Yup, pinball is a business for a lot of people, that means buying as cheap as possible to enable selling for a profit, this includes flipping machines or parts, don't know why people get so emotional about it unless the parts were offered free to a good home and the new owner then tried to profit which is a bit naughty but still acceptable as they made the effort to acquire the item in the first place etc, JMHO but I'm sure many will disagree which is fine too :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom