I'M SCREWED!!!!! Formerly How screwed am I?

[Shieldwolf]

I needed to rewire my cp and didn't have the time with my new son. So I contacted a local arcade repair shop. They offered to do the job and took my panel. They told me it would be about 3 days.  There was plenty of communication by phone and email. On day three I went by and the store was closed. They're not answering the phone or returning emails. It's been a month now.

 

[SirPeale]

Hrm...on a scale of one to ten, about a six.

They may have been out on a service call.

My bigger worry would be the arm and leg they're going to charge you for the wiring job.

[leapinlew]

my new son

Well theres your problem right there. Just return him and go get another one AFTER you wire your control panel. You need to get your priorities straight man. 

[Jack Burton]

Not screwed.  Just do it later yourself man.  Don't cheat yourself out of the satisfaction of doing the work yourself.  Plus, it's easy.  I would rank wiring a control panel about a 2/10 for difficulty as far as this hobby goes.

[Shieldwolf]

iOh I've done it before and while I will agree the wiring is probably the best part,  needed to get it done asap.

[RayB]

So I contacted a local arcade repair shop.

I didn't know there was such a thing.

[abzman2000]

the way I see it, he gave them his panel a month ago and when he went to get it, and until now, they are not there

[SirPeale]

So I contacted a local arcade repair shop.

I didn't know there was such a thing.

There aren't many.  A lot of distibutors do maintenance on site (Betson, for one).  There are the occasional mom and pop place.  I don't have a shop (yet) but I do repair stuff either @ home or on site.

[Shieldwolf]

The place is actually a very cool arcade shop that does restorations and sells machines.   Like I said I normally do it myself, but I was trying to get it done before family got into town. I'm only worried, because there has been no contact in 3 1/2 weeks.  I'm hoping they went on vacation or something.

[Jack Burton]

Oh wait.  I didn't read that right the first time.  It's been a month and they still have your panel?  Time to get started tracking down home phone numbers.

[Shieldwolf]

Yeah I'm going to go to the guy's house if I don't hear from him by the end of the week. I just hope my baby is still in one piece. I had just put in 4 ggg led wiz kits and led lights!

[Loafmeister]

Why wait until the end of the week? It's been a month, go NOW before it "disappears".  It's possible this is all on the up and up, maybe the owner became ill, but I still wouldn't wait any longer than you already have.

[wbassett]

I also agree, I'd check on it now too.  Especially with what just happened with the economy, maybe he went out of business...  worse case he went bankrupt or something and assets were froze.  Better to check on it now than later.

Hopefully he's just out on vacation (a bit rude though not to have told customers) or like said maybe he took ill or a family crisis came up.

[Necro]

Yeah I'm going to go to the guy's house if I don't hear from him by the end of the week. I just hope my baby is still in one piece. I had just put in 4 ggg led wiz kits and led lights!

You gave him the baby in addition to the CP? 

And how did you wire the kid up with the LED kits? 

 

[SavannahLion]

Yeah I'm going to go to the guy's house if I don't hear from him by the end of the week. I just hope my baby is still in one piece. I had just put in 4 ggg led wiz kits and led lights!

That right there would be the precise reason why I would never send something like that into a repair shop. Not knocking your judgement or reasoning, but there's a point where a it becomes less of a, "I don't have the ability to repair or fix this," and more of a, "this is a custom job only to be entrusted to people who understand how to work with this kind of modification."

[RandyT]

Wow, that doesn't sound good.  Maybe it's time to get the law involved.  If nothing else, provided they will even begin to help due to it probably being a "civil" issue at this point, they might be able to find a way to put you in touch with the owner.  If the guy took ill, or got hit by a bus, maybe whoever is left can help you get your panel back.

But I'd definitely drop by his home if you can come up with an address.

Best of luck!

RandyT

[blueznl]

... and bring an axe, or six guys with metal chains dangling from their leather jackets, riding Harleys...

[Stobe]

Let us know where you are located.  We can assemble the BYOAC posse.

-Stobe

(I said posse!)

[Shieldwolf]

Well the guy contacted me yesterday and I went to pick up my control panel. I went there expecting it to be bad but it was much, much, much worse.

When I dropped off my cp I gave him specific instructions and sent an email remider as well. My directions were very simple, replace and lube track ball barrings. Use the quick disconnects I supplied and if possible wire my 360 controls to a molex. If he couldn't or didn't know how to leave it and I would do it.
I told him not to solder. and not to touch the led wires....




1st off he soldered everything. In doing so he bent all the microswitche prongs insuring  I can't undo it and now my 360s have solder on the prongs!!!. He didn't lube or replace my track ball barrings  he added a light,powerstrip  strip and some black box witch can switch from 12 to 5. He drilled wood blocks into my in cp to hold wires in place and he unfortunately cut all my led cables from Randy's RGBs short, but the worst, the worst he added STICKERS!!!! STICKERS to the inside of my cp.  Donkey Kong, Pacman, THAT BABY FROM SOUTH PARK !!!!
I know you won't see them, but WTF!!  If I take my car in to get new tires, you don't add a golden buddha and neon racing stripes to the interior without asking the owner!!



I left there too angry to speak and didn't want to cause trouble. I will be contacting him today now that I have calmed a little. I still have to test it out and make sure it works.

ARRRRGGGHHH!!!!!

[shardian]

Here is the proper channel for recourse:

http://www.judgejudy.com/#/submityourcase

 

[Stobe]

Now I want to add a golden buddha and neon racing stripes to my CP!

[ChadTower]

Okay, I sorta get the "lost the instructions" bit... but why would they add weird stickers?

[shardian]

We totally need pics.

[ChadTower]

You also might want to relax a bit.  I mean, it's annoying, but you're acting like they trashed your car.  It's just a hobby and just a CP.  You can recover.

[Franco B]

Personally I would be seriously pissed if someone had done that to my CP, especially if I had put hours and hours into it which, by the sounds of it, Shieldwolf has.

Speaking of trashing cars, it reminds me of this [bodyshop trashed 350z] thread I read the other day.

Back on topic though, seriously, whats the deal with the stickers? That doesn't make sense.

[Shieldwolf]

You also might want to relax a bit.  I mean, it's annoying, but you're acting like they trashed your car.  It's just a hobby and just a CP.  You can recover.

Most hobbies I have don't cost the amount of money I have spent in parts and hours that I have on this machine. It sucks because all I really wanted was to clean my rats nest of wires. Pictures to follow.

[SirPeale]

Soldering the terminals makes a better connection, IMO.  Much less likely to break down.  All you have to do is unsolder it.

Since this guy runs an arcade outfit, he's thinking like an arcade tech.  Solder the connections for reliability.

Of course, since you did leave specific instructions, THAT would piss me off.

[ark_ader]

Lesson learned.

Next time do it yourself.  I would, like others who had mentioned it.

Most of these Modern Day Arcade guys are box shifters, and unlike Peale probably do not know a hoot about electronics.

I would say this was a good thing to happen to you, even though you lost out.

I mean that in the best possible way. 

[SavannahLion]

Based on the description, it sounds to me he was showcasing (or whatever you want to call it) your CP there. That would explain the stickers. I haven't seen anyone do it in about fifteen years, but it happens. When I was a tyke and my dad and I hung out at repair shops, it was really common for a shop to take ownership of unclaimed merchandise, do whatever they see fit. Decorate the shop with it, sell it, give it to the six year old to screw around with , whatever.

After three weeks, the guy probably forgot who owned the CP. I bet he didn't even tag or mark it like any reasonable repair shop would.

As for taking him to civil court. I guess you could (and should), but is the worth of the CP more than the court costs?

[fixedpigs]

We totally need pics.

absolutely...

[web.geek]

Speaking of trashing cars, it reminds me of this [bodyshop trashed 350z] thread I read the other day.

WOW! I'm not even a car guy, and that p*sses me off! That guy is in the wrong line of work.

[pinballwizard79]

Wow, just wow.

Man I am so sad to hear that.

He cut the LED's, soldered the 360's & how does someone end up with a sticker of the baby from South park to even give to a client?

Between your story & the car link I am getting that sick feeling in my stomach, like when I think about the real estate property values around me dropping.

Hang in there man

[Stinks]

Speaking of trashing cars, it reminds me of this [bodyshop trashed 350z] thread I read the other day.

WOW! I'm not even a car guy, and that p*sses me off! That guy is in the wrong line of work.

I can't add anything to make your statement any more true.


I think something like that could seriously push me over the edge... ..and I'm not a car guy either.

[Havok]

You'll need to re-do your cabinet theme, how about the Laughing Buddhacade?



Or, perhaps the I'm Stewied Cade?



Although, you could work with the gun thing...

[fjl]

I want pics! 

[Teebor]

Now you know why he was closed

I imagine if he did that to everyone's the lawsuits must have mounted up.

So sad for you   I'm curious to see pics of how bad it is, but at the same time do I really want to 

[Ummon]

You also might want to relax a bit.  I mean, it's annoying, but you're acting like they trashed your car.  It's just a hobby and just a CP.  You can recover.

Ahem. Quite the contrary, I could see a civil suit and then an accidental fire.

[ChadTower]

You also might want to relax a bit.  I mean, it's annoying, but you're acting like they trashed your car.  It's just a hobby and just a CP.  You can recover.

Ahem. Quite the contrary, I could see a civil suit and then an accidental fire.

This hobby shouldn't be a source of stress.  The whole point is to chill and be happy about it.  Who needs a hobby that makes life worse?  He learned a lesson, do the work yourself if you want it done right, which we all already know anyway.  I don't get why he handed over the cash after seeing the work but that's his own mistake.

[shmokes]

I think the guy was planning to steal it and that's why he put stickers on his control panel.  He was closing up shop and figured he'd never see the owner again.

Also, I think Chad's nuts.  If I came home and found that my arcade cabinet had been stolen or destroyed, I'd be a little distraught.  Of course I don't want my hobby to cause me stress, and generally it doesn't, but come on . . .

[ChadTower]

shmokes, that wasn't stolen or destroyed, and it wasn't even close to a whole game.  It's just the CP. 

[shmokes]

Right . . . I'm with you.  And if it was stolen or destroyed I assume he would be more distraught than he is.  But what happened to him would bug me quite a bit too.  I'd get over it for sure, but I'd probably vent here first.

[Games001]

He has every right to be upset, even to the point of legal action.  He sent out his product to a 'professional service' and it was held captive, not worked as requested, and treated as lost goods... I'd be livid.

Try that shiteum in NYC and you will find your arse handed to you at the door of the Arcade Repair Shop.

[ChadTower]

I mean, come on, ummon even implied arson. 

When I bought my triathlon bike in the spring I brought it to my local bike shop for assembly.  He quoted me $60 and a day... three days later it was $85 and he had done a very loose job with it.  Then he wanted more money to assemble an accessory that he had said he'd do as part of the $60 to begin with.  All I could do was chalk it up to a lesson learned about a local business (and this actually is a true retail/service shop) and did better research to find a place that specializes in racing bikes.  Sometimes you just learn the hard way that a local business sucks and you just have to eat the lesson.

[shmokes]

Okay . . . I mean, I don't disagree with any of that.  It's good to let things go.  But I'd be angry in shieldwolf's position.  I think most people would be.  I think it's pretty reasonable.  I'm not talking consumed with rage or anything, but pretty bloody irritated.

[Games001]

The word, as always, is simple.. get it on paper or go somewhere else.

I mean, come on, ummon even implied arson. 

When I bought my triathlon bike in the spring I brought it to my local bike shop for assembly.  He quoted me $60 and a day... three days later it was $85 and he had done a very loose job with it.  Then he wanted more money to assemble an accessory that he had said he'd do as part of the $60 to begin with.  All I could do was chalk it up to a lesson learned about a local business (and this actually is a true retail/service shop) and did better research to find a place that specializes in racing bikes.  Sometimes you just learn the hard way that a local business sucks and you just have to eat the lesson.

[Benevolance]

Maybe he thought the stickers were really cool and he was performing a value added service that would give him a leg up in the cut-throat world of arcade repair shops?

[DJ Infinity]

It's the principalities of the situation. If it were me he'd be selling me some boards dirt cheap. I had something similiar happen to me. I was probably the last person to get something from Slikstik. This last panel (now decomissioned BTW) I bought LED-WIZ boards with Electric Ice Buttons. On the insistence of Christian I sent him the buttons boards etc. Christian called me a coupla weeks later and asked me how to wire them. I told him to wire to +5V. Finally the CP arrived and 98% of the lights are blown. Christian wired to +12V!!!    I had to call Randy and beg for a discount so I could completly redo the panel as far as the lights were concerned. I explained to Randy what had happened and he was kind enough to take pity on me and give me a small discount which lessened the blow. You all know what happened to Slikstik and had I filed some kind of legal action would have been a waste of time. Lesson here folks if you want something done right do it yourself 

[Ummon]

I implied nothing. I merely said I could imagine such things happening. As for the bike shop thing, he juked you. At my local bike shop they do write exactly what's going down on the repair order when the bike is admitted. I dunno, maybe it's because I don't live in a huge metropolis. In your case, I would've taken the bike without payment and let them try to sue me for it, and same with the CP.

[Shieldwolf]

Hey guys sorry I haven't posted pics yet, don't worry I will. Some of you guys will probably say, "What's the big deal?" but for me it is.

I did want to give a big thanks for the general support. Just venting here helped a lot. The thing that really pisses me off is that it's my baby, you know. I spent a lot of time and money building it and making it work. I don't work in carpentry. I don't work as an electrician or anything requiring any kind of handy man skill. So my cab is my pride and joy. With all my time spent taking care of my newborn and paying the mortgage. I thought that having someone else rewire my panel wouldn't be a big deal. I did it the first time no problems.That said I knew if I was going to have someone rewire the buttons they better know what they're doing.  I thought my conversations, the manuals for my encoders and the explicit email with what I wanted done was not enough.  I guess I chose the wrong the guy.

After spending a few days cooling off, I spent today undoing a lot of the damage. I was able to get rid of The pacman ghost sticker that was on the outside of the cp without leaving any marks. The ones inside are not coming off as easily or at all.  As I started removing parts and trying to figure out what he had done, I was mystified by the fact that he completely failed to do what I asked. One of the nice things about my setup is that I have two breakout boxes for my encoder. That way I can have the panel sectioned off if the wiring goes bad. Now everything is grounded together. Not a big deal, but exactly what I told him not to do!


To Do list

I removed the light, the C-3PO, the wood blocks that were blocking my screw holes so I can mount my cp to my cab.

I need to find the grounds for my two 360 joysticks and make a molex connector.

Somehow he bent the plexi ( don't ask I have no idea how that happened) and I need to make it so the corner lies flat again.

Re-wire all the leds
 
Finally, make sure everything works.


Thanks for the support and hopefully I'll be able to post some pics and updates this weekend.

Best wishes,

Shieldwolf