Video 61 IS the *BEST*

[Gunstar]

As I'm sure everyone that comes to AtariAge has already seen, and knows, where I stand with Best Electronics from the thread I started, and I won't go on about that here or in that thread anymore. But when I have a better than expected experience from an Atari dealer, I'm going to make a fuss about it too!

 

So, in the other thread I had posted that Video 61 had SIO cables for the best price I've seen lately, and also some good joysticks and that I was going to order them from Lance. Well, I did. I had a very nice email exchange with Lance, nothing like the other one. He was quick to respond with an itemized list and total, from my email inquiry (the only way to currently order from Video 61 now too, as Lance is in poor health), I sent another with my official order, and credit card number, which Lance responded back that I need to use Paypal to pay for the same reason as he only accepts email orders now. OK, fine, so I immediately pay with my credit card through Paypal. I get an email from Lance saying he received the payment, and that please be patient with the order, it could take up to 2 weeks for it to be shipped. Ok, fine, it was never about being in a hurry with any email order attempt. 

 

Well, today, one week later, I received my order, for several SIO cables and ONE $12.95 joystick (as opposed to the $29.95 CX40  evolved joystick he sells), a Kraft Starmaster. I open the box and there are all the cables I ordered and TWO of the joysticks! I'm thinking, uh-oh, they mixed up my order some how. But I look at the enclosed receipt and it says the second joystick is NO CHARGE for my inconvenience! As well as FREE shipping for my order for being over a minimum amount, instead of requiring a minimum order amount, plus a flat shipping rate, but only allowing one to order less than half what they want and figure it all out themselves! Not just a night-and-day difference, but a difference like heaven-and-hell!

 

Now THAT is customer service above and beyond! And for such an insignificant "inconvenience!"

 

Kudos to Lance and Video 61 and knowing the proper way to treat customers! Thanks Lance!

Edited July 25, 2019 by Gunstar

[manterola]

I wish they'd have a big variety of hardware, so I can order from Video61. For example, I need a new Mylar and keyboard connector to fix a beautiful 800XL with type 4 keyboard. Only Best has that...  or  a Trackball or mouse.

I always end up searching and waiting months in eBay until something shows up. 

 

 

[Gunstar]

So do I.

[Gunstar]

And, by the way, Lance really does have employees, and they are disabled persons to boot!

[+save2600]

Always had good luck with Lance and he's always been a pleasure to work with. Was sorry to hear about his car accident a few years ago and now his declining health? Ugh... best wishes and hope he's around for many more years!  

[+sixersfan105]

Glad to hear you had a good transaction with Lance @ Video61. As I mentioned on your Best thread, I've always had excellent transactions with Video61, too. I emailed with Lance yesterday and it was my understanding that he continues to get better day by day from the accident. Didn't know about any other health concerns...I don't think Lance is on here all that often but he is a member. Thought I would give him a tag, as I'm sure he would like to hear you are another satisfied customer! @video61atarisales

[Gunstar]

I was planning on letting him know my thanks and appreciation, though when I order from him again soon. I think I'm finally going to get Tempest Elite, something I've been putting off, even though I hunted down a 2600 Indy controller just for it about a year ago!

 

I inquired about his health in my email, since I was surprised the site still had the disclaimer, after all this time that he was in an accident and orders had to go via email until he recovered. He told me it's been 5 years now since the accident, he's gone through 3 or 4 surgeries and a stroke since then though...I wished him well and hoped he made a full recovery and that he'd be with us for years as well, in good health!

Edited July 25, 2019 by Gunstar

[_The Doctor__]

could it be a new leaf has turned over? if this continues folks will be forgiving and accepting for sure!

good to hear that service and health are improving hand in hand

[Gunstar]

17 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

could it be a new leaf has turned over? if this continues folks will be forgiving and accepting for sure!

good to hear that service and health are improving hand in hand

Did Lance need to turn over a new leaf? I've never had problems in over twenty years of history with his service. I complained about shoddy and cheap packaging for the new games they sell at one time, but that's it. But that was also in response to Peter Meyer's continual excuses for the high-price verses crappy packaging and piracy paranoia when compared to the collector's editions of top-quality home-brew games that are also given out for free as rom and xex images.

But yes, his service, to me personally, has gone from good to fantastic.

Edited July 25, 2019 by Gunstar

[darwinmac]

When dealing with Lance initially, I was unhappy when one of the cartridges (World Karate Championship) was sold to me as a cartridge dump and wasn't an original cartridge. I'm not a collector, but there was no indication of that on the website. However, in subsequent transactions, I always asked if the game was an original disk or cartridge. I've had no problems or surprises with Lance since then. I don't care much about shipping times as long as I get the product.

 

I stopped buying the original cartridges awhile ago since they didn't appeal to me. I also didn't want to rehash the "anti-piracy" policy so I just steer clear of those games.

 

I would never send a credit card number via email. I'm glad he's using PayPal for processing the credit cards. In my opinion, small dealers should not try to do e-commerce themselves.

 

If you're looking for Lance or Peter, you're much more likely to find them at atari.io. I think they stopped coming here because of the complaints regarding the piracy policy and rehashing the digital downloads. I don't really go there (I have enough Atari forums), but that's where they are now.

 

Bob C

[Gunstar]

I don't think World Karate Champ was ever released as an official cartridge, even for the XEGS. There are a few other titles and applications/languages they offer on cartridge that never came that way originally.

 

But, no, I won't be going to Atari I/O, I used to go there but I was banned because I started a "poll" thread after being there a month or so, forgetting that their site rules didn't allow polls, even though the site allowed you to create them and I in the habit of starting and participating in poll threads here, and at every other forum I'm a member. So I was banned without warning or explanation even, and only found out why after I re-read their rules (as a non-member).  But that is fine, I would have cancelled my membership or never returned anyway, even if I had been given a warning. They are just too anal for me.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Gunstar

[+sixersfan105]

16 minutes ago, darwinmac said:

When dealing with Lance initially, I was unhappy when one of the cartridges (World Karate Championship) was sold to me as a cartridge dump and wasn't an original cartridge. I'm not a collector, but there was no indication of that on the website.

Lance uses symbols next to the games in his lists to indicate different things about them. For example, # means cartridge-only. Since all of his stock is new in box, a cart-only copy is almost always indicative of an unreleased game/reproduction. But I hear you that that might not have been clear. 

[_The Doctor__]

1 hour ago, darwinmac said:

When dealing with Lance initially, I was unhappy when one of the cartridges (World Karate Championship) was sold to me as a cartridge dump and wasn't an original cartridge. I'm not a collector, but there was no indication of that on the website. However, in subsequent transactions, I always asked if the game was an original disk or cartridge. I've had no problems or surprises with Lance since then. I don't care much about shipping times as long as I get the product.

 

I stopped buying the original cartridges awhile ago since they didn't appeal to me. I also didn't want to rehash the "anti-piracy" policy so I just steer clear of those games.

 

I would never send a credit card number via email. I'm glad he's using PayPal for processing the credit cards. In my opinion, small dealers should not try to do e-commerce themselves.

 

If you're looking for Lance or Peter, you're much more likely to find them at atari.io. I think they stopped coming here because of the complaints regarding the piracy policy and rehashing the digital downloads. I don't really go there (I have enough Atari forums), but that's where they are now.

 

Bob C

no, I think it's more likely Pete got banned...

yeah pretty sure he was doing something not cool,

think it was duplicate pete also, think the cyber division matched up ip's and guids etc etc. and sussed he was more than one person...

that might be a big no, no, among other things....

Edited July 26, 2019 by _The Doctor__

[darwinmac]

44 minutes ago, sixersfan105 said:

For example, # means cartridge-only. Since all of his stock is new in box, a cart-only copy is almost always indicative of an unreleased game/reproduction. But I hear you that that might not have been clear

Unless you’ve purchased from him before, “cart-only” doesn’t mean reproduction since Best sells “cart-only” games where the box and manual have been lost, but it’s an original cartridge. 

 

If he used “Video 61 exclusive“, it would be a good euphemism for the fact that the media isn’t original. 

 

As I said, I learned my lesson and ask the question now. It’s no big deal and I’d order from him again if he had something I wanted. 

 

Bob C

[darwinmac]

2 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

no, I think it's more likely Pete got banned...

Don’t know. Don’t care. The arguments stopped. That’s all that matters. 

 

Bob C

[+sixersfan105]

Who is Pete? From Telegames UK?

[Gunstar]

He's a programmer that Video 61 publishes games for, like the Tempest games, Zookeeper, Secretum Labyrinth, Amokbots and others. Some good, some not (according to others), some work great, some have bugs. Part of the reason for some of those "arguments." I did reviews of the two Secretum Labyrinth games an Amokbots in Excel magazine issue 4 or 5. The games I reviewed are fun.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Gunstar

[flashjazzcat]

Pete was banned for using multiple sock-puppet accounts to shill his products. He continued to create shadow accounts here after being banned despite vehemently denying doing so. He also created multiple accounts on Facebook while vehemently denyong doing so. He eventually owned up and said he wouldn't do it again... before proceeding to do it again. Meanwhile he continues to spam forum admin with bogus threats designed to secure his reinstatement. He also sent me a number of unsolicited PMs on Facebook (before I blocked him) in which he angrily.accused me of telling lies about him (he then had the audacity to invite me to join the Facebook group he uses as curated safe-space). No lies were told, however. A truthful account of his activities is fantastic enough.

Edited July 26, 2019 by flashjazzcat

[Mclaneinc]

I've spoken to Lance privately and he's been a lovely guy, the conversation was about Petey and it was a hope that Lance could steer petety away from making pretty nasty statements and Lance was an absolute gem.

 

Lets keep Lance / Video 61 and Peteym as two separate things...Lance and Video 61 are good guys as Gunstar says and Petey, well a little odd shall we say....Glad he's been banned so the silly comments and shilling stopped.

[Fred_M]

2 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

He also sent me a number of unsolicited PMs on Facebook (before I blocked him) in which he angrily.accused me of telling lies about him (he then had the audacity to invite me to join the Facebook group he uses as curated safe-space)

Me too..... On facebook he stated that I don't exist because my Facebook profile is empty ?

[flashjazzcat]

4 minutes ago, Fred_M said:

Me too..... On facebook he stated that I don't exist because my Facebook profile is empty ?

Hehe... the irony.

 

[Mclaneinc]

Fred_M, the Invisible man

 

Petey is a riddle wrapped in an enigma (or however JFK went)

[+CharlieChaplin]

Have only positive experiences with Lance, all orders went out very fast and at a time when paypal did not exist (and I had problems with paying a US order, since I did not have any credit cards then and my usual Euro-cheques or EC-card which I always use for paying in Europe was not accepted in the US), he always found a way to let me order and pay the items I wanted.

 

At one time I ordered a Donkey Kong cart. and told him, that I want to have the blue XEGS box + XEGS cart. version (not the older 800 or XL version) and he simply said "No problem!" and did send me the version I wanted. I also ordered several XEGS carts. then, where I explicitly wanted the "made in Hong Kong" versions and again, "No problem!", I got what I wanted (or he told me if he only had the Taiwan version)...

 

When I ordered an Atari Lightpen with cart. from him, it arrived broken in two pieces. I contacted Lance and he said that I can keep the broken pen (no need to return!) and he did send me another one immediately...

 

-----

 

Regarding social media, I do not exist at all (no Facebook, no Instagram, account on Twitter only used for 2 or 3 weeks and since then inactive, no Whats App, no Smartphone, just a very old Handy that can be used as a telephone and for writing SMS). So, if you want to contact me you have to write an E-Mail or a letter or call me on the phone...   Besides, every day Facebook sends me an E-Mail and asks me if I know this or that person or that I have 58 (sometimes more, sometimes less) friend requests on their site and therefore I should login or register and become a Facebook member, those Gestapo-Nazis cannot accept, that I am NOT on Facebook and do not want to be... but maybe I could sue them for sending me those unwanted E-Mails every day ?!?

 

[Jinroh]

Right on, I love Lance & Video61.

 

He is a really great guy, and runs a great company. Everything I have bought from him has been super great. :3

[gilsaluki]

I recently ordered a couple of carts from him, they're new games.  I didn't get right cart for one of them.  I did however, love the game and kept it.  I communicated that I still wanted the other cart (Putt 18).  I paid for the cart (no shipping $$ req'd).  He promptly sent it to me.  Lance is the Best.  Thanks Lance.