FS K C Game sale

[benime]

I would avoid buying from KC. I picked up a few machines from him after having communicated with him here and via text even though he has a bad reputation on the arcade groups on Facebook. I purchased a coin dispenser, a Groove Coaster, a Bishi Bashi, and a UFO Catcher. He lied to me about having tested the coin hoppers on the coin machine, the Groove Coaster has a monitor board that is going out so the machine doesn't stay on for more than about 20 minutes, the Bishi Bashi arrived with broken acryllic and the UFO Catcher is a disgusting mess. His response to my complaints? "Send them back to me."

Buyer beware.

Not to shit on your post, but most people here (especially the Cali folks) are KC stans, so you're likely to get more grief than support. It's disappointing because his business practices are known within the community, but folks not aware continue to get screwed while he's given a platform to do business here.

It comes up now and again, and the admins/mods and KC stans will complain that you shouldn't post your complaint here and should make a feedback thread, which I would also encourage doing.

 

[Anselmo]

just given the sheer volume of arcades KC imports, he's going to have some that don't work. These are machines that were used in a commercial environment. Buyer beware of that, but I've had very good experiences with KC. He's not selling you reconditioned cabs, they are used, old, and in need of TLC. He is however a very nice person and always very helpful. Yes, some people have bad experiences, but most have had fair/decent experiences.

 

[Kavas]

UFO Catcher is a disgusting mess.

Cannot comment to the rest of your complaints, but the disgusting mess is par for the course for these old on-site requisitions. It is a known factor he doesn't clean them out. That's up to you.

 

[St4rgalaqtic]

UFO Catcher is a disgusting mess.

Cannot comment to the rest of your complaints, but the disgusting mess is par for the course for these old on-site requisitions. It is a known factor he doesn't clean them out. That's up to you.

Very true, there are several threads with people talking about cleaning cab of nicotine and grime. It is what it is, these cabs come from actual arcades. And I have never seen a arcade that keeps their machines clean inside and out. I'm not a Stan but I got a cab last month, and I knew what it was. I knew I had to work on it and clean it, I accepted that and i'm happy with my purchase.

 

[mv1f]

just given the sheer volume of arcades KC imports, he's going to have some that don't work. These are machines that were used in a commercial environment. Buyer beware of that, but I've had very good experiences with KC. He's not selling you reconditioned cabs, they are used, old, and in need of TLC. He is however a very nice person and always very helpful. Yes, some people have bad experiences, but most have had fair/decent experiences.

I recently bought a cab from KC and I did a lot of research before I bought from him because cabs are expensive antiques and wanted to be sure about what I could expect. What @Anselmo says is a pretty good summary of what I found in my research. None of what @xRealNinjuzx really even surprises me, aside from the lying part.

In my research I found this post from @acblunden2 to be probably the most helpful info in understanding what to expect.

Probably the reason why Cali folks like him is because we can go to him in person and it's a totally different experience than what you get from email or text. The language barrier is very real. Just from his texts I couldn't tell if he even understood when I said I was going to be stopping by. Since it was a Saturday I totally expected no one to be there. But when I got there to pick up my cab from him in person he was super nice and helpful. He had a couple of cabs set aside for me to pick from and offered to swap parts with other cabs to make mine better. Gave me cold drinks while I took it apart to cram it in my car. I had my own tools but he still offered to let me use his. He even helped me take it apart some and load it in my car (I was cramming a NNC into a Prius). I don't think anyone should expect these things from him when buying a cab but he was just being a nice guy.

Ultimately, I don't think there's anything wrong with saying folks shouldn't buy from KC. It's always good to have more info so folks can decide for themselves what they're comfortable with. But I'd been meaning to post about my own experience to help other folks, and this seemed like a good opportunity. I will definitely buy from him again.

 

[St4rgalaqtic]

+1 this man got a NNC in a Prius, that takes determination. Same here I'm waiting until next month to see if he can get or has a Egret 2 laying around.

 

[GeeDee]

Not to push-on TOO long with this, since bringing up "KC is XYZ" seems to be a once-every-summer-solstice event, 99% of these "issues" also only become "issues" if you're relatively new to getting import machines of any sort...imo. Unless you're buying something like a brand new model sound voltex from cereth; something actually made within the last /decade/, these cabs are garunteed to have LOADS of miles on them. They're really only here BECAUSE they're retired...so to speak. Even within the states, there's a very big difference between the quality and price expectation of a collectors restored donkey kong, and a barn-find donkey kong...well, at least there SHOULD be a big difference in price, but, you get the point

You're buying from a wholesale reseller that specializes in heavily used, OLD tech. Gotta lower those expectations on how fast you can get the project car to crank.

 

[BlinG]

just given the sheer volume of arcades KC imports, he's going to have some that don't work. These are machines that were used in a commercial environment. Buyer beware of that, but I've had very good experiences with KC. He's not selling you reconditioned cabs, they are used, old, and in need of TLC. He is however a very nice person and always very helpful. Yes, some people have bad experiences, but most have had fair/decent experiences.

He even helped me take it apart some and load it in my car (I was cramming a NNC into a Prius). I

Damn I didn't think that was possible. Were you able to close the hatch?

 

[Maruchan]

just given the sheer volume of arcades KC imports, he's going to have some that don't work. These are machines that were used in a commercial environment. Buyer beware of that, but I've had very good experiences with KC. He's not selling you reconditioned cabs, they are used, old, and in need of TLC. He is however a very nice person and always very helpful. Yes, some people have bad experiences, but most have had fair/decent experiences.

I recently bought a cab from KC and I did a lot of research before I bought from him because cabs are expensive antiques and wanted to be sure about what I could expect. What @Anselmo says is a pretty good summary of what I found in my research. None of what @xRealNinjuzx really even surprises me, aside from the lying part.
In my research I found this post from @acblunden2 to be probably the most helpful info in understanding what to expect.

Probably the reason why Cali folks like him is because we can go to him in person and it's a totally different experience than what you get from email or text. The language barrier is very real. Just from his texts I couldn't tell if he even understood when I said I was going to be stopping by. Since it was a Saturday I totally expected no one to be there. But when I got there to pick up my cab from him in person he was super nice and helpful. He had a couple of cabs set aside for me to pick from and offered to swap parts with other cabs to make mine better. Gave me cold drinks while I took it apart to cram it in my car. I had my own tools but he still offered to let me use his. He even helped me take it apart some and load it in my car (I was cramming a NNC into a Prius). I don't think anyone should expect these things from him when buying a cab but he was just being a nice guy.

Ultimately, I don't think there's anything wrong with saying folks shouldn't buy from KC. It's always good to have more info so folks can decide for themselves what they're comfortable with. But I'd been meaning to post about my own experience to help other folks, and this seemed like a good opportunity. I will definitely buy from him again.

I purchased my first blast from him four years ago. It definitely needed some cleaning but that was it, other than the standard new buttons/sticks. I also go to take a pick at which cab I wanted ,so that is a benefit of seeing him person.Then i got my second blast from him back in June.

Knowing how it was the first time dealing with KC, it wasn't that bad. Like others say, there can be miscommunication, but I would think that's just because KC doesn't interpret too well.

When I got my last blast, he had some to choose from that had recap jobs done. I was all for it but he told me they had different monitors (flat crt) and I didnt want that and they were 1player6button layout (I wanted 2player)So he told me he can sell me one all original but its not recapped and it has 2player panel.

I ended up taking the original one and was happy with what I got because I expected it to need some cleaning,a recap and all that jazz.

In short, some people just need to do a little more research and stop expecting a maintained cab. They are being sold from japan for a reason.

 

[Hatsune Mike]

It's always a dice roll, and saying "oh he can't guarantee them all" is not sensible because we're not talking about busted joysticks or worn out buttons. Ones with entirely clapped out monitors and structural damage are in a different category than ones that just need maintenance. I've gotten enough cabs to know the spread of how "the gamble" can go and I suggest against letting survivor's bias make anyone think it's good and OK

All of it would be fine if the buyer was just aware of what they were getting in some crude amount of detail

 

[benime]

He lied to me about having tested the coin hoppers on the coin machine, the Groove Coaster has a monitor board that is going out so the machine doesn't stay on for more than about 20 minutes

Just going to re-quote this for the folks who latch onto the 'hurr durr gotta clean da cabinets' nonsense.

The above are legitimate concerns. A response from a seller to 'send them back' when that is clearly not an option and is tantamount to 'go fuck yourself' is also an issue. Language barrier or not, if you sell something as working, then it had damn well better work or you should suck it up and do what has to be done to make it right, not tell someone on the other side of the country to ship it back, especially when talking about arcade cabinets.

I'm not sure what @YanoArcade did to get their selling rights revoked--I bought from them a few times and had no problems (see, I can do that too)--but I'm going to say again that KC absolutely should not be permitted to sell here unless he's going to provide ACCURATE descriptions for the condition of his items. Pictures showing physical damage when present, descriptions of monitor condition, etc. Literally all others on the site are required to follow the marketplace rules except for him.

@Darksoft @Mitsurugi-w care to chime in here?

 

[mv1f]

He even helped me take it apart some and load it in my car (I was cramming a NNC into a Prius). I

Damn I didn't think that was possible. Were you able to close the hatch?

Yeah no problem. Well, it took a little bit of tetris, but only a little. The NNC comes apart in so many pieces that it wasn't that hard. Did take me a while to get it apart because I'd never done it before. Only read about it. Though I did have to put the tube face down on some blankets to get the back shell to fit over it. I probably could have put it in the front seat but I didn't have anything to place it on and I didn't want it ripping up the upholstery or the dash.

 

[RealMFnG]

In my research I found this post from @acblunden2 to be probably the most helpful info in understanding what to expect.

Even more amazing than the fact that you fit an NNC into a Prius is the fact that you read through my lengthy post .

 

[jassin000]

I got two cabs from KC, one was perfect the other had undisclosed damage.

Its the "undisclosed" I had a problem with, I had asked about damage and was told normal wear/nothing major.
In truth the control panel surround was very clearly/visibly smashed requiring me to order a new one from Taito (450$ I was NOT refunded off the price of the cab so it was the last purchase).

 

[Unicron]

Maybe the best option for potential buyers is to fly down to @kcarcadegame warehouse and take a look and do some testing?

The trip will add a few hundred to the purchase of a cab, but for something valuable that most people will have for years or decades, it's a small price to pay. Heck, a lot of people would probably enjoy the experience!

 

[Kagaden]

Maybe the best option for potential buyers is to fly down to @kcarcadegame warehouse and take a look and do some testing?

The trip will add a few hundred to the purchase of a cab, but for something valuable that most people will have for years or decades, it's a small price to pay. Heck, a lot of people would probably enjoy the experience!

I second this.

DO NOT BUY from online only unless you're going to restore. I've seen KC a couple times in person. The guy has literally hundreds of various cabinets jam packed in his warehouse, and he appears to be a one man show that works 24/7. He's super nice in person, can confirm language barrier as well. I don't think he means to be short with people online, but if you see how many cabinets he'll pull out of his massive warehouse with a forklift just to show you what you want to see (hours of work and risk), you'll understand.

I came one time to see New Astro Cities... he had 5, I came to see New Net Cities... he had over 10. He probably pulled out over 20-30 cabs just to make a path to view them, it's unlikely he'll move all that shit to take a picture of it for you. There seemed to be repeat customers that visit and cherry pick the best ones as soon as he receives a shipment. He doesn't seem to care about the differences between cabs, they all go for the same price. Expect little to no haggling power regardless of the cab condition or what you want. SO GO SEE IT IN PERSON, and watch these shipments and get there early! Otherwise you'll probably get shipped the leftovers from people who came in person and picked through the shipment.

I appreciate his business and posts on here because it allows me to see what he's receiving in stock.

If you're not willing to drive or fly out to see them asap, or do a restore, this thread is not for you.

Additional anecdote - I think he'd do really well if he hired one person to test/inventory and take pictures and deal with customers while he was loading/unloading and stocking cabs. If they could do it quickly alongside him. As is I can understand how people can feel mislead, but this is really a warehouse (prob B2B) operation.

On a side note, my mind is boggled by the number of cabinets he moves and where some of these cabinets in poor shape ultimately end up going. He never seemed concern with selling them regardless of condition. It makes me think the hobbiest community is simply a side business for him.

 

[rewrite]

It's fine if you all have strong opinions or want to share your experiences, but this isn't the place.

It comes up now and again, and the admins/mods and KC stans will complain that you shouldn't post your complaint here and should make a feedback thread, which I would also encourage doing.

They'd suggest that because it's literally part of the rules of using the sales forums here. Doesn't have anything to do with being "a KC stan".

Rule 6: We will not tolerate members poisoning another member's sales thread.

This is a sales thread. Complaints go elsewhere.

 

[Cereth]

Look I’m just gonna say my peace once for now. Not everyone has positive or negative experiences, and they aren’t always the fault of the buyer. It’s very inconsistent, and the service is as much a roll of the dice as the cabs. If you have something to say about someone’s feedback, at least try to be constructive instead of going back to the age-old “but this is my experience” crap, that doesn’t really help.

Also yes, preferably not here, though I’ll say one thing, you can’t just ignore people making good reviews here and only shit on someone’s negative review. If there’s going to be a review thread, ALL reviews need to go there, not just negative ones. Positive reviews can be just as damaging when someone walked into something they aren’t prepared for.

The feedback forum is here, and honestly if anything for more regular sellers I think there should be a discussion thread rather than single feedback posts, but it is what it is. To @xRealNinjuzx, if you’d like to discuss your problem and find resolution, I’d recommend making a post here and link it, so that discussion could be made outside of the sales thread.

Feedback Thread!

 

[GeeDee]

slightly related, but for those of us farther out east, if anyone closer to KC is planning to make a stop into his place some time in the future, I wouldn't be opposed to negotiating a little "finders fee" to have someone from here put a second set of eyeballs on a cab before I have it shipped

As @Kagaden mentioned, flying out and seeing it all yourself would definitely be ideal, but I don't think I'm the only one that would have conflicts just dedicating the time to make that kind of trip as opposed to passing someone some cash to test out and put my name on a specific cab before it goes out. Especially if they're planning to go test cabs for themselves anyway and they could just add it to the itinerary. Obviously zero responsibility for anything happening during shipping or whenever else after its out of their sight, but to the same point, having a non-KC set of eyeballs on a cab before crating it up would be more than worth the money to reduce that condition gamble by a few percent.

 

[nem]

the Groove Coaster has a monitor board that is going out so the machine doesn't stay on for more than about 20 minutes

Are you sure the monitor board is going out? You've tried a different monitor to verify this?

Reason I'm asking is I have four Groove Coasters and I also had issues with two of them 'turning off'. Ultimately, it was just a cable issue on both. Don't just reseat the old video cable, replace it. Same for the power cable. Clean the barrel connector on the power brick that connects to the motherboard. Clean the audio connectors too unless you want them dropping audio.

These cabs have sucked up so much cigarette smoke over the years that I'm surprised any of the connectors are making contact at all.