For a start USA manufactured machines are not configured to work in Australia out of the box so buying machines from USA distributors is not a smart choice now because the previous work around HZ boards have not been made aftermarket for the brand new SPIKE Stern machines and their is no guarrantee that the old work around will work in the future. Even with the previous HZ board work arounds, this was not something that just anyone could do or even knew about.

So your advice for supposedly astute buyers of brand new Stern pinballs is flawed and secondly you have failed to point out to new buyers that there is no warranty for people who buy machines from USA distributors.

Then there is the massive amount of knowledge and complicated details of importation and all the financial dangers which come with it, not to mention all the paperwork and customs rules and regulations and the severe costs if things go wrong. Then the average person without knowledge has to trust a distributor he has never met will send the product. I have done it before and it was a massive undertaking but it was other arcade items that could not be purchased brand new or second hand in Australia.
I looked at the Stern pinball product from the USA distributors and the savings were in the hundreds not the thousands.
Suggesting people should import directly without detailing all the hazards is irresponsible in my view.

Another thing which you keep saying is AMD have a monopoly.
There have been up to five different agents in the past thru AMD and competition and competitive pricing from different agents produced competitive pricing. Yes, there are less agents now but it's a free market and any company can become a Stern agent thru AMD.

Also, there is no law that says AMD can and will be the only distributor for Stern forever.
If an Australian company contacted Stern and sought to import the appropriate numbers, Stern will not say No.
I know this personally from discussions I had with Stern in the past.

Pinsanity, why don't you post the exact costings on buying a brand new Stern WWE Wrestling Pin from a USA distributor, list every importation cost incl freight and customs costs, taxes and gst and then freight from the airport and sea freight terminal etc etc etc etc, and do a exact cost to cost comparison from doing your alleged astute way versus buying from AMD. Show the members of the forum the exact savings they can expect.
Putting your money where your mouth is so to speak.

If it's such a simple and cost effective astute choice to make for brand new in box buyers, it should be so easily backed up with your facts and figures.
Without the above, I would say your advice is hollow and infact not such great advice after all.
I am betting you won't be able or willing to provide the detailed cost to cost exact comparisons. Which can be easily checked and confirmed by any forum member.

I would love to be corrected by seeing your shared and public costings.
Share away since it's such a great idea and such a saving to buy from the USA and not from the Australian Stern agent.

Don't forget to explain the no warranty and the fact that you have absolutely no knowledge or guarrantee that the new SPIKE system will even work here if it's a USA built for USA domestic markets only machine.

Please explain and publically cost away.