Pete, Maybe you are being too polite. lol
(general comment below for newer people to overcome unhappy transactions)
When you have thousands of dollars in your hand, you expect the royal treatment. This economy isnt the best, so again, you would think that sellers would be bending over backwards to look after you, but it still dont happen with all of them. I still have 2 x melbourne sellers who I always am happy to do business with and buy machines etc. When ya find someone with a 100 percent success rate, stick with them. And even other members have proven great sellers to work with.
I never really bother to negotiate on a pinball machine at all, rather, I say I will pay u full price but I expect the machine to arrive in XYZ condition as a minimum with XYZ etc etc etc. I have never been let down yet where a simple resoloution hasnt been met, if AT ALL needed.
Pete, I am not saying this is you, but I think the three mistakes newer pinball people generally make when buying a machine, is that they
1. fail to say in a nice way "I know what I am doing and I am a seasoned collector so dont Fark with me and try n jack me with a junker " and
2. I know the Industry prices so be realistic and dont ask for silly money
3. Pinball buyers try n screw the sellers a little too hard, thus pissing the seller off leading to lousy service next time u call.
If none of this applys to the seller, then he is probably just a lazy bastard on the day and/or he was having a crappy day. (or he is always a wanker.lol)
When you have money to spend, be firm, polite and scream from the rooftops what you expect and require, or tell the seller to get rooted. Works for me.
P.S _ just add alcohol, fixes most things in pinball.
AND my wife has a very long list of stuff to buy instead of pinballs. Her lists are as long as a toilet roll. Dont ask her for the list, you will be reading forever.
