Can I buy a game without the 5 year service plan?

No. We include it on ALL Arcade Videos and Pinball Machines we sell. If you bought a game from us "as-is" and 6 months later had a major failure, would you want to pay $250 to $350 for a repair? You would be very upset and then tell your friends that it was very expensive to repair!! Then, TNT will have lost a potential customer and made an existing customer unhappy.

What good is the service plan when I live 500 miles away?

Remember that most service can be done over the phone!! We have a 90% chance of repair and you do not need any prior knowledge either. We will describe the location and nature of repair, in detail. You will not experience many common problems associated with an older game, as we would have repaired or replaced these items before selling you the machine.

If we find that a defective component is your problem, every item can be easily removed from your game with a screwdriver or wrench and sent back to us for repair or exchange. Once again, we will guide you to the exact screws and plugs to disconnect. In some cases, as a temporary repair, previous owners of these games may have cut-off the original plugs and soldered wires directly. However, our overhaul includes restoring the original connectors so that EVERYTHING can be removed easily and you will not encounter any "jury-rigging!"

Also see FAQ #3 below.

What happens if a game is shipped to us and it doesn't work when received? 

Once we overhaul a game, it is "Burned-In" at TNT for at least one day ... this process checks the new and reconditioned components to see if there is any heat-related breakdowns and to catch them BEFORE the game leaves TNT!   It is also play-tested to make sure all the controls are working correctly.  Your game is then crated 100% working.  When a game is shipped to you by common carrier (when you are outside our 120 mile delivery radius), however, there is more of a chance for a problem (a connector comes off, a circuit board develops a crack, a part breaks or falls off, etc.), after traveling many miles over the open road. 

When your game arrives, BEFORE YOU SIGN THE SHIPPER'S PAPERWORK, inspect the wrapping to see if there appears to be any damage to the machine (a forklift hole through the plastic wrap and cardboard for instance, or pieces of broken glass on the pallet) and CALL US IMMEDIATELY.   Our company will be open at the same time you are getting a delivery in almost every instance.  (Mon thru Fri during the day)  We can advise you what to do.  The machine is shipped fully insured at this point.  If you accept the freight, you are signing that you are satisfied and they will not pay for the damage!  Please note, in the 10 years we have been shipping machines, the damage ratio has been about 5% -- with most of it simple cosmetic repairs the customer did himself.

Lets suppose you accept the machine and uncrate it and it looks fine but does not work, we can direct you, over the phone, on how to re-plug, repair, or remove the defective component -- AND we will do this at NO COST to you (other than you paying the UPS shipping one way to us)!  So, there is a CHANCE you may have to make adjustments or repairs on these machines YOURSELF when they are shipped to distances further than 100 miles from our shop.   As we explained earlier, they are relatively simple -- wrapping in bubble wrap and putting a tracball, part, or circuit board into a box and shipping it back to us for repair -- may be necessary.  ANYONE with two hands and a small amount of mechanical knowledge (if not yourself, a friend) can easily do it (with us on the phone directing you).  

BUT,  if you DO NOT wish to do anything like this, then buying an arcade game or pinball machine may NOT be a good idea.  We have found that "local technicians", when called, may not only overcharge you, but are usually not even qualified to repair the machine.  Additionally, if you insist on using them, it would be entirely at your own expense.  So, if you purchase a game from us, you are agreeing to look at and make the necessary repairs and that TNT Amusements will pay for no outside Labor costs ... we will only repair or replace defective items returned to us and also pay for the return shipping to you.

We have had brand new out of the crate machines fail ... But remember, we ARE selling commercial quality machines and they are designed for quick repair with just a bit of customer effort!  Don't forget, our company WILL back the circuit boards in our exclusive 5 year service plan, which still appears to be the best "IN WRITING PLAN" on Planet Earth!  

I have found the same game from another dealer for less money! Why are you sometimes higher?

An old saying "You get what you pay for," is a good start. Consider this -- you could buy a used car in a variety of conditions ... would you want one that rolled over in 1993, or one that was underwater for a week in 1996, or one that was kept in a garage for its whole life?

Even if you get a "lemon," at least you can take it to a repair center anywhere in the country, and parts and labor would be readily available. 

However, with Arcade equipment, there are virtually no repair centers -- In fact, many people that do repairs are not qualified, except perhaps to do the simplest repair. And, many manufacturers are now out-of-business, so parts are even harder or impossible to acquire. We now get at least several calls a day from people searching for a part or board for their game, because the person they originally bought the game from, cannot fix or find the appropriate parts!

But at TNT, we start you off with a premium quality unit -- then, after an extensive overhaul, we back it up with the best service plan in the country!  Good things aren't cheap and cheap things aren't good!"  

Will you fix a game we bought somewhere else?

Not anymore. Here's why -- let's suppose you have no picture on your video game. We find that the monitor needs a complete rebuild (cost $100 to $200) plus two round trips to your home. Although the monitor is now properly repaired, another part of the machine could fail a week or so later. Then, you would want us to return to repair the new problem, free. Now we lose out on a machine we never sold in the first place! Many of these games are over 20 years old, so the whole machine needs attention.

If you won't fix it, will you take it in trade, or completely recondition it for me?

Yes to both! We will give you a generous trade-in credit "as-it-is" -- we will quote you a price and give you instant credit while you are picking out your new game -- either in our showroom, or over the phone.

We also offer a full reconditioning of your game and then back it up with our 30-day free warranty and our 5-year, low cost service plan. We can also pick-up and deliver. However, if we are busy with sales, we may not be able to accommodate your overhaul until we have free-time in our shop.

I am interested in a game from your inventory, but you do not have it on display, what do I do?

Place a $50 deposit down, and we will pull the machine out and recondition it for you to see and play. If you are not happy with the game, the deposit can be transferred to any other in-stock game! Remember, any game you do purchase from us has a 30 day trial period. This means you have 4 weeks to play it and be sure you like it. If not you can return it and get full credit toward another game, plus another delivery charge. You can do this one time on the original purchase.

First, we take all 6 major credit cards. 

Second, we finance, with 90 days same as cash, through PNC National Bank ... a short application to fill out and we have 5 minute approval--you simply need to have a steady job and/or good credit! 

Third, you can do a layaway!  $50 down and payments of $50 to $100 a month is all that's needed ... you can make the last payment on the delivery day!  There are no finance charges either!   This way, you are locked in on the sale price -- even if it rises after you put a deposit on it.  (If the price happens to drop, you will get the lower price.)