Retro Play Arcade and Pinball Builders

Terrible for so many people – I ordered a 2 player Special Edition arcade machine on 27 October 2021. Took delivery on 2 August 2022 at 22.00 from a man in a van. The same night I discovered... 1) CPU is an Intel i5 instead of the advertised i7. 2) GPU is an old 2Gb GT730 instead of a 6Gb 1660. I had been sent a " Pro" model instead of a "Special Edition". Response the… Read more

next day from Retroplay was that yes they had made a mistake and a new PC would be prepped.

Many emails sent but no replacement PC to date.

I also noticed that the Pro model disappeared from their website and the Special Edition CPU spec dropped to an i5.

Those who have machines best take a look inside if you have not done so already.

Anyway, purely academic now with this liquidation news.

Heartbreaking for those who's deposits are now in jeopardy. I hope you all get something back from the liquidators.

** Gave 2 stars only because I did actually receive a machine albeit one with the wrong specification.**

This crook has gone into liquidation – been trying to contact this crook for ages .Had notification today that Retroplay has gone into liquidation I hate to think how many other people including myself who have paid deposits to this person and never received their order and will probably never see our money again. hopefully he will be investigated .for fraud !

Scam - [Name Removed] of Retroplay Australia ABN 47 637 461 968 – Paid a deposit of $4800 on 22nd of August 2022 for an Adrenaline virtual pinball. [Name Removed] has failed to provide the product before winding up Retroplay Australia 17/01/2023. No refund was provided, This is out right stealing of my money.

Excellent product! Customer service needs work – Excellent table, works great, solid construction some of the tables have a few bug issues but I don’t think that is on retro play. Table took over a year to deliver and was not delivered 100% complete (just cosmetic things and a few extra internal components missing nothing that effects actual gameplay). I understand lockdowns and supply chain… Read more

issues but over a year seems excessive especially with limited customer contact. I believed and still believe that this is the best manufacturer of these machines. If you want the best this is it I just wish the experience was easier smoother and faster.

Virtual Pinball – Overall happy with the quality of machine. Build took a little longer than expected do to pandemic related issues. When I initially received my machine there were several issues with tables not working and hesitating, freezing etc. David was helpful in getting all the issues resolved. I agree their responsiveness was a challenge initially. But I… Read more

recently just had an issue and Dave got back to me promptly. The overall system is a little buggy but overall a decent machine. This has also been my experience with other arcade systems I have ordered from other vendors.

Made my vpin build so much easier! – I purchased a configured drive to turn my AtGames legends into a fully featured VPIN and this product has saved me so many hours of work. It was mostly plug and play with just some minor configuration that was easy to do with the included YouTube instruction video. Would definitely recommended!

Shattered – My name is Paul A.It's the 19/01/2023 & I didn't read latest reviews until this morning,I'm actually having trouble typing this without shaking..I suffer severe anxiety because of abuse suffered along time ago and it seems I have just lost my dream arcade setup. I paid $24,500 over a weeks period upfront for 4 machines and clothing.and I even gave… Read more

extra $50 with the last order for the a case of beer for the guys building them.what a fool I am. 1 special tron decals 2 plyr arcade 1 Terminaror 2 decals vrpinsim (I originally purchased 1 racing sim & Adrenalin pinball but changed to 2 racing sims so there would've been $3400 roughly for upgrades on the 2 racing sims,graphics cards , steering wheel, pedals etc.) The 2 racing sims ( starwars & fast & furious, picked these because i saw them in Utube clip and they looked good) i thought we were going to be discussing upgrades & delivery this month until i saw the devastating post on Utube this morning felt sick in the guts all day.paid up front because my whole life I've paid in full, because most things in life you don't get product until you've paid in full.the company all seemed so good.i saw my tron arcade on Utube so it's finished sitting in the premises.I'm not on Facebook and I'm not very internet savvy,I do everything on my phone..no computer or tablet device,i don't know what to do..feeling ripped off and totally helpless.

Terrible experience - 1 star is 1 too many! – Paid a 50% deposit of $1100 on invoice 1899 on 18/11/2022 for a Guitar Pro Arcade Machine. Messaged in after 4 weeks to check on its progess, was told just waiting on one part to come in to complete the build. Checked in again on 5/1/2023, was told there had been further delays for parts but all staff were off on annual leave until 16/1/2023. As… Read more

of writing today 16/1/2023, all this companys business details have been wiped from Google, his mobile phone appears to have been disconnected, his instagram has been deleted and he has disabled all comments on his Youtube channel (which I assume will be completely wiped soon enough). It appears i’ve been duped along with many others here. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make contact with this bloke or get my money back feel free to let me know.

BEWARE- DO NOT GIVE $$$ TO RETROPLAY – I Paid over 4K to RETROPLAY in Sept 22 with ETA for a top of the line digital pinball in Jan 23. Today they have deleted their Facebook page and messenger, their phone number has been disconnected and there is Facebook group with 37 members that has been started for people who have paid money to RETROPLAY that have been ghosted by the company and… Read more

have been delivered no product even after paying thousands of dollars. No matter how good Dave’s story sounds to you - STEER CLEAR OF RETROPLAY!!

Buyers beware!!! – I purchased a guitar hero pro arcade machine in September 2022 after messaging and confirming this would be received prior to Christmas as this was a gift Once I had made payment on the website in full the communication stopped, I wasn’t even sent a receipt for my purchase that I had paid for in full I was quite patient and let it be until coming… Read more

into November I still had not had any communication what so ever, I then started emailing and got very short responses if and when I actually received a response most of the time my emails and enquires on the chat on the website went unanswered, we are currently in the process of having our bank deal with the owner to get our money back, save yourself the hassle and go else where as this is not someone you want to be dealing with

Very disappointing!!! – Purchased a speed devil racing machine around September 2020 and patiently waited for two years for completion. Once delivered in September of 2022 I received the machine and was very impressed with the build quality although some things were missing. At the time of my order it was a curved screen and I was supposed to get a shifter. Neither came… Read more

with the machine but decided not to address it. The graphics and build are very good so I was pleased with that! However once turning it on I discovered a software nightmare. Most games had issues with waiter not launching or being configured or running poorly. No instructions on configuring and was unable to configure Mame games even though I had done that on other systems. I also purchased it to play games from steam and add games. PC games run so poorly that it is not even worth playing. I have a handful of games I can play but it’s mostly a complete disaster and I hardly use it. I also was annoyed that for the money the marquee does not light up. I didn’t ask but did assume that would be the case as even cheap arcade 1ups have lit up marquees now. I tried to get help and [Name Removed] attempted one call but I had a typo in my number and quickly advised him. A month went by and I left other messages and have been completely ignored even getting a automated message. I cannot recommend the product and currently having to seek out other software that might work with my machine which means more money!

Awesome way to start you diy pinball journey – I ordered the Ghost spectre USB drive and an SSD drive for my pinball build. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I had my table working in just a couple of hours. I'm looking forward to using the new table app.

My experience of Retro Play - please read BEFORE placing an order – I wanted to share my experience with Retro Play. It’s a long one, but please take the time to read before placing an order with a non-refundable deposit. I paid a 50% deposit of $6116.50 AUD on 22nd February 2022 in good faith (Invoice No – 1589), securing an order for 1 x Adrenaline Pinball Machine and 1 x Special Edition 2 Player Arcade… Read more

machine on 22/02/2022. These were to be the show pieces in my home, matching each other and be made to my design. I had followed Retro Play on YouTube and Facebook for a year or more, watched all the video’s and had seen Retro Play appear to expand taking on their new premises. [Name Removed] (the owner and face of Retro Play) came across very well in his videos, seeming knowledgeable, trustworthy and likeable. He is why I placed the order. Unfortunately, after I had placed my order [Name Removed] went very quiet. I had to continually instigate conversations about the machines. I emailed design ideas expressing how keen I was to start the design process. Replies were short, poorly written and not appropriate responses to a customer with outstanding order of any value, let alone $12,244 AUD plus shipping to the UK. I completely understand that the COVID pandemic has made business incredibly challenging, however I was beginning to lose confidence in Retro Play – and what I found very surprising was the continuation of their online marketing campaign via Facebook and YouTube, quite obviously looking to take on more orders (presumably with more non-refundable 50% deposits up front). By 27/07/2022 no product designs had been forthcoming and no work has been carried out (as we haven’t even reached a design stage). I’d lost all confidence in Retroplay and requested a full refund of my $6116.50 deposit. If communication had been this sparse before they had taken the balance, I could only imagine what it would be like once Retro Play had completed the sale. Being based in the UK, it was a risk I couldn’t take. It had been 5 months now – I wanted my money back. The message I received was this verbatim ‘i ok am doing my best [Name Removed], we have the vinyls in we have t had time to test try them yet, i can’t give you updates each week i’m afraid buddy we are too slammed at the workshop trying to catch up’. Not a professional response to a customer requesting their money back and no refund was forthcoming. What other genuine company would respond like this? Despite being ‘slammed at the workshop’, Retro Play still found plenty of time to produce video’s and Facebook posts for marketing purposes, presumably encouraging more potential customers to place orders with 50% up front non-refundable deposits. I chased my refund again on 08/09/2022 and received the message ‘hello [Name Removed], i haven’t refunded any money because, 1 we don’t do that as per our terms and conditions and 2 because we are building the machines for you as planned...’ On 29/09/2022 I received an email saying my ‘pinball machine was not far off being finished’ with two pictures of an empty pinball cabinet, vinyl wrapped in roughly the colour scheme I had mentioned. I was shocked and disappointed that this much work had been carried out without any proper design discussion or agreement on my part. The design was not what I wanted and what I wanted could have been clearly detailed in a design discussion, which simply hadn’t happened. I sent the following message to Retro Play – ‘Please don’t take offence at this, but I would have liked to see what the front all in grey with grey buttons, going to the back all in black would have looked like. And I did mention this in a previous email – ‘On Tue, 1 Mar 2022 at 09:40 Is it possible to get some files I can colour in, so I can play around with it? For example I was thinking of a pinball machine, space grey at the front graduating to black at the rear. Front legs space grey to match, back legs black to match. Maybe space grey speaker grills with blue led one side and purple the other. Maybe the bar with the fire button is black to match the rear. But I wanted to play around with it and get it right before taking up any of your time.’ So my questions are - 1) Is it too late to do this now? 2) With regards to the topper – yes I would like one a video topper to match the design of the machine. I would like to agree on colour and design after hearing your answer to point 1. 3) Custom Plunger – yes please, however I would like to agree on colour and design after hearing your answer to point 1. 4) Laser Cut Rails / Hinges – yes please, again lets discuss after hearing your answer to point one. All the best, [Name Removed]’ And... got no response. So I chased again on 13/10/2022 and eventually on 15/10/2022 received the message ‘probs [Name Removed], let me work on that’. That was the total sum of Retro Play’s response to a $12K order. Then nothing more... On 07/11/2022 I requested a refund again. I had received no design sketches and no design details had been supplied by Retro Play nor agreed by myself. I have not to this date (07/12/2022) received a refund of my $6116.50 AUD - and I am not alone. If you search social media for Retro Play, there has been a group set up for customers who have also had either money taken and goods not supplied. It’s a real shame as it is not my first custom built machine, having had one built here in the UK about 5 years ago by Vivid Arcades and had a really positive experience. Vivid Arcades don’t make pinball machines, which is why I turned to Retro Play, despite being half way round the world. My family and I were really looking forward to enjoying these machines. Perhaps I’ve had a lucky escape - if I’d spent the full $12,244 AUD plus shipping, received the goods and experienced a problem, based on the communication I have received; I would not be confident of any professional back-up support and a resolution to my problem. Based on my experience and conversations with other people in a similar position, I would recommend potential customers avoid having any dealings with Retro Play and look elsewhere. No genuine company does this much continual social media marketing for new business, doesn’t allow reviews on their Facebook page, insists on a 50% non-refundable deposit and then treats the customer so badly, they eventually walk away.

Nothing but trouble with pinball – Ok, Well i purchased the base 4k model Pinball, Looked great but but but... When it arrived the Pistol grip trigger/plunger was broken, i had to fix it myself as Owner never offered any advice on how to fix it or what to do next. After that drama a few things were not connected properly on the pc motherboard so fixed that myself. Then, Nothing… Read more

but trouble software wise could have been hardware issues i will never know as i sold it after 1 year of constantly ringing Owner about this issue or that issue, I know Owner got sick of me ringing always for support/help as i was sick of ringing him always. This post could go forever, long story short all i got out of my 4k Pinball machine was stress and more stress, never did it run well and when it did run well, it was for maybe 30 minutes at any given time... then it froze on me, screen image went all weird on me etc.... I got fed up with relying on Owner for help and or support and sold it for half the price i paid for. To this day i feel i got robbed and will no way ever personally give any positive review's on the 4k Pinball machine i paid for from this seller. That is my personal experience with this seller and would deter any one thinking about buying one ( unless you live close to the Owner, then you can drop it of and tell Owner him fix it!!!!!! ) Owner sings a nice tune to you when he is selling, don't get lured in, Look elsewhere . I was looking forward to really enjoying myself playing the 4k Pinball as the graphics are so beautiful but sadly for me i got robbed of that experience, it saddens me to this day thinking about this. And i don't wish what happened to me to happen to anyone!! Ps...if you have small issues Owner will help you no worries, if major issues like what i had , he will avoid you like the plague and make you wait wait wait hoping you will go away. Wishing the Australian pinball community all the BEST!! You might end up with a good 4k Pinball machine as i see many have, but then you might end up with a nightmare 4k Pinball like mine.... i was a inch away from going to Consumer affairs , in hindsight i really wish i did as this is "unjust and not proper".

Fantastic Setup for a VP Machine – Been a VP user since VP8. Built a machine years ago. Put lots of time in making a setup that was pretty good. Decided to do an upgrade and chose Retro VP Hard Drive. I was/am glad that I did. You can tell when you first put the drive in that lots of time went into this setup. Not only is it very easy to set up yourself but if you have any… Read more

issues Retro helps out with a simple chat. Once you get to the actual Front End....Wow. It is very well done with custom videos for each of the menus. I could not ask for a better VP setup. I am now upgrading again to larger monitor and new control board (from Retro by the way). Thanks for the great software setup!

A must have for any virtual pinball owners – Purchased a vpin usb from retro play loaded with tables, roms, pup packs, etc. The usb saved me countless hours and effort trying to find all of these files on my own. It’s not just plug and play and still requires quite a bit of effort to get everything running but if you’re looking into these kinds of drives, you already know that. The store… Read more

provided great service and shipped everything quickly and well packaged. Dave was also very helpful in finding the correct product. Highly highly recommend!

Good company – I ordered an external USB drive full of items related to playing pinball. The company is great in terms of customer content and customer service. Appreciate it!

Vpin 2TB SSD – Purchased a 2TB SSD for my cabinet. Shipped from Australia. Live in the U.S. Arrived in a timely manner. Instructions were precise. Followed Dave’s tutorial vid. Works great! Saves time and frustration. Highly recommended!

Takes Your Money. Then Ghosts You… – Ordered a machine in June. [Name Removed] was very responsive. Until he got my money. He quoted me $726 for shipping to the US. Which is why I did it. The sales price was $1700. But my invoice was $2200. Made no sense. But I paid anyways. Then he completely ghosted me for over 2 months! Ignoring all emails. I was also promised access to a… Read more

spreadsheet that would show the progress of my machine. Never received that. Never received any updates. [Name Removed] never responded to me UNTIL I asked for a refund. He then told me they don’t give refunds because of delays from the supplier. Fine. Whatever. I just want my machine. A couple days later I get an email that my machine is finally shipping. He then hits me with a shipping quote that is almost DOUBLE what he originally quoted me!!!! From $726 to over $1200!!!! Unacceptable! What was the extra $500 I paid on my original invoice??!! I just want my money back and to move on. I already requested through PayPal. Waiting on a response. Everything about this transaction after [Name Removed] got my money has been shady and the worst customer experience I’ve ever had. Avoid at all costs.

Avoid, avoid, avoid!! 6 months, constant promises, ignoring Consumer Affairs – Before I start, for those affected by RetroPlay’s shadiness, use the below cases when lodging complaints to the various legal entities. If you’re in the same boat as me and the below sounds all too familiar, get on with the ACCC and CAV claims now, it doesn’t improve: ACCC Case - REF3767218 Consumer Affairs Victoria Case - C2022/08/008708 (He is… Read more

refusing to speak to them) VCAT Case - Will update review later. Owner not refunding or responding

**Please read before you invest in any expensive equipment from here. Save yourself the headache and loss of your cash!**

I chose RetroPlay as they were expensive, seemed to have a local presence, a regularly updated YouTube channel and legit looking website.

But read this and tell me RetroPlay doesn’t sound like a scammer (with an incredibly convincing website and youtube) trying to drum up as much money as they can before shutting down or disappearing: Wants 100% EFT deposit (though 50% is an option) very responsive when ordering but stops after receiving payment doesn’t give an ETA (They would know how long a batch takes roughly) keeps promising to let you know an ETA “soon” but never does answers your emails like they’re answering someone else’s (ignoring 90% of the email and half answering 1 thing) eventually gives a vague date which they don’t meet (multiple times) gets aggravated when pointing out that promises haven’t been met and wanting a date after 4 months then suddenly has things ready when you ask for a refund (without proof) but continues to drag out the time ignoring emails to extend that time each time you chase, they’re defensive and act the victim They keep claiming the product is being made soon (despite multiple times saying it’s already made) Every completion date they set comes and goes without a product or an update finally opts for not responding at all Too long has passed to reverse the payment

There is a word limit on reviews so I can’t post the back and forward conversation. But here’s the super short version that mirrors other negative reviews. Owner promises an ETA after payment is made and is very chatty, you pay and responsiveness goes away shortly after.

I bought a high end Pinball machine and high end Arcade machine with custom Decals, totalling over $12.5k and paid a 50% deposit (despite him “offering” the option of 100% (first red flag?))

Short breakdown Paid 29/03/22 Months of chasing to get an ETA. He kept promising “this weekend”, then never hearing from him again until I chased again. Claimed part of this absence was 3 weeks off from being a “close contact” (which is 2 days and a RAT. Or a week if positive) 2.3 MONTHS later I get told they should be ready in July 29/06/22 - Owner claims my arcade machine is finished and just needs to have the printed decals applied (after I mentioned 3 months had passed and I might want a refund. Says it’s mere days away from being ready) Ignored my requests for photos and the fact I never approved any decals 15/07/22 - I get a long email saying the machines take 16 weeks to make (4 months). Claims both will be available in 3-6 weeks 01/08/22 - I get an email saying my Arcade will be built this week (the already built one above) 2 weeks later and no update, information or anything. I contact the ACCC and follow their advice to send an official complaint to RetroPlay with a deadline. I give them to the end of the month I get a response to the above saying “Thank you for your letter of complaint”. Tells me my machine was built on the week of 01/08/22 and is just being finished off. I remind him no decals have been sent to me Another 2 weeks pass without any update on the Arcade Machine that has apparently been finished multiple times now. Consumer Affairs Victoria attempt to contact him twice over a week with no luck (SMS, phone & email) A couple of days later (29/08/22) I send a final email giving him 3 days to provide the Arcade machine with whatever decal ($500 discount if not what I paid for) and the pinball machine, or a refund for those that can’t be delivered. After no replies I send an email asking if he will refund or do I need to take him to VCAT. He replies the next day saying he wants to work it out and can have both machines built and ready Friday (in 4 days). I accept on the condition of discounts mentioned (and ignored) previously Friday comes and goes without update or response This will be going to VCAT as he’s refusing to refund

I had planned to buy so much more from this guy, but nearly 6 months with nothing to show for it at all is NUTS! Delays are fine, COVID times are challenging, but you still have to communicate.

This HAS to be a scam, as it’s hard to believe anyone would run their business this badly! Maybe $12.5k doesn’t mean much to him.

He seems to claim negative reviews are fake, but I would be willing to bet it’s the positive ones if any