Let The Buyer Beware

When buying something as complicated as a jukebox on the Internet, we would recommend doing so from a reputable company that’s been around in the "jukebox business" for a long time.  Check out their website.  If they haven't got one, think again.

If a seller sells all sorts of items unrelated to jukeboxes, have caution.  Keep in mind you might need to have it repaired in the future and then ask yourself if you think they’d help you or stand behind a product they know nothing about?

Photos on the Internet can be very deceiving.  We ran across a company that sold a 1959 Seeburg model 222 with chrome so bad that they  painted over it with chrome spray paint.  They sold it as "Grade 1" whatever that's supposed to mean.  BTW, this is not a phrase from our industry.

Beware of those sellers who say things like: "It lights up great and probably only needs minor adjustment to work."  "It plays okay, but might need a new needle which are readily available online."  "Nothing happens when I push the selection buttons but I might be doing something wrong."  "Just needs some "tinkering" that I don't have the time for."

Then we look at the photos of the insides of these machines in the ads to see critical parts are missing or are assembled totally wrong.  We've done service calls where the buyer was told the machine worked fine only to find the amplifier or main motor missing or not connected.

Then we had a case where a guy brought his jukebox to us only to "make it work" but not repair or rebuild it.  The playing mechanism was all gummed up.  Then he sold it on line stating it was professionally reconditioned (by us).  You just have to watch out.

Jukeboxes, especially old ones can be very complex machines.  There are 13 steps alone just to adjust the tonearm of all 45 - rpm Seeburg's.  Once someone who doesn't know what he's doing gets into one of these, it can take quite a while for a Seeburg mechanic to correct it.

There are numerous jukeboxes we don't sell.  We don't consider them to be reliable or even functionally sound.  Take an AMI model "G 120".  This is a great machine and simple too.  Yet the AMI model "G 200" of the same year is a pure lemon.

Even Seeburg made a couple of lemons.

We rebuild and sell very few 45 - rpm Wurlitzer's except the reproductions.  The same goes for many Rockola's of the 50's and AMI's as well.  When these machines come into our possession we normally wholesale them locally or offer them on line "as is".

We only sell models that we'd be happy to service in the future.  Keep in mind the difference between a jukebox reconditioned by a professional and one by an amateur claiming it works can cost you hundreds of dollars and a lot of time to get it up and running properly.

Bottom line is you need to consider who you’re buying your jukebox from.  You might Google the Yellow Pages for the area where the seller is, to see if he’s listed.  Antique stores might be good for buying old dinnerware, roll top desks and grandfather clocks, but not jukeboxes!

Don't buy something you expect to use for fun only to have it become a costly nightmare.  Once you've paid for it your chances of satisfactory recourse are very slim.

"Let the buyer beware".

Jukeboxes Unlimited ® "A Good Deal Of Fun Since '71" 1-818-366-9400