I've been had... (Xcade)

Zatoichi.uK · 12 Sep 2018 at 16:27

So I've wanted to build an arcade cabinet for years and finally have a bit of space and found what I thought was a decent arcade supplier. It was through a company called Xcade (Link below)

http://www.xcade.co.uk/

Ronald Lijs
[email protected]
Unit 102 Rivermead Business Park
Rivermead Industrial Estate
Swindon SN5 7EX, United Kingdom
Mobile: +44 (788) 259 9521

Long story short, the main supplier of these is a place called arcadeworld, but they were out of stock for some time on the particular cabinet I wanted so contacted Xcade directly through their site. I exchanged a few Emails with the owner who mentioned that they stopped supplying through arcade world temporarily in order to build up stock, so they could supply next day rather than build to order and people wait 6+ weeks. It seemed reasonable at the time and they had been getting great reviews, had been doing various marketing with youtubers, running competetions for artwork etc. so didn't have an issue placing an order with them knowing I would have to wait a few weeks.

I then made (Stupidly) a direct payment to their bank account and a few Emails later he stopped responding. It's now been 7 weeks since I've had a reply and it seems his premises is now up for rent. So am I stuffed?

I'm a few hundred down and expect contacting the police is a waste of time? Maybe I could add that I'm a victim of a hate crime somehow to get a better outcome?

Genuinly gutted and at a loss what to do.

Zatoichi.uK · 12 Sep 2018 at 16:36

Maccy said:
Presume you've tried calling the mobile number?

Dozens of times yes. They never answer. I've contacted a few people through youtube and he's done it to others too. He also owes a supplier a decent wedge of money apparently.

Zatoichi.uK · 12 Sep 2018 at 16:38

wedrum said:
direct payment to their bank account.. i mean why.

I know it was stupid. I bought into the idea that he was down trying to sort out his business as it seemed he was inundated with orders and couldn't cope. For them to stop supply seemed ridiculous as they have one of the best selling products on arcade world.

Zatoichi.uK · 13 Sep 2018 at 07:07

Thanks for the help guys appreciated. I managed to speak with the guy that manages his work unit and rumour is he's moved to France and is going through a divorce.

Will try the bank too on the remote chance that could work.

Zatoichi.uK · 13 Sep 2018 at 09:43

The money is annoying sure but there's also the other bits I've bought in prep for it, monitor, raspberry pi, sd cards etc. I'm more annoyed that someone has the front to just plain rip me off. I couldn't sleep at night myself.

Oh and MrRockliffe. The guy was the manager of the industrial park, not of xcade. He's also out of pocket from missed rent and equally annoyed. Will look at action fraud thanks.

Zatoichi.uK · 13 Sep 2018 at 10:16

Logged with banks fraud team. They were surprisingly helpful and it's a start I guess. Will follow up with action fraud if needed too.

Live and learn eh!

Zatoichi.uK · 13 Sep 2018 at 11:04

montymint said:
Hmm i have an xcade and had no problems. Although i want through the reseller and waited 8+ weeks as a leadtime.

Where are you based?

Yeah people that bought through Arcadeworld, extreme hardware on Ebay etc. had no issues other than a wait. Seems he's shut up shop for whatever reason and tried to take as much with him as he can.

Based in Herts.

Zatoichi.uK · 13 Sep 2018 at 11:58

That's the weird thing though. He's run a business quite sucessfully it seems for at least a couple of years and has the best selling cabinet on the most known arcade parts supplier in the UK. I admit it was foolish to send a direct payment as it's left me with little to no options, but I was in communications with the guy for a while and he seemed to be trying to expand etc. As I said, live and learn I should have known better really. I'm certainly not the only one he's done it to having read up on things.

Zatoichi.uK · 13 Sep 2018 at 12:29

I've gone through my bank first and it wasn't as doubtful as I first thought. Fingers crossed and if that fails I will pursue other means.

Zatoichi.uK · 16 Sep 2018 at 13:55

Okay I've found him and the running to France story is clearly BS. He's closed down the old website and is now operating under the name "Arcade evolution". He's gone from selling only arcade kits with xplates, which is basically 2mm plexiglass with the graphics printed on the inside (they are the only people in the world that do this) to selling fully loaded arcades including PCs, games, joysticks and buttons etc.

Here's the link which descibes xplates without calling them xplates which is how I know it's them, aside from the cabs being identical of course.
https://arcade-evolution.com/features/

Website:https://arcade-evolution.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arcadeevolutionuk/

Grunge edition pacman cab under xcade.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XCADE-B1...Man-Grunge-2-Player-Kit-MAME-Pi-/112951905989

Grunge edition pacman cab under arcade evolution.
https://arcade-evolution.com/product/ae19b-pacman/

Even the model numbers are similar, i.e B19C to AE19B as well as U24S to AE24U.

They seem to be operating out of Sutton Coldfield now.

26 Beeches Walk
Sutton Coldfield
B73 6HN

Zatoichi.uK · 16 Sep 2018 at 14:12

I'm not sure which as it was just an account number and sort code I was given. Likely his personal I guess.

Zatoichi.uK · 27 Sep 2018 at 14:45

Yep still the same issue. I've been in talks with someone from YouTube with the same problem as well as someone who has been done out of a few thousand.

Ronald did email me saying they would be dispatched this week but I'm calling bs.

One way or another I'm getting my money back.

Zatoichi.uK · 27 Sep 2018 at 15:01

When the site disappeared he still replied from the xcade email address.

Zatoichi.uK · 9 Oct 2018 at 08:40

Scrannigan said:
I think the chap may have ****** off to France there's been activity on Instagram under a profile called xcadeproject the kit looks like Xcade kits with Xplates, additionally I remember Ronald talking about kitting out a van and there reference to a very similar build on this IG profile, additionally the IG user RetroPimpz did a fair bit of art work for Xcade and is now contributing to artwork for the new IG account, the reason I say he may have ****** of to France is based on the IG account being linked to a Facebook page with a phone number connected to France. There have been two absolutely scathing reviews left on Google for them, one rather threatening. I think Arcade Revolution were buying in kits from Ronald and loading them up and flogging them on. It's such a shame as they were held with high regard in terms of innovation and quality

Yep he seems to have gone to France afterall and expect you're right about Arcade Evolution. I wonder if they're in contact with Ronald still though as their business would fall apart pretty quickly without the cabs?

You're about the 6th person I know of so far that has had issues with Xcade. What's the Facebook/Instagram page?

Zatoichi.uK · 11 Oct 2018 at 13:17

Scrannigan said:
I think the chap may have ****** off to France there's been activity on Instagram under a profile called xcadeproject the kit looks like Xcade kits with Xplates, additionally I remember Ronald talking about kitting out a van and there reference to a very similar build on this IG profile, additionally the IG user RetroPimpz did a fair bit of art work for Xcade and is now contributing to artwork for the new IG account, the reason I say he may have ****** of to France is based on the IG account being linked to a Facebook page with a phone number connected to France. There have been two absolutely scathing reviews left on Google for them, one rather threatening. I think Arcade Revolution were buying in kits from Ronald and loading them up and flogging them on. It's such a shame as they were held with high regard in terms of innovation and quality

Well here's the van he talked about. Again though I've no idea how Ronald fits into this, if at all.

http://www.bringthegameover.com/

Zatoichi.uK · 11 Oct 2018 at 13:19

b4gm4n said:
Hi I'm Tony, I was making a retro arcade game called Galaxy Pilot, been three years in the making and it's still not finished just yet, it's a retro shooter, like Star Force, I used to be an arcade engineer myself working in some arcades down in Torquay so my influences stem from there anyway...

My little gaming project was going nicely and then I had the bright idea of making my game into a living breathing fully cabbed up arcade machine...

This is where xcade entered my story... I thought they looked great, especially those xplates etc so I purchased a machine & xplates to boot the art for which I created myself ( http://bytehorizon.com/galaxy-pilot-arcade-artwork ) ... £358 quid it cost me back in February 2017... and would you like to guess what I've received so far besides various excuses including the infamous 'my dads dead' excuse ? ( I see you've already had the 'wife's divorced him' excuse... ) that's right... F-ALL ! - At first I thought this is the chap for me, I asked him for a small change in the control panel... and he said yeah sure, I asked about adding a slot/hole for a coin-mech... no problem he says... I waited... I waited... I grew an extra thumb I waited so long... and then I thought hmmm better check the interweb and here we are...

I've emailed him recently, sod all back... I was polite at first but the next email was so polite... anyway Paypal can't help... been too long they say, I trusted that b*sterd... ( sorry to foul up the place ) but god I feel so cheated... all those lies, why ? he must have known... yet he still took the money... I was foolish myself waiting so long before becoming suspicious, but I was still writing my game and I didn't want to end up spinning plates so to speak with too much on... I thought these guys would sort me out, how wrong I was, he's no better than a con-man now... he shouldn't be getting into any new business, not without settling outstanding debtors...

anyway I'll keep a keen eye on this thread and If anything comes up my end I'll let you know, cheers.

Sorry to hear that Tony and yep sounds like a familar story. He strung me along for some time before dropping off the radar.

Zatoichi.uK · 18 Oct 2018 at 20:10

Arcade Evolution said:
Hi All,

I signed up purposely to clear the name 'Arcade Evolution'.

We have had people assume we are 'Ronald', or that Ronald is the owner and reformed as a new company. This is complete non-sense and we are just simply a reseller of the cabinets. We purchased a bulk amount of cabinets much like the other resellers out there i.e ArcadeWorldUK, Extreme Hardware etc to which we sell through our website.

I understand peoples issues with late deliveries etc and im sorry to hear that. However we have no part in this and have been a subject of 'jumping the gun' simply because we have the same cabinet designs as XCADE.

That seems to be as I expected. So it's safe to assume that you're still in contact with Ronald given he is supplying you with cabs?

Zatoichi.uK · 19 Oct 2018 at 06:42

I know, though I expect they can't run a business without continued supply, so they're either in the same situation as everyone else and can't get any more cabs, or that they're in contact still and doing further business knowing that other suppliers have been screwed over.

Zatoichi.uK · 25 Oct 2018 at 08:51

Chelski77 said:
Looks like I might have also brought a ticket to this party unfortunately. I purchased and received my B24c XCADE cab from arcadeworld which is great BUT still waiting (6 weeks now) for my XPLATES from Ronald!. I got the artwork custom made by Retropimpz who passed the artwork to Ronald and he even send me the Rendered images. ... but that’s all I’ve received. Anyone had any more luck with contacting him or ideas where I might get Some alternative artwork ??

Try these guys.

https://www.rockstarprint.co.uk/

It's vinyl but decent quality and they seem to cater to custom sizes so should be okay for the B24C.

Zatoichi.uK · 25 Oct 2018 at 09:09

I know someone that did actually receive xplates only a few weeks ago which just confuses things even more. He's clearly fulfilling some orders but how he arrives at which I've no idea.