Why We Are Updating This LEP1 Customs Review
We are updating this LEP1 Customs review because the seller’s response to our original review misrepresented what happened.
After we purchased an arcade cabinet kit from LEP1 Customs, we contacted them through Etsy with a simple request. We own vinyl printing and cutting equipment, and we wanted to make graphics for our own personal cabinet. To do that properly, we needed accurate dimensions, a vector path, or a CAD-style outline.
That is not the same thing as asking for free artwork.
We did not ask LEP1 Customs to design our cabinet graphics. We did not ask them to create custom art. We did not ask them to provide a finished design. We did not ask them to do creative work for free.
We asked for the basic information needed to make graphics fit the physical product we purchased.
There is a major difference.
What We Actually Asked For
Our message was polite and straightforward. We explained that we own a sticker printing company with vinyl printing and cutting equipment. We asked whether LEP1 Customs could share dimensions, a vector path, or a CAD path that could be used to create graphics for the cabinet we purchased.
We also offered to potentially print cabinet graphics for them or their customers if they ever needed a supplier. That was not a demand. It was a business offer.
The actual request was this:
We needed accurate measurements or a template so we could create our own artwork.
Their response was:
“Sorry, we don’t have templates for external use.”
That was disappointing, but it was at least clear.
So we asked if they could share dimensions instead.
Their answer was still no. They told us to measure it ourselves, saying it was “tedious, but not difficult.”
That is the core issue.
For an arcade cabinet, artwork has to fit the side panels, control panel, marquee, and bezel. Accurate dimensions are not a luxury. They are necessary if the graphics are going to line up correctly.
A Template Is Not Free Artwork
This is where LEP1 Customs’ response to our review becomes especially frustrating.
They claimed we tried to get free artwork.
That is not what happened.
An artwork template is not the same as finished artwork.
A vector path, panel outline, CAD outline, or dimension sheet is not a custom illustration. It is not a design concept. It is not a completed graphic package. It does not include characters, logos, backgrounds, colors, typography, or layout.
It is simply the production information needed to make art fit the cabinet.
A useful arcade cabinet artwork template might include:
Panel shapes
Trim lines
Bleed areas
Safe zones
Button hole placement
Joystick hole placement
Marquee dimensions
Bezel dimensions
Side panel outlines
Control panel dimensions
That is not “free artwork.” That is basic support information for a customizable product.
If a company sells custom arcade cabinet kits, customers should be able to create graphics for those cabinets without reverse-engineering every panel by hand.
Their Public Response Was False
LEP1 Customs’ public response claimed we were trying to get free artwork from them. Based on the Etsy message thread, that is false.
We asked for dimensions or template information.
We made clear that we were trying to create graphics for our own cabinet.
We explained that we were not trying to recreate or steal their intellectual property.
They still refused to provide dimensions, framed the request as an intellectual property issue, and then threatened to report us to Etsy if we continued asking.
That was already frustrating.
But then publicly reframing the situation as if we were trying to get free artwork is even worse.
In our opinion, that is a bald-faced misrepresentation of the conversation.
The Etsy Message Thread Tells A Different Story
The message thread is not complicated.
We asked for dimensions, a vector path, or a CAD path.
They said they do not have templates for external use.
We asked for dimensions.
They said to measure it ourselves.
We asked to confirm that they would not share a vector path for graphics.
They said that was correct and called it intellectual property.
We explained that we were not trying to steal or recreate their product. We only wanted to make graphics for the cabinet.
They threatened to report us to Etsy if we continued.
At no point did we ask them to create free cabinet art.
That matters because their response to the review changes the nature of the complaint. Instead of addressing the actual issue, which was poor support around dimensions and templates, they made it sound like we were asking them to do unpaid creative work.
We were not.
The Instructions Were Still Bad
The review was not only about the artwork issue. The instructions were also terrible.
The instructions felt incomplete, under-explained, and not nearly polished enough for a product being sold as a kit. A DIY arcade cabinet kit does not need to assemble itself, but it does need clear documentation.
Parts should be labeled clearly. Assembly order should be obvious. Hardware should be explained. Tricky steps should have clear diagrams. Common mistakes should be addressed before they happen.
Instead, the instructions felt like something written by someone who already knew how the cabinet went together and forgot that the customer does not.
That is not good enough.
If you sell a kit, the instructions are part of the product. In this case, that part of the product was dog water.
The Artwork Support Was Worse
The bad instructions were frustrating, but the artwork support was the real deal-breaker.
Arcade cabinet graphics are not an afterthought. They are one of the main reasons people build custom cabinets. The finished machine depends heavily on the artwork fitting correctly.
The side art has to match the cabinet shape. The control panel graphic has to line up with the buttons and joysticks. The marquee has to fit its visible area. The bezel needs to frame the screen properly.
If any of those dimensions are wrong, the finished cabinet looks sloppy. If the control panel holes are off, the print can be ruined. If the side panel outline is guessed wrong, the vinyl may not fit cleanly.
That is why the template issue matters so much.
Telling a customer to measure everything themselves may technically be possible, but it is not good support. It is especially frustrating when the seller is the one who made the cabinet and should already have the dimensions.
“Intellectual Property” Is A Bad Excuse For Refusing Basic Dimensions
LEP1 Customs told us the vector path was intellectual property.
We understand that a company may not want to hand out full manufacturing files. That is reasonable.
But basic artwork dimensions are not the same as giving away a complete product design. A customer-facing graphics template can be made without exposing anything sensitive. It can show trim lines, safe zones, and graphic placement without giving customers enough information to manufacture the cabinet.
Print companies do this all the time.
Packaging companies provide dielines. Sticker companies provide templates. Sign shops provide layout specs. Apparel decorators provide print areas. Product manufacturers provide installation guides and measurement diagrams.
That is not giving away intellectual property. That is helping customers use the product they bought.
LEP1 Customs chose not to do that.
The Threat To Report Us To Etsy Was Ridiculous
The most shocking part of the private conversation was when the seller threatened to report us to Etsy.
For what?
Asking for dimensions?
Asking whether they would share a vector path for graphics?
Clarifying that we were not trying to steal their product?
That threat felt completely unnecessary and out of proportion. We were a paying customer asking a practical question about the cabinet we purchased.
A reasonable seller could have said:
“We do not provide full vector files, but here are the panel dimensions.”
Or:
“We do not share templates, but here are the outside measurements and control panel hole locations.”
Or even:
“Sorry, we cannot provide any artwork support.”
That last answer would still be frustrating, but at least it would be direct.
Threatening to report a customer for asking follow-up questions about graphics is not professional.
The Public Response Proves The Problem
A good seller response would have addressed the actual complaint.
They could have said:
“We do not provide templates because we consider them proprietary.”
They could have said:
“We are sorry the instructions were not clear enough.”
They could have said:
“We understand the artwork process was frustrating.”
Instead, they claimed we were trying to get free artwork.
That response proves the problem better than anything we could write.
It shows they either did not understand the request, or they chose to characterize it in a way that made us look unreasonable. Either way, it is not reassuring.
Customers reading their response should know the difference:
We did not ask for free artwork.
We asked for dimensions or a template so we could make our own artwork for the cabinet we bought.
Who Should Avoid LEP1 Customs?
Based on our experience, we would avoid LEP1 Customs if you care about any of the following:
Clear instructions
Helpful customer support
Custom artwork
Accurate artwork templates
Panel dimensions
Using your own designer
Using your own print shop
Printing your own cabinet graphics
Avoiding rework
Avoiding seller drama
If you want a bare cabinet and are comfortable measuring, modifying, guessing, and troubleshooting everything yourself, maybe this kit will work for you.
But if you expect a polished kit experience, this is not it.
Final Verdict: Avoid LEP1 Customs
Our experience with LEP1 Customs was frustrating before they responded to our review.
After their response, it became worse.
The instructions were poor. The artwork support was unhelpful. They refused to provide templates or dimensions. They told us to measure everything ourselves. They threatened to report us to Etsy for continuing to ask about graphics. Then they publicly claimed we were trying to get free artwork from them.
That is false.
We were trying to make graphics for the arcade cabinet we purchased.
A customer should not have to reverse-engineer a cabinet to print graphics for it. And a seller should not misrepresent a reasonable template request as an attempt to get free artwork.
We would not buy from LEP1 Customs again.
Avoid LEP1 Customs if custom artwork matters to you. Avoid them if you expect good instructions. Avoid them if you want helpful support.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.