Shaft vs transit/temperature

Yes, you should be very concerned.
Particularly if heightening the drama via self-induced paranoia is your goal.
Our trained staff of professional 'hand-holders' will get you thru this experience.

Seriously Dude, wouldn't it make more sense to wait until the shaft ARRIVES before filling-out the claims form?
It never ceases to amaze me, the number of pool-players that WANT to be the victim.
Whether at the hands of a rogue cue-maker, the shippers, an L/D shaft manufacturer or etc. etc.
Just for grins, how about we wait until the shaft arrives before we finish lacing up the victim shoes.

At Your Service, KJ

If you had these concerns why didn't you pay for overnight shipping?

Drastic humidity change is more of a concern imo. If you receive the shaft and there's a slight bobble, I would let it acclimate for a week or so. My experience is that it will settle and be fine. Wood is alive. No reason to panic...it may show up and be totally fine, too.

I know where KJ is coming from, and he really is right. Listen to his advice very carefully.

The fact is that if you go out into the world looking for trouble you're very likely to find it. If you convince yourself that this cue shaft has been destroyed in transit, then you will most likely look close enough to find something to worry about.

Several years ago, we shipped a cue shaft to a customer somewhere in the mid west. Sorry, but I don't remember which city or state. He called after a couple of weeks and asked if it had been shipped. Of course, it had, and it had been delivered. We pulled up the tracking information and it showed that it had been left on the porch several days ago. We had him go look for it, but he never found it. We shipped him another one, and started an inquiry with the shipping company. When the new one arrived, he called and thanked us. A few days later, he called and said "you're not going to believe this, but the first box was here all the time". Apparently, the driver walked around to the back of the house and left it on the back porch. The wind had blown it off and it fell down behind the bushes. The worst part is that it snowed several inches that day, so the box was under a foot of snow for several weeks. He didn't find it until the snow melted and he saw the box.

A week later, we received the second cue shaft back. He sent it because the first one was completely fine and had no issues or problems.

Pool cues or shafts are made from mostly organic materials. No one can absolutely predict what mother nature has in store for us with organic materials, so you just have to take it as it goes. Be happy when you open your package and look forward to enjoying your purchase. If you take it out and put it under the microscope, odds are you will find something that makes you uncomfortable. Something that you would most likely have never seen or known about if you hadn't worried about the cold shipping.

Good luck!

Shoot Well!

Royce

I found the OP's question reasonable and expressed without any real paranoia/panic. Personally, I feel we can educate customers who want to learn without dripping sarcasm.

I just had a Tascarella delivered Thursday of last week that made it's way from NY without any issues. I think you will be fine.

But sometimes dripping sarcasm makes the point more quickly than circumlocution ever would. Before I ever started making cues I saw many players examining their equipment for the smallest flaws even where none exist. As an example there are many who think cues with points that are slightly rounded at the tips are inherently inferior. Players seem too be obsessed with finding flaws so they can grill someone. KJ may be fed up with it and maybe he's a little protective of his fellow cuemakers. Nothing wrong there.

I agree with all that say it will probably be fine.
Whenever I receive new wood, or a shaft, or a butt, if it has been cold outside during the last few days, I bring the box in, set it on the kitchen table and leave it there for 4-6 hours - even longer. IMHO, rapid temperature change can contribute to wood warpage, so I simply let the wood warm up to room temperature slowly over a period of hours.
You can do whatever you like with your new shaft, but that's what I do.
HTH
Gary

I had a ob classic leave Toronto Dec 16th, delivered on Dec 31st seems ok
no worse than the half dozen OBs I have allready

Funny. I had two cues shipped last month and the company handling the repairs were concerned about shipping them in frigid weather. Please don't bust the customers balls that asks a simple question. Be civil and answer accordingly. Don't assume your customers have a victim syndrome. There a difference between reasonable complaints about flaws and nit picking.