A Question for those that have ordered a custom cue...

[macneilb]

I should have specified, the cuemaker didn't request any down payment, he just simply gave me an ETA and started building. That was a nice touch you don't see too often anymore, trust between a builder and a customer.

Accidents do happen, and the cuemaker has seemed like a stand-up person thus far compared to some of the horror stories I've read on here. He acquired another piece of the wood I requested and made another cue, but he is asking full price still. That part is where I am slighly put off....

 

[TheLoneSilencer]

I should have specified, the cuemaker didn't request any down payment, he just simply gave me an ETA and started building. That was a nice touch you don't see too often anymore, trust between a builder and a customer.

Accidents do happen, and the cuemaker has seemed like a stand-up person thus far compared to some of the horror stories I've read on here. He acquired another piece of the wood I requested and made another cue, but he is asking full price still. That part is where I am slighly put off....

Just curious but was this a 1 of 1 design?

Either way, the cuemaker (based on the current story) is 100% in the wrong & without question should be offering a substantial discount.

 

[Type79]

He acquired another piece of the wood I requested and made another cue, but he is asking full price still. That part is where I am slighly put off....

IMO, it takes two to make a deal.

If you were of the opinion that the circumstances warranted that he sweeten the deal somehow by lowering the agreed upon price, or throwing-in something of value such as a shaft, joint protectors, etc. that should have been discussed up-front, at the time you agreed to purchase cue #2 and not at this late date.

 

[macguy]

At the time the cuemaker informed you of his error, you had every right to demand a full refund and, if you felt the need to vent, or to warn others, the right to post a 'caveat emptor' to alert others who might deal with them. At that point the cuemaker should have made every effort to reacquire the cue, providing it was still in 'virgin' condition, and that you would be ok with its short absence.

You're not in that position now, though. You allowed the cuemaker the time to reacquire the 'difficult' piece of wood, during which time you could easily have request any changes to ensure your final product would remain unique, and then allowed him to fully reproduce your order with no changes. You gave tacit approval by never communicating a request to terminate or alter the order, so the cuemaker has duly fulfilled his obligation to you, and has the right to seek conclusion of your deal. That said, if you voice your misgivings to him this late, it is likely he may still refund your money and just sell the cue elsewhere, since he clearly had no problem doing so the first time.

While not obligated to provide anything extra, it would be a sign of good customer service on his part, of course, to provide some form of discount or lagniappe for your troubles - e.g., an extra shaft, custom JP's, etc.

That sounds like a knee jerk reaction. You don't know that the cue is even paid for yet. The cue maker was up front and didn't duck calls like so many report with dealing with cue makers.

They now have a relationship or sorts even though it may have started on shaky grounds. I would work with the cue maker and have him make the cue. Going to another cue maker does not guarantee anything. They may take years to make the cue if at all.

He now knows the guy he is dealing with and I am sure they can work together. I have a feeling the buyer will be happy when he gets the cue. There is no need to go off half cocked. He wants a cue. What does he gain by telling the cue maker to go screw himself? The cue maker will just be happy to never have to hear from him again.

 

[Sealegs50]

I should have specified, the cuemaker didn't request any down payment, he just simply gave me an ETA and started building. That was a nice touch you don't see too often anymore, trust between a builder and a customer.

Accidents do happen, and the cuemaker has seemed like a stand-up person thus far compared to some of the horror stories I've read on here. He acquired another piece of the wood I requested and made another cue, but he is asking full price still. That part is where I am slighly put off....

If I were you, I wouldn't be bothered as long as the cue was not substantially and uniquely designed by you (more than choice of woods). Cuemakers need to make livings, too. If someone offers them extra money for something in the shop, more power to them IMO. Accepting a bit more for an existing cue is not of any benefit to him if he has to pass off that windfall to you. His time and skills are similarly valuable for the cue he eventually delivered. If he has a waiting list, the next customer would pay full price for his time. If he doesn't have a long waiting list, then you can understand the attraction of an few unexpected dollars. He appears to have made two cues in less time than many cuemakers deliver one. I have only ordered two custom cues and both were delivered in at least twice the promised time.

If you like the cue, then don't let this get to you. The game is supposed to be fun.

 

[Dave-Kat]

No deposit ?? That's pretty much unheard of these days unless you have done previous business or have a very good relationship without any snags. Smelling Fishy.

 

[jasonlaus]

If I were you, I wouldn't be bothered as long as the cue was not substantially and uniquely designed by you (more than choice of woods). Cuemakers need to make livings, too. If someone offers them extra money for something in the shop, more power to them IMO. Accepting a bit more for an existing cue is not of any benefit to him if he has to pass off that windfall to you. His time and skills are similarly valuable for the cue he eventually delivered. If he has a waiting list, the next customer would pay full price for his time. If he doesn't have a long waiting list, then you can understand the attraction of an few unexpected dollars. He appears to have made two cues in less time than many cuemakers deliver one. I have only ordered two custom cues and both were delivered in at least twice the promised time.

If you like the cue, then don't let this get to you. The game is supposed to be fun.

Are you outta your mind??? It's "ok" to sell somebody's cue out from under them? Sorry, but this has to be the dumbest post I've read on here.

 

[jasonlaus]

I sure hope this maker cores his cues, otherwise you'll likely be able to shoot arrows with it soon.

 

[fastone371]

I might be in the minority but I do not think it is a big deal if someone out there has a cue identical to the one you have. Even if you took delivery of your cue nothing prevents someone from building a replica of it. If anything I would consider asking him to throw in an upgrade or 2 to change up the design a little or maybe include a spare shaft.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

I'm on the fence.. The most bothersome part of this to me wasn't the additional waiting, it is knowing that there is an exact copy of the cue I CUSTOM ordered for myself which was sold out from under me. The whole point of ordering something custom is so that it is unique...which mine is now not. What do you guys say??

It depends. To me having a one of one is not necessarily the whole point of ordering a custom cue. In fact, I've yet to buy a cue for that reason. But since the "whole point" for you was to own a one of one and that is what you were after (and expecting), no I wouldn't accept the cue if I was you - even at a discount.

 

[Bavafongoul]

Bob Owen.....Jerry Rauenzahn........

I ordered two custom made cues that used fancy designs and so it would be easy to imagine if ever there was a cue design
that might contribute to a cue-maker being late on his estimated completion date, the two designs I had made definitely qualify.

Neither Bob Owen nor Jerry Rauenzahn was tardy in completing the building of my pool cues. Both cue-makers gave me an estimated completion date and
along the way, both Bob and Jerry furnished me with periodic progress photos of my cues underway. We also had multiple discussions about the design as
it was being constructed and made changes along the way. Both cue-makers were always available, responsive and delivered my cue as promised (10 -10 1/2 mths.)

Obviously I can't speak about your experience, nor any trials & tribulations others may have suffered at the hands of a cue-maker, but I can attest to the legitimacy
and dependability of Bob Owen and Jerry Rauenzahn as cue-makers. Both individuals are men of their word and as far as cue-makers go, when they tell you something,
you can bank on it based upon my prior business dealings with each of them. And each bent over backwards to please a very demanding customer....myself.

The Owen cue was a hand drawn rendition I provided to Bob with precise details about every aspect of the design......the Jerry Rauenzahn cue turned out to be
a one of a kind cue because the design started out much more simple and we tweaked the heck out it to make it really fancy. The veneer colors were my selection
and sure I have a lot of sentiment attached to both cues and the designs......but Jeez, this is pool.........Come on......Accept the fact that originality only exists in
the mind of the cue owner.......I know my cues are unique and haven't been attempted before and are genuine 1 of a kind designs......but so what....no one really
cares except me and so let's face the truth, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and that's what pool cue designs are all about.....so have at it & copy mine.

Don't let your ego enter into this problem about your cue being sold and now there's some rare, unique design out there that you thought would be yours......NOT!
Just order another cue if the cue-maker can't recover the one that got sold and ask him how he proposes to make up for your inconvenience of waiting all over again.

Matt B.






p.s. The 6 pt cue is Bob Owen (5-4-14); 4 pt cue is Jerry Rauenzahn (March 2015). My initials are on both cue butts.

Hard to beleive a cuemaker delivered on time... I normally expect at least a few months lag in an order past the original promised date... with that being siad, I would still probably pay full price as long as it isnt anything to extreme.

In regards to extreme... how long did it take to make the cue originally and how long did it take to make it the second time?

 

[lfigueroa]

I have a question for some of you on here who may have ordered a custom cue. Some may have been in this exact situation and I would like to know what would be the best way to proceed...

I'll try my best to condense the story to the important facts:

I ordered a custom cue from a cuemaker which took a few months to make, which he made, right on schedule. The cuemaker completed the cue, sent me pictures (it looked fantastic) and I was ready to pay for it, however I was told the next day that the helper of the cuemaker took a batch of completed cues out to sell, and mine was included in the batch and sold to another gentleman. He apologized and let me know since my cue was sold, he would continue to look for another piece of the wood used to make my cue (it is rare). He ended up locating it and made another cue, this time a little quicker. The question is - would you ask for, or expect a discount for the inconvenience? Would you still even want the cue?

I'm on the fence.. The most bothersome part of this to me wasn't the additional waiting, it is knowing that there is an exact copy of the cue I CUSTOM ordered for myself which was sold out from under me. The whole point of ordering something custom is so that it is unique...which mine is now not. What do you guys say??

Should have made your point immediately after the first cue was sold. Then you either say AMF or suck it up and take cue #2. Too late now.

Lou Figueroa