Abandoned cue

QMAKER

QMAKER

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I built a cue for a client and received a modest deposit. The cue was ready about 1 month before the due date. I have been trying to contact the client for three months now and cannot locate or find him by e-mail, PM, telephone (number no longer listed) and registered mail (no response). Its like he has just disappeared. How long would you wait before you sold his cue? Bob
 
i say wait as long as u want. if no response sell the cue. if he does come back offer a refund for the deposite. saying you get the same asking price. if u wanted $600 from him and u get 550$ then deposite minus 50$

not everyone can afford to sit on cues...
 
QMAKER said:
I built a cue for a client and received a modest deposit. The cue was ready about 1 month before the due date. I have been trying to contact the client for three months now and cannot locate or find him by e-mail, PM, telephone (number no longer listed) and registered mail (no response). Its like he has just disappeared. How long would you wait before you sold his cue? Bob
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Sounds like you have done your due diligence in attempting to contact your customer. I would hold on to the cue, and see if he turns up later. If you need to sell the cue, which is understandable too, put his deposit back until he contacts you again.

I have a deposit from 2 years ago, the customer just vanished. When he shows up, he either gets to put it towards another cue, or gets a refund.
I sold his cue after a year wait, to a walk-in at the shop.
 
Did someone sign for the registered mail? If so you have done about all you can. I would hold onto it as long as I could afford to. He might be in jail or something like that. But you are certainly within your rights to sell it. It is just a customer relations call on your part.
 
I think your problem is you finished the cue early. Had you waited one day past the due date, he would have first contacted you, upset because the cue is late then started a flame thread about you.
 
ratcues said:
I think your problem is you finished the cue early. Had you waited one day past the due date, he would have first contacted you, upset because the cue is late then started a flame thread about you.
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LOL!! That will teach you.
 
A lawyer told me that you can sell the cue, but you must return the deposit, UNLESS you have written policy stating what happens to the deposit, after the written waiting period. That's why I only take deposits on cues that are a special color (green), or a design that makes it hard to sell...JER
 
ratcues said:
I think your problem is you finished the cue early. Had you waited one day past the due date, he would have first contacted you, upset because the cue is late then started a flame thread about you.
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Amen!

Dick
 
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
A lawyer told me that you can sell the cue, but you must return the deposit, UNLESS you have written policy stating what happens to the deposit, after the written waiting period. That's why I only take deposits on cues that are a special color (green), or a design that makes it hard to sell...JER
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I used to never take a deposit unless it had some odd-ball characteristic to it such as a name or a Meucci tapered shaft or such and then I would build it to the point where this odd-ball modification was about to be implemented and then I would contact the buyer so that they could see what has progressed so far and if that met their discretion I would then get a deposit. But, 2 or 3 times While the cue was under construction the customer would run into another deal so that when the cue was finished they were no longer interested. I used to build cues just to sell so this was not much of a problem as I never have had any problems selling one my finished cues. About 4 years ago I started building nothing but complete custom cues built to the customers specifications. In doing this I created a dilemma in that if the customer now stiffed me I was stuck with the cue and to move it I would have to discount it. I couldn't charge the full price to a customer that never ordered the cue as he could have had me build one to his exact specs for the same price so I had to give him a break in the cost. This just happened a few weeks ago. A customer ordered a cue and I got no deposit. While building it another customer seen the cue and kept trying to talk the first customer out of it. He would hear nothing of it so the second customer ordered one one with different colored veneers. When the first one was completed the customer had no money but told me to hold onto it for him to get a chance to acquire some. In the meantime I completed the second cue and that customer payed for and picked up the cue. He then seen the original cue and asked about buying it and I refused letting him know about the first customers dilemma. About 6 weeks later I seen on a forum where the first customer had just received a cue that he had ordered from another builder so I then sold the cue I had built for him to the second customer but discounted it 100.00.
The second customer owns a large room here in the Cincinnati area and sold the cue for 300.00 more than I sold it to him for. The only one who got burned in this scenario was me out of 100.00 but it was my fault for not getting a deposit up front from someone I didn't personally know.

I agree with Dave's assessment. Take a deposit, sit on the cue until you believe their will not be any more movement on the customers end , then sell for what you can and deduct the loss from the deposit. It may not be legal but I am willing to take that chance, if for nothing more than to teach the customer a lesson.

Dick
 
put deposit into interest earning account (do you really want me to finish this) :thumbup2:
ps: how about photo's of cue
 
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rhncue said:
I agree with Dave's assessment. Take a deposit, sit on the cue until you believe their will not be any more movement on the customers end , then sell for what you can and deduct the loss from the deposit. It may not be legal but I am willing to take that chance, if for nothing more than to teach the customer a lesson.

Dick
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thanks. i do ask for a small deposit. only bc i have a small operation and basically i want my customers to be monitarily comitted to the cue im working on bc i have other paying projects i can be finishing. i dont want to see any houdini acts when the work is done.

i came about it this way after years of moving cues. things happen i understand but IMO the guy cant be mad if he disappears.
 
Guitar players are as bad as pool players with money- maybe worse...

I always got 50% deposit (which was non-refundable) before construction began. Balance due over the construction period however the buyer wants ($20.00 here $500.00 there) or in one payment at time of delivery; however the completed instrument was not delivered until the money owed was paid in full. I did allow the 'owner' to play the completed instrument in the shop, which usually made them 'magically find' the money they didn't have to pay me!:wink:

The deposit covered all my materials (most of the time) so if they stiffed me (which fortunately never happened) I would 'only' be out my labor. With cues, the material cost is quite low, and the labor volume is quite high. It may not work as well for cues this way.

Most of my client base was word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers so it was reasonably safe. However if I do custom guitars again (and I may) this same policy will be in place as it seemed to work for me.
 
QMAKER said:
I built a cue for a client and received a modest deposit. The cue was ready about 1 month before the due date. I have been trying to contact the client for three months now and cannot locate or find him by e-mail, PM, telephone (number no longer listed) and registered mail (no response). Its like he has just disappeared. How long would you wait before you sold his cue? Bob
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I would have sold the cue after three months, however, if he ever showed up I would also return any money he paid me, that way I would have a clear conscience, and he would have nothing to complain about. If he decided to try having another built, there would be no hard feeling on my part and I would do it.

I know some would handle things differently, but I just do not like drama, and I have no problem selling anything I build so I think handling it this way takes advantage of no one and that is the best way to do business.

JIMO
 
manwon said:
I would have sold the cue after three months, however, if he ever showed up I would also return any money he paid me, that way I would have a clear conscience, and he would have nothing to complain about. If he decided to try having another built, there would be no hard feeling on my part and I would do it.

I know some would handle things differently, but I just do not like drama, and I have no problem selling anything I build so I think handling it this way takes advantage of no one and that is the best way to do business.

JIMO
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I'd sell it and just deal with refunding his deposit and take it as the cost of doing business. You can always offer to build him another one. I am sure if he doesn't get his deposit in full back you run the risk of the customer distorting what actually occurred and the energy you waste keeping your reputation up probably isn't worth the hassle.
 
Abandoned Cue

Maybe he's been trapped in a ring 9-ball game the whole time.
Give him some time to win back enough to cover the balance he still owes for the cue.

Just a thought
 
"deposit equals comitment" its a good idea in any sales postion just a good business practice.
 
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