Good for you, Mike. It's nice to see someone of your caliber stepping forward on something like this. This type of thing is a real stain in this industry/hobby. It's beyond high time the cat gets out of the bag and eyes are opened. Danny Tibbitts held a substantial deposit of mine hostage for nearly a decade, ultimately refusing to build the cue I ordered. Yet another hack who is not worthy of your trust and will lie to you. I should have listened to John Wright's advice about him many years ago.
Here is a FACT....this type of thing ADVERSELY AFFECTS ALL CUEMAKERS, even the honest and timely ones.
Another unflattering story about John came out a few years ago here, about how he had jerked around 'Ken_4fun', sitting on his deposit for a long time and producing squat. Ken posted a thread about his experience in 2013 and soon after, the mods here deleted it. But what happened then is what always seems to happen, the usual suspects tightened their circle of wagons to protect him as they often do with these 'anointed ones'. Then the customer is made out to be the bad guy. You see, the inner-core dare not speak out about such a cherished maker...because after all, they have their stuff on order they are getting from them.
I hope you get some satisfaction out of this, Mike. My guess is not, though. But, it also wouldn't surprise me if something gets worked out very quickly (maybe one of his guys will go get your cue or pay up for him) and then this thread will magically disappear.
Funny thing, I think back to that hilarious episode on the Judge Judy show where someone took a somewhat famous cuemaker in CA 'to court' for something similar. That had to have been twenty something years ago.
My, how times haven't changed a bit. :frown: