Bluegrass vanished during transportation (USPS)

timothysoong

timothysoong

TS Billiards
Gold Member
Silver Member
To all my AZB friends, I need your help to keep a lookout for me. I had a cue disappearing during shipment via USPS to Colorado.

Here’s the story:
I sold this Bluegrass Cocobolo Merry Widow to a member here, Rack’em (aka Joe Tsirlin) out in Colorado, USA. Cue was shipped on May 3rd, arrived in the states on the 10th, then arrived in CO on the 23rd. On the same day, Joe had the postman showing up his doorstep with the package, only to realized the package (tube) has one lid opened (unsealed), there was no cue inside. Hence, Joe refused to sign the package and this empty tube/package will be returned back to me.

Never in my 13 years of cue business have I encounter such madness. At first, I figure the customs must have opened the package and did not seal the package back properly, resulting the cue falling out during transportation.

But most of fellow dealer friends reckon it’s most probably the mailman that took the cue out.

I know there’s no possible way I would get the cue back, but I’d like you all to have a lookout for me, if this Bluegrass cue shows up for sale or if someone tries to sell you this cue. Do let me know!

Here are some information of the cue:
* Cocobolo Forearm & Buttsleeve
* White Creamy Micarta Ferrules
* Black Spanish Bull Leather Wrap
* Two Shafts
* Full Sets of Matching Wooden JPs
* Year Made: 2016
* Serial: RH09
* Butt weighs: 15.01oz
* Shaft 1: 4.15oz (13.00MM)
* Shaft 2: 4.11oz (13.06MM)

If you check under the bumper, you can find the serial and the year made.

PS: By any chances, if you find the cue, I will also reward you with finder's fees.

Thank you,
Tim (TS’s Billiards)









More information about the cue, this was my original sale thread:

Richard Harris (Bluegrass) - Cocobolo Merry Widow

We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries for Bluegrass Cues for quite a while. Here’s your chance to own one! You don’t come across many Cocobolo cues that are in vibrant red, usually most of them are either brown or at reddish brown. Yet this one is on a Bluegrass! Light used Bluegrass built in...
forums.azbilliards.com
 
Wow, that is crazy. I am so sorry to hear that this happened. Something very similar happened to me, ages ago, when I shipped a Jackson custom cue out, and it arrived to the customer with a completely empty tube, which the customer refused. Luckily, I was able to file an insurance claim, and the insurance claim was granted.

I really hope that the cue turns up somewhere, and gets found, and returned back to you by someone. Horrible loss.
 
timothysoong said:
To all my AZB friends, I need your help to keep a lookout for me. I had a cue disappearing during shipment via USPS to Colorado.

Here’s the story:
I sold this Bluegrass Cocobolo Merry Widow to a member here, Rack’em (aka Joe Tsirlin) out in Colorado, USA. Cue was shipped on May 3rd, arrived in the states on the 10th, then arrived in CO on the 23rd. On the same day, Joe had the postman showing up his doorstep with the package, only to realized the package (tube) has one lid opened (unsealed), there was no cue inside. Hence, Joe refused to sign the package and this empty tube/package will be returned back to me.

Never in my 13 years of cue business have I encounter such madness. At first, I figure the customs must have opened the package and did not seal the package back properly, resulting the cue falling out during transportation.

But most of fellow dealer friends reckon it’s most probably the mailman that took the cue out.

I know there’s no possible way I would get the cue back, but I’d like you all to have a lookout for me, if this Bluegrass cue shows up for sale or if someone tries to sell you this cue. Do let me know!

Here are some information of the cue:
* Cocobolo Forearm & Buttsleeve
* White Creamy Micarta Ferrules
* Black Spanish Bull Leather Wrap
* Two Shafts
* Full Sets of Matching Wooden JPs
* Year Made: 2016
* Serial: RH09
* Butt weighs: 15.01oz
* Shaft 1: 4.15oz (13.00MM)
* Shaft 2: 4.11oz (13.06MM)

If you check under the bumper, you can find the serial and the year made.

PS: By any chances, if you find the cue, I will also reward you with finder's fees.

Thank you,
Tim (TS’s Billiards)









More information about the cue, this was my original sale thread:

Richard Harris (Bluegrass) - Cocobolo Merry Widow

We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries for Bluegrass Cues for quite a while. Here’s your chance to own one! You don’t come across many Cocobolo cues that are in vibrant red, usually most of them are either brown or at reddish brown. Yet this one is on a Bluegrass! Light used Bluegrass built in...
forums.azbilliards.com
Click to expand...
Contact the post master general for that area, sometimes postal items magically reappear.
 
If i were the buyer, i'd be trying to find out who the mail carrier was that day. It may be the same person daily (the same one has serviced my neighborhood for years, we even delayed him on his route once and got him to stay at our picnic for a bit) Then i'd be talking to people to keep an eye out for him/her and the cue at any local pool tables, and would be looking myself. Also talk to a supervisor at the local usps. Sorry. That sucks
 
Unbelievable, that so horrific to hear. Hope cue can be found. Pretty obvious someone works for usps stole it.
 
Years ago before society turned on itself the postal workers were like your uncle. They were beyond reproach. I remember one that brought us kids candy and had treats for my dog!

Now that being a low life corner crawling beggar, lying that your a vet is popular, I have lost all faith in almost everyone. I do find comfort being around folks my own age and older when we reminisce about the good old days. They were just that too. But they are long gone...

People had things like pride and integrity and would never stoop to stealing or lying. It was beneath our dignity as Americans.

As far as cue sales and shipping goes. It is like the rest of society. They all are untrustworthy and as the OP discovered he is screwed. Now he has to deal with the whole hustle of claiming the loss with USPS. More bullshit for sure..

I approach just about everything these days figuring it could go bad at any moment....
 
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Quesports said:
Years ago before society turned on itself the postal workers were like your uncle. They were beyond reproach. I remember one that brought us kids candy and had treats for my dog!

Now that being a low life corner crawling beggar, lying that your a vet is popular, I have lost all faith in almost everyone. I do find comfort and folks my own age and older when we reminisce about the good old days. They were just that too. But they are long gone...

People had things like pride and integrity and would never stoop to stealing or lying. It was beneath our dignity as Americans.

As far as cue sales and shipping goes. It is like the rest of society. They all are untrustworthy and as the OP discovered he is screwed. Now he has to deal with the whole hustle of claiming the loss with USPS. More bullshit for sure..

I approach just about everything these days figuring it could go bad at any moment....
Click to expand...
I'm with you on that one. I have a shirt that says... "I used to be a people person, then people ruined it ".
 
timothysoong said:
To all my AZB friends, I need your help to keep a lookout for me. I had a cue disappearing during shipment via USPS to Colorado.

Here’s the story:
I sold this Bluegrass Cocobolo Merry Widow to a member here, Rack’em (aka Joe Tsirlin) out in Colorado, USA. Cue was shipped on May 3rd, arrived in the states on the 10th, then arrived in CO on the 23rd. On the same day, Joe had the postman showing up his doorstep with the package, only to realized the package (tube) has one lid opened (unsealed), there was no cue inside. Hence, Joe refused to sign the package and this empty tube/package will be returned back to me.

Never in my 13 years of cue business have I encounter such madness. At first, I figure the customs must have opened the package and did not seal the package back properly, resulting the cue falling out during transportation.

But most of fellow dealer friends reckon it’s most probably the mailman that took the cue out.

I know there’s no possible way I would get the cue back, but I’d like you all to have a lookout for me, if this Bluegrass cue shows up for sale or if someone tries to sell you this cue. Do let me know!

Here are some information of the cue:
* Cocobolo Forearm & Buttsleeve
* White Creamy Micarta Ferrules
* Black Spanish Bull Leather Wrap
* Two Shafts
* Full Sets of Matching Wooden JPs
* Year Made: 2016
* Serial: RH09
* Butt weighs: 15.01oz
* Shaft 1: 4.15oz (13.00MM)
* Shaft 2: 4.11oz (13.06MM)

If you check under the bumper, you can find the serial and the year made.

PS: By any chances, if you find the cue, I will also reward you with finder's fees.

Thank you,
Tim (TS’s Billiards)









More information about the cue, this was my original sale thread:

Richard Harris (Bluegrass) - Cocobolo Merry Widow

We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries for Bluegrass Cues for quite a while. Here’s your chance to own one! You don’t come across many Cocobolo cues that are in vibrant red, usually most of them are either brown or at reddish brown. Yet this one is on a Bluegrass! Light used Bluegrass built in...
forums.azbilliards.com
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about this happening to you. I wonder if you had insurance on it? Sometimes by insuring packages you alert someone with sticky fingers that something valuable is inside. I have shipped many cues via USPS Priority Mail with no insurance and so far they've all arrived safely. Your package went through so many hands and one of them was the wrong hands. I seriously doubt it was your mailman. It was probably long gone by the time he got the package to deliver to you. It may well have been someone close to his end of the line though.
 
Not second guessing but was there any indication of what was inside? Didn't have your co. logo or anything on the box? This sux big-time. Hope you get insurance $$ back. Cue is gone i'm afraid.
 
Low lifes are everywhere, in every postal system, and in every private and public carrier. When shipping, you can get as much security/honesty you are willing to pay for, but in most cases economics cause us to underinsure our shipments and carry some of the risk ourselves.

On another note, the best "cops" I have dealt with (and trust my word, I've dealt with the entire alphabet soup bowl of federal police agencies, repeatedly) are the U.S. Postal Inspectors. Don't ask me why. They just are -- throw backs to the old school, the type of hard nosed dicks you see in the old B&W movies -- rock solid, diligent, professionals. They also possess the best quality any investigator can have -- complete obscurity -- most folks never know they were there. So, short version, file a formal complaint with the PO and wait and see what happens.

Finally, does anyone know anything about how the POs of different countries coordinate their "transshipment" operations? I have often wondered how such was effected but have never had the opportunity to get into it.
 
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Well I am not defending the Postal Service, but will say they handle millions of peace’s of mail daily. Most with zero problems.

Hope you purchased insurance, good you have photos?

Yes mail deliver people do deliver empty tubes, or damage packages, receiver has to refuse, as they do not know if empty tube was being sent.
 
garczar said:
Not second guessing but was there any indication of what was inside? Didn't have your co. logo or anything on the box? This sux big-time. Hope you get insurance $$ back. Cue is gone i'm afraid.
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Cues should be shipped in a box that has a business name of Gloria's Curtain Rods or something similar, who is going to risk their job and maybe a felony arrest (interstate commerce laws are pretty tough) over a set of curtain rods.
 
fastone371 said:
Cues should be shipped in a box that has a business name of Gloria's Curtain Rods or something similar, who is going to risk their job and maybe a felony arrest (interstate commerce laws are pretty tough) over a set of curtain rods.
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That is great point👍, reminds me getting UPS years ago from. BHP, I was expecting box from B & H Photo, because of thieft they change their boxes, and return address to BHP.
 
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