coolpooltables.com (Southern Billiards) - a reputable supplier???

R

Robotron

Member
Hey guys

Does anyone have any experience ordering with coolpooltables.com, especially if from outside the USA?

I placed an order for their Worsted Felt, and I'm in Canada. It would be free shipping in USA (as over $50) but for me to Canada was $11.08USD (which is fine as most sellers on eBay seem to charge this same kind of shipping cost to Canada).

Placed the order (the shipping is all automatically calculated for you based on your location during checkout), then four days later got an email from them advising that they do not usually ship outside of the USA, and that the shipping will actually be $65USD (for felt!!!) to Canada, not $11.08, and my option is to either pay them the remainder or to have the order cancelled.

I double-checked, and all the sellers on eBay such as gameroomcreation etc all charge in the $11-$14 range for shipping to Canada. NOBODY is charging $5 to ship felt to Canada. In fact, I just had a set of balls shipped from USA and that was around $16 - must be heavier (and bigger??) than felt!!! $65?!?!?!?!??!!!

Obviously, NO WAY I'll be paying $65 to ship felt to Canada so look like I'll have to order elsewhere and never order from these jokers ever again.

Remember as they that these guys SUBSIDISE their shipping, so if they ship to the USA it's free and they pay the cost out of their own pocket. Which must, in theory, mean that their shipping cost must be more than $65. Madness.

Are these guys for real? Anyone here from outside the USA ordered with them, and if so did you also have these kinds of problems?
 
You said they don't usually ship international, so maybe they are unaware of the best shipping methods and fees.

Why not just move on instead of knocking them down in multiple threads posted minutes apart?

They are pool people, and from their feedback, a solid five out of five stars with over 500 reviews, don't appear to be "jokers" looking to screw anybody over.
 
No, they said they don't usually ship Internationally, not me, and after already ordering in their after sale email. The shipping methods and fees will be calculated by the services you state you provide in their system, most likely Shopify.

They could easily switch off all International shipping options in their store with a few button clicks.

I have done nothing wrong AT ALL in this scenario. I went to their website and ordered in good faith.

Sorry but what has happened to me is not professional service, and is entirely their fault, and I really did not appreciate their 'pay us another $52 shipping, or we can cancel the order' solution. I've been in e-commerce for almost 20 years and now, more than ever, online selling is customer experience orientated. Hell, we made (and still make!!) screw ups when we sold online, and we have had to lose money on more than one occasion to get the problem fixed for the customer and issue fixed ongoing. You don't just pass the problem back to the customer, that's poor service.

I'm certain, from their feedback as you say, that if you are in the USA with free shipping over $49 that their service excellent, just as sure as I am that if you ordered something you would definitely receive it, but I specifically asked here if anyone, like myself in Canada, from outside of the USA has experience buying from them.

I also stand resolute that $65USD is a joke for shipping a cloth to Canada. Everyone else I can find online is in the $10-20 range, including these guys (originally at least).
 
I had them deliver and install a GC4 in my house in Atlanta about 10 years ago, on a recommendation of a pool buddy who used them for his GC install. They did an excellent job. I believe at the time they were only a local table installation and brick and mortar retailer in the Atlanta metro area known only as Southern Billiards. I think the coolpooltables.com website, and it looks like an online storefront, is new. If its the same people running it though, they are very reputable in the Atlanta area.
 
Wow I just read your experience, my post before was just from the thread title.

Well I guess everyone has an opinion, but if someone made a mistake on the shipping price, why should they have to eat it? They were fair to you and said either pay the diffenrce, or cancel the order. Why should they get stuck the $65? I understand it was a mistake, but once mistakes are corrected, everyone should be made whole. Including the seller. That is my opinion anyway.

PS, I just paid $65 to deliver a custom ordered floor matt that was 24" wide, and 74" long, and came rolled up. This was from Tennessee to Georgia, and regular ground shipping, and to and from a commercial address! The distance is just a couple hundred miles. If you think it costs $10 to ship anything from Atlanta to Canada, well I want what you are smoking:)
 
Robotron said:
... I also stand resolute that $65USD is a joke for shipping a cloth to Canada. Everyone else I can find online is in the $10-20 range, including these guys (originally at least).
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The USPS charges about $70 for a 6-pound package to Canada. I think the only way a US seller can offer shipping that low is to have a partner in Canada that is actually doing the shipping.
 
The prices have gone way up in the last year on shipping to Canada. I would say doubled and even tripled.
 
I've bought stuff from them for years, had Scott replace some tips and had them recover my table and shot pool with them in league. They're good folks. Its unfortunate you didn't like this particular shipping policy but they're not out trying to rip people off.
 
I would think the retailer is doing exactly what it should should do- clarifying shipping costs to a potential buyer- to be determined 'reputable'.

Sure, you are disappointed the deal isn't going to work out. It isn't fair to expect the store to cut it's margin to appease you though. Customers' happiness is not the primary motivator for the business.
 
Robotron said:
...snip.... Everyone else I can find online is in the $10-20 range, including these guys (originally at least).
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I wonder if the $10-20 is some automated thing from eBay or whatever company they are using to help list their items. And maybe if you ordered from another company, the same thing would happen? $10 to ship internationally just doesn't make sense anywhere.
 
Plain-jane ground shipping to Canada isn't too bad. Anything else gets pricey quick. They have various fees/taxes that make faster shipping very pricey.
 
Here is
garczar said:
Plain-jane ground shipping to Canada isn't too bad. Anything else gets pricey quick. They have various fees/taxes that make faster shipping very pricey.
Click to expand...
I checked UPS and they wanted $50 slow or $200 fast with a couple of grades in between. I imagine a large retail shipper could get a lower rate, but I don't see $20 happening.
 
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