mileage varies to say the least!
I have done a search but, nothing about this site.
PM me if you would like and I will keep all PM's private.
I am considering making a large purchase and do not want to get screwed, any info would help.
I am not trying to start any thing, just looking for some info.
Thanks.
Joe and I started off on the wrong foot right here on this site. I read a thread bashing him pretty thoroughly and said where there is smoke there must be fire, think I'll stay away. Joe sent me a PM said he didn't want to do business with me either! I replied I didn't need the headache.
From that start we talked a little and I made a couple of purchases from Joe, everything great on medium sized purchases. Then I had a shipping issue, some cheap wood missing and a hole in a box. Some ivory missing too. I told Joe to forget the wood, not worth reshipping three dollar cores but I wanted the ivory. Joe said he would make up the missing ivory and reship the original ivory order. I didn't expect this but assumed he had misspoke. Nope, covered the loss plus doubled my order, free!
As Joe told me, he pleases probably 98% or more of his customers. Usually a reason when Joe and a customer get sideways and Joe couldn't spell "tact" if he posted it on a sign near his computer! Like me, he tends to meet people halfway, good guys and jackasses. When you meet jackasses halfway they tend to get offended. I suspect some good guys call Joe upset from the moment they call and have issues too. He will work out issues but not if you call raising hell from the jump. Personally I like Joe, have had excellent dealings with him throughout.
I had an order screwed up seemingly deliberately by an employee at one of the biggest players in the industry. Called them up, totally unconcerned not expecting any issues dealing with the problems and fully expecting to be taken care of. Out of multiple pieces of twelve different items, eight groups of items were wrong like somebody deliberately grabbed out of the bin right beside the right one, similar to what I ordered but not quite. Talked to a great puckered smelly ass. Mentioned it on the cue builders forum and they told me who I needed to talk to, a great guy who would make things right. Um, that is who I had talked to. Late afternoon, guess he had a bad day. Screw them though, I don't even buy what they make from them! They burned me for a hundred or so, not giving them another chance.
Another highly regarded supplier burned me for serious dollars too, cost me over a thousand to fix. He had some major misfortune in his own life and I dropped my issues. Many sing his praises.
I have had great dealings with some suppliers, fair dealings with most, and bad dealings with a couple. I think you will find that true of most people who buy cue supplies. All of us end up with suppliers we like and suppliers we wouldn't deal with on a bet. Funny thing, some hate the suppliers others like and vice-versa! You have to build your relationships with suppliers. I prefer putting in some medium sized orders, fifty dollars to a couple hundred. If they go smoothly then I place more orders and bigger orders.
Hu