Custom cuemaker misleading

Marvin

Marvin

Registered
Hello to all members,

I wonder if anyone of you bought a custom made cue and had some problems with the maker.

I had recently bought my first custom cue and had some unpleasent experience. At first the time for being build was about 2 weeks. OK, I gave it some time and I expected it in 4 weeks. But I got my cue after 4 month...

We communicated via email and I was told to had my name on it for no charge and the package will include the wax (since I am from europe this would be highly appreciated). And I really wanted the wrapping to be all black (instead of black/white, which I have on my recent cue - the order did say black). The weight was .5 oz off but that is, I guess, the tolerance you have to except with the custom made cue. And not to mention that while I didn't send the money everything was fine. But since then some of my emails was unanswered, had no response for 2 weeks... I was told that the emails didn't deliver (!?!?!). The cue is great but there is still that bitter part of the deal. I would surely buy another cue if I knew this information before. I was told to send the cue back to correct the issues but I don't wanna wait another couple of month to get it back. And there is a P&P around $40 (I think I have to pay). What is your experience with the cue makers? Are there anything else for me to do? Exept trying not to be fooled again...
Thanks
M.
 
Half an ounce off is too much imo. .02 or .03 are acceptable imo.
Black wraps will look nasty after a while. B&W is better .
 
Hello Marvin,

I think you might be overreacting a little bit. When you order your first custom, I'm sure you've allready pictured it in your head long before it was ready. Every slight detail that's not as you pictured will probably make you fell unsatisfied. Off course waiting 4 months when two weeks was agreed isn't a good thing, but are we getting the whole story, did you maybe change your order or receive pictures halfway through and change things based on that? I'm also having trouble understanding whether you paid for the cue upfront or not, if not waiting a little longer imo is more acceptable. Anyway, the cuemaker offered to fix any problem you might have with the cue, which really is all he can do. Obviously for that you have to ship it back to him and since you ordered one in another continent you have to ship it there, the cuemaker also has to ship it to another continent. I would try to agree on a fixed return date for the cue so you know how long you'll be waiting, and I'm sure he'll include that jar of wax for you.

gr. Dave
 
Two weeks for a custom cue, that was quick. My cues normally take from 6 months to three years to be completed.
 
my advise is before you order a custom cue do a little investigative work. find out 1. who the respectable cue makers are 2. prices of their cues and 3. delivery time. determine your budget and how long you want to wait and go with the most reputable maker you can find within your criteria. every cue maker out there has had a customer or two who thought something wasn't up to snuff on their purchase. the reputable ones can and will take care of the issue. a big problem is when this happens to customers out of the country it can amount to high shipping bills and that's a risk sometimes you have to take. if the problem is not a reasonable trait for a custom cue, taking into account the amount of work and price paid for the cue, the maker should make every effort to make things right. that being said if you order a $350 skeaky and when you get it something like the grain of the wood isn't to your liking or weight of the cue is off by like you said .5 ounces these are things that i would expect when ordering a cue such as this to possibly happen. also cue makers are a funny breed so my overall suggestion is if you enjoy the cue then just that, enjoy the cue! your already ahead of the game.
 
I am going to venture to guess that since you were given a two week build time, the cuemaker is an up-and-comer. That is to say, he is not largely known and produces cues in small volume. As a result, you can likely bet that he is not going to be very "professional". So when he promises two weeks (an unusually short time for a cue) and it gets delayed (common among cuemakers), don't be too surprised.

I ordered a plain jane from a low-volume cuemaker a few months ago and was promised a 2 month build time. Since then, it has been more like 4 months and its not even close to done. But, I'd rather know that the builder is taking his time trying to ensure that things are perfect.

You have to remember... when you design something in your head, the tangible final product seldom looks as you thought it would. There is always going to be something a little off. Based on the fact that your builder may not have been a very experienced, you should cut him a little slack and know that there is a distinct possibility that the cue may not come out as you hoped it would. Next time, research cuemakers more thoroughly. Hop on the forums here and ask opinions and advice. THere are plenty of quality cuemakers out there making decent cues at cheap prices. And good luck with future orders!
 
Double-Dave said:
Hello Marvin,

I think you might be overreacting a little bit. When you order your first custom, I'm sure you've allready pictured it in your head long before it was ready. Every slight detail that's not as you pictured will probably make you fell unsatisfied. Off course waiting 4 months when two weeks was agreed isn't a good thing, but are we getting the whole story, did you maybe change your order or receive pictures halfway through and change things based on that? I'm also having trouble understanding whether you paid for the cue upfront or not, if not waiting a little longer imo is more acceptable. Anyway, the cuemaker offered to fix any problem you might have with the cue, which really is all he can do. Obviously for that you have to ship it back to him and since you ordered one in another continent you have to ship it there, the cuemaker also has to ship it to another continent. I would try to agree on a fixed return date for the cue so you know how long you'll be waiting, and I'm sure he'll include that jar of wax for you.

gr. Dave
Click to expand...

Yes, we had a slight change of order. That's why I give it an extra two weeks. I paid everything upfront (including ALL the P&P costs) The shipping is around 7 days. I am not sending it back just to replace my wrapping. Like I said, the cue is great but there is still a bitter part of it. Maybe if I had the right information at the first place it would be OK. But I had decided for this custom service just because of these candies and the time it would take. I think the information were misleading just to get the deal. I paid all the amount upfront. And it is a small workshop...

Just taking advantage of this forum to take out my anger on this subject. Once you pay for your cue, you have to wait and there is nothing you can do. If you pay for it at the delivery, I am sure that the cue would be delivered much sooner.
M.
 
from what i have seen, heard, and experienced over the years the more you deal with cuemakers and get into that hobby, sooner or later you are going to have a disagreement or two with the way a cue turned out.

personally i have dealt with around ten different cuemakers, and really only had one slight problem. the cuemaker and i ironed out our differences, and things are ok now.

wouldnt worry about this too much Marvin, its somewhat expected as far as i am concerned.

DCP
 
Marvin said:
Hello to all members,

I wonder if anyone of you bought a custom made cue and had some problems with the maker.

I had recently bought my first custom cue and had some unpleasent experience. At first the time for being build was about 2 weeks. OK, I gave it some time and I expected it in 4 weeks. But I got my cue after 4 month...

We communicated via email and I was told to had my name on it for no charge and the package will include the wax (since I am from europe this would be highly appreciated). And I really wanted the wrapping to be all black (instead of black/white, which I have on my recent cue - the order did say black). The weight was .5 oz off but that is, I guess, the tolerance you have to except with the custom made cue. And not to mention that while I didn't send the money everything was fine. But since then some of my emails was unanswered, had no response for 2 weeks... I was told that the emails didn't deliver (!?!?!). The cue is great but there is still that bitter part of the deal. I would surely buy another cue if I knew this information before. I was told to send the cue back to correct the issues but I don't wanna wait another couple of month to get it back. And there is a P&P around $40 (I think I have to pay). What is your experience with the cue makers? Are there anything else for me to do? Exept trying not to be fooled again...
Thanks
M.
Click to expand...

I believe the majority of custom orders go well and the customer receives very close to what he ordered. Unfortunately though, communicating the specifics of a cue by email can be tough.

Two weeks to complete a cue(?). If it was already in progresss, that might be reasonable. If the cuemaker started from scratch and made it in two weeks, I don't believe I would want that cue. 16 to 18 weeks is not out of the ordinary at all. But he did say two weeks, I understand that.

It does sound that you were specific enough that the cuemaker should have been able to understand and follow through with your requests. Cuemakers are human though, and do make mistakes.

Concerning the wrap & the weight, rather than shipping it back to the states and risking loss or damage (plus added import/customs fees to you), why not ask the cuemaker to refund an amount equal to what it would cost in your country to have those two items corrected (a reasonable amount of course).

As to your name being placed on the cue, I don't have a suggestion for that. Sorry. I will say this however, should you ever decide to sell that cue, your name being on it would limit certainly your market.
 
Marvin said:
If you pay for it at the delivery, I am sure that the cue would be delivered much sooner.
M.
Click to expand...
That may be true with some cuemakers but not all of them. If it's money or cash flow that motivates a cuemaker he is in the wrong profession.
 
TellsItLikeItIs said:
If the cuemaker started from scratch and made it in two weeks, I don't believe I would want that cue.
Click to expand...

boy is this a huge understatment! ;) :D
 
Looks like most opinions have been voiced except for the "could have been worse" one, so maybe this will make you feel better. :-)

Denver's airport commissioned sculpture from artist Luis Jimenez in 1992, paying him $300,000 in advance. Four deadlines, two lawsuits and 13 years later, a piece of the still-unfinished sculpture fell on Jimenez and killed him. We still don't know what will become of the sculpture of the money.
 
Well, thanks...

I think the butt wood is already prepared for completion and the cue has no inlays, so I thought that is the reason for two weeks promises. And for the name on my cue, I really wanted to keep it since it is my first custom cue and I have no plan to sell it. I think the cuemaker must be very aware of the ordered cue to the very detail, 'cause you don't buy a custom cue every week...

I think I will get used to it...

And for the part "It could have been worst"
The players in local poolhall have been very "friendly" with me: "Did you ordered on eBay?", "Say goodbye to your money...", "Another one...", "I have a brand new Pred. at home... I have it here in an hour"

M.
 
Marvin said:
...
The players in local poolhall have been very "friendly" with me: "Did you ordered on eBay?", "Say goodbye to your money...", "Another one...", "I have a brand new Pred. at home... I have it here in an hour"
Click to expand...

Don't you love friends who helpfully point out how much worse things probably are than you think? :-)

I've purchased half a dozen cues on eBay with only one problem. A seller's pictures hid some badly flawed wood from me. I returned the cue within an hour of unpacking it, and the seller refunded all of my money before he even got the cue back. I bought another cue from him and I'm delighted with it.

I hear of cuemakers disappearing with people's money maybe once or twice a year. That's not alarming considering the number of cuemakers and cues made annually.
 
I wonder if this cue was already made or almost made?? A lot of things depend on the person.. I am really picky..Some are not. I see things and if they are not exactly like I ordered I am not happy. Others look and say, "Oh. Thats not so bad. I could live with that"....I see it one way and they see it another...
You sound picky like me. I would probably not be happy either. But then again, it would not bother the next person....
With me, I try and talk with the cue maker and resolve it. If I can't, then I give up and just won't order from that cue maker again...
I had bought 4 cues from one cue maker and loved every cue. One was for my wife. The cheapest one I purchased was $750.00...I love a cue with no weight bolt. So I ordered a cue from this cue maker again and told him "no weight bolt"...And make it around 19 oz or a little less......He said fine....
I receive the cue and it weighs 19 3/4 oz and I check and it has a weight bolt. I take the bolt out , a really long bolt, and it weighs 17.9 oz........
I call him and ask why he did that and he gets nasty and says, "how can I make it 19 oz without a bolt"...I said all the other cues I have are like that.He says, "well. I am playing one pocket right now and having a beer so call me some other time".....
Needless to say, I sold the cue and will never buy from him again....But, thats just me.....
 
My experience with custom craftspeople (I haven't dealt with cuemakers, but I have with custom mountain bike framebuilders) is that they're largely craftspeople first, businespeople/communicators a distant second.

If it's a small shop - just the cuemaker or him and an assistant who's also working on cues - chances are, the communication will be horrid. They don't want to be answering emails, fielding phone calls - they want to be building cues. And you trying to communicate with them registers as a distraction to what THEY want to be doing. :)

Like I said before, my similar experience is when I dealt with a custom framebuilder. He was horrible at communication - wouldn't return phone calls, wouldn't respond to emails. It took twice as long to get my frame as quoted - partly because his wife took a header on her bike and banged herself up pretty good, so he had to take a bit of time off to take care of her, which screwed his schedule up something fierce. It was the worst experience, dealing with this guy - but when I finally got that frame, it was SWEET, and worth the wait.

I agree with other posters - if you're looking to deal with a particular cuemaker, check around first. If no one here has dealt with him, and you can't find any of his customers through other means, then contact the cuemaker and ask for some references directly. If he waffles at this, then its probably wise to move on.
 
On the positive side. I just received a Jensen a couple of weeks ago. He estimated a 2 month completion time and he was right on the money. No surprises and the cue turned out perfect, exactly what I wanted. I highly recommend Jensen cues, they play great.
 
breakup said:
On the positive side. I just received a Jensen a couple of weeks ago. He estimated a 2 month completion time and he was right on the money. No surprises and the cue turned out perfect, exactly what I wanted. I highly recommend Jensen cues, they play great.
Click to expand...

Jensen... I must remember that name... :)
I think I won't be dealing with this person again. But first I got very good impression of this cuemaker. We had very nice corespondence at first. But when I sent the money the emails were starting to get lost and when one finally reached the destination, the answer was usually "I don't want to hurry the cues..., the weather is very humid... you will be very pleased with your cue..." and things like that. Not that I don't believe it, but that would have been clearly stated before.

We had some issues with the price also. The webpage stated one price and when I wanted to confirmation of order the price went up for $100. "Sorry, the price on the webpage was wrong..." And they changed the price on the webpage... Hmm...

I will try to stay away... I feel a little sorry, 'cause the cue is not that bad. It is quite good, but it could have been better with just a little more effort. By the end of the day, all that counts is satisfaction...

M.
 
I don't know Marvin, if you're really unhappy with the cue, I would send it back. Give the cuemaker a chance to right things. You would be missing your cue for a couple weeks and the money for shipping one-way, but you'd have the wax and a cue more to your liking, if it has a weightbolt the weight could be changed aswell as the wrap. Btw Marvin, may I ask where you're from? I'm from Holland, and Marvin is a pretty common name here. The fact that the cuemaker changed the price on the website makes me believe that his prices really have gone up. Lots of cuemaker have (very) old webpages that really serve as nothing more than an online bussiness card.

gr. Dave
 
Double-Dave said:
I don't know Marvin, if you're really unhappy with the cue, I would send it back. Give the cuemaker a chance to right things. You would be missing your cue for a couple weeks and the money for shipping one-way, but you'd have the wax and a cue more to your liking, if it has a weightbolt the weight could be changed aswell as the wrap. Btw Marvin, may I ask where you're from? I'm from Holland, and Marvin is a pretty common name here. The fact that the cuemaker changed the price on the website makes me believe that his prices really have gone up. Lots of cuemaker have (very) old webpages that really serve as nothing more than an online bussiness card.

gr. Dave
Click to expand...

I am from Slovenia. I think I am gonna stick with my cue and forget about all thing. But I am sure that is not the way to do bussiness. At least not in my country. I am used to get what I ordered. I am afraid that if I send the cue back, the story will repeat. I don't wanna wait another couple of months and I will spend no more money on it. I have no guarantee that this time it will be ok. Plus there is a risk involved in shipping the cue overseas.
P.S. Marvin = nick - check the avatar
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top