Jeff Olney, What a stand up guy. NOT!!!!!!!!!!

[TheNewSharkster]

Some of my thoughts on this thread......

A man waits 4 years for a cue...lives 45 minutes away ( round trip including transaction...2 hours )
....can't seem to find time to do it.
If it was me, I'm in his driveway by the time he hangs up.

I consider a cue maker to be an artisan, not particularly a businessman or a sales person.
I've sold cues for a couple cuemakers that were friends....they told me they couldn't sell cues
....by the third question they just wanted to walk away.
( can you imagine Van Gogh trying to hawk his own paintings? )

I need another cue like Mother Theresa needed an AK47....
....but about a year ago I felt the need to own an Olney....
....this thread has not changed my mind.

Its like the soup nazi in Steinfeld. Terrible customer service but people lined up around the block. You are the same way. You can deal with terrible service because you might get a well made cue.

Personally I hold good customer service to a higher standard. I will not give my money to a person who will sell me out and then swear at me because I was one day late

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

to be clear, I'm not defending Jeff. I am just acknowledging and pointing out some possiblities that may be getting overlooked.

For the record, I absolutely think Jeff should have allowed more than 4 or 5 days for the buyer to pay for and pick up his cue, assuming it all went down as described. But with that said, I still believe the buyer could have made it there if he really wanted to. I would have.

I can certainly understand (not condone as I prev stated) how really needing the cash combined with feeling like you're being strung for it (disrespected?) could result in the cue getting sold tosomeone else.

The thing that bugs me most is the op describes a great relationship with Jeff over a long period of time and many cue deals so why in the world would Jeff do him wrong?

That's tough to reconcile.

A real head-scratcher this is.

best,
brian kc

 

[Luck1st]

Some of my thoughts on this thread......

A man waits 4 years for a cue...lives 45 minutes away ( round trip including transaction...2 hours )
....can't seem to find time to do it.
If it was me, I'm in his driveway by the time he hangs up.

I consider a cue maker to be an artisan, not particularly a businessman or a sales person.
I've sold cues for a couple cuemakers that were friends....they told me they couldn't sell cues
....by the third question they just wanted to walk away.
( can you imagine Van Gogh trying to hawk his own paintings? )

I need another cue like Mother Theresa needed an AK47....
....but about a year ago I felt the need to own an Olney....
....this thread has not changed my mind.

Hug them NUTS..
Can't find time?? Family comes first.

Waited 4 years.... Whats one more day gonna hurt.

I have 1 more Olney cue...... YOU SHOULD BUY IT.

 

[Worminator]

This whole ordeal seems very simple to me... a man was in desperate need of money and was willing to lose a customer and possibly a reputation to get what he needed at the moment. I've seen it happen over and over in the cue world.

Just a few examples:

1. Taking deposits and not being able to refund when the build goes bad
2. Selling a cue and spending the money before knowing if the customer is happy with the cue. And when they aren't, no money to refund because it has all been spent.
3. Selling a cue out from underneath a customer like this example

On the other hand, dealing with as many cuemakers as I do, I hear a ton of buyer horror stories as well. If the cuemakers started posting threads about the deadbeat and lunatic buyers they deal with there would be enough bandwidth on AZ.

It is an interesting business/hobby to say the least...

 

[Luck1st]

to be clear, I'm not defending Jeff. I am just acknowledging and pointing out some possiblities that may be getting overlooked.

For the record, I absolutely think Jeff should have allowed more than 4 or 5 days for the buyer to pay for and pick up his cue, assuming it all went down as described.

But I can certainly understand (not condone as I prev stated) how really needing the cash combined with feeling like you're being strung for it (disrespected?) could result in the cue getting sold tosomeone else.

The thing that bugs me most is the op describes a great relationship with Jeff over a long period of time and many cue deals so why in the world would Jeff do him wrong?

That's tough to reconcile.

A real head-scratcher this is.

best,
brian kc

My point exactly........ Why would he do this to me.. the look on my face when he told me that he sold my cue and Called me a STupid Fuker, was one that my wife had thought someone just called and told me someone had died.

She even asked..... he couldn't wait until tomorrow? What does he need the money for on a Sunday night?

 

[pt109]

Hug them NUTS..
Can't find time?? Family comes first.

Waited 4 years.... Whats one more day gonna hurt.

I have 1 more Olney cue...... YOU SHOULD BUY IT.

Hmmmm...is that how you talk to cuemakers....instead of addressing the POV?
Don't know the man at all.....but I'll fade a lot for an excellent cue.

As for your cue offer, I like to buy what I can pick up and hit a ball with.
I'm a little picky.....like a lotta cuemakers.
One of my players for 17 years was a Gus....there were 3 for sale (prices were right)
....I wanted the one that wasn't for sale....took me a couple months to catch him broke
and weak enough.

 

[HawaiianEye]

If he needed MONEY that bad on a Sunday night, it was for Cigarettes, Booze, Gambling, or maybe some Hookers.

Do tell? Now this thread is getting real interesting. All you left out is Rock and Roll.

 

[Ken_4fun]

I've heard nothing but good things about Jeff until this. This really is bad IMO and I can't see myself ever buying one now

My thoughts exactly.

I used to commission a couple cues EVERY year, but after the JOHN SHOWMAN ripoff, I have been left with a bad taste in my mouth.

I felt lucky as I did get my Zinzola cue, late but I did receive it. After that I turned it as quickly as possible.

The guy I use now is Rick Howard, IMO, best cue for the money. Never an issue. Great guy, just wish he made more cues.

No Olney cues for me thank you.

Put me in the OP camp, he was screwed over. I do feel that he got away without being taken for his deposit money, and for that I am thankful.

I wish the OP the best, and Olney karma will take care of you.

Best of rolls,

ken

 

[Ken_4fun]

This whole ordeal seems very simple to me... a man was in desperate need of money and was willing to lose a customer and possibly a reputation to get what he needed at the moment. I've seen it happen over and over in the cue world.

Just a few examples:

1. Taking deposits and not being able to refund when the build goes bad
2. Selling a cue and spending the money before knowing if the customer is happy with the cue. And when they aren't, no money to refund because it has all been spent.
3. Selling a cue out from underneath a customer like this example

On the other hand, dealing with as many cuemakers as I do, I hear a ton of buyer horror stories as well. If the cuemakers started posting threads about the deadbeat and lunatic buyers they deal with there would be enough bandwidth on AZ.

It is an interesting business/hobby to say the least...

Jamie -

Yep, I hear you about some looney buyers, but IMO, if this was a looney buyer he would have been chased off years ago.

Unless you are a complete idiot, I cannot see how you defend Olney. (Jamie I know you weren't).

Strange days.

Ken

 

[Bishop]

to be clear, I'm not defending Jeff. I am just acknowledging and pointing out some possiblities that may be getting overlooked.

For the record, I absolutely think Jeff should have allowed more than 4 or 5 days for the buyer to pay for and pick up his cue, assuming it all went down as described. But with that said, I still believe the buyer could have made it there if he really wanted to. I would have.

I can certainly understand (not condone as I prev stated) how really needing the cash combined with feeling like you're being strung for it (disrespected?) could result in the cue getting sold tosomeone else.

The thing that bugs me most is the op describes a great relationship with Jeff over a long period of time and many cue deals so why in the world would Jeff do him wrong?

That's tough to reconcile.

A real head-scratcher this is.

best,
brian kc

But that's the thing. Its not a head scratcher and its not tough to reconcile.

It is when you look to make excuses for poor business practices.

No question the world is filled with horrible buyers as mentioned by other posters. The horror stories are endless and anyone who's ever owned a business has dealt with crappy customers. God knows I have.

But this is par for the course and comes with the territory. Its a part of doing business. This is why I stated earlier that in this case it doesn't matter one bit what the customer didn't do or failed to do.

The failure was all on the business owner who acted selfishly and with a complete disregard to any kind of procedure or process to deliver a product.

This back alley mentality and way of doing business in the billiard world is why there are so many issues. Its not the customers its that these guys turn a hobby into a business and seemingly have no clue how to operate with any level of professionalism. It takes more than just having a product and demand....to run an honest business.

 

[jalapus logan]

This is the reason that henceforth, I will only buy cues that I can physically hold in my hand to examine that are ready for sale RIGHT THEN. I guess that means that I'll never be able to design my own cue, but the juice doesn't seem worth the squeeze when I read threads like this.

OP got screwed over, period and Olney's reputation takes a hit. Unforturnate and discouraging. You gotta love pool, that's for sure. Seems like damn near everyone is working a hustle on you...

 

[alstl]

Some of my thoughts on this thread......

A man waits 4 years for a cue...lives 45 minutes away ( round trip including transaction...2 hours )
....can't seem to find time to do it.
If it was me, I'm in his driveway by the time he hangs up.

I consider a cue maker to be an artisan, not particularly a businessman or a sales person.
I've sold cues for a couple cuemakers that were friends....they told me they couldn't sell cues
....by the third question they just wanted to walk away.
( can you imagine Van Gogh trying to hawk his own paintings? )

I need another cue like Mother Theresa needed an AK47....
....but about a year ago I felt the need to own an Olney....
....this thread has not changed my mind.

Yep, which is why if I was the seller I would have been thinking the guy didn't have the cash which is probably what Olney was thinking as well.

Speaking of Van Gogh, he only sold one painting while he was alive and was living largely on charity. He died not knowing how famous his painting would become.

 

[alstl]

Fair thoughts and could very well be true.

Doesn't change the fact that you don't do business that way. Thinking that way is one thing and acting on it is another. Running a respectable business and doing what's right doesn't always equate to taking the easy money. In most cases it cost you, but there's a certain expectation when you stamp an INC or a DBA on it.

A few phone calls over less than a week is no way to ensure delivery of an order.

If you were in a pool hall matching up with someone and he had a million reasons why he couldn't post the money ahead of time what would you be thinking? I'd be thinking he doesn't have the cash.

Again, I don't know either party but I have a hard time believing there was family stuff several consecutive days which took priority over a cue he waited 4 years for unless the family stuff was his wife *****ing about him spending a K on a pool cue. If I was the seller that is what I would be thinking - he doesn't have the cash. Olney's choice was to eat the cue, wait for the guy to show up or take cash from a willing buyer and who knows if the willing buyer will spend his money on another cue, leaving Olney to eat the cue.

 

[Spimp13]

Yep, which is why if I was the seller I would have been thinking the guy didn't have the cash which is probably what Olney was thinking as well.

What part about the OP being a customer of Jeff's for years having bought multiple cues in the past from him with 0 problems would lead you to believe he didn't have the cash? He had been waiting 4 years and yet Jeff had to wait 4 days after they played telephone tag (after OP had family stuff going on) and all of a sudden the OP didn't have the cash and is broke lol?? There are some amazing thought processes going on in this thread.

 

[Quesports]

See what customer loyalty gets you these days! I'd be just as pissed as the OP...

 

[Texdance]

I'm just glad to have AZB, the ersatz BBB of the billiard internet. We all can read and decide who is and is not talking pure BS. I don't like taking a stand about an individual based solely on internet posts. But in this case, If I ever decide to wait 3 or 4 years to have a new cue built, I know one cue builder who will be way, way down on my list.

 

[pocket]

Help me better understand those of you that think this is the OP's fault, and that the vendor was not at fault.

OP: Waits 4 years for his item

Vendor: Sells it after waiting 4 days for OP to pick up the cue, and berates him to boot.

You guys would continue to do business with someone like that? It's a pool cue, not a heart valve.

Even if you say the OP should have been more responsive in picking up the item, the vendor acting the way he did after the transaction should shed some light on who is in the wrong.

I honestly do not understand, but would like to, the other point of view (unless the vendor is a friend of yours, then I guess I understand)?

 

[mantis99]

If you were in a pool hall matching up with someone and he had a million reasons why he couldn't post the money ahead of time what would you be thinking? I'd be thinking he doesn't have the cash.

Again, I don't know either party but I have a hard time believing there was family stuff several consecutive days which took priority over a cue he waited 4 years for unless the family stuff was his wife *****ing about him spending a K on a pool cue. If I was the seller that is what I would be thinking - he doesn't have the cash. Olney's choice was to eat the cue, wait for the guy to show up or take cash from a willing buyer and who knows if the willing buyer will spend his money on another cue, leaving Olney to eat the cue.

You must not have kids. I have three kids aged 9,7 and 5 that are in tumbling, soccer piano etc, and I coach many of their teams. I could easily have several days in a row where I could not take the 2.5 hours it would take to get the cue, even if I was very excited to get it. As a matter of fact, that is probably the rule more than the exception.

I really can't see where anyone justifies this cue being sold as it was, or the unprofessional way Mr. Olney came on here to defend himself calling his former clients nits and such. The OP was definitely ride by forgetting to come and get the cue on Sunday, but there was no acceptable reason for a legitimate businessman to sell this cue like he did.

 

[HawaiianEye]

If Mr. Olney NEEDED the money NO LATER THAN Sunday night at a SPECIFIED time then Mr. Olney SHOULD HAVE made that KNOWN to the CUSTOMER BEFORE he sold the cue to SOMEBODY ELSE!

Mr. Olney's whole story is fishy to me. If all he was needing was less than $1,000 for the cue, he could have EASILY sold it for MORE on Monday if the original CUSTOMER failed to meet his ESTABLISHED DEADLINE that BOTH parties were AWARE of.

My two cents worth.

 

[jtompilot]

If you were in a pool hall matching up with someone and he had a million reasons why he couldn't post the money ahead of time what would you be thinking? I'd be thinking he doesn't have the cash.

Again, I don't know either party but I have a hard time believing there was family stuff several consecutive days which took priority over a cue he waited 4 years for unless the family stuff was his wife *****ing about him spending a K on a pool cue. If I was the seller that is what I would be thinking - he doesn't have the cash. Olney's choice was to eat the cue, wait for the guy to show up or take cash from a willing buyer and who knows if the willing buyer will spend his money on another cue, leaving Olney to eat the cue.

Dude, you got some whacked out principles

I can't tell you how many times work or family got in the way of pool. After waiting for four years and buying at least eight other cues Jeff can't wait a week of two. Especially when he was offered money for a down payment that was used on another cue.

Why would Jeff take less money for a cue in stead of waiting a few more days. I'll tell you why, and any normal person would think the same way. Jeff is a lying scumbag. That's the bottom line.

I hope I never have to do business with you or that other wacky nut-hugger. You guys are why pool has a bad rap:frown: