my custom cue story-unhappiness

CueJunkiee

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i never flame anyone or compain so this is a first for me to post like this BUT

so i have been dealing with this for a long time and finally got my cue and i'm so very distraught. and so i'm here with my 'friends' that i hang out with in the for sale forum to vent a little. I wnated to post this while i was going through it but told myself- no just wait and get the cue....
i will not reveal the cuemaker publicly. just won't do that- as a business man i know SH!# happens but i am very disturbed by this whole thing.

Jan of 2006 i was out on my back and started wheeling and dealing cues-and joined AZ. I ordered a custom cue and it was a plain jane jump break with ring work to match a cue i had-from a fairly well known custom cuemaker. i have to order through a dealer as the cuemaker doesn't take his own calls/orders. So i order it and there was a 4month wait to get it... ok no problem. was kinda excited i could get a custom in 4 months.. <realistically thinking it would take 9>

6-7 months go by and i have to ask about my cue. almost done - here's some 'in progress pics" < i know 'cuemaker time' so i didn't care..too much>
again couple months- almost done
again over a year- almost done but so and so is sick and has not been working for a few weeks...
ok
month or 2 more- it's in the finishing room. sends pics
i ask why theres only 1 shaft and a breakshaft- opps- cue has to go back- to get your other shaft. we forgot the change in the order.

more time goes by- oh in the finish room again. almost done.
cue finished- oh now theres a ting or a noise... gotta replace all the rings... so back it goes.

ok did that but got the cue and the wrap is the wrong color and the tips are not moori... back it goes to fix but here's some pics with the wrong wrap.

now it's done but there's a slight noise now and all the rings were replaced you may not even notice the noise..... if you don't like it i will have to replace the butt and put in a new order...

ok been 2+ years send me the cue.
get cue- looks like i ordered with wrap changed.. still has a wrong tip... well who's to quabble... over 20 bucks or so... it looks nice.- in the case it goes.

take the cue last night to play finally- thing rattles like a 6 month old child's baby rattle... i try other shafts. take cue apart at jump joint etc to 'figure out' where the rattle may be- i think it's the jump joint.

send him a note- from the poolhall on my phone, answer was 'absolutely'
then 'let me know when you want to commision the replacement cue- i'll just swap it out'

i mean am i wrong here- we dragged this simple ebony jumpbreak for over 2 years after was told 4 month for the cue, know it's rattling even after we replace the rings, then send it to a customer and expect them to 'commision a new cue' and deal with a baby rattle probably 2 years till it's done AGAIN....
i wanted to vent a little before i respond... i mean i'll obviously 'commision a new cue' i guess, but what the heck..
anyone else ever deal with something like this...?

i may just take this to my local guy and have him look at it? maybe he can fix what the maker couldn't? i mean if it's a jump joint/pin- pull it and re do it and be done?
thanks for listening :-)
Murf
 
I would definately send it back to the cuemaker and have him fix it. I sure would not sink any more money into it, particularly with someone who might screw it up. I'd just chalk it up to a bad experiance...at least it sounds like the cuemaker will eventually make it right. In the meantime, I would get a cheap jump/break to get me by until it is done.
 
that sucks man. i'd eat the loss and just buy a cue from a different cuemaker. what ever you do don't put youself through that again
 
gotta wonder if you want one of his cues if that's what goes out the door...

i would never ever ever put up with getting sent crap. this falls under 'refund for poor service' to me...probably a good thing i don't order cues.

-s
 
Sorry to hear about this. I'd send the cue back and have him make a new cue like he said. Then dont buy a cue from this guy ever again. Do Not send it to a local cue guy for repair.
 
I agree with the above posts.

Send it to the original CM; DO NOT "commission" him to build a new one - he OWES you a cue that doesn't sound like a baby rattle.

DO NOT spend another dime with him - good money after bad.

Think of it as money gone, accept it. Hope he fixes it in less than 2 years.

Decide on another cuemaker - we can all recommend great ones - commission that one to build you a great cue.

And finally - PM me his name so I'll never make the mistake of ordering from him!!
(I'll keep it private)

-von
 
Bummer i to got a cue from a local cue maker, Never evehit a ball with it. Sold it here on az, Tha guy pm's me a buzz in the cue. I call the man who made it, Quote, Have him send it to me fed x. When finnished had me pick up the cue to inspect, Vary nice. And charged me a $100. for the repair. another shipping charge. When i told him thats not write, Do you want the cue or not. what do you do, when dealing with $800. I paid just to make my az brother happy.
 
If your local guy is competant and you trust him, I'd at least let him look at it and offer an opinion. I'd much sooner work with someone that you can get your hands around their neck, so to speak.

I'm personally coming up on my 2-year anniversary of cuemaker-procrastinator-extraodinaire experience. He's not a very well known guy, but the MO is very similar. I haven't received it yet but have seen pictures, so I know it exists somewhere in the world. Whether I get it or not is another thing.

IMO, it's time to cut your losses and move on.

Good luck!
 
in the end i assume they are gonna make it right with my new order... guess they'll just make me a butt... then trade out the baby rattle..

shafts are real nice and the purpleheart breakshaft is spectacular...
no more money will go into it... i'm not gonna get a refund...it's not alot of cash in the scheme of my 2-3k cues...
 
This thread will probably get removed and more people will make the same mistake because of the "policing" that is going around. I hope the threads stays just like the other one SHOULD HAVE its B**L S&*^T
 
Cuejunkiee,
Your situation sounds very frustrating. You've been more than patient.

People who keep their promises are gold. Steer clear of people who don't consistently back up their words with actions.

Wallace, that cuemaker who charged you $100+shipping to fix his mistake. I imagine you won't be buying another cue from him!
 
cincyman said:
This thread will probably get removed and more people will make the same mistake because of the "policing" that is going around. I hope the threads stays just like the other one SHOULD HAVE its B**L S&*^T

Which one got removed...?

Edit: Oh, I see now. The Varney thread. Hmm, not sure why that would have been removed.
 
Last edited:
the Varney thread was removed i think.

what does the dealer have to say about all of this?

i am assuming that when he said commission another one,he meant give a deposit for him to make another one.

a guy that would ask you that and who has already done what he has done to you,would most likely drag out any repairs for a really long time or just hold the cue and never do them.i would never let him have the cue again unless he issued a refund.

i would first try to return the cue for a full refund,which probably will not work b/c the guy obviously has no business ethics.then i would tell him i was going public with a report of how i was treated(even if you don't plan on going public,he doesn't know that).

if he won't refund the money,i would have a very good cue repair man try to fix it.i owuld also most likely make public what happened and who it was,but i have never been accused of being politicaly correct.
 
i never asked for a refund... trying to make it all work.... the money is medial to me...
i talked today to the dealer and no money down, build me a new cue. i asked for a change to wraplkess and he said he would eat the cost of the change <a 100.00 option>
so i guess a rattly cue for a while- i am going to push for some speedy turn around.... i think my new cue should be moved in with his current work somewhere and make someone else wait a little.... my bad for saying so but i think it's deserved..
 
I have been trying to work out a problem with a cuemaker as we speak (actually called and left a message on his machine yesterday), but I have $3750 into mine. I got it in trade here on the board, and found a crack in the forearm between the end of the CNC point pocket and the joint, about 2 inches long. The cuemaker and I both agree, as does the former owner, that the crack was more than likely there when it left his shop. The cue was virtually brand new and perfect, and he knows it. He did a patchwork job on it and sent it back. I was not satisfied, so he told me to send it back to him again. He does not want to do any more to fix it, doesn't want to refund or offer to buy it back, nor is he willing to replace it, even though he agrees that it is a flaw in the wood, which I believe is a manufacturing defect.

This is a really short explanation of my frustration. I got the cue over 2 years ago, and he has had it probably twice as long as I have, and he was upset that he had to come out of pocket to send it to me twice! If he had made it right, it would never have gone back for repairs. I truly believe that the former owners had no idea the defect was there. Neither did I when I got the cue.
 
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