Schmelke fails to live up to the hype
- Thread starter Forbin
- Start date
I had them make me a cue and they adhered to every specification I asked for.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?447538&p=5817893#post5817893
And to top it off, when I paid the bill, they forgot to charge me extra for the leather wrap I ordered. When I offered to correct "their" mistake, they said "don't worry about it".
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?447538&p=5817893#post5817893
And to top it off, when I paid the bill, they forgot to charge me extra for the leather wrap I ordered. When I offered to correct "their" mistake, they said "don't worry about it".
I think that if you purchase a cue that costs $230.00 dollars, one should not expect all kinds of custom work to be done.
My experience with custom cue makers is, that for $230.00 they ain't gettin out of bed.
I know that if you start demanding custom tapers and special ferrals out of a guy like Ernie at Ginacue he might have his Rottweilers disabuse you of such notions.
If you start talking about low deflection shafts he might go crazy.
If you send in $230.00 to South West you might get half a joint protector.
My experience with custom cue makers is, that for $230.00 they ain't gettin out of bed.
I know that if you start demanding custom tapers and special ferrals out of a guy like Ernie at Ginacue he might have his Rottweilers disabuse you of such notions.
If you start talking about low deflection shafts he might go crazy.
If you send in $230.00 to South West you might get half a joint protector.
This is one single customer's issue.
The customer did not address the "straightness issue".
Weeks later, he brings up the "finish issue".
There are two parties involved.
"Weeks later, the cue is bent and I swear I never banged it on anything but now the finish lifted right where cues typically get banged."
This issue is a wash where I am concerned.
Schmelke has a great reputation. Their cues are a great value. You can get a cue made at a helluva price from a US shop.
It ain't gonna be a Bushka...or the Mona Lisa...but certainly a custom from a US maker with a great reputation
If you have an issue with a cue, address it right away...and fully...without delay. New, used, custom, or otherwise, I think it's good advice. That goes for cues, toasters, cars, firearms, girlfriends...everything.
Don't tell her on your 10th wedding anniversary that she needs to clean the house up when you knew damn well she didn't when you met her...and surely don't expect her to get prettier because you married her.
If she ain't pretty enough and does not clean house then don't marry her...send her back to her parents.
(It's a picture I am painting for the older guys so please don't cry about me being sexist...I don't tolerate false accusations well.)
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The customer did not address the "straightness issue".
Weeks later, he brings up the "finish issue".
There are two parties involved.
"Weeks later, the cue is bent and I swear I never banged it on anything but now the finish lifted right where cues typically get banged."
This issue is a wash where I am concerned.
Schmelke has a great reputation. Their cues are a great value. You can get a cue made at a helluva price from a US shop.
It ain't gonna be a Bushka...or the Mona Lisa...but certainly a custom from a US maker with a great reputation
If you have an issue with a cue, address it right away...and fully...without delay. New, used, custom, or otherwise, I think it's good advice. That goes for cues, toasters, cars, firearms, girlfriends...everything.
Don't tell her on your 10th wedding anniversary that she needs to clean the house up when you knew damn well she didn't when you met her...and surely don't expect her to get prettier because you married her.
If she ain't pretty enough and does not clean house then don't marry her...send her back to her parents.
(It's a picture I am painting for the older guys so please don't cry about me being sexist...I don't tolerate false accusations well.)
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Exactly! $230 doesn't even get you a shaft from my cue maker. If you want custom you have to pay for it. Or you get what you get.
From the other threads on these forums,* I got the impression that Schmelke offers a highly customizable inexpensive cue, great value for the money, and great customer service. I ordered one so I could experiment with the narrower shaft diameter, short ferrule, etc. and because I thought it would make a nice backup/ travel cue when I was ready to upgrade.
Is $230 a good value for a cue that's not straight and developed a major finish defect in less than a month? Not in my book. Is no warranty on straightness or finish good customer service? Is charging a restocking fee for a cue I had to return twice good customer service?
Schmelke's side of the story verbatim:
"Once again, sorry you're having issues, and the fact that we didn't address something you say you mentioned before. We do not have a finish warranty, because the cues are inspected for any flaws before they are shipped to our customers.
You may return your cue to the address below.* I want you to be aware that there will be a 20% restocking fee."
They didn't respond to my follow up email. The "something you say you mentioned before" was the straightness problem, which I definitely did mention, in writing, as soon as I got the cue the first time.
I pointed it out when I first received the cue and they failed/ refused to fix it. What do you mean I didn't address it?
This appeared after I had the cue for less than one month, and I brought it up immediately.
The cue was bent from day one. I never banged it. If you think I'm lying, fine. But Schmelke didn't even tell me that I'm wrong or a liar. They just said they don't warranty the finish.
I tried.
Is $230 a good value for a cue that's not straight and developed a major finish defect in less than a month? Not in my book. Is no warranty on straightness or finish good customer service? Is charging a restocking fee for a cue I had to return twice good customer service?
Schmelke's side of the story verbatim:
"Once again, sorry you're having issues, and the fact that we didn't address something you say you mentioned before. We do not have a finish warranty, because the cues are inspected for any flaws before they are shipped to our customers.
You may return your cue to the address below.* I want you to be aware that there will be a 20% restocking fee."
They didn't respond to my follow up email. The "something you say you mentioned before" was the straightness problem, which I definitely did mention, in writing, as soon as I got the cue the first time.
I pointed it out when I first received the cue and they failed/ refused to fix it. What do you mean I didn't address it?
This appeared after I had the cue for less than one month, and I brought it up immediately.
The cue was bent from day one. I never banged it. If you think I'm lying, fine. But Schmelke didn't even tell me that I'm wrong or a liar. They just said they don't warranty the finish.
I tried.
I'll chime in because the OP's experience resonates with my own.
I've placed multiple off-the-shelf and custom orders with Schmelke and I believe I had an issue with each order.
Scratched ferrules, glue lines, shipping issues, build/ship delays (albeit still a very quick turnaround), full splices that you can feel the splice through the finish, non-centered pin, tolerances further from spec than I'd like, and a bent pin. All of them 'inspected for flaws'.
The bent pin was the only one I couldn't live with.
Schmelke didn't believe me that it had a bent pin and they never offered to repair it or authorize me to have it looked at locally.
I would have loved to keep it because it looked amazing-- even better than I thought it would. Weight/balance felt great but I was never able to hit a single ball with it.
They did, however, take it back as a return. I think I ate the freight, but the return was hassle-free, even though everything about the cue design and specs was given by me.
After I pressed them, they confirmed it was a bent pin.
I continue to order from them because their cues are some of the best cues I have played with.
The value would be great if they didn't have issues; I value Schmelke cues as good because I can deal with the flaws that might come with the cue.
Their customer service is excellent, but not without some of its own flaws.
I will happily order from them again but my expectations are tempered by my previous experiences.
I've no doubt that whatever I order will be a great cue.
It just might not be exactly what I had in mind.
I've placed multiple off-the-shelf and custom orders with Schmelke and I believe I had an issue with each order.
Scratched ferrules, glue lines, shipping issues, build/ship delays (albeit still a very quick turnaround), full splices that you can feel the splice through the finish, non-centered pin, tolerances further from spec than I'd like, and a bent pin. All of them 'inspected for flaws'.
The bent pin was the only one I couldn't live with.
Schmelke didn't believe me that it had a bent pin and they never offered to repair it or authorize me to have it looked at locally.
I would have loved to keep it because it looked amazing-- even better than I thought it would. Weight/balance felt great but I was never able to hit a single ball with it.
They did, however, take it back as a return. I think I ate the freight, but the return was hassle-free, even though everything about the cue design and specs was given by me.
After I pressed them, they confirmed it was a bent pin.
I continue to order from them because their cues are some of the best cues I have played with.
The value would be great if they didn't have issues; I value Schmelke cues as good because I can deal with the flaws that might come with the cue.
Their customer service is excellent, but not without some of its own flaws.
I will happily order from them again but my expectations are tempered by my previous experiences.
I've no doubt that whatever I order will be a great cue.
It just might not be exactly what I had in mind.
That is their response to you, not their side of the story.
Something smells from fish. The 20% restocking fee. There is a loose end somewhere.
Agree. RS fee normally has to do with returning something you don't like as opposed to something being wrong with the product.
Perhaps cost to refinish the butt ding? That finish isn't defective. It's damaged. Blaming Schmelke for the finish damage is an insult to their intelligence, and they probably don't like somebody trying to fool them. The easiest way out for them is to take the cue back and give a full refund minus the cost of refinish. They're already out an extra shaft and all the time spent corresponding with this guy and shipping/receiving cues back & forth. They've already spent more than the cue's value PLUS the refund. They just want out of this deal before it costs them more money. At what point is it appropriate for them to cut the cord, cauterize the wound, and stop the hemorrhage?
I made dental appliances for a livelihood. I got an orthodontic retainer back that was stepped on and flat. The dentist tells me the patient broke it eating mashed potatoes. I asked if the patient simply didn’t want to pay for another or you do not want to charge them again. Please be honest and I’ll always work with you.
Got retainers returned that were stepped on. Dog chewed it. Totally destroyed because soaked in bleach and so on. Mostly nobody ever took responsibility. With myself honestly goes along way. I appreciate and try to return it. That being the case the checks in the mail.
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I appreciate your stance on this. However, I encountered similar finish issues with Schmelke, and I can assure you, the cue wasn’t even played with. I received a custom order from them, and those air pockets were in various locations on the forearm. They took the cue back, no questions asked. Now, they didn’t develop a month later - they were present on the cue the second it arrived.
I also have two custom Schmelkes I took possession of back a few years ago. I asked for them to be sent without ferrules, as I was going to turn them into break cues. I paid a pretty decent pricetag for them, as they were both uniloc joints. The fact these two cues shipped out, let alone saw the light of day, is staggering. I’ll gladly show them to anyone. These cues are the reason I have never bought anything from them again. I will gladly buy a J&J or an Action, or a Players brand cue over these two POS custom orders I received. I’ve seen their recent work online, and it looks very nice. But I won’t roll the dice again. Three custom orders, with a 100% dissatisfaction rating. I didn’t ask for my money back on my order. I’d rather keep the cues to show people what they consider as “acceptable”, and will ship to a customer.