I didn’t have the positive experience with Schmelke that everyone else has reported. They did not stand behind their product, and dealing with them turned out to be a big waste of time and money.
I ordered a cue from them for $230. I asked for 1/2" ferrule and 12.6mm diameter shaft, among other things. I paid another $45 for overnight shipping.
The shaft had a full inch ferrule and was about 12.9mm (it felt the same as my 13mm shafts and looked like 12.9mm on my analogue calipers). The shaft alone had a very slight wobble that I was totally fine with, but the cue did not roll straight assembled. It wasn’t bad enough to affect play, but not good enough for a brand new cue.
Schmelke apologized for the wrong ferrule length and said they would have to make a new shaft, which they would do ASAP. However, they claimed that they can’t guarantee an “exact” shaft diameter. Nobody mentioned that when I ordered the cue, but I don’t think 12.9mm is reasonably close to 12.6mm anyway. I didn’t get any response about the straightness issue, but I trusted they would fix it.
I paid for return shipping by priority mail. After waiting for a month, I politely asked them how much longer it would take. Without responding, they shipped it the next day by regular UPS ground. I don’t know if this was a coincidence or if they had just forgotten about it until I reminded them.
After wasting more than $50 on shipping and waiting an extra month, the cue still wasn’t straight. I decided to give up and keep it anyway, and play with it until I could find the right upgrade. After less than a month, a major finish flaw appeared on the butt (see photo).
I contacted Schmelke about this latest issue, reminded them about the unresolved straightness issue, and let them know that I had decided to return the cue for a refund. I was informed that they do not warranty the finish and they were sorry that they did not address the straightness problem. Nevertheless, they would be charging me a 20% restocking fee.
In the end, with overnight shipping, return shipping two times, and restocking, I wasted more than $100 so I could try out a crooked out-of-spec cue with a finish defect. Thanks, Schmelke!
I ordered a cue from them for $230. I asked for 1/2" ferrule and 12.6mm diameter shaft, among other things. I paid another $45 for overnight shipping.
The shaft had a full inch ferrule and was about 12.9mm (it felt the same as my 13mm shafts and looked like 12.9mm on my analogue calipers). The shaft alone had a very slight wobble that I was totally fine with, but the cue did not roll straight assembled. It wasn’t bad enough to affect play, but not good enough for a brand new cue.
Schmelke apologized for the wrong ferrule length and said they would have to make a new shaft, which they would do ASAP. However, they claimed that they can’t guarantee an “exact” shaft diameter. Nobody mentioned that when I ordered the cue, but I don’t think 12.9mm is reasonably close to 12.6mm anyway. I didn’t get any response about the straightness issue, but I trusted they would fix it.
I paid for return shipping by priority mail. After waiting for a month, I politely asked them how much longer it would take. Without responding, they shipped it the next day by regular UPS ground. I don’t know if this was a coincidence or if they had just forgotten about it until I reminded them.
After wasting more than $50 on shipping and waiting an extra month, the cue still wasn’t straight. I decided to give up and keep it anyway, and play with it until I could find the right upgrade. After less than a month, a major finish flaw appeared on the butt (see photo).
I contacted Schmelke about this latest issue, reminded them about the unresolved straightness issue, and let them know that I had decided to return the cue for a refund. I was informed that they do not warranty the finish and they were sorry that they did not address the straightness problem. Nevertheless, they would be charging me a 20% restocking fee.
In the end, with overnight shipping, return shipping two times, and restocking, I wasted more than $100 so I could try out a crooked out-of-spec cue with a finish defect. Thanks, Schmelke!