I have thousands of transactions and only a few a were not perfect. I'm not the kind of person to negative back unless it's appropriate.
Wow, now lookie at what we have going on here! This is a little ridiculous as far as I'm concerned.
I am not going to take the time to read through 10 pages of people bashing based on one side of a person's story. I had no idea this thread was taking place until it had reached 8 pages in length, at which point my wife's mother, who is operating her ebay business for her while she is ill, told me that she had gotten a message on ebay, stating that there was concern of my having a substance abuse problem. This could not be further from the truth and I wonder why Sam would email a complete stranger on ebay, who has a Gracio cue listed, and spread rumors like that? Very uncalled for and slanderous.
Since everyone seems to want an answer I will spill my life out to you guys. My wife, of 10 years and I have been going through a divorce in the last year. I was between 2 shops for a little while as we were trying to figure out what to do. In the last several months, we have been able to work things out. She has horrible health issues due to Cystic Fibrosis and had to have a bi-lateral lung transplant, (meaning both lungs), a TRANSPLANT, several years ago. She has now been diagnosed as rejecting her new lungs, which means she will die or have to have another transplant. In the last year she has had to have 3 surgeries for various things which mean we have had to travel 300 miles to her doctors in Seattle many times while she undergoes procedure after procedure to try to figure out what is happening to her. Recovery in the hospital sometimes takes a week or more. I have been stressed out, broke, and exhausted from trying to keep the household on track and take care of her at the same time, as well as trying to be artistic in the shop and keep everyone happy.
I rarely read these forums anymore because of all the drama that happens. It makes my job miserable to read all the BS and back stabbing that goes on in these threads. You guys are like gossipy women who have nothing better to do than feed the fire. I'm done letting the forum's drama affect my life and love for building cues. These forums are not my judge and jury anymore. One person posts something and everyone jumps on the band wagon to try to ruin one's name or reputation. You're affecting people everywhere, not just me. I've bent over backwards for my customers for years. Most of the people I've worked with know and trust my word. I'm not a thief! People will receive the quality and art I can put into a cue whether it's owed or a current paying build, and thanks to the online bullies, they will get them for less than they are worth. I hope Sam, you don't go so far as to ruin the value of the cues people are already playing with or trying to sell that have the Gracio name on it. One good fact is you can't hurt the looks and playability.
For everyone out there jumping on this thread or any other builder's thread, the more you drag someone's name around the further down their cue values will fall, which hurts everyone that owns a cue. It hurts builders from selling which makes them have to work harder to make money for their families. This will only slow the progress of any cue being built. Think about the precautions before you type. Don't jump into a thread with no dealings with the people involved. So many times the good guy looks bad in the end. I'm not saying I'm the good guy in this thread. I've read so many non productive threads in the past because the drama queens have to pipe in with uneducated opinions. Do you people read these forums for the drama?
Internet bullies remind me of this personality defect I've experienced around the car racing or hockey world. Some folks go for the excitement, others only for the crashes or fights. Pathetic!! If you've never (most people in this thread) dealt with me, then slow down with your words and see the outcome of this situation. Sam will get his cue and it will be worth the wait. It will be better than the first one that was stolen. Sam told me he would haunt any thread I started to sell a cue. Go ahead Sam, make my life more complicated if it makes you feel better. I'll still complete your cue and treat you with kindness. I have no room for anger in my life.
Ten pages of comments that are trash and speculation from people who know nothing of the situation, based on Sam's words in anger attempting to get something out of me which I told him is not ready. You all know truths get altered when people are angry. Not saying his words aren't true but they are twisted to make me look bad. I owe him a cue. I sent his cue to somebody else. They won't return it. True story. I stopped answering the same question because I have no new answer. Let me concentrate on work and I will have a different answer soon. I work 10AM to 2AM daily when life's complications don't interrupt. This thread being the most recent. I can not add 4 hours of phone conversation to my schedule. You will get your cue.
I browsed through some of these pages and I can assure you that I have no substance abuse problem, your crazy drama queen solutions will not it get the money back or get the cue done. It's Sams choice to get a refund or a cue. When I have the means to do either we will communicate further. Some communication is required during. We don't need to repeat the same weekly. That goes to all three people I have dept with. If there are any long term dealings I've forgot about or misplaced a work order for a reminder would be helpful. For example, I have a shaft sitting here that I have no idea who to send it back to. It has double metal rings in the collar and it's been on my work table for two moths. Please contact me.
Sam, I am not mad at you. I'm not sure how you could presume that through our recent text messages? I've told you many times it's not ready and my life is turned upside down so work is slow. I know that I need to finish your cue. Your replacement cue is not finished. This thread will not get your cue finished any faster. I did not fall off the face of the earth, I simply can not and will not respond to you once a week repeating the same conversation. Out me if you want. Your cue is not done yet. It will be worth the wait when it is done or I can refund you when I have the means.
You guys want to talk about the builders not coming through? You the customers, are not perfect. For every cue I complete and send out payment request half are problematic. Two weeks prior they claimed to be ready. Delays and even no payment happen all the time. Builders need to get paid when the cues are finished and we need to finish the cues as stated. Wood is a beast and money doesn't grow on trees so perfection either way will never happen. Both sides need improvement!!!!! Treat others as you want them to treat you. Simple rule of life.
Ideologist, I did not take your money and "disappear". You paid me about a week or so before posting here. I told you a client sent a cue back for a repair then did a charge back on his credit card, wiping out my paypal account. I had his cue for about 5 weeks, must have been too long for him to wait for his repair to be completed. I did not ask you for more money for shipping. I simply told you the reason it had not been shipped yet. The people who sent me extra for shipping in the past have offered so they could get their cue back sooner than I could do it. Your cue has been shipped and you have received it, why not come here and say so? I kept you informed. The few days I didn't come on AZ your PM's were not read. I was busy working to get some cash to ship your cue so getting on the forum wasn't a priority. You, I am irritated with, just fueling the fire. Sam, at least has a reason to say something, since he has been waiting about 10 months for a replacement cue. You jumped the gun. I finished my commitment to you, not as a result of this thread, as you antagonistically tried to claim, but because that's what I do.
I have hundreds of hours on this site and know how this pool world works. Money!!!! That's the bottom line. I build a cue. Somebody lowball pays. Somebody sells for profit. If you don't know this yet, learn it. Cues will be talked about more when money is to be made. I put a stop to this pumping my cues for profit years ago. I will not discount for flippers and they have never liked me much as a result. My cues have and will continue speak for themselves. I will deal with the pool player directly and they will pay my price, not a hyped salesman's prices.
I build a damn fine cue and am very good at what I do. I have a few debts, as does anyone. People are not crawling out of the wood work saying I have done them wrong. You don't want to buy my cues as a result of this thread, then your loss.
I do not want to post again on this thread. Feel free to twist my words, ridicule me, whatever gets your rocks off. I don't have the time to word this perfectly or repeat it for the next week. I'll be dealing with more important things like my wife's health and catching up on the business that I have gotten behind on.
Back to real life for me. Fire away drama queens...
