When you go to sell...

8

8up

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Please look your item over and give the best possible description.

I bought a couple cheap cues and dvd's was told they would be shipped the next morning. for a few days he pm me saying he wasn't able to get to the PO then said Saturday his wife would send it and he would give me a tracking number that night. 10 days goes by and finally contacts me saying he had to drive cross country to a funeral I finally got my money back. (be ready to ship it when you list it)


I bought a shaft that took a while to get here but I was not aware of where it was being shipped from I got worried but he told me why it was taking the time to get here. It got here and the shaft had been split at the joint and re-glued. It rolled straight and true until you put it on a butt and then it flopped. The seller said send it back he had took it in on trade and had never put it on a butt. He stood behind his sale but would not refund my money until he got the shaft back. I had the shaft 3 days but my money was tied up for almost 2 months. I felt I should have gotten my money back as soon as I showed him I had shipped it due to the time shipping takes between him and I. (Stand up guy but failed to inspect)

I bought a cue that was described as "dead straight" I screwed it together rolled it across the table and it had taper roll but the tip stayed on the table. I took back apart and put it back in the case because I didn't have time to play. When I took it back out of the case I put the butt on the table and rolled it and could see the forearm leave the table. had the light on the other side not have been on I might not have noticed this for a while. I contacted the seller and he said he rolled together and apart and it was straight but said send it back and he would refund the money but not pay for it to be shipped back. I described what to look for and even have a video of it and said I felt the shipping should be paid by him he said he would decide once he got it back. He got it said it was straight and gave me my money but didn't pay the shipping. I offered to send him the video but he never responded. (bad description, bad decision, cost me shipping and wasted time)

I was guilty of giving a bad description myself. I listed an Adam cue on here but before anyone showed an interest a found that the forearm did have a lift to it. I corrected my description and even though this is a rare cue no one has been interested.

I have also made several sales and purchases during this same time that went well on both ends.

I mentioned no names because they weren't important. The point of this post is "When you go to sell something inspect it closely then describe it well"
 
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simple

Sellers: inspect whatever it is the way that you would check it if you're the prospective buyer.
 
Seems there has been quite a few bad transactions on here lately. It's definitely Buyer Beware!

There are some honest people on here that make honest mistakes sure. But there ARE people around that just want to rip you off.
And AZB is not responsible, nor will they support you or try to help you in any way.

If you are buying from someone you don't know, I highly recommend using Fast_N_Loose (aka Marcus) as a escrow.
Always get insurance and signature confirmations. Do whatever you can to protect yourself.If it doesn't feel right, chances are it's not.

8UP, props to you for the diplomatic posting.
 
One thing I have always made sure to ship anything I sold here, or on ebay either same day or the next depending on what time it sold.

The last cue I sold on here was packed up and ready to go after it was put up for sale. I know how tense it can be to just give someone money in good faith that you have never met on the internet.
 
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If you are buying from someone you don't know, I highly recommend using Fast_N_Loose (aka Marcus) as a escrow.
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Yep, Marcus saved my butt to the tune of $1800 one day.
If you think 20 bucks is expensive, consider of the alternative.
 
Escrow...escrow...escrow!!!!!

sorry to hear about the bad transactions...Karma: what goes around comes around.
 
One of the best sales I ever held was the "Crappy Cue Sale". I had received a batch of cues from Taiwan about a decade ago that were horrible. Wraps coming off, warped, chips, rings popping, etc.......

So I put them up on Ebay with the description "Crappy Cues........and listed all the issues". NO reserve $1 each, $10 shipping.

I had something like 100 cues to sell and they all sold for an average of $20 a cue. The best part is that when the first customers got them they put up positive feedback with things like "This cue is great for the money, not crappy." "You are too harsh, this cue is great", and that then led to more sales and more bids. The worst feedback I got was, "Cue is just as advertised, crappy".

I personally think that people who sell cues should provide a video of the cue including it being rolled.

The real problem with things being wrong is that no one wants to pay you for the inconvenience. (We do though if we get it wrong)

No one wants to pay for the time you spend on the problem, the emails, the phone calls, the postage and time to get it in the mail.......

Of course there is a good reason why things are not accurately described. If they were then sales would not happen.

People know exactly what they are doing. They hope that the receiver will shrug it off or not notice.

I use the "eat your own cooking" principle. I think to myself what if I had to spend my money on this, what would I think? And I try to convey that to my staff and they really understand now and even find and correct things I miss.

I would seriously have to feel very good about the buyer to buy a high end cue without sending it to Marcus. In my case I have another friend that I can use for escrow who also is an experienced judge of cues.

But the point is well made that going the extra mile to describe something pays off for everyone concerned.
 
I have brought this up before myself.

How strange is this?:

I've been involved in close to 1200 ebay transactions, all positive. There were a couple that went sideways but ended up being resolved to everyones satisfaction.

Here on az, I've had 6 disappointments in just 25 transactions. Absolutely unacceptable. :angry:

You are absolutely right, 8up, if someone is about to list something for sale, BE RESPONSIBLE & HONEST in your description. Take the time to CLOSELY inspect your item, then write an accurate description.

Green to you sir for shining some more light on this very frustrating issue.

Wouldn't you think that compared to ebay, our much tighter community would be a safer place to buy our pool equipment?

Best,
Brian kc
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
I have brought this up before myself.

How strange is this?:

I've been involved in close to 1200 ebay transactions, all positive. There were a couple that went sideways but ended up being resolved to everyones satisfaction.

Here on az, I've had 6 disappointments in just 25 transactions. Absolutely unacceptable. :angry:

You are absolutely right, 8up, if someone is about to list something for sale, BE RESPONSIBLE & HONEST in your description. Take the time to CLOSELY inspect your item, then write an accurate description.

Green to you sir for shining some more light on this very frustrating issue.

Wouldn't you think that compared to ebay, our much tighter community would be a safer place to buy our pool equipment?

Best,
Brian kc
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Luckily I haven't had any bad transactions *knock on wood*. The biggest one I seem to hear is the amount of time it takes to ship and lack of communication. These are two that I just don't get.

I'm gonna brag on myself a little here on how I wish all cues were sold on here. I decided that I unfortunately had to sell a Scruggs I picked up last year and that I would sell it on here.

Before I even listed it I went over to Lowes and picked up a length of ABS pipe, caps and bubble wrap. I wrapped the cue in the velvet it came with, wrapped that in bubble wrap and packed it in the tube and sealed it up. I then posted it for sale around midnight, sold it 10 minutes later and had the money in PayPal that evening. When I got off work at 630am I waited for the post office to open, shipped it and sent all the info to the buyer along with pictures of how I packed it so he could rest a little easier in how it was being shipped.

The reason I shipped it so fast was so the buyer wouldn't chew their fingernails too long as I understand being a pessimist in that situation. I packed it like that to also have them rest easy, but also so I could rest easy that the cue would land at his house in the same way I sent it unless the post office is using a high powered tater gun to shoot tubes to houses ;)
 
The biggest problem I have with buying and selling is the fact I'm not based in the US. Aside from the inherent difficulties that poses in terms of it being difficult to find a seller, it also encourages sellers to take liberties with descriptions etc.

My other major bugbear is price. I look at the prices in disbelief. People want 110% the price I can buy the same cue from a major retailer who offers a 100% money back guarantee? People want 70% retail for a beaten up stick with TWO cracks in the ferrule??

Pricing in pool is madness.
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
I have brought this up before myself.

Here on az, I've had 6 disappointments in just 25 transactions. Absolutely unacceptable. :angry:

Wouldn't you think that compared to ebay, our much tighter community would be a safer place to buy our pool equipment?

Best,
Brian kc
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I agree. I've seen listings on ebay from sellers who wholeheartedly admit that they know nothing about cues, but will give much more detailed descriptions about dings, dents, rollouts and more compared to what I've seen in the Wanted/For Sale section here.

I think part of the problem may be that for ebay, prior to buying and selling, you're required to enter much more personal information, making it harder to burn a few sellers, and then come back under a different screen name.
 
TheThaiger said:
The biggest problem I have with buying and selling is the fact I'm not based in the US. Aside from the inherent difficulties that poses in terms of it being difficult to find a seller, it also encourages sellers to take liberties with descriptions etc.
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Maybe if it's a private transaction between you and a seller but if a seller is advertising to everyone then they are not being deliberately non-descriptive just to scam foreign buyers.

My other major bugbear is price. I look at the prices in disbelief. People want 110% the price I can buy the same cue from a major retailer who offers a 100% money back guarantee? People want 70% retail for a beaten up stick with TWO cracks in the ferrule??
Click to expand...

That's another issue and it's up to the consumers to do due diligence on price. We were buying baby food and diapers from an internet shop for 6 months and my wife liked who she was dealing with and though the prices were good. The other day they were out of something she needed and she found a local store with the same brand for a lot less money, 30% less. And not only that they were less on ALL the brands she was buying.

People have a right to ask what they want for their goods in non-regulated situations. I also feel that some people are way out of line on their prices. And I feel that others give away their work too cheaply. So it all balances out.





Pricing in pool is madness.[/QUOTE]
 
My only gripe (thus far, and it is a minor one) is the last cue I bought had a leather wrap that had a seam that stuck-out like a pig in a fish tank, and the edge of the wrap on the buttsleeve side was not even (and kind of starting to peel). Not that big of a deal as I still like the cue overall (I'm eventually going to have a stacked leather wrap put on it), but I may not have bought this cue had I known about the inferior wrap job.

Maniac
 
I have been very fortunate in all my transactions and haven't had any problems. But I have read a lot of threads of bad transactions here on AZBilliards. That's a shame. So, I guess, I've been very lucky. I always check the ITrader rating and do a search to see if there is any negative feedback on the seller.
 
JB Cases said:
Maybe if it's a private transaction between you and a seller but if a seller is advertising to everyone then they are not being deliberately non-descriptive just to scam foreign buyers.
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Sure. I just meant it's easier to send the runt of the litter to the person the furthest away.
 
8up said:
Please look your item over and give the best possible description.

I bought a couple cheap cues and dvd's was told they would be shipped the next morning. for a few days he pm me saying he wasn't able to get to the PO then said Saturday his wife would send it and he would give me a tracking number that night. 10 days goes by and finally contacts me saying he had to drive cross country to a funeral I finally got my money back. (be ready to ship it when you list it)

I bought a set of Aramith balls that the description said no nicks or chips but the several balls had tiny nicks no big deal but the 6 ball has almost 1/4 chip out of it. he offered to make it right but that was 3 weeks ago. (failure to inspect closely before selling + not making it right yet)

I bought a shaft that took a while to get here but I was not aware of where it was being shipped from I got worried but he told me why it was taking the time to get here. It got here and the shaft had been split at the joint and re-glued. It rolled straight and true until you put it on a butt and then it flopped. The seller said send it back he had took it in on trade and had never put it on a butt. He stood behind his sale but would not refund my money until he got the shaft back. I had the shaft 3 days but my money was tied up for almost 2 months. I felt I should have gotten my money back as soon as I showed him I had shipped it due to the time shipping takes between him and I. (Stand up guy but failed to inspect)

I bought a cue that was described as "dead straight" I screwed it together rolled it across the table and it had taper roll but the tip stayed on the table. I took back apart and put it back in the case because I didn't have time to play. When I took it back out of the case I put the butt on the table and rolled it and could see the forearm leave the table. had the light on the other side not have been on I might not have noticed this for a while. I contacted the seller and he said he rolled together and apart and it was straight but said send it back and he would refund the money but not pay for it to be shipped back. I described what to look for and even have a video of it and said I felt the shipping should be paid by him he said he would decide once he got it back. He got it said it was straight and gave me my money but didn't pay the shipping. I offered to send him the video but he never responded. (bad description, bad decision, cost me shipping and wasted time)

I was guilty of giving a bad description myself. I listed an Adam cue on here but before anyone showed an interest a found that the forearm did have a lift to it. I corrected my description and even though this is a rare cue no one has been interested.

I have also made several sales and purchases during this same time that went well on both ends.

I mentioned no names because they weren't important. The point of this post is "When you go to sell something inspect it closely then describe it well"
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I own a pool room, build custom cues along with custom conversion cues, and I have come to a conclusion on this subject for what ever my opinion it is worth.

I have people call me ever day to say they need a cue repaired or that they want to sell one. So they immediately start giving me a discribtion of the problem or the condition of the cue on the telephone. I immediately stop them and tell them that while I am interested in their thoughts, I will not give a price for any item over a phone whether I am buying or repairing their cue. I then tell them that they must bring the cue to my shop for an evaluation and inspection.

Now I do this not because I think that these people are being dishonest or that they don't know what they are talking about, but I have learned that 95% plus of the people who think they are knowledgeable about cues are not. So with that it mind when you buy a cue sight unseen or by looking at photo's you are taking a chance, unless you are dealing with a honest professional who deals with cues daily and truly understands what to look for and how to evaluate a cues condition.

So when doing business on ebay or other similar sights make certain that the sell has good feedback 100% and will offer a full refund, and that is about the best you can hope for, so with that said good luck and most importantly have fun.
JIMO
 
manwon said:
I own a pool room, build custom cues along with custom conversion cues, and I have come to a conclusion on this subject for what ever my opinion it is worth.

I have people call me ever day to say they need a cue repaired or that they want to sell one. So they immediately start giving me a discribtion of the problem or the condition of the cue on the telephone. I immediately stop them and tell them that while I am interested in their thoughts, I will not give a price for any item over a phone whether I am buying or repairing their cue. I then tell them that they must bring the cue to my shop for an evaluation and inspection.

Now I do this not because I think that these people are being dishonest or that they don't know what they are talking about, but I have learned that 95% plus of the people who think they are knowledgeable about cues are not. So with that it mind when you buy a cue sight unseen or by looking at photo's you are taking a chance, unless you are dealing with a honest professional who deals with cues daily and truly understands what to look for and how to evaluate a cues condition.

So when doing business on ebay or other similar sights make certain that the sell has good feedback 100% and will offer a full refund, and that is about the best you can hope for, so with that said good luck and most importantly have fun.
JIMO
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Wouldn't it be helpful if you all as a community established a checklist of questions that any seller could fill out?

Seems like between you all you could come up with a fairly short but important list of questions that would eliminate an awful lot of the problems and really preserve the integrity of the transaction by leaving a very clear trail of what the cue's condition is stated as.

I have several cases that I bought for my collection. On a few of them are a few key issues which were not disclosed to me prior to the sale. Now I bought these cases just to have them for my own study and not to have pristine examples to show off. But if I were a collector who wanted showpieces I would have been very angry to receive these cases with the defects and alterations that weren't disclosed. I feel a bit cheated but I decided to blow it off and the people I traded with got their brand new and pristine JB Cases as promised. (still working on a few though from trade deals)

My point is that full disclosure would CERTAINLY have changed the tone of the discussion and would 100% have changed the value I was willing to give for the cases. And that's really the point isn't it?
 
JB Cases said:
Wouldn't it be helpful if you all as a community established a checklist of questions that any seller could fill out?

Seems like between you all you could come up with a fairly short but important list of questions that would eliminate an awful lot of the problems and really preserve the integrity of the transaction by leaving a very clear trail of what the cue's condition is stated as.

I have several cases that I bought for my collection. On a few of them are a few key issues which were not disclosed to me prior to the sale. Now I bought these cases just to have them for my own study and not to have pristine examples to show off. But if I were a collector who wanted showpieces I would have been very angry to receive these cases with the defects and alterations that weren't disclosed. I feel a bit cheated but I decided to blow it off and the people I traded with got their brand new and pristine JB Cases as promised. (still working on a few though from trade deals)

My point is that full disclosure would CERTAINLY have changed the tone of the discussion and would 100% have changed the value I was willing to give for the cases. And that's really the point isn't it?
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John a check list is a good idea, but the problem with check lists is that in many cases the customer doesn't understand what caused the problem, and how it will effect the item long term. The Blue Book of Cues has a checklist that helps explain this very subject, but to really understand what is being talked about, it would almost take a small manual devoted to the subject.

I do understand your point though John and it is a good one, but I do not have the time to put something like that together, I am currently busier that a Bunny making babies.


Hope is well John, take care.
 
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