my experience with TW cue and search for a new cue

[dl126]

Hi, guys. Honestly, I am not a regular user of this website. However, this is the place where I decided to buy a TW cue around 2 years. The initial experience with Trevor White, he was patient and helpful in deciding which cue is best of me and my budget.

Within a week after the initial contact, I decided on which cue to buy and transfer the payment to his account. He did warn me that around 16 weeks of waiting period. In the end, that 16 weeks of waiting turned out to be around 40 weeks. What bothers me most is that during this period, he was almost uncontactable. He did explained that he was very busy, but i called at least 20 times and tried text and several emails. And because he had to remake my cue because of a neglectable error he made on the cue, it took double the time to make my cue. I did appreciate that for his craftsmanship and honesty. Anyway, I was really happy with cue and bought a nice case to go with. I was even feeling a bit proud of myself for choosing TW cue.

However, after around 6 months using the cue, one day, a friend found that my cue was not even straight. I was so embarrassed at the time because i never thought straightness would ever be an issue with my cue, I understand that slight bend in a cue is normal and allowable, but the bend was not slight. A few days later, the funnel was loosen as well. Whenever i hit a ball, i can hear the strange noised caused by the loosened funnel. So, i emailed TW, he asked me to post the cue back and he will solve the problems for me, also he also offer to post the cue back to me at no extra cost. 2 months later, i got my cue back, and the cue was straight again. I have no issue with funnel anymore. I thought i would be happy with it ever after.

It didn't work like that. 6 months after using the repaired cue, the cue is bent again. again, a friend of mine noticed the problem first, because i am always to happy with the cue and never consider these issues. The cue is about 450 pounds, plus 50 pounds i spent to send it back for mending. I would say it is big investment for me on a cue and a big commitment as well. I am writing this not to complain, and i still believe TW is a good cue maker. I once saw a user posted a really negative review on TW, i thought it was mean, but surprisingly, TW decided to replace his cue.

Anyway, I am writing all these hoping someone here would give me some genuine advice on which cue to buy. By the way, i have tried to buy a MW cue, once i put the order through using his VCM, he was too busy to reply. I emailed him and all he said was "do you wish to proceed". I said of course in the reply. and that was the end of it. never heard anything from him again. Therefore, could someone please help me out here? all i want it is a good snooker cue to play with. Are all the cue makers so unreachable? after all, it is service they are providing, right. Correct me if i am wrong.

thanks in advance.

[ADR147]

i suspect you have a storage issue in your climate maybe?

[vucko117]

I would recommend to you Robin Cook. Brilliant cue maker,great customer service. www.robincues.co.uk

[andy carson]

i suspect you have a storage issue in your climate maybe?

I was thinking the same, sounds more like its been stored leaning against a wall or left in a damp place.

trevs work is second to none as his reputation goes well before him on.

[kennymhs]

...However, after around 6 months using the cue, one day, a friend found that my cue was not even straight...

How could you blame the cue maker? You should've checked the straightness of the cue the day you received it, not after 6 months. A bent could've happened in 6 months due to different reasons, it might not be the cue maker's fault.

...2 months later, i got my cue back, and the cue was straight again. I have no issue with funnel anymore. I thought i would be happy with it ever after... 6 months after using the repaired cue, the cue is bent again...

At this point, I'd say that it could be a storage issue instead of the cue maker's fault.

And think about it, not only he fixed the cue for you, he covered the shipping cost sending the cue back to you; I have to say that's some nice after sale service.

[cazmac1]

What I find stange is that both times that you notice the cue was bent was after a friend had brought it to your attention, so I assume you where happy with the cue as you where unaware of any problem. If you had not notice the bend yourself I would suggest there is no real issue with the cue and that your looking for a scape goat for maybe not playing aswell as you hoped once you got a hand made cue. I found that this is the case with many players so they look for faults where there are none. As you mention most cues have some kind of bend and for yours to have anything more than this I too would suggest you are storing the cue incorrectly.

[Inoffthered]

And think about it, not only he fixed the cue for you, he covered the shipping cost sending the cue back to you; I have to say that's some nice after sale service.

Yeah, that's totally awesome. TW 4tw.

:snooker:

[andy carson]

also hyow did your "firend" notice it was bent and you didnt?

presume he did the age old myth of rolling it on the cloth and not sighting down the shaft then?

[khizzy]

I beg to disagree, I have cues from Trevor as well as mike and both are top blokes.

[davidwu]

well trevor finished my cue before the suggested time.
and the cue is top notch. no offense, after 6 months anything could happen to a cue. maybe you should investigate your own problems?

[dl126]

the cue has always been locked away in a club locker with the nice case I bought for the cue. and none of others club members have reported similar issues.

[firefrets]

How could you blame the cue maker? You should've checked the straightness of the cue the day you received it, not after 6 months. A bent could've happened in 6 months due to different reasons, it might not be the cue maker's fault.



At this point, I'd say that it could be a storage issue instead of the cue maker's fault.

And think about it, not only he fixed the cue for you, he covered the shipping cost sending the cue back to you; I have to say that's some nice after sale service.

Why shouldn't he blame the cue maker?

When you spend £450 on a cue you would expect a good service and a quality product. I don't think the lad would have brought it up had 'he' felt he had received these things.

40 weeks, and problems with correspondance isn't something I'd want to happen to me, if indeed it is true, so have a little sympathy with the guy here, rather than jumping to the defence of the cue maker like so many are doing.

TW is a big boy and can defend himself.

A cue can bend, regardless of how well you look after it. It's not so easy to determine the cause of the problem, but to presume it is the buyers fault just because it happened over a period is harsh and a little naive.

He already stated that he bought a good case, and he hasn't attacked TW. All he's done is stated 'his' experience.

Dl126 .........

I feel for you mate. Too many companies these days don't have good customer service skills, and don't work hard enough in rectifying that side of their business.

I'm not saying TW is like that, as that is something for the both of you to discuss, but it is certainly rife throughout industry.

This is only my opinion, but if the bend returned, then the job wasn't successful, and the cue should have been exchanged or refunded. The fact that the seller paid for postage is irrelevant. Had the cue been perfect, there would not have been a need to repost.

£450 is a lot of money, and you would expect your cue to be perfect for that amount, as one presumes you are paying for quality of wood combined with the skill of the craftsman.

Of course you may have received that, and mistreated the cue, knowingly or unknowingly. We can't determine who is at fault here in this thread. All we can do is discuss without laying blame at either door step.

Resolving the issue is down to yourself and TW, and any third party you may wish to bring in to the equation, such as a legal advisory department.

I hope the 2 of you can work it out.

.................................

As for what cue to buy.

Why do you feel the need to spend such large sums of money on a cue?

I've just paid £150 on a new cue. When I viewed it, it wasn't perfect, so I had the seller put it right. Now it 'is' perfect, because the attention to detail has been met.

I could do this because I looked for a seller who lived near me. There will be a seller who lives near you too.

Buying a cue over the Internet in my opinion is the worst thing you can ever do, especially when you're dealing with large sums of money.

You can't try one out, nor can you see any other examples of their work, and most of the time, the guy making the cue is a one man band, meaning if he answers mails, he can't make cues, and vice versa. To employ staff costs money, and his operation isn't big enough to do both.

Ask yourself what you want from a cue.

Most of us want the best of both worlds, because our cue is important to us, and the game is psychologically driven to an extent, where if you feel good about things, you're half way there.

You can get the best of both worlds quite cheaply these days, especially if you buy a used cue.

It's not rocket science to build a snooker cue, despite every cue maker you speak to all telling us that it takes great skill etc. It does take skill, but every cue maker has it. It just becomes relative to the quality they want to produce.

Are all cues in MW's or JP's or TW's shop the same price? If every cue is painstakingly created, with the utmost precision and attention to detail, then why is one more expensive than the other?

Ahhhhhhh .... you're charging me extra to make it 'prettier'. You aren't making it better, otherwise your cheapest cue would be below your highest standard. Wouldn't it? So if you're making it prettier for more money, then why is your plain boring ebony butt in one piece still £500? Why? Because mugs like you are willing to pay for it lol, and guys like them need to be expensive, or guys like you won't think they're any good.


It's the player knocking the balls in that matters most.

You don't always get what you pay for. That is why you need to view before you buy, 'at every level' as only 'your' opinion is worth anything at the end of the day.

Pick it up, play with it, and stop thinking a badge will make it better.

[dl126]

thank you, firefrets, not only for your fair comments but also your cue shopping advice. I did feel very disapponinted when I read the first few comments, it made me feel like that i was lying to sabotage TW's reputation.

When I ordered the cue, I was in Australia. But now i live in China, unfortunately, there is not a cue maker around my area where i could try out a few cues. I tend to go for British cue makers is because i have sort of got used to playing their cues after spending a few years living there. Afterall, it is your traditional sport, isn't it?

Thanks again for your advice. If you do have any cue maker to recommend, please do so, i will really appreciate it.

[firefrets]

thank you, firefrets, not only for your fair comments but also your cue shopping advice. I did feel very disapponinted when I read the first few comments, it made me feel like that i was lying to sabotage TW's reputation.

When I ordered the cue, I was in Australia. But now i live in China, unfortunately, there is not a cue maker around my area where i could try out a few cues. I tend to go for British cue makers is because i have sort of got used to playing their cues after spending a few years living there. Afterall, it is your traditional sport, isn't it?

Thanks again for your advice. If you do have any cue maker to recommend, please do so, i will really appreciate it.

Had you told me you lived in China before I could have given you the details of someone in your time zone who would help you out.

Don't fall for the 'made in the UK' when it comes to sporting equipment, as an awful lot of it is actually made in China.

Are you able to speak Chinese? If not he can speak ok English providing you keep it on track.

http://lincos.en.alibaba.com/product....html#products

His name is Linco Lam and he owns one of the biggest manufacturers of sporting equipment.

I will pm you his private email address. You should be able to get fixed up with a decent cue, and if you live in Xiamen, then you can go and see them for yourself.

[Inoffthered]

Why shouldn't he blame the cue maker?

When you spend £450 on a cue you would expect a good service and a quality product. I don't think the lad would have brought it up had 'he' felt he had received these things.

40 weeks, and problems with correspondance isn't something I'd want to happen to me, if indeed it is true, so have a little sympathy with the guy here, rather than jumping to the defence of the cue maker like so many are doing.

TW is a big boy and can defend himself.

A cue can bend, regardless of how well you look after it. It's not so easy to determine the cause of the problem, but to presume it is the buyers fault just because it happened over a period is harsh and a little naive.

He already stated that he bought a good case, and he hasn't attacked TW. All he's done is stated 'his' experience.

Dl126 .........

I feel for you mate. Too many companies these days don't have good customer service skills, and don't work hard enough in rectifying that side of their business.

I'm not saying TW is like that, as that is something for the both of you to discuss, but it is certainly rife throughout industry.

This is only my opinion, but if the bend returned, then the job wasn't successful, and the cue should have been exchanged or refunded. The fact that the seller paid for postage is irrelevant. Had the cue been perfect, there would not have been a need to repost.

£450 is a lot of money, and you would expect your cue to be perfect for that amount, as one presumes you are paying for quality of wood combined with the skill of the craftsman.

Of course you may have received that, and mistreated the cue, knowingly or unknowingly. We can't determine who is at fault here in this thread. All we can do is discuss without laying blame at either door step.

Resolving the issue is down to yourself and TW, and any third party you may wish to bring in to the equation, such as a legal advisory department.

I hope the 2 of you can work it out.

.................................

As for what cue to buy.

Why do you feel the need to spend such large sums of money on a cue?

I've just paid £150 on a new cue. When I viewed it, it wasn't perfect, so I had the seller put it right. Now it 'is' perfect, because the attention to detail has been met.

I could do this because I looked for a seller who lived near me. There will be a seller who lives near you too.

Buying a cue over the Internet in my opinion is the worst thing you can ever do, especially when you're dealing with large sums of money.

You can't try one out, nor can you see any other examples of their work, and most of the time, the guy making the cue is a one man band, meaning if he answers mails, he can't make cues, and vice versa. To employ staff costs money, and his operation isn't big enough to do both.

Ask yourself what you want from a cue.

Most of us want the best of both worlds, because our cue is important to us, and the game is psychologically driven to an extent, where if you feel good about things, you're half way there.

You can get the best of both worlds quite cheaply these days, especially if you buy a used cue.

It's not rocket science to build a snooker cue, despite every cue maker you speak to all telling us that it takes great skill etc. It does take skill, but every cue maker has it. It just becomes relative to the quality they want to produce.

Are all cues in MW's or JP's or TW's shop the same price? If every cue is painstakingly created, with the utmost precision and attention to detail, then why is one more expensive than the other?

Ahhhhhhh .... you're charging me extra to make it 'prettier'. You aren't making it better, otherwise your cheapest cue would be below your highest standard. Wouldn't it? So if you're making it prettier for more money, then why is your plain boring ebony butt in one piece still £500? Why? Because mugs like you are willing to pay for it lol, and guys like them need to be expensive, or guys like you won't think they're any good.


It's the player knocking the balls in that matters most.

You don't always get what you pay for. That is why you need to view before you buy, 'at every level' as only 'your' opinion is worth anything at the end of the day.

Pick it up, play with it, and stop thinking a badge will make it better.