Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Used Connelly Ventana Pool Table.

     Yesterday we picked up a really old Connelly Ventana pool table for a customer. This poor pool table looked like it had gotten into a bar fight. Come to find out it had actually been in a bar before this customer had bought it a few years back. So it was nice to see that the visual abuse that the table underwent was due to poor customer care in the bar it was in.
     The rails looked as if the stain and finish was almost completely rubbed off. The leg trim was broken and needed reattaching. The pool table pockets, well, the pockets just were no longer there and needless to say he had gotten some new ones for it. The pool table cloth was thrashed and not very well taken care of thus needing replacement. Due to the great amount of direct sunlight and lack of pool table cover, the pool table cushions were rock hard and needed replacement.
     All these things that made this table look so terrible and probably play even worse, but that isn't what upset us going into this job. The billiard technician, or should I say slate monkey, that worked on this table did more internal damage to it than the customer ever could have to the exterior.
     Firstly, the rail bolts had been half replace by bolts that were entirely too long and need extra washers to shorten them. Not only that but the "other bolts" used had a much bigger head size to them. After further inspection we noticed that they were the kind of rail bolts that one would use on a cheap crummy import pool table. He is lucky that the billiard installer didn't slip up even more while tightening these bolts and push one up through the pool table rail and crack it altogether. Lucky.
     Next were the pocket screws. Not only were there all sorts of different sizes involved, but they were all extremely loose. This is just unacceptable and there is no reason they should be like this. Again, this could have caused the rails to have been cracked while putting them on or taking them off.
     Then, the cloth. Goodness. What can we really say about this? First off it was only half on there. Really? You staple only half of the bed cloth on and then blindly staple the pockets to a point that creates bubbles and wrinkles? Guess there is a reason this guy is no longer in business. This part was so irritating I can't even continue to talk about the cloth.
     Next was the worst part of all. This pool table installer actually cause the slate and entire pool table to become so undervalued with what had been done next that it is disgusting. Instead of having the proper knowledge on how to fill stripped screws to make them grab the frame again he actually went around the slate, drilled new holes all over the place and then put in tiny wood screws to use for leveling. Come on dude! He did this everywhere too. So instead of using the proper slate screws that are almost triple the length and thickness he thought it better to drill new holes and use an inferior WOOD screw. Keyword there being wood not slate screw. Bad pool table technician. The thing now needs additional work because of this guys stupidity.
     Lastly, well, that just about sums it all up really. Overall the guy was terrible and actually cost this customer more money just to get this pool table to a point it can be played on again. Remember, you get what you pay for. Saving a small amount of money now could mean loads more money down the road.
     Same name, better quality and the most experience with the trade. This is why our customers are loyal and choose Big Break Billiards over the cheap guys. Get it done right with us. It's your break, make it big!

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