pooltablesdirect.com and greenleaf billiards
8/2/2008 12:28:26 AM
pooltablesdirect.com and greenleaf billiards
Any information on this brand would be appreciated. I am looking into purchasing a table for new home and am looking for a quality table, but not one that costs major $$$$s. Hoping to find one that fits in a $1,500 budget or less. I have played pool in college at pool halls, but never paid any attention to what "brand" I was playing on. Some advice from some of the experts out there would be appreciated.
To my untrained eye the greenleaf specs look pretty good, but admittedly I could be snowed easily.
sportnutpooltablesdirect.com and greenleaf billiards
Replies & Comments
VTXRider on 11/25/2008 10:41:33 PM
I came across this post with the same question... does anyone have any experience with these tables? every table manufacturer that explains their construction also states that their's is the best.
bigezwest on 12/21/2008 5:38:50 AM
I bought a table from these guys in October. They delivered in Early December. Well, at least part of the table. I've contacted them about this, after I spoke with someone on Dec 12 about the missing parts, (felt, corner pockets, corner assembly peices, ping pong top, all missing) and no one has ever answered the phone again.
There was no packing list so I couldn't verify what was there and Pooltablesdirect is seeming like they have no interest in helping resolve this. It is the holidays, and they may be on vacation. But I did speak to someone before they went on vacation who said he was going to get out the packing list that day. It's been almost 2 weeks and they haven't responded to emails, voicemails, or faxes.
I was going to try and contact the manufacturer, but these are the same people. So now I'm sitting here wondering if I'm getting ready to eat a table.
guest on 12/29/2008 7:46:36 PM
Check this out:
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad I waited for it. I was at a local dealer last week and started looking at the Olhausen tables. more money but hey... it's right there in the store. Greenleaf advertise that their wood is all this and that... who cares what they do to it... it's made in china. cheap labor and low quality. at least that's what I've seen as far as china is concerned. I guess I'll be buying local. Thanks for the info.
quickshot on 12/29/2008 9:07:42 PMBuying local. A smart move for starting the new year!
I came across this while looking for a pool table dining table top. Interesting. Basically, these people are selling the exact same table and accessories that pooltablesdirect is.
campran.com/789billiarddining-prod_cust.php
kntnc08 on 1/9/2009 3:21:29 PM
I'm glad I found this post. We ordered a "custom" pool table from Pool Tables Direct in July, 08. Here it is 6 months later and we have not received our table. I figured they must be in financial trouble. We made numerous attempts to contact them by phone and e-mail with NO response from them. I didn't even get a letter that was mentioned in a previous post.
Back in July I couldn't find anything negative about this company and they list that they are a BBB member. I guess that is irrelevant if they go belly up.
Having said all that, does anyone have any suggestions for where to buy a contemporary style dining-pool table?
- quickshot on 1/9/2009 4:52:46 PM
Go to the websites of the top makers like Olhausen, Brunswick, Diamond. They all have multiple models and prices to chose from. One other thing, do your homework.
P.S. Remember this is a long term investment so do your buying with that mind set.
I agree. I'm going with olhausen. twice the money but you can see and feel the difference. I feel better about being able to grab someone by the throat at the local retailer if i need to also. It also something that you be proud of. once it's in and set up you won't mind the cost.
Jim Healy on 1/14/2009 5:05:25 PM
I ordered a table from pooltablesdirect in May and finally received it in mid December. I paid for the service where they line a company up to set up the table. The team who came have been putting tables together for 22 years, and they told me that the table was extremely poorly designed and they didn't feel comfortable assembling it. He suggested I return the table and buy something made in the states. Interestingly, the site advertises that their tables are assembled in the states and to be cautious of tables made overseas. One of their excuses for why there was such a delay was that the factory in China needed to wait for the boat to fill up before they could send a shipment to the states. This company is awful! It is impossible to get hold of them.
RMCORP2006 on 1/28/2009 9:03:19 AM
Those pool tables are terrible!
Any suggestion on how to return the table? I'm currently trying to go through my credit card company. Maybe they will listen to them, they certainly don't seem to listen to me!
Tough one man. I would definitely go talk to your credit card company. Dispute the charges. If all else fails, try and sell what you can I guess. Email me at info@mybilliardlinks.com and we can talk more. I can try and help you a little too. I think they are Colorado based.
Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely try to dispute those charges. Pool tables direct has done such a poor job of customer service, I'm hoping that my credit card company will be able to make some progress!
You bet brother. I hope they can fix it for you. I hope they don't try and claim that you have the product or something dumb like that, which will in turn make your cc company not be able to do anything.
I posted a while back about not receiving our table from Pool Tables Direct. We had used their financing which is through GE Money Bank. Thank God we did because we disputed the charge with GE Money Bank and we are no longer financially responsible. I'm not sure who will eat that cost but it isn't us. A lesson learned. I still haven't been able to find another pool dining room table. I checked out the websites that someone had suggested but they were all too big. I need a 6 or 7 ft table. They are sold all over the UK but not here. Anyone have any other suggestions?
Check out AE Schmidt's Carsten dining pool table. It is absolutely freaking amazing, and it is a 7 ft size playing surface. It is costly but is American made with awesome quality. What state do you live in?
North Carolina
I did some digging around and it looks like these guys are affiliated with Frank Campanella. This is the guy that had Campran pool tables. I found the info when I was looking for their registered agent etc. These guys really are the worst. I'm still short of pieces for my table and have begun looking to see what I can do to make this a salvage job. Crooks
I checked out AE Schmidt and I like the dining table. They don't have prices listed. I also found another website Ahpooltables.com They have a dining table listed. Do you know anything about them? After getting burned once we will have to do more research this time.
It is a fairly expensive table I know that. I have personally worked on a few and they are awesome.
ahpooltables.com is something else. Find a dealer in NC for AE Schmidt if they have one. If not i have relations with AE Schmidt and could have someone contact you if you'd like.
You say Ah pooltables is "something else". Do you mean poor quality or a bad company? After dealing with Pool Tables Direct I don't want to have problems again. I have contacted AE Schmidt and a dealer in NC is going to contact me. What price are we looking at. Ah Pool tables quoted $5195 for a 6ft table. AE Schmidt only has a 7ft. Do you know anything about the fusion tables? I think we need a 6ft table so I'm not sure AE Schmidt will work for us.
American Heirloom is a small time American made pool table I do believe. Personally I have never seen an American Heirloom pool table. Do they carry a dining pool table?
$5195 for just a regular 6ft table is extremely expensive. AE Schmidt only has the Carsten in 7ft. Actually it is just like an 8 foot pool table BUT the playing surface is only a 7ft. The rails are really wide. I am going to guess the Carsten pool table by AE Schmidt is around the $5000 mark if not higher.
Fusion tables made by Aramith? I have seen the brochures but have not dealt with the Fusion pool tables in person yet. I will this summer at the expo. Aramith is a top of the line (the best) ball maker that is making that table. Not sure on quality, but Aramith is a really reputable company and wouldn't put out something crappy. I have no clue on pricing.
Azzurri on 1/28/2009 9:23:12 PM
OK, apart from the delivery problems, how bad (or good) are these tables really? Here is the deal: an installer in my area (Boston) got stiffed by pooltablesdirect.com on getting reimbursed for his services, but he also ended up with 3 tables where the customer canceled. He says he is owed about $4K by the company (which, as you may know, is not responding to calls/emails/etc), but he can make some of it back by selling the 3 tables he has. So, waiting for the goods is not an issue here...which seems to be the issue with some of the original posters. I saw the tables in person....they are here! They actually look good from my untrained eye. The frame is factory assembles (i.e., not a knock-down), fully supported with center cross beams, it is not laminate but solid wood, including the rails. The cushion has the webbed cloth backing. What looks like about 1/2" to 3/4" thick plywood or some other type of wood covers the top of the frame where the slate would sit. The slate itself is 1" thick and framed. This a furniture-style table with clawed legs and looks very attractive.
So obviously, I'm not worried about placing an order and then waiting 6 months only to find the company took my money and has no intention of shipping my table. In fact, the installer doesn't want a cent until he has completed the job at my house and I am satisfied. Total cost (table, accessories, transport, and installation) is $1200. I obviously can't get a new Olhausen (for example, the Sheraton is their low-end table I would buy) for less than $1,900 all costs included. I can get a used one from craigslist for about $800, and then pay about $450-$500 for installation, assuming the cloth is in decent shape. The Sheraton does not have the Accu-fast cushions, by the way.
So, I can get a brand new furniture style, solid-wood table with 1" framed slate, with decent-quality accessories fully installed for $1200. Considering all this, how will the table play? I mean, is an amateur like me going to notice any difference as compared to, say a 5-7 year old Olhausen Sheraton with used, but decent cloth? Is the ball going to rebound essentially the same from the cushions, will the balls roll as truly as they should, etc? Will the slate remain flat with smooth joints between the 3 pieces?
Sorry for the length, but just wanted to provide a clear picture.
Personally, I think that you'd be better off with the used table quality wise. I received enough peices that I'm able to fabricate the missing ones. For example the slate I have is poor quality and is going to take quite a bit of bondo work to make it play properly. I'm actually looking into buying a new piece of slate. As far as the rails go, (and I'm an amatuer) I can notice a difference. The balls don't bounce cleanly like they should. So this is going to take more fabricating/replacing the rails with quality ones. If this is even possible. While I'm happy that I'm not completely screwed, if i had to start over I'd buy a different brand (based on quality of product only) and wouldn't recommend this one to anyone.
@Azzurri - Go to our website (mybilliardlinks.com) and read. There is a reason it is only $1200 bucks for that pool table. Just because it looks nice? really? I would really like you to read our site as to why "IT LOOKS NICE" isn't the answer my friend. And you don't have to buy an Olhausen to get a quality pool table.
Certainly don't waste your money on a Sheraton, and definitely don't waste your money on that guys table. It sucks for him, it really does, but don't be the sucker to buy one of those from him. I know he needs to get his and I think everyone here would agree that he got screwed and should get his compensation but FOR YOU, since you are here now, don't buy. I think that particular company's actions to the numerous people they screwed should tell you a little about their product and the quality of it.
Personally, I think that you'd be better off with the used table quality wise. I received enough peices that I'm able to fabricate the missing ones. For example the slate I have is poor quality and is going to take quite a bit of bondo work to make it play properly. I'm actually looking into buying a new piece of slate. As far as the rails go, (and I'm an amatuer) I can notice a difference. The balls don't bounce cleanly like they should. So this is going to take more fabricating/replacing the rails with quality ones. If this is even possible. While I'm happy that I'm not completely screwed, if i had to start over I'd buy a different brand (based on quality of product only) and wouldn't recommend this one to anyone.
That sucks. I would imagine you have Chinese slate so you are correct in saying it will need the bondo work. Unless it's already cracked then you need new slate.
Don't just buy one piece of slate either. You need a set. Whether you buy a junker with Italian or Brazilian slate of CL and toss the rest, or you buy new, you still need the set. They actually cut those in one piece then cut them down into 3. While good techs can introduce a new piece into another set sometimes things just don't work out.
The rails are another animal all together too. I bet the ball bounces slightly when you hit it hard and straight on into a rail? The only way to fix this is to remove the cushions (toss 'em they're junk anyway). Sand and re-cut the angles of the rails. All this stuff is going to probably cost you more money than it did to get the table in the first place.
OK...then. What do you mean by "don't waste your money on a Sheraton?" I don't get it. I've been to that website (mybilliardlinks) incidentally, and saw the list of recommended brands.
I understand it is Olhausen's entry-level table, but what could I possibly get that is used and costs about $750 for the table itself, considering that I need to leave about $450 to cover installation...as I'm not going to spend more than $1,200 total for this. If necessary, I know I can bump my table budget to about $900 because I know I can do the dis-assembly and transport on my own, leaving the installer just to do the re-assembly, for about $250. So, what would you recommend in this price range, if tables like the Sheraton is such a waste? It is pointless to compare quality to a $3000 table as that is not in the cards...this is going in a vacation home family room, not my formal home living room.
What state are you in? I am not saying the Sheraton pool table is totally junk. I just meant NEW, for the price, you can get another brand that is still quality but visually looks a little better. For your budget however, I would recommend that you surf craigslist locally. The economy blows right now and people are looking to get extra cash in their pockets and will ultimately sell their pool tables fairly cheap. That may be the best solution for you I think.
I'm not getting any bounce, but the rails feel "soft" when I use them. As far as the slate goes, they sent me an odd piece with the set. It's clearly from a different slat and cut differently than the other 2 peices. I'm tempted to use bondo to fix the difference, but that's going to be a lot of really detailed work.... They also didn't send pockets (I'm using plastic ones that don't fit right now), so I'm having some made out of leather. I think the leather will cover the corner pieces that they didn't send, but I may have to fabricate the metal corner pieces for the skirt. (I got the metropolis) I hope people read this forum and realize what they may wind up dealing with.
I spoke with a guy in california with a company name that is similar and he said he's getting numerous calls daily about this company, but said he isn't affiliated. Just for reference, the pooltablesdirect is run by the same guy that has greenleaf billiards (the manufacturer). They also have some relation to Frank Campanella who was behind Campran. Look it up before you buy from these guys. I spent $3,000 and had to custom make peices just to not lose that.
Here is a link to their BBB rating and history. (cut and paste) http://southerncolorado.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=95&bbb=0785&firm=87334735
Man that is going to be a lot of bondo if you go that route and yes a TON of detailed work that is nearly impossible. I hope you have a machinist level too. I would probably wedge the other pieces up first too. Do you have a picture of the table you got? I may be able to help you with the pockets and mitre corner pieces and what not. Email me some pics if you can. info@mybilliardlinks.com
I also want to be clear about these junk tables. Greenleaf, American Billiards, Kingdom Billiards, etc etc. All of these pool tables are manufactured by the same Chinese companies. They get their names when they send reps out here to the states OR they sell to dealers here and the dealers will put their own name on them. Since they don't have logos on them (usually) any dealer can call them whatever they want. And they need to brand their products like anything needs branding to sell them. The guy in California you spoke of probably isn't affiliated with Greenleaf or pooltablesdirect but I would bet that he probably carries something similar. So his hands are clear but still sells the same thing. What company is he with?
I also new pooltablesdirect was Colorado based and they put out Greenleaf, Kingdom, and DLT pool tables in Colorado. They are ALL THE SAME TABLES, just with different names. There are local dealers in Colorado that also sell the same tables but they put their own name on them like Colorado Series or again Kingdom, or even ABC (American Billiards Company) etc.
Well I finally got my Olhausen Remington table in the 9 foot version and I'm totally satisfied with it. I'm so glad I did the research and came across this site. I'm just so satisfied I don't know what else to say. Just glad i didn't send my money to China.
It seems like they don't "manufacture" but rather "assemble" pool tables.
If anyone wants to know the names and home addresses of the owners of these companies can just go online to the Colorado Dept. of Corporation's and Nevada Department of Corporation's websites.
pooltablesdirect.com and greenleaf billiards
- Title: pooltablesdirect.com and greenleaf billiards
- Author: sportnut
- Published: 8/2/2008 12:28:26 AM
