Looking for new table advice... Stiga let me down!

Ok, I'll try to keep this brief but it probably wont be. I used to play a lot of table tennis but have been out of it for quite a few years now with only some occasional play.
Back when I played a lot Stiga was my racket of choice and the name I've always been the most familiar with.

So now I have a really large area when I can have a setup so I decided to get a new table.
After looking around on Amazon I settled on the Stiga STS 520.
Looked like a well built table and while only a couple reviews they were both favorable.
So, $1000 and a couple weeks later its time to set the table up.

Here is where the problems begin.
First thing is noticeable right away... one of the decorative side rails is bent up a bit. No big deal... just cosmetic and I'm sure they will be happy to send me a new one.

Now I'm about 10 minutes in to the build and its time to install the 4 casters. One of them I cannot get the bolt to thread on to it. I'm talking simply fingers only ... did not try a wrench or anything so it is not stripped. Upon closer inspection the thread on this bolt is visibly different from the other three. So it will simply not work. Not the end of the world I will just have to put some wood or something under that leg until my new one arrives.

Next step and only about 5 minutes later... I'm installing 2 of the leg rails on the table... they are on and now time to put the cross braces on... Hmmm... it appears there are no holes where I need there to be holes!!! Upon inspection and comparison to what should be the identical other legs... well it appears that someone welded one of the pieces on backwards. So I have enough holes, they are just not where they belong.

At this point its time to call customer service and here is where I really get pissed.

Called the number... on hold a few minutes... its all good... the second the guy answers the phone there is a just a serious attitude in his voice and I knew within seconds I would hate him before I hung up.
So I start to tell him of my situation and pretty much have to coax a response out of him every time I felt I should hear a reply... basically just to be sure he was even still there because he didn't seem too interested in helping me. Every time he did reply he had this tone in his voice like I had called him on a Sunday morning at his home on his day off.
So, finally he takes my information so he can send me replacement parts.
By the way this call was made on Friday about 5:00pm EST.
Now he has my info and since he was not going to volunteer the information I ask how long he thinks it will take.... He tells me at least 10 days.
I reply, 'Are you serious'!!!
... I mean I have a 350 pound table that will be just sitting there half assembled for nearly 2 weeks... unacceptable to me.
He tells me it Friday and he is in California and I'm in PA so that is the best he can promise. I ask will it at least be here by next Friday so I can have for at least the following weekend?
He says he can't promise me anything.

**by the way.. at the time of the call I was paying attention to MY time so didn't think about it while on the phone. BUT, its 3 hours earlier there so only about 2:00... they could have shipped that same day!!

I inform him that he can very well promise me that... simply pay to have it shipped at a speed that will get it here. I told him I paid $1000 for a table and have 3 problems in the first 15 minutes of assembly.
He tells me he can't promise me anything.
I told him I can promise him that if I don't have my parts by next Friday then I will be returning the table to Amazon.
He's not even moderately affected and blows me off.
Not once did this guy act apologetic in any way. I didn't want him to kiss my ass but at least act like you care...
A simple I'm really sorry about the inconvenience and I will do my best to have these parts shipped out to you as quickly as possible and I would have been still been bummed about not getting to play that night but my faith in the company would have remained.

This kind of talk went on for a brief while long and since I didn't want to be a total loser like this guy I pretty much end the conversation instead of telling him to go F himself.
I went home and immediately got on my computer and started the return process with Amazon.
Been dealing with Amazon for about 10 years and they are simply awesome with things like this.
... that same night I received a reply from Amazon either offering what I asked for... #1 a refund.
Or #2, exchange for a new table.
Or #3 keep what I have and $200 refund (NOT EVEN THEIR TABLE) and they offer me 20% back when the dickhead from Stiga had a total attitude about everything.

I will be calling Stiga back Monday morning to talk to a manager about this situation.
So right now I'm not totally sure what to do... even with the tempting $200 refund I don't know if I want anything from Stiga ever again... you simply don't treat customers that way.

So my question is has anyone else had this kind of bad luck with Stiga?
Any trouble with defective parts?
Any trouble with their obvious shit customer service?
I understand that even the best companies can have an issue with a product and I could have lived with that... but not the idiot on the phone.

So moving right along....
The next day I decided to drill the holes in the legs myself just so I can see this thing assembled.
Now that its up I'm beginning to question if this table is even worth $1000 if I didn't have these problems.
Here are some of the things I didn't like.
The frame of the table does not go around all 4 sides... no rail across the net line. So even though it has a 1" (25mm) thick top you can reach into the middle of the table and push and bow the table a considerable amount. For $1000 spend the extra $1 and add the 4th support rail.
The decorative rails (not support) all around the table are made from some really thin cheap metal... probably why one arrived bent. The ball holder at each end is also flimsy.
There are plastic corners on this table that are simply pieces of shit. The don't really look good and they are not attached to the table perfectly straight and even stick up higher than the playing surface in a couple spots... so a ball in play could actually hit one.
Another thing I don't like is that the net will have to be removed to fold up the table... this table even though there is a large space for it will still need to be folded up regularly since the space is also used for other things... don't really want to have to take down and set up net every time.
Also, although it can be done you will have to use a little effort to fold this up yourself... you can't hit the 2 required releases simultaneously.... you will have to hit one, put some tension on the table and then reach for the other while holding the table.

I started looking at other tables.
Amazon has one by Joola...the model I looked at is 'Atlanta Olympic Table'... its a few hundred dollars more but it looks like its build like a tank. The issues I mention above and not a problem on this table. The frame goes all the way around, no plastic corner protectors to be an issue, the net stays on during foldup and there is a video of a girl effortlessly opening and closing this thing via foot pedals.

Thoughts? Opinions? Recommendations?


Edited by pong4128 - 08/24/2014 at 1:55pm

The US military got their hands on a number of these Atlanta models for some of their rec centers and once these are a decade old, forget it.

Here is a chart comparison of Tables at Paddle Palace:

Paddle Palace TT Tables

Any other questions ..... ask their experts !

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