Xpole rotated joints!

Exquisitepain started this discussion · 7/12/2011

So, i know everyone has been having problems with the new xpole and the rotated joints. When i first got my xpole it had the same problem and when i called xpole they were very nice and sent me a new joint and A pole and B pole immediately. HOWEVER, i have bought more than one pole and the girls in my studio all bought the xpole. EVERYONE including my studio owner has had rotated joints! Last weekend we were all at my friends house practicing on hers and all of a sudden it just fell over! SO DANGEROUS! and when we looked the top xjoint literally fell through to the bottom. When we called xpole to ask about the dropped joint and how come everyone of our poles have rotated joints, the customer service was not the same. IN FACT, the lady goes on to lecture us that our joints rotated bc we were not setting up the pole right and for her to get new pieces for her pole she would have to pay. They just kept telling us to bang it out with a broom handle. We've tried but it just doesn't budge. my question is WHY DO I HAVE TO DO THAT? SHOULDNT XPOLE BE MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PRODUCT? has everyone i know and heard of on this site been installing their pole wrong? i think not. obviously the product is flawed. The lady on the phone goes on to continue reprimanding us saying that the pole needs to be taken up and down EVERYDAY. and we have to tighten the screws EVERYDAY. whats the point of having a portable pole if i cant take it up and down as i please? isn't xpole suppose to be an "industry porfessional best" pole??? I shouldn't have this problem paying the prices i did for these poles. Sorry just ranted bc I was really unhappy with the way the customer service responded to our complaints. I shouldnt have to get a broom handle to bang out something. IT SHOULD WORK! or they need to fix it!! its obvious a problem in the design and they know that. but now that a majority of their poles have this problem, they dont wanna help fix it obviously bc of costs. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

36 replies

Mary Ellyn · 7/12/2011
I believe it's a bit overstated to say that everyone is having problems with their poles and setting them up incorrectly. I own 7 XPert poles and I SELDOM have the joints rotate since I practiced and eventually learned how to install them so that it doesn't happen any longer. I also check them regularly so that the times they do start to rotate, I fix them right away. Personally I don't like the suggestion to use a broom handle so we use a piece of conduit which works just fine for forcing the joint out. The only way the joint will fall through to the bottom is it was put in extremely loose or wasn't monitored to see if it rotated and it continued to rotate until it moved down the pole. All removable poles will fall if they aren't checked regularly for stability. I'm not certain which is the bigger problem ...the threaded joints which got locked and difficult to take the pole apart or the joints that rotate but it's a far cry better than what we have had to deal with from other companies. I was just on the phone with Xpole customer service today and they were extremley helpful and professional. The problem is that removable poles are going to have issues. They are obviously not very easy to desgin since no one has yet to come up with the "perfect" removable pole.
Pisces Poler · 7/13/2011
Hi there, this might be a silly question, but does that mean that we are supposed to pull the x pole down regularly to make sure this doesn't happen with the joints? I have only been poling for about 5 months so I just want to make sure I do the right thing with my pole :-)
Mary Ellyn · 7/13/2011
Not a silly question but you should check the holes regularly to make certain you don't see the XJoint slipping so that the hole is now partially blocked. As soon as it starts to turn you take the pole down and get the joint out and reset it properly otherwise it continues to turn and possibly even move up or down. You should also check the stability of a removable pole (jerk on it) after every four hours of dancing to make certain it's not coming loose - floor settle, ceilings shift, and poles get get loose.
Pisces Poler · 7/13/2011
Thanks for the tips, I'll go do that tomorrow! :-)
LizzyLiz810 · 7/14/2011
Hi there. I doubt that you and all your friends were doing it wrong. I recently had a problem and was told the same thing. However, after examining my brand new xpert, compared to the old one i had (top loading) there was a huge difference. Basically the pole is so much thinner, soon as u tighten the xjoint, the edges started to flare out. The xjoint doesnt fit in the little groove properly. The groove is not as deep, leaving tons of room for error. Believe me, i didnt over tighten it. I had the xpole technician come and do it since i was apparantly so dumb and couldnt do it right. The same thing happened. The new models are flawed, bottom line! I dont care which pole celebrity is endorsing xpole, the latest shipment should be recalled!!
Mary Ellyn · 7/14/2011
Liz...I have to ask...did anyone at Xpole actually call you "dumb" or did they offer to help you by sending a technician out to see what the problem was? I can attest that MANY people make errors when setting up their poles. I've had problems myself after all this time and am on the phone with customer service trying to figure out what is wrong. I sure wish I could have a technician available to trouble shoot every time I needed one! Did they charge you to send this technician out? Didn't they refund your purchase as I recall from another thread? This all sounds like reasonable and responsible customer service. I don't doubt any of the problems that you describe but I have to point out that we have received and sold 3 poles within the past two weeks and I see no difference in the quality of the newer poles and they go together just fine. (I actually assemble poles for my students when they purchase one) It may be a bit of a presumption to state that XPole has actually changed the design and that an entire batch needs to be recalled. XPole isn't perfect but I have to point out that they DO CARE and they work hard to make their customers happy and if there is a problem, I believe they will do what they need to to rectify it.
Dancing Paws · 7/14/2011
Regarding the OLD xpoles taht were threaded: if you were to lube them with petroleum jelly or something, were they still hard to get apart? I sorta think I'd be happier with a threaded pole, even if it never came apart. I wanted to get x poles for my classes, but maintaining the joints is too much of a hassel, so I am going with lilmynx.
Mary Ellyn · 7/14/2011
We used everything - people tried petroleum, silicone spray, axle grease, etc. Eventually they all give out and with the oils from your skin and dust/dirt "seeps" in between the cracks and mixes with these lubes and it gets thick and sticky resulting in the sections being stuck together.
LizzyLiz810 · 7/14/2011
I have put up and taken down many xpoles b4, and so has my bf. When we called and told them what was happening, they kept saying it was user error and that i was doing it wrong. I told them i have experience putting them up and down. Nobody straight up called me an idiot, but by repeatedly telling me i was doing it wrong sure made me feel like one. They asked if i watched the installation video, and i told them yes, and that i also read the directions to which they replied "oh you cant go by the directions." They shouldnt be in the box then if they are wrong. If they have such great customer service, why are they setting us up with bad directions? Remove the incorrect directions from the box. That doesnt cost $$ to do. I asked for the technician to come out, but that is not something they offer because "it is a liability" for them. And no, they didnt charge for him to come. He was only allowed to put up 1 or 2 poles, basically to "show us how to do it." I dont think that Xpole actually purposely changed their design because xpole is just the distributor, but i do think their MANUFACTURER is being shady and making a cheaper product. Maybe the 3 poles you got are fine, and maybe i just had a bad batch, but bottom line, there should be a quality control check. They are made in china and you can get away with anything there. If the actual xpole technician put them up and didnt see a problem until i pointed it out, how is any woman that puts them up gonna know? The metal shouldnt be THAT THIN, that soon as u tighten the xjoint it flares out. Im pretty sure that their technician didnt "overtighten" or have "user error" while putting it up. The poles were just defective. Maybe they need to come up with a whole new design that doesnt involve the xjoint since there are TONS of people that keep having issues with it. The people at Xpole are generally really nice, and they do alot for the community by sponsoring women, and events. The thing is though, i could have gotten hurt, which means someone else could get hurt too. I dont want that to happen. Pole fitness is super serious. Everyone made a big stink when platinum stages had an issue with their "star stand alone" pole, yet when the xpoles continuously have problems with the joints for soooo many people, no one cares?? All i see is people defending xpole, instead of caring about one anothers safety. @sensualscimitar- i have never tried a lil mynx pole, but i just got 6 platinum stage permanent poles for my studio, and so far so good. i even got 2 brass, and i love them! im very sweaty, so it helps that the pole is a lil stickier.
BACE16 · 7/14/2011
Counter point: My Xjoints have never rotated, I tightened according to the directions and checked each time I use the pole to see if they're rotating. However, I cannot get the screw in the Xjoints to turn at all. I have not stripped the screw, I have the hex wrench fully seated, my boyfriend bends the handle on the wrench when he tries, the screws just will not turn. I'm assuming its because I didn't take it down often enough, I'm bad and only took it down about once a month.
Dancing Paws · 7/14/2011
I learned on LM poles, so I am used to their slickness. Despite me being super sweaty, I am willing to get the LM poles for ease of puttnig htem up and taking them down. Their pro pole is a 2 piece, wehre the top tube has an extension with tabs that fits into the bottom pole (it just SLIDE IN, no joint crap.) I am just going to be wiping poles a lot, fanning my hands, and using grip aids.
KateSykerd · 7/14/2011
Me and my flatmate had the same problem BACE, we saw the joints slightly turning on one side so decided to take it down and redo it all, and the joint turned out to be COMPLETELY stuck (unable to loosen it)! I think the people at Xpole are lovely, they just exchanged it for another without batting a lid, it's the product thats annoying. Some poles are fine, my old one was fine until the joint got stuck, but my new pole always rotates to the extent that I've stopped trying to stop it. Every spin it rotates, and I know I can set them up because I set my old one up in the same way. Its ok if you're a professional poler or own your own studio, but I'm just a 20 year old student with no knowledge of how to set things up apart from what the instructions tell me to do, and if they're telling me wrong and I need some other knowlesge then, well, xpole shouldn't be allowed to sell to me or the general public...
Mary Ellyn · 7/14/2011
I have the instructions and they are what I used when I first got my XPert as there were no videos...there is nothing INCORRECT in the instructions. They do not however cover every complication that comes up in various settings.
LizzyLiz810 · 7/14/2011
X-pole told me straight up not to read the directions....😕 Im really not on here to debate left and right. I am sharing my experience with other people that are having the same or similar problems. It seems that many people have problems with the joints. If its that complicated or needs that much upkeep, xpole should consider redesigning it.
black sheep · 7/14/2011
I was with Liz for all these problems with the x-pole. This was not her first pole. For all of you ladies who are defending x-pole, I need to know do you all shill for everyone who puts out a terrible product? Liz had an old top loading chrome pole, that thing was heavey as hell, and she never had an issue with the threading or anything. She also owns a first edition TG 45, which she has never had a problem with putting up and down and up and down, as that is the pole she drug around studio hunting. Th x-joints havent ever slipped in that model as of this time. Why? That pole is made different then the latest run of x-poles. The machined out hallows that hold the x-joint in place are cut deeper, into a much thicker metal. The metal on the newer poles was cheap and thin, like a bargain store play set. They litterally feel like something you buy at spencers. The new, bigger poles weigh far less than the TG pole she got last year. Her bf has been putting these poles up and down and up and down. No problem. Then it comes to installing her new poles. He was putting one together, and I came there to help, Liz and I worked really hard to make sure we had everything done. All that was left to do was some trim touch up and to put up the poles. The first pole goes up, and immidiatly we notice all the issues with it. At 12" or over this pole is not safe the way it is being made now. The entire pole BOWS OUT on simple fireman spins, which makes the xjoints slip out of where they belong, as the machined cuts to hold it are super shallow. then the joints slam back into the pole and flare out the ends on both the joints on the middle 1000 extention. Liz and I are both pretty small women, she is 5'4 and maybe 130, I am 5'2 and about 115, so for us to bend and break a brand new pole doing fireman spins is ridiculous. We were baffled, we called x-pole, and whoever we spoke to that evening, about 15 minutes before closing time, was more interested in GOING HOME FOR THE WEEKEND then helping us. She pretty much blamed us, then told us to call back on monday, and hung up. We were not about to touch any of the other poles, so we lost the entire weekend to practice, work on lessons, and do photoshoots that we had booked for the new studio. (remember this if for a studio, not for a home) Monday morning we call and we get Heidi and she put us on speaker phone. She was extremely nasty to us, blaming us, being extremely snarky, saying over and over, "well your doing it wrong! did you read the instructions, and follow the video? Well the instructions are wrong dont follow them! "Both Liz and I were shocked at the treatment by this women, Liz then asked about having their tech come help, the first reply was "we don't do that" and Liz said back to her, well when I bought the poles from YOU (she got them from heidi at x-pole as she ordered them in the office, not online) and she was told, "we dont' do that" even though when she ordered she was told it wouldnt be a problem. Then heidi also said that Liz did not purchase the poles from her, and named another women in the office. I asked why we also had the wrong parts, as we needed a 200 mm x joint, as we had a diagram that showed the 250 MM extention at the top, which is how Heidi sold it to her. She actually sold her the poles missing the extra joint to bring the pole up to full ceiling height, as we also needed to pu the 125 MM at the top too, which she didnt add into the calculation for full height. (liz ordered these in the x pole office, not by phone or online, as we live in california, and she is so lucky we do!) The bottom line is this product is not meant for studios. They claim these poles have a 250lb limit, yet a local studio doesnt let anyone over 160 on these poles. Why is this? And if we were so wrong in installing it, then why was the GUY WHO WORKS FOR XPOLE not able install these poles without the ends flaring and the joint spinning? Not only that, even the good pole he installed fell over! He installed it, he said it was "beautiful" and then liz did a simple fireman spin and it FELL. It luckily only bounced of the wall, and her BF was there to catch it, before it hit her new mirrors, or me, who was only a few feet away. You guys really need to think about this seriously, you are all so quick to defend x-pole, but would you also be so quick to defend the studio owners who's pole failed, and someone got seriously injured? No you would BLAME THEM. And thats the problem here. Studio owners should not be taking the fall for such a poorly made product. Poles should not be breaking or falling over. And if they are meant for home use only at only a certain height, then x-pole should not sell people on these extentions, and tell them that they are pefectly safe. Last, if these poles are so great, why did x-pole have stainless steel, one piece poles made for USPDF? Why wasnt a regular x-pole used?
Dancing Paws · 7/14/2011
Liz- I totally agree with you. I think the poles are semi-safe for home use at the 8 foot height, but any higher and it's too dangerous. When i got my xpert, I was looking at the little grooves inside the pole thinking "that is really tiny" and sure enough, the pole rotated. I haven't had the same problem sice, but I have noticed that after me "tightening" the x joint everytime I practice, I see a little bump forming where the xjoint tab is poking into the groove. 😕 Call lilmynx. They can custom make poles to be higher than 10 feet. Randy is really cool.
Mary Ellyn · 7/14/2011
LIz Savage...to insinuate that any of us are shilling for Xpole or anyone is quite an aggressive and unwarranted accusation. Additionally, no one has called you or Lizzy a liar or claimed that these problems did not occur at your studio and in fact I clearly stated that. Problems will exist with all poles and to be honest, not everyone has the best customer experience every time they deal with every company. Things happen and maybe you had a bad experience. But just as you have a right to post your bad experiences others have a right to repudiate with our experiences without being accused of having dishonorable intentions. No one has accused you or Lizzy of falsifying information so please do not accuse the rest of us of doing the same to support a product and company we have had YEARS of experience with. I've said all I'm going to say and so people can decide based on what they read and how things are presented.
LizzyLiz810 · 7/14/2011
I was really scared when the pole fell, and also when the other 2 flared out at the edges immediately when it was put up. I dont want anyone to go thru that, or get hurt. That is my main concern when I post on forums. Pole dance fitness can be dangerous, and if poles are having trouble holding up, it can lead to serious injury. I suggest people to get one piece poles. It seems like they are less of a headache. Platinum stages even has a one piece removable pole. I got the permanents for my studio though, just to be extra safe.
luvlee · 7/14/2011
I have to say, I have an old xpole. The good one. I have heard so much crap about the new ones, I am afraid to get one now. What else is good and STILL good. I have seen my friends new one come down on her once and the joints are stripped now. It is an issue. I need a 50 mm now. I have 45. I wanted titanium sooooo bad, but I am scared to invest in it and it come down and kill me or f up and I can't even use it.
X Pole Rep · 7/14/2011
Hi Guys, X-Pole strives to continue moving forward in the pole industry and to address the feedback we receive. When we heard that some of the threaded poles were getting stuck, we aimed to develop a new joint technology to eliminate this issue. The X-Joint helps minimize pole flex and increases the strength of your pole. There are thousands of new style X-Pert poles being used throughout the world without any issues. The key to preventing X-Joint rotation is alternating evenly between the two screws when expanding the X-joint and making sure the screws stay firmly tightened. Also, regular pole maintenance is important. Please check out this video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkr9KkkQkpM&feature=channel_video_title ; There are also other helpful techinical support videos on the X-Pole US website found here: http://xpoleus.com/assembly.php ; Safety and customer service are very important to X-Pole so we appreciate your concerns. If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the X-Pole office at 888-976-5387.
black sheep · 7/14/2011
Empyrean, you ARE a shill for the company, they are sponsoring your competition, and your Jamacia trip. I am not sponsored by anyone. I am not getting anything out of saying this. In fact I was really disapointed by everything I have found out, and seen, and even though I wanted one, I no longer have any interest in getting an x-pole. They are misleading everyone. They dont know what kind of metal the poles are made of, they claimed they are not stainless steel, well what are they made of? They don't know the answer to that! They dont seem to know much about their product in general. They also mislead you all on the site, they feature a pic of two dancers on a pole with a x-pole sign behind them. That is an 18' reinforced Platinum Stage Pole! That studio does have x-poles but they are rarely used, probably less then most home poles, as they had PS poles installed with extra steel inside, so they can support the weight of multiple girls. I know this as I take lessons at that studio from time to time. In fact most of the pics on the site are PS poles! I find that rather amusing. The bottom line is this company is selling people a potentially dangerous product that they cannot stand behind without blaming the customer when there is a problem. So you must be saying all the other threads on here about broken x joints, turned x joints, fallen xjoints, bent poles, and such, every single one is user error right? This isnt the only forum where people are complaining they have been treated badly, or blamed for the issues with the poles. This company is not honest about the product, they tell you what you want to hear to make a buck. That is called FRAUD. You cannot make claims your product is safe for certain applications, and uses, when it is not. They say you can put a 250 lb person on this pole safely. I would love to see that! I would also love to see an 85 lb 4'11 girl put up one of their poles in 10 minutes by herself. That installation video isnt misleading either right?
Mary Ellyn · 7/14/2011
Liz...I really wish you would stop saying that I am accusing people of lying or making things up. Why do I have to keep repeating that I am NOT disputing what you (or anyone else) is saying I am only giving MY experience and why would my experience be invalid simply because they have sponsored my events. Def: Shilling: One who poses as a satisfied customer or an enthusiastic gambler to dupe bystanders into participating in a swindle Sorry...that doesn't fit me! And even though XPole is sponsoring Jamaica and our competition that doesn't mean that I am being paid to lie for them, nor would I. I have a long standing, solid history in the pole community and MY reputation is very important. If I had a problem with XPole I would state so and I would not lie to promote their products. I have no need to. However that is exactly what you are accusing me of doing which is completely unwarranted. Everyone on here knows me to be fair and honest and I don't appreciate any accusations otherwise.
Mary Ellyn · 7/14/2011
To everyone else in this thread...I am SO sorry that this has resulted in personal accusations instead of sticking to the story and for that reason I will NOT respond to any further posts other than those asking basic questions about XPole - or you may feel free to message me or email me.
black sheep · 7/14/2011
Its not a personal accusation, you were the one making those. It is nothing but the truth, if you are endorsed by x-pole that makes you a shill for the company. Celebs and models get paid to endorse products every day, that does not make them safe, or even good products. I am sure you would not feel this way if this was YOUR studio and you had experienced this first hand. This has been a nightmare, and the studio opening got delayed, the wall got damaged, money was lost in rent, in photshoot deposits, not to mention the fact that liz was lucky enough to live in socal, as if it was anywhere else all the money she had put into this biz, relying on x-poles to work, would have been for nothing. She never would have been able to open with these poles. And these poles are not being safely used around the world. There are plenty of women who dont know about these forums, who are probably being blamed for poles bending, joints failing, every day. How many of you have replaced more than one part on your pole already? Should a studio have to be replacing parts on a regular basis? And how often are you to maintain these poles so they dont fall and hurt someone? How tight is too tight? "oh when it starts to flare," is the answer you get. Well once is flares out, it is now broken and you need a new piece, if its too loose the joint slips inside the pole, and the pole can collapse. Sounds like a great design to me, right girls? if you guys still buy into the hype of xpole because people who are PAID to tell you its good do, then you will believe anything. I bet you all beleive Jared lost all that weight eating subway too right? The proof is here on the forum, most of the girls defending this product are paid to do so in some way, whether it be sponsorships, or actually working for the company. The only thing I shill for is truth. Companies are ripping people off right and left, and will not stop as long as we let them get away with it.
Exquisitepain · 7/14/2011
@ empyrean: i am not overexaggerating when i say EVERY single persn that i personally know including studio owners, and fellow students has had this problem of rotated joints. EVERY SINGLE ONE. they cant ALL be user error. even if it is, that still means that there is something wrong with the design that makes it so difficult to get right. no one is trying to attack you personally, however, even you said that your 7 poles "SELDOM" rotate. SHOULDNT THEY NOT ROTATE AT ALL? i know that if xpole had told me from the beginning that these poles tend to rotate and that theres is alot of up keep with it. i might have considered another company. Yea, xpole was friendly the first time i called and they sent me a new piece soon after. HOWEVER, i feel like with the wave of people having problems, they're probably losing alot of money on this shoddy design. and thats why they're trying to charge me and my friend to buy new pieces when it is CLEARLY a manufacturer defect. ITS DEFECTIVE BC THOSE GROOVES ARE TOOO SHALLOW! if the groove was deeper im sure there would be less rotated joint problems. So now when i call i get a rude lady telling me to watch the video that ive watched so many times. and about alternate tightening the screws. YOU DONT THINK I KNOW THAT? IVE BEEN DOING THAT AND IT STILL ROTATES. so i feel like liz and lizsavage are frustrated because even though there is a large amount of pople complaining about this problem, you go on to say, "oh maybe you're overstating, well my poles SELDOM turn, etc etc" it trivializes our problems and makes you sound like a shill. if you were just purely stating your own opinion, then you didn't have to throw in the comments about us overstating the problem, or trying to blame us for some user error. All you had to say was "well i didn't have any problems with mine, sorry to hear about your problem" and who knows if you're being treated better bc you're being sponsored? I know for all of us non-pros, we just want a pole that works like it was advertised, and if it didn't work well, i want there to be some way to fix that problem, instead of being reprimanded and told to go watch the video again. @ lizzyliz, Lizsavage i totally feel you guys on it. and it sucks that it affected your business. We had the pole collapse on us too so its scary! we paid good money for these things thinking they are top of the industry, and having so many professional polers sponsored i thought that i was getting a high quality product! BUT how quality could it be if i need to be banging things out with a broom handle?????? And that same lady Heidi from xpole was being extremely rude to me and my friend as well. and you're right the people that are on this forum defending xpole either are sponsored or work for xpole. @ LindseyPole If you work at xpole, then you and your staff members need to get together and figure out something to do about this problem. If i have to hear one more employee at xpole tell me to go watch the video, im gonna flip. I keep trying to tell every person i called there that YES i have watched all the videos, YES i alternate tightening. YES it still rotates, YES i had a pole collapse on me bc of a rotated joint. and NO im not gonna pay for something that i just bought and it has a manufacturer defect. If i followed the directions provided by you guys, watched the video, but am still having the SAME problems, isn't it safe to say that it might not be the customers fault? I have seen countless amounts of threads on this site that talks about problems with their new xpoles. and EVERYTIME i see an xpole employee put up almost the same thing you did. AND i DO hesitate to call because i dont want another rude lecture from Heidi. Sorry if i come off rude, im just really frustrated at XPOLE customer service.

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