Ed: There is good news , so so news, and bad news on the University sales. The good news is that the university does get new pianos to use for a year. The so so news is that some people who might otherwise not buy a piano, will now go out and buy one, thinking they got a "good deal". That is where the bad news comes in. From our experience here in St. Louis, we have found that for the most part, the pianos are not sold at a substantial discount. The sales are often conducted by the manufacturer's reps, instead of the local dealer, although they do send a couple of their own salesman in. The sales are very high pressure, and the customers are led to believe that the university is actually getting some of the money from the sales. It is deceptive advertising, at the least, if not down right lying. The bad news along with all of that is that the "reputable" dealers in town are left holding the bag. One the one hand, it is good old American competative marketing, but on the other hand, it give the dealer who sells the Yamahas or Kawais an even greater edge on the competition. When I have tuned for some of these customers, I found that the price they paid for the piano is at or even above the recommended retail price. In one instance, the "sale" price of a piano was higher than the "regular" price quoted on the same piano a week earlier in the show room. Wim Blees St. Louis
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