need advice/rant-new piano problems/location of good piano tuning schools

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 7/27/1999 10:14:55 PM, Rob wrote:

<<"You bought it, you deserve to get what you paid for.">>

Rob............maybe they did?  Having decided years ago to not try to 
compete with School System bidding, I can sympathize with both sides.
 From the Schools point of view They want/need to get the best instrument for 
the lowest possible price and don't mind squeezing a dealer for all the 
goodie they can get.
 From the dealers point of view they need to sell at the highest possible 
price so they can make enough money to stay in business and don't mind 
squeezing the School system for all the dollars they can get.

  These two thingees usually don't meet in the middle and something has to 
give, i.e. smaller instrument, lesser quality, poorer service, etc.  Now, a 
good case can be made for saying that regardless of the price a dealer has 
the duty to deliver a servicable instrument at the start if he/she decides to 
make the sale ............and I won't argue with this line of thinking.  
However on the last school sale here in town, that I am familiar with, the 
winning(?) dealer quoted a price based on: 
1. Instrument delivered straight to schools. 
2. No set-up, initial service. 
3. No warranty.
  Not suprisingly there were numerous problems with the pianos as delivered 
and the school system screamed for service. the dealer pointed to the 
contract and said they got "exactly" what thay paid for and that he would be 
happy to service these instrments for XX dollars per unit, provide warranty 
service for XX dollars per unit and there the matter rests.
  This may not be the case with Cynthia Ann's piano but it is a possibility 
that cannot be overlooked unfortunately.
Another view.
Jim Bryant (FL)