---------- > From: Joseph Alkana <jfa19@IDT.NET> > To: Pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Samick warranty work > Date: Sunday, October 31, 1999 6:19 PM > > List, > I've stewed about a situation for awhile, now I'd like some help in > making a decision, if any of you are willing to post an opinion. > > A Samick grand I take care of for a private client has bad knuckles. In > the past couple of years I have replaced several sets of knuckles all > under warranty and all authorized and paid for by Samick. No real > problem, unless you consider the paltry sum paid to me for the amount of > work done, but in some ways that's another story. > > This time I was told that if the bill exceeds $160.00, Samick would pick > up the piano from a local dealer who sells Samicks (not the original > dealer, by the way) at their convenience, transport the piano to their > warehouse facility in California and do the replacement and regulation > necessary there. All, I was told by a Rich Austin, at the total cost to > Samick of $80.00 transport cost each way. Needless to say the customer > would have to foot the bill for transport to the dealer's facilities > which in this case would be about $175.00 each way. (Gee, I wonder if > the piano might go out of tune somewhere along the way?) > > So far I have not relayed this information to my customer. > > I have mixed feelings about the situation and I'm sure all of you good > people can see many of the ramifications involved. Not the least of > which I feel is the potential loss of credibility as a qualified > technician to do what I consider very minor work. However, the Samick > warranty does specify that at its option any warranty work may be done > at a facility of their choice, which may indeed be a Samick facility. > > Yesterday I learned that a fellow tech here in this area (Seattle) had > exactly this same situation occur. The customer is furious with Samick > and had the local technician do the work at the customer's expense. The > technician was as generous as he could be, but I am sure the total bill > was more than Samick ever would agree to, which as stated above is only, > and forever, going to be $160.00 maximum. > > Comments please. > > Joseph Alkana RPT Joseph, You seem to come out looking good no matter what choice the customer makes. It's a legal situation between the customer and Samick. The customer could have you do the work , pay you for the regulation and knuckle installation, then sue Samick in small claims court.. Let the judge divine the inherent unfairness of Samick"s $160 maximum. Perhaps just the threat of this would make Samick reconsider, especially if you give them a reasonable rate on your regulation. Arthur Grudko
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