Your point is valid, but I also think that the size of the discreptancy will influence whether something might be considered fraud. In your example of the old upright, you are talking $750. With the tuning, $50 difference. One can argue that I or you tune better, so we can charge more. Same with old upright, you can say it has a nice case, or it was my grandmother's, and I just won't sell it for less. But in the case at hand, we are talking a difference in the area of maybe $7,000 to $10,000. I should think that would be the difference between a matter of opinion and fraud. But that is why I posted - to get differing opinions - and I thank you for sharing. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sigurd Throan Hanson" <sigurd@scc.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 11:15 PM Subject: Re: Piano Fiasco > There is no law against making a poor deal. I found out about this in small > claims court. The customer who was a MD paid $1000 for an old upright. > Buyers remorse set in and the customer had a RPT testify that it was worth > about $250. The customer lost. There is no law against making a poor deal. > Our court system would be overburden if they had to set prices. > > Some of us get $100 for a tuning while some of us get $50 for the same > quality tuning. Is the $100 tuner just plain garbage? > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 7:53 PM > Subject: Piano Fiasco > > > > Tuned for a new client this evening. They just bought their first piano a > > couple months ago. First tuning. The lady asked me what I thought the > piano > > was worth. 1985 Yamaha C3. Very good condition. Sounds real nice. Real > > clean. I told her you could figure somewhere around a 25% loss in value > > every five or ten years. A C3 now costs about $20,000. So figure hers > might > > be worth somewhere between $10,000 to $13,000 at a dealer, and perhaps > > $8,000 to $11,000 in a private sale. > > > > She looked at me in horror and told me that she had just paid $19,000 for > > the piano. She bought it at a dealer blowout - 50% off - > > going-out-of-business sale. Now perhaps it is not good to mention names > > here, so I won't. I'll just call the dealer (which I understand is the > > largest dealer chain in the US) Mr. B. Now you may ask why the subject of > > this post has the word "Fiasco". Maybe there was a reason. She said the > > piano had a sign on it (as did all the pianos in the store) that said > > "Originally $38,000". And at 50% off, that is where the $19,000 came from. > > > > When I got home I typed her serial number into the Yamaha web site. Grey > > market (it had three working pedals). > > > > So, tell me, does anyone have any experience with a similar situation? Is > > there any recourse this woman might have? I know that when two parties > agree > > on a price for an item, that's it - it's a deal. But I suspect one could > > argue a pretty clear case of fraud here. This is not stretching things a > > bit, this is total misrepresentation, lying, etc. Any thoughts? > > > > The poor woman was beside herself. Half way through the tuning she said > her > > husband would be coming home soon and asked if I would please not say > > anything about the piano value issue. I just hope the purchase was a > mutual > > decision, and not one that she had pushed for. :-( > > > > She thought she had made such a good deal (hey, 50% off) that even if she > > did not end up playing it much, they could sell it at a profit and pay off > > some of their student loans (they are both mid-20s, just out of graduate > > school, just bought their first house). Not bloody likely. > > > > There are a few people in this business that are just plain garbage. I > > really have quite a few more colorful words at the tip of my tongue, but > > I'll leave it at that. > > > > Terry Farrell > > > > >
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