deep thoughts: grey/gray

[Dave Davis]

List,
As I am approaching the end of my newbie status, gray
market Yamahas are a subject to which I've devoted
much thought. Being a port city,(Seattle) we're seeing
quite a few come in.

Problem #1.  Yamaha says there is a problem and denies
support.

Response:  I've asked other techs in my local chapter
and have found that none have experienced problems
with gray markets in our area (western
Washington...average humidity, rains a lot).  A couple
of weeks ago, there were several in the South-Eastern
U.S. who also had not observed problems.

Problem #2.  I know of at least one dealer who is
selling them without warning to the consumer.  There
are probably more, I'm just aware of this one. 

Response:  I feel badly for the unsuspecting public
who are buying nice looking Yamaha's with no company
support. Granted, I just said I'm not aware of local
problems, but what happens when they move to Kevin's
neighborhood in Phoenix?  They have what they think is
a nice quality piano, then maybe it goes SHA-BING!!

Problem #3.  More and more gray market pianos are
going to keep on coming.  Everyday, people in Asia buy
new Yamahas (or whatever) and trade in the 17 year old
Yamaha which quite often ends up in North America.

Response:  Somebody (I'm not volunteering just yet)
needs to gather some hard evidence of what problems
are being found in the pianos and the regional climate
in which the piano resides.  

The gray market's are here to stay.  I suggest that
we, as reputable piano technicians, need hard evidence
regarding these pianos so we can advise our clients
correctly.

Dave Davis, Assoc.
Renton, WA
Puget Sound Chapter

p.s.  I've been wondering just when I do stop being a
"newbie"!!?


--- Keith McGavern <kam544@gbronline.com> wrote:
> >... I live in Arizona, and 90% of the "Gray Market"
> pianos that end 
> >up here DO end up having major problems somewhere
> sooner or later. 
> >Usually sooner. I wouldn't want to be the tech who
> is sent out to 
> >one of these customers homes to "make the best of
> the situation for 
> >the people concerned." ... Kevin E. Ramsey, RPT
> 
> Kevin, List,
> 
> Major problems is quite a generalization. Could you
> perhaps be more 
> specific as to what constitutes major problems,
> please? And 90% of 
> how many pianos, the ones that you service, ones
> that you have 
> documented from other sources in Arizona, ones that
> people talk have 
> reported in your chapter, region, state level, just
> what exactly?
> 
> And the usually sooner or later thing is kind of a
> speculative 
> comment at best. If major problems haven't happened
> that can be 
> documented, sooner or later doesn't seem to be a
> factor that can be 
> allowed to enter into any equation.
> 
> Other than Yamaha's website, if you do have actual
> case histories to 
> support your statement, I would consider that
> *extremely* relevant 
> information, because that's 9 out of 10 pianos, 90
> out of 100.
> 
> Very hard for me to accept such a ratio is a
> reality.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Keith McGavern
> Registered Piano Technician
> Oklahoma Chapter 731
> Piano Technicians Guild
> USA


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