Ethics question

[John Ross]

I think you should have turned down the evaluation job.
A definite conflict of interest.
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: PJR 
  To: ilvey at sbcglobal.net ; Pianotech List 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 9:34 PM
  Subject: Ethics question


  I was asked to evaluate the condition of a used piano for a customer (buyer)  for a nominal fee.  It was a private sale.  When I went to see the piano, it was one that I had been wanting for some time.  I wanted to buy it from the seller.  Question: How, when and/or what must I do, ethically, to buy it  from the seller seeing that now I had a fiduciary relationship with the customer who paid my fee?

  What actually happened:

  I wrote a positive report of the piano and recommended the buyer offer several hundred dollars below the asking price.  She did so, but, the seller rejected her offer.  The buyer  left the deal and bought another piano elsewhere.  When I heard she bought another piano, without telling her,  I offered the original seller his price and bought the piano.  Did I do wrong?  Should I have asked her permission?  Should I tell her now, especially since she plans to  hire me to tune her new piano?  I have a queasy feeling about the deal. Should I?    It could be a future, awkward situation.

  Phil Ryan
  Miami Beach




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