Ethics question

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Phil-

I agree with Ed Foote's accessment of your situation.
That you brought this to Pianotech indicates your need to get this right.
Your next step is to go to your customer and say "I've made a mistake and I need your help to make it right."
Your customer will tell you what you need to do.
It is worth doing what is necessary to get this straightened out.

Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: A440A at aol.com
>Sent: May 3, 2006 10:52 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: Ethics question
>
>
><< 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. >>
>
>Greetings, 
>    You better believe it.    You paid more than you suggested she did, and I 
>believe if I had been in her place, and later heard about that, I would have 
>automatically assumed that I had been cheated.  
>    
>   That queasy feeling is coming from somewhere.  Why would you tell them to 
>offer less than you thought it was worth, and were willing to pay yourself?  
>You were paid to tell your client what the piano was worth, and you didn't.  
>(It's worth was determined by what you paid for it).   
>        I don't know how you will get out of this without either suffering a 
>long term fear of being found out, or, (more likely) when the truth comes out, 
>being seen as totally underhanded.  What is a big dent in a reputation worth? 
>     
>Ed Foote RPT 
>http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
>www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>