<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Apr 28, 2006, at 12:08 AM, Paul Williams RPT wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I thought this was way out of line to quote prices for tunings.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>(by the way, they are way out of line for the area and circumstances)<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I thought prices for work were sort of kept out of ear shot.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV>Hi Paul,</DIV><DIV>Actually, from what I understand of our policy, only statements like yours above, "(by the way, they are way out of line for the area and circumstances)", are possibly in danger of violating anti-trust legislation. This was the attitude which got PTG in trouble in the first place -- a PTG member, unknown even to his chapter, complained about someone else advertising a low price and the state attorney general was contacted because of it. I think, yes, we are supposed to refrain from discussing price, but, as is apparent from our ability to gather survey information on price, it appears the spirit of that restriction is with regard to direct competition, not in comparing market rates from one region to the next or earnings possibilities for a job opening. I personally think it is perfectly legitimate to advertise for a position and give the potential applicants an idea of the earnings potential for the position. That seems to happen thousands of times a day on Monster dot com.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Similarly, I think the Econ 101 discussion can't be possibly in violation of any anti trust, nor is it "off topic", but that would definitely be only my opinion, and not that of someone who is better studied in antitrust law. We are, after all, business people. Other industries certainly offer venues of education which teach its members how to make more money than they currently are. I've certainly been to sales seminars in many other fields which teach how to close a sale without competing on price. And quite often, that price may well be set by the national headquarters and not negotiable by the sales rep! And many classes in collegiate business schools teach how to support the market for goods and services. How is that any more in violation of anti trust legislation than our discussion of supply and demand or whether increasing price in a certain market circumstance could constitute gouging? As long as we don't say, "that price is too much" or "that price is too little", I can't see how we violate any unfair trade practice law. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Gasoline retailers must be in much deeper water than we, since they call around several times a day to see what their direct competitors are selling for before deciding whether to or how much to change the price on their own signs. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Even if we disagree with others' pricing practices, probably the best thing to do is keep quiet and compete in such a way that our own individual consciences can be at peace with.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Ed Foote wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Right here in this town, there are advertised</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">prices for plumbers, window cleaners, chiropractors, lawn maintenance, gasoline,</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Lazik eye surgeons, attorneys, and a bunch of others. There is nothing sacred</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">about us tuning pianos.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>....and toilet paper, hamburger meat, onions, 2 liter cokes, golf clubs, tennis shoes, lawn mowers. bicycles, tools, automobiles, grills, underwear, mattresses, linens, haircuts, body tanning, gym memberships, car washes, oil changes....</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>...just check the flyers in your Sunday paper, or look on the window of the grocery store as you ride by. As long as there is not an organized group attempting to establish unfair trade practices, there is apparently no legal movement to end the practice of publishing local businesses' prices for goods and services. Why can everybody but piano tuners advertise their price?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>