In a message dated 7/23/2001 7:44:15 PM Central Daylight Time, A440A@AOL.COM writes: << Agreed, I know from experience that insurance companies don't question Steinway restoration prices. I like to use them as a baseline for deciding what the loss is. Then, if a technician has a good relationship with a great restoration facility, then it is easy for them to put their reputation on the line for the quality of the finished piano. The factory is not infallible, it is not the final, ultimate, forever-ever-amen facilty to get the most out of an old piano. And with the recent prices I saw posted in Reno, it is more expensive than any other place I have seen. But it is a legitimate standard to arrive at a restoration figure. I dunno, this has worked well for me in the past, others have better angles on complete restoration projects? REgards, ED Foote RPT >> I've been thinking about your comments for a few days, trying to figure out my discomfort with the concept. I think it boils down to legitimizing unethical marketing practices. You are aware, as many are, that Steinway in the past few years has made such claims as "if it isn't rebuilt by a Steinway technician, it isn't a Steinway", and "Non-Steinway technicians can't get Steinway parts", and "if all of the parts aren't Steinway, it's not a Steinway". Variations on these themes have been being bruited about by SW and by their dealerships for too long now, and I know that there has been some discussion of this in this forum. I'm not trying trying to restart that discussion. But to set up Steinway as the be-all and end-all reference source for value and pricing for restoration, particularly through such an institutionalized routes as insurance companies, indirectly adds strength and credence to them and their claims, albeit unintentionally. I'm sure they're very happy to be considered the "base-line". I, personally, am not so happy for them to be considered so. There is an inherent conflict between the conscious restraint of trade marketing stance of Steinway and the PTG's own set of published ethics. As soon as Steinway begins to have quality again, instead of just selling itself as having quality, I will have no problem using them as a baseline. I don't mean to come across to shrilly here, but I'm starting to have a visceral reaction to Steinway's bending of ethical practices. PR-J
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