Grey Market Pianos?

[Brian Lawson]

 > >I have a client, who bought their Grand Piano in South Africa. They have
> >since moved to Oregon. This is a rather odd construction piano w/water
> >pipe for pedal lyre columns!
>

Not Guilty, but I have seen a similar Yamaha with gold painted
tubing/colums - original style as far as I could see.

Brian Lawson, RPT
Johannesburg, South Africa





> Got a picture you can upload to the EGroup by chance?
>
> >It is a Yamaha. Would this piano be considered a Grey Market Piano? If
so,
> >then why should they be denied proper parts and service, just because
they
> >once lived in South Africa and LEGALLY PURCHASED it from a Yamaha Dealer?
> >At present time, the piano does not have any problems, but if and when it
> >does, what am I going to tell them? Somethings wrong with this picture!
> >Any comments would be appreciated.
>
> This is just a personal observation, but I suspect there are two
> differences here: "provenance" and warranty.  This isn't just another
> imported piano from an unknown practice room in Tokyo purchased from a
> fly-by-night dealer somewhere. If it's still under warranty and the
> original warranty reads "world-wide" they have to support the warranty.
>
> In addition, the piano still belongs to the original purchaser, so until
> they sell it, it hasn't been on any shade of market at all, grey, black or
> whatever. That being said, if it's off warranty I doubt Yamaha USA could
> "support" the piano any more than Volkswagon USA would be able to support
> an imported Mexican Beetle.
>
> An imported Mexican Beetle would be a good example of a "grey market"
> product if it were possible to register them here. The State won't
sanction
> them because the serial numbers show they don't pass American safety
> standards. Grey market pianos don't have "safety standards" as such, but
> there are other standards such as moisture content when built that they
> fail to meet, so the manufacturer won't sanction them. In both cases the
> rules are designed to protect the consumer.
>
> That's my comment, anyway. I'd like to see that piano!
>
>                  John
>
> John Musselwhite, RPT    -     Calgary, Alberta Canada
> http://www.musselwhite.com  http://canadianpianopage.com/calgary
> email: john@musselwhite.com    http://www.mp3.com/fatbottom
>