Are online "ebay" type pianos a good idea?

[Farrell]

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Again I state that the buyer should arrange for a remote (near the =
piano) tech to inspect the piano. A reputable local tech could find =
another reputable tech in the area of the piano, and pass that name on =
to the potential buyer. I'm quite sure that between looking through the =
PTG directory, asking a few folks on this list, and/or calling a few =
other techs, I would be able to pass on a good recommendation for a =
remote tech in just about any location within the USA/Canada. Although, =
I should think anyone would make this connection for the potential buyer =
for no fee (I would - hey, it's marketing), I would not be unreasonable =
to apply an hourly charge either.

Terry Farrell
 =20
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Z! Reinhardt=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 11:20 PM
  Subject: Re: Are online "ebay" type pianos a good idea?


  Hi Lanie!

  The following is an edited excerpt of something I sent to a friend of =
mine privately.

  I do have my suspicions about pianos appearing on internet auction =
sites.  Go ahead and call me a pessimist if you must.

  My immediate thought was that this was something the seller has found =
no room for in the resale market.  By auctioning it, the seller is =
hoping to get whatever might be possible for it, and it may not be much.

  Internet auctions give the sellers yet one more blind to hide behind.  =
They are free to talk about the quality components and perhaps show =
beautiful pictures, but the potential buyers are at the mercy of the =
information made available by the seller without the benefit of having =
an up-close look for themselves.  One of my customers here in Michigan =
once located a "choice" piano in California through the internet, then =
called me for an opinion.  I urged him to find a Registered Piano =
Technician there to take a good look.  It turned out the seller insisted =
they would arrange for that, and promised that the findings would be =
"impartial."  (I didn't know about this arrangement until the report =
came in.)  A few days later the customer sent me a long fax of the =
tech's report.  The more I studied the report, the more suspicious it =
looked.  Double whammy -- there was enough subtle little stuff in there =
that when added together, the technician was just as interested in =
selling it away as the seller was in making any money from it ... and my =
customer had to pay for his services.  My advice was to scrap the whole =
deal and concentrate on finding something locally.  (A friend of mine =
came through with something he had rebuilt.)

  Perhaps I was a little quick with the Delete button, but didn't the =
Brambach in a very recent thread end up as an internet auction item when =
the owner realized that very little could be done for it on a =
sub-minimal budget?  How many other pianos on these auction sites =
represent last-ditch efforts to get money for something that is =
otherwise clinically dead or "budgetarily challenged" to make =
serviceable again?

  Z! Reinhardt  RPT
  Ann Arbor  MI
  (origianlly from Eastern Massachusetts)
  diskladame@provide.net

    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: MoodyPiano@AOL.COM=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 5:15 PM
    Subject: Are online "ebay" type pianos a good idea?


    As time goes on I am getting more and more calls for piano moving =
for pianos that people are bidding on via ebay and similar auction style =
sites.=20
    <<>>
    Does anyone have any feedback positive/negative on these types of =
transactions?  My initial feeling for the everyday consumer is that =
there are too many risks involved with purchasing a piano like this and =
the opportunity isn't there too get it evaluated by a technician.  So my =
overall recommendation to customers is "stay away from piano purchasing =
on ebay, etc."  Does anyone have any other thoughts or recommendations =
that they give to their customers?=20

    Thanks,  Lanie=20
    _________________________________________________=20
    Moody Piano & Organ=20
    Metro West Plaza (rear)=20
    796 Boston Post Road East=20
    Marlborough, MA 01752=20

    Phone 508-877-2222 or 508-229-3601 =E2=80=A2 Fax 508-303-8996=20
    MoodyPiano@aol.com =E2=80=A2 www.bushellcompanies.com=20

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