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<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">The problem is that Steinway's policy is vague as are their practices about who they sell to. This is true of some other manufacturers as well. I can think of two recent cases where non technicians (pianists) that I know bought sets of hammers. Looking at Steinway's price list at things like artist benches, they represent a price that is compatible with the retail price at which Jansen sells the bench (it's a Jansen bench with a Steinway Logo on it). Non technicians or account holders may also buy those as well as items from the Steinway boutique with a credit card in hand. The account requirements seem more aimed at setting up a billing policy than qualifying a potential and regular buyer.<br/><br/>While Steinway thankfully doesn't publish the price list on their website the information and items are clearly available with a phone call and so doesn't represent a wholesale price policy in the true sense like Jansen or Schaff, for example. It puts those of us who use the business model suggested in an awkward position and I, for one, wish they would either clarify or tighten up their policy.<br/><br/>That being said I agree that sending the price list out in a public forum was bad judgment whatever the copyright implications are. <br/><p>David Love<br/>www.davidlovepianos.com<br/>(sent from bb)</p><hr/><div><b>From: </b> Israel Stein <custos3@comcast.net>
</div><div><b>Sender: </b> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
</div><div><b>Date: </b>Sun, 27 Mar 2011 06:57:35 -0700</div><div><b>To: </b><pianotech@ptg.org></div><div><b>ReplyTo: </b> pianotech@ptg.org
</div><div><b>Subject: </b>Re: [pianotech] Steinway parts list</div><div><br/></div>
Wim,<br>
<br>
Now that's as level-headed an approach as I have seen. Suppliers the
bulk of whose business is to the trade have policies that favor this
clientele, and allow them to make a profit on their products if they
so choose. Some suppliers who do also sell to the public (for
example, auto parts and building materials suppliers) have different
price structures for the trade and for the public and make great
efforts to keep the wholesale prices secret. We are all familiar
with the Jansen catalog which quotes retail prices for your
customer's benefit - but then gives you the price you pay in
confidence. <br>
<br>
Steinway? If they wanted their parts prices made public, they would
post them on their website and save themselves a whole lot of
trouble and cost. Do they care that if some ambitious amateur or
do-it-yourselfer manages to buy some parts directly from them?
Probably not. They do what any supplier who is focused primarily on
selling to the trade - release the price lists to their clients and
not to the public, basically to enable their clients to make a
profit on the products if they so choose. Common business practice.
Will they go after someone on copyright violation because they
published their price list? I sincerely doubt it, there is no harm
to Steinway here, though technically there might be a violation. The
only harm is to those of us who might be negotiating a price on a
rebuilding job - and the client comes armed with a parts list. And
yes, as Wim writes, some clients will go to the ends of the earth to
find out this information and come to the negotiation armed to the
teeth. Fortunately for us - there aren't that many of them. So let's
not make it easy for them by spreading this information around
public lists. It only harms us. If a technician needs the
information - send it privately, or refer them to Steinway. <br>
<br>
Israel Stein <br>
<br>
<br>
On 11:59 AM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com">tnrwim@aol.com</a> wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:%3C8CDBA57A1F03018-1AEC-316B8@webmail-m019.sysops.aol.com%3E"
type="cite"><font color="black" face="arial" size="2">
<div>Perhaps Steinway has a strict policy on who may buy their
parts, other supply companies have very lax policies, and
allow the public to buy parts over the counter. These supply
companies sell Steinway parts. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I agree that we should be able to make a profit off the
parts we sell to our customer, as I say in my book. However,
there are some technicians who have opted not to do that. A
customer who wants to go to the trouble of looking up
wholesale price lists, will also go to the trouble of calling
enough technicians until he finds one that does the work for
the least amount of money.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Wim</div>
<div> </div>
</font><br>
</blockquote>
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