<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Alan, You deserve a reasonable markup on the string.  Wouldn't any other business do that?  As for sharing the information with him, I think it's best to keep quiet about it.  You might think it's funny, but he won't enjoy knowing that he could have gotten the same thing for a whole lot less.  No one likes to hear that. Having said that, I sold a custom bass string below my cost just this past week, because I didn't get the invoice from Schaff until after I billed the client (stupid).  Both the string and the shipping were higher than I anticipated.  Oh well, you'll have this. Regards, Clyde Hollinger, RPT Lititz, PA USA "Alan R. Barnard" wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>This is a real dilemma and kinda funny. What would you advise. Remember: The customer is always right ...Customer has a 1910 Steinway "O" (very nice, he and the piano). He is conservatory trained and fussy so ... when I pointed out to him on my first visit that he was missing a bi-chord wound string and it was throwing off the hammer and damper, etc, so it needed to be replaced, he asked where I would get the string. I told him that I order direct from Mapes, etc., etc. He said "No thank you, I really insist on a genuine Steinway string". I said "okay," jumped through Steinway's hoops ("Just tell us what you want in an email and we'll invoice you.") and ordered a "genuine" Steinway string. Of course it came from Mapes--shipped to me but invoiced to Steinway who had charged me about 3 times the direct Mapes price. Dilemma: Do I share the joke with him and just charge him what Steinway charged me, plus the shipping, or do I keep my mouth shut, throw a markup on the string, and REALLY stick it to him for one pretty little copper-clad wire?</blockquote> </body> </html>