<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4611.1300" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Wingdings; } @font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue> <DIV>I've got a rule that I follow that keeps me from getting into the situation you describe below.</DIV> <DIV>Simply put, whoever makes the request for service gets the bill.  If the dealer is so sure it's warranty, let HIM submit the bill to the manufacturer for reimbursement.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Mark Wisner</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:mwissner@earthlink.net">mwissner@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=tune4u@earthlink.net href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net"></A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 4/15/2003 8:04:30 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Worth it? was Baldwin warrantee</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>I had a Baldwin dealer call me (back in the Baldwin Baldwin days) and ask me to go look at a new Chickering grand on which the una corda wasn't working. He told me it would be a warranty job. Okay, says I, and I drive 40 miles to the customer. Turns out to be just an adjustment of the pedal collar. Time on site, 5-10 minutes. Baldwin told me they wouldn't pay for it as it should have been handled as dealer prep or at delivery and setup. Dealer does not understand the term "dealer prep," or much else about the piano business. He paid me, eventually, but it all became a stupid hassle. Let's just say I won't do any more calls for him. He lost his Baldwin contract in the switchover (many small dealers did) and now sells Wal-Mart Pianos, i.e., Made in China.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>My point: I don't get much dealer work and almost no warranty repairs out here, but what little I've seen and stories I've heard suggest that neither is really worth much to my business.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>How does that notion fit in with the experience of others? How about you city-slickers? Is it better in a bigger new-piano market?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Alan Barnard</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=328085103-16042003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Country-Slicker in Salem, MO</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Jonathan Finger<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 15, 2003 10:02 PM<BR><B>To:</B> 'Pianotech'<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Baldwin warantee<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Yeah, read a post about that a couple months back.</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Legally, I can’t think of any reason that Gibson would be liable for </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Baldwin</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">’s work.  We might wish that they would stand behind the piano, but they bought the factory, not </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">baldwin</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">’s problems.  And certainly if they’re going to turn the business around, they’re going to need to cut costs, not incur them.</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I don’t like it, but it makes perfect sense.  I wouldn’t have expected anything less. </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Wingdings color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">J</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Jonathan Finger RPT</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">-----Original Message-----<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>PatchWick@aol.com<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, April 15, 2003 6:49 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Baldwin warantee</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hey list:<BR><BR>I recently was called to tune a 10 year old Baldwin console. Turns out that the pin block is totally separated from the frame (end to end and top to bottom). The frame posts are all loose at the top as well. The local Baldwin dealer checked with the factory (now owned by Gibson) to see if they would replace/repair this piano under the original warantee. Turns out that not only will they NOT honor this warantee but that the warantees on all the brand new Baldwins on his sales floor were null and void as well. Any thoughts?<BR><BR>Thanks<BR>will wickham</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>