<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Coments interspersed below:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: <<A href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">tune4u@earthlink.net</A>></DIV> <DIV>To: "Pianotech" <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 12:04 AM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Worth it? was Baldwin warrantee</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>> I had a Baldwin dealer call me (back in the Baldwin Baldwin = days) and ask me<BR>> to go look at a new Chickering grand on which the una = corda wasn't working.<BR>> He told me it would be a warranty job. Okay, = says I, and I drive 40 miles to<BR>> the customer. Turns out to be just an = adjustment of the pedal collar. Time<BR>> on site, 5-10 minutes. Baldwin told me = they wouldn't pay for it as it should<BR>> have been handled as dealer = prep or at delivery and setup. Dealer does not<BR>> understand the term "dealer = prep," or much else about the piano business. He<BR>> paid me, eventually, = but it all became a stupid hassle.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Just curious, if you don't mind, how = much time did you charge for your service call? You can just = state it in terms of your normal hourly rate time how many hours? It sounds to me = like you spent at least two hours.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>> Let's just say I<BR>> won't do any more calls for him. = </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Hey, at least you learn fast!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>> He lost his Baldwin contract in the<BR>> switchover (many = small dealers did) and now sells Wal-Mart Pianos, i.e.,<BR>> Made in China.<BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Gosh, where's the "Grand Piano Co." when you = need them? If Wal-Mart had come before they went out of business......... Geez, a = match made in heaven!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> <BR>> My point: I don't get much dealer work and almost no = warranty repairs out<BR>> here, but what little I've seen and stories = I've heard suggest that neither<BR>> is really worth much to my = business.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Ditto.</FONT><BR><BR>> How does that = notion fit in with the experience of others? </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>That's been my impression. Out of six = dealers in the local area that I have some sort of experience with, there is only = one that I would classify as a good upstanding ethical businessman. I did some = work for him, and I was the low guy on the totem pole, so it still didn't work = out too well for me.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>> How about you<BR>> city-slickers? </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>I'm not a city-slicker. I'm an imported = "Southern Boy". Although I don't spend much time driving around in a muddy 12-foot tall 4-wheel-drive pickup with a 15-foot rebel flag mounted on a pole in the = truck bed (see many of those in Manhattan?). Maybe I'm just an = imposter.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>> Is it better in a bigger new-piano market?<BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Oops. Sounds like you are looking for input = from NY or Philly or Baaaaston - not Tampa, Florida.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Dealer work - bottom line - Was it Worth it? = In my experience, </FONT><FONT color=#ff0000 size=7><EM><STRONG><U>NO!</U></STRONG></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>> Alan Barnard<BR>> Country-Slicker in Salem, MO<BR>> =   -----Original Message-----<BR>>   From: <A href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On<BR>> Behalf Of Jonathan = Finger<BR>>   Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 10:02 PM<BR>>   To: 'Pianotech'<BR>>   Subject: RE: Baldwin warantee<BR>> = <BR>> <BR>>   Yeah, read a post about that a couple months = back.<BR>> <BR>>   Legally, I can't think of any reason that Gibson would = be liable for<BR>> Baldwin's work.  We might wish that they would stand = behind the piano, but<BR>> they bought the factory, not baldwin's = problems.  And certainly if they're<BR>> going to turn the business around, they're = going to need to cut costs, not<BR>> incur them.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> = <BR>>   I don't like it, but it makes perfect sense.  I wouldn't = have expected<BR>> anything less. J<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> = <BR>> <BR>>   Jonathan Finger RPT<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> =   -----Original Message-----<BR>>   From: <A href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On<BR>> Behalf Of <A href="mailto:PatchWick@aol.com">PatchWick@aol.com</A><BR>>   = Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 6:49 PM<BR>>   To: <A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A><BR>>   = Subject: Baldwin warantee<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>   Hey = list:<BR>> <BR>>   I recently was called to tune a 10 year old Baldwin = console. Turns out<BR>> that the pin block is totally separated from the frame = (end to end and top<BR>> to bottom). The frame posts are all loose at the top = as well. The local<BR>> Baldwin dealer checked with the factory (now = owned by Gibson) to see if they<BR>> would replace/repair this piano under the = original warantee. Turns out that<BR>> not only will they NOT honor = this warantee but that the warantees on all the<BR>> brand new Baldwins on = his sales floor were null and void as well. Any<BR>> thoughts?<BR>> = <BR>>   Thanks<BR>>   will wickham<BR>> </DIV></BODY></HTML>