Tom: I agree with the many other posts that it is not ethical to receive payment from both parties. The customer has a right to expect that you are unbiased, and receiving payment from the dealer is a betrayal of that trust. If you expect to do many piano inspections for customers, you would probably be best off with a policy of not taking payments from dealers. If you do decide to continue taking payments from dealers, then you should reveal that to the customer when asked to inspect a piano. If the customer still wants to hire you to inspect the piano, then they should pay you for doing so, but at least it is their informed choice. As far as the present situation goes, since it is a "done deal", I would *not* mention it to the customer. Although returning the customer's fee might, as someone suggested, give you a "customer for life", it also might make the customer question if their newly-acquired piano is really any good, and could just as easily turn the customer off to you and make trouble for the dealer. If you are concerned (with good reason) that you took money from both sides, I would instead return the commission to the dealer. It certainly won't harm your relations with the dealer, but more importantly, if you are ever accused of taking from both sides, you can honestly say you didn't. Tom, it's admirable that you are thinking about these things and are willing to share such a sensitive subject with the list. Thank you. Larry Fine
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