Deceptive Advertising

[Lance Lafargue]

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RE: Deceptive AdvertisingAll that you've said is true, but when I buy a DVD
player, I care less that all or part was made in China than I would if
someone (the salesperson) led me to believe I was buying a Baldwin (and all
that the name has implied in many people's minds for decades) when I'm
essentially buying a cheap import.  "Craftsmanship" never enters the
considerations/discussion when buying a toaster.  Piano salesmen and dealers
know what the customer finds (or should find) important and I don't think
they should be mislead as the ad we were discussing earlier does.  I am more
upset that Masons can be junk than that a chip in my computer is made in
Mexico.  Because it happened in the 20's/30's doesn't make it something that
I will be a part of now and that is my point for the current dealers.  I
believe that they are ultimately in control.  In reality, if they all
cleaned up their act, the manufactures would be forced to tone the B.S.
down.  Some consider this a gray area, I do not.  The other day I heard that
car salesmen were held in lower regard than lawyers now.  This kind of thing
lowers folks in the piano industry, too and hurts us all.
P.S. Larry Fine's book (Fourth Edition is out) and the surveys that cover
these kinds of pianos (cheaply made imports) are never good.  Pg. 113, on
Hallet & Davis  -  "At this point, Chinese pianos are only marginally
recommended.  If well prepared by the dealer, some are acceptable, but they
do not have much of a track record to provide assurance of satisfaction over
the long term."  Shouldn't that tell us something?  Dealers seldom if ever
prep these pianos.  Satisfaction over the long term is what I would expect
from an "heirloom piano", one that uses words like "quality", "perfection",
"master-crafted", finest materials", "exhaustive testing",  in their
description.  Bottom line:   I just don't think we should rationalize this
practice, make excuses for it,  or become a part of it in any way.  IMHO :~)
Lance Lafargue, RPT
Mandeville, LA
New Orleans Chapter, PTG
lancelafargue@bellsouth.net

  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of
J Patrick Draine
  Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 11:17 AM
  To: pianotech@ptg.org
  Subject: RE: Deceptive Advertising


      I hope that some day we will look back and be appalled that it went on
as long as it did.


    Lance Lafargue, RPT


  While I'm annoyed by it too, this didn't start yesterday. Dozens of Boston
and New York piano companies' name rights were bought up by American-Aeolian
in the 1920s and 1930s, and those labels were placed on mediocre spinets and
consoles which came out their Memphis plant, until their bankruptcy in the
early 1980s.
  It's commonplace in many other industries (you don't believe Buicks and
Pontiacs are being made by the folks who started the companies do you?;
cassette or CD players with labels once revered by Americans are certainly
made in China, Mexico, or Indonesia, and the corporations behind the logo
are probably offshore too).
  At any rate, it's a problem in many, many industries.


  Patrick

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