Hi,Diane! O boy!!!!! I'm still learning new aspects of this trade...How a real SCHNUCK can benefit from naïve,honest,knowledgeable people like you...A valuable lesson to learn!!!! My old boss used to employ 5 tuners and every time he will spot a piano for sale,he will send us [depending on geographical location] to inspect this piano..He always carried a screwdriver and a flashlight for inspection,but on more expancive purchases will depend on technicians evaluations and recommendations.. The buttom line,when purchasing a piano from a private individual, is to take as much as possible in piano cabinetry as a collateral to make this piano NOT re-sellable.. thanx again for your contribution. I'm e-mailing all those postings to those 2 technicians.....isaac -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Diane Hofstetter Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 12:43 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: buying pianos Issac, It happened to us, as a compeitior's modus operendi. He was not knowledgeable about pianos, although he was a musician. When he purchased a small used piano store in the village, he figured out how to replenish his stock. He told everyone who phoned his store, trying to sell their used pianos, that they should call Hofstetters to come give them a price, then tell us they would "think about it", then call him and he would give him $50 more than anything we said. We didn't know it was happening until one day, when a seller, who saw how thouroughly we looked the piano over, and how we showed him all about the piano, felt remorse and blurted out what was happening. It really stymied us for quite awhile. Here we were doing his work, and we WERE thourough. One thing your friends should do, since they have given a deposit, is take part of the piano with them--the action, for example. Of course, the best thing to do in your described situations, is to have enough cash on them and take as much of the piano as possible on the spot. Diane buying pianos Isaac Sadigursky irs.pianos at earthlink.net List! Recently,I had received calls from 2 younger technicians,who are trying to supplement their tuning business with selling and renting inexpancive,entry level pianos.. Both of them had some negative experience when they bought piano from a private party for agreeable price,left $100 depozit and went to the bank or ATM machine to get the rest of the money By the time they came to pay for piano,the seller had sold it to somebody else for a few $$ more..Depozit was returned to them on the spot,legal recource was out of the question.What could be done to 'seal the deal" and avoid this cituation???? Hopefully,more experienced Listers can share their wisdom. Thanx in advance Isaac. Diane Hofstetter
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