Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum small cracks at bridge pins

If you can get the refund, TAKE IT!

Those cracks will continue to grow, and the tuning stability will become severely limited. The pins will move. They are already showings signs they are moving now.

Since that bridge is not capped, the cracks will spread through out the bridge wood. I'm not sure even an epoxy repair would stop that from happening.

Monday I let my (second) technician look at it. To be sure I removed the dealer sticker from the piano... Then I will have to make up my mind.

Dale,

Thanks for the additional information.

Can you tell if these cracks need treatment in any case? Are these cracks going to grow as people here belief? The dealer's technician said that they will not grow anyway, even without treatment.

Thanks for the clarification on what the dealer offered. I didn't read every post apparently.

And yes, like that.

every single person in this thread is telling you to return this piano... I'm not sur why are you still asking for more opinions.

My thoughts exactly.
I just purchased a brand new grand myself and if upon delivery I found the same sort of cracks that you did you better believe that I would be looking to return it in a flash.
The bottom line is you just don't know if those cracks are going to get worse over time.
I don't see why you are willing to risk that chance.

"I'm not sur why are you still asking for more opinions."

I'm not really asking for more opinions here as it is pretty clear what the verdict here is. It is just keeping all here up to date.

"every single person in this thread is telling you to return this piano..."

It's a bit less black and white (I also received PMs with slightly less black/white opinions). But yes the general consensus is that I should return it.

On the other hand all three experts that came here and judged in person thought this piano is in good shape. But only the first one was independent of the dealer and I have slight doubts even about that. Therefore I decided to have a second technician have a look at it in person.

I've been watching this thread for a couple of weeks it seems, and I guess I have the same question everyone else has: What are you waiting for? I have no doubt what I'd do, and I don't believe I'd have needed 2 weeks and 50 outside opinions to make the decision.

I believe there's information that you haven't revealed to the respondents on this thread. I say go to a quiet room and make your decision. Cease the public agonizing for such an obvious (to the rest of us) decision. Move on.

BTW, I don't want to be kept up to date on this. The dealer offered a refund. That's all we need to know. What your decision is is of no further interest except perhaps to you. And I'm not sure of that.

+1

And considering that the re-sale value would be negatively affected, acepting the refund or exchange is a no-brainer.

Why are we here?

Let this thread die!

If I had to guess, I'd say that a really special and low-cost deal--- possibly involving some irregularity with the instrument (a cosmetic flaw, maybe)--- is on the table... something wouter is not going to be able to equal elsewhere, let alone beat. If he gives up this 'bird in the hand,' the 'bird in the bush' is going to cost significantly more. And, the piano budget being only so elastic, he may have to move downscale or wait until he saves enough to get what he really wants.

Or, possibly, there's something especially attractive about the deal itself... maybe some special financing feature.

Maybe the wife has put her foot down, or has her thumb on the scale somehow, so that the natural balance point cannot be read.

Just guesses, of course. As rodmichael pointed out, we don't have all the information, and maybe it's none of our business to know it. I am, personally, willing to keep it that way. No one has to read this thread, if it's become too agonizing. Hey--- maybe we should be practicing our piano lessons; I know I should.

And, the take-home lesson is: take that close look at the piano FIRST, before the deal is struck and a problem lands in your living room that you're not really willing to solve.

As Mae West used to say, "When choosing between two evils, I always pick the one I haven't tried yet."

"Why are we here?"

You tell me! I'm not forcing anyone to read this thread. I guess people want to know how it goes?

If you don't want to read it please stay out.

There was no "really special" deal. I do feel that I finally found a nice sounding piano and really hate the prospect of restarting a similar long lasting search - or even longer as I already saw most nearby dealers.

"And, the take-home lesson is: take that close look at the piano FIRST, before the deal is struck and a problem lands in your living room that you're not really willing to solve."

Even if I had my first technician with me, he would have told me that this is a great piano.

Now for a psychological/emotional perspective-- given your level of concern I don't think you'll ever be totally at peace with this piano and be able to fully enjoy it even if you became convinced the problem wasn't serious.

UPDATE

To my relief my second technician confirmed the problem. At least I am now sure what's up here.
So it's definitive, this piano has to go



Yes this is also an important point. But the official judgment from the technician was the main point.

Makes you wonder why the dealer and his technician would claim that this problem was only minor while trying to fight your concerns. My trust would be shaken and I would never want to do business with this person again.

Even though you got good advice here, it was good that you brought someone in who was independent and who confirmed the concerns of people here. I hope you can get your money back. I am sure you'll eventually find a great piano to your liking.

+1

Glad you finally got this issue resolved Wouter.
You know, after you get your refund you might want to contact Petrof and report this dealer's practices. He sold you a piano that is defective and then tried to deny that anything is wrong with it when you brought it to his attention.

+2
And what is with the technician who also denied any problem with it? Is this a matter of depending on business from the dealer to stay afloat and therefore he's biased in favor of the dealer? Maybe this is just business as usual in piano sales but I hope not. It's pretty disturbing from a consumer perspective.

UPDATE


I tried to contract Petrof (the manufacturer) for more than a week but they never replied.

I checked with the distributor, and it shows that this dealer was not an official Petrof dealer. Therefore they could not help me either.

I mailed the dealer and told him I would take his refund. They came right away, and I got back my money.

I can just guess what the dealer and his technician were doing. My (optimistic) guess is that no one can tell for sure how these cracks will develop. Their approach may be : let's just see, when it becomes a real problem we will kick in the warranty (if it is still valid). As hardly any bridge crack probably develops until the pin falls out in just 5 years (warranty period), they will never face the consequences of this approach and thus it seems the right approach.

If the dealer isn't an official Petrof dealer, will there even be a warranty?

You did the prudent thing.

Charles

Of course there is warranty. To my knowledge:
1. The dealer gives a warranty.
2. There is the factory warranty. But that comes in only after the dealer warranty I think. The dealer is the one to deal with in warranty cases because you bought it from him.

In my case I think the factory warranty had expired but the dealer warranty was still 5 years from the day of purchase.