Should I take this back and return $ to buyer

[mark212]

Maryland

I offered an antique upright piano for sale using the local area musical instruments category on Craigs List. In the ad I explained that the piano was very rare and very old and had been appraised for between $3500-$4500 in tune. It was even an increased value as an antique because of the beautiful burled-walnut case. A woman came to my house, played the piano and was interrested in purchasing it. She paid $900 for it and had it picked up by a piano mover a few days later. I told her that I had a piano tuner evaluate the piano. He told me it could be tuned, not necassarily to concert pitch but made playable and she was ok with that. After she had it a few weeks she called me and wanted me to take it back. She had a piano tuner tell her that it couldn't be tuned and that she had wasted her money. I offered to give her $200 back to find another tuner who could repair it but she declined. I don't want to take it back so can some one help me with what my options are? What type of liability is there for us? I gave her no bill of sale or any waranty, nor did she ask for any .

 

[JETX]

MWhat type of liability is there for us? I gave her no bill of sale or any waranty, nor did she ask for any .

Based solely on your statement, my opinion is you MIGHT have some liability in your claim that the "piano tuner.... told me it could be tuned, not necassarily to concert pitch but made playable". If she can present a tuner who says that is not true... and you can't produce YOUR tuner who said that statement, and it is found to be a false statement, that could be found to be a deceptive claim.

I suggest you contact YOUR tuner and try to get a written statement to support your claim. Send it to the buyer... or absent that, give the buyer the contact information for the tuner who told you that.

 

[seniorjudge]

Maryland

I offered an antique upright piano for sale using the local area musical instruments category on Craigs List. In the ad I explained that the piano was very rare and very old and had been appraised for between $3500-$4500 in tune. It was even an increased value as an antique because of the beautiful burled-walnut case. A woman came to my house, played the piano and was interrested in purchasing it. She paid $900 for it and had it picked up by a piano mover a few days later. I told her that I had a piano tuner evaluate the piano. He told me it could be tuned, not necassarily to concert pitch but made playable and she was ok with that. After she had it a few weeks she called me and wanted me to take it back. She had a piano tuner tell her that it couldn't be tuned and that she had wasted her money. I offered to give her $200 back to find another tuner who could repair it but she declined. I don't want to take it back so can some one help me with what my options are? What type of liability is there for us? I gave her no bill of sale or any waranty, nor did she ask for any .

http://www.vandaking.com/questions.html

Piano tuning is an art, not a science.

 

[JETX]

Piano tuning is an art, not a science.

The problem here is more than likely that the 'tuning board' is broken or warped. If that is the case (as I assume), the piano either cannot be tuned at all, or any tuning won't 'hold'. And that is more than likely what the buyer is complaining about... not the fact that 'piano tuning is an art'.

 

[seniorjudge]

The problem here is more than likely that the 'tuning board' is broken or warped. If that is the case (as I assume), the piano either cannot be tuned at all, or any tuning won't 'hold'. And that is more than likely what the buyer is complaining about... not the fact that 'piano tuning is an art'.

You could be right.

From a brief search on Google, it doesn't appear that anyone wants to be responsible for tuning an old piano....

 

[Zigner]

The problem here is more than likely that the 'tuning board' is broken or warped. If that is the case (as I assume), the piano either cannot be tuned at all, or any tuning won't 'hold'. And that is more than likely what the buyer is complaining about... not the fact that 'piano tuning is an art'.

It really doesn't matter - Pianos NEVER stay in tune forever. The problem is that piano tuners don't like old pianos due to the fact that the parts are more likely to break during the tuning process.

The seller is fine on this one.

PS: This comes from the owner of a 103 year old piano