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  • Ethics?

    <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I am a pro musician with a project studio, but not a pro keyboard player, and certainly not a tech.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 18px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I happened on a local online ad for a Hammond A101 for $100.  I contacted the seller to tell him that the organ was worth much more but I had no idea how much; but possibly in excess of a grand, and that I would be happy to find out.  I told the guy if he wanted to give it away, I would be happy to buy it for $100; but it would be good for everybody to find out what it was worth first.  I had hoped he would appreciate my honesty and give me a good price.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">The seller was appreciative and so I called a small shop I had done business with in the past. I talked to the less than cooperative assistant, as the boss who I have dealt with was unavailable.  It was difficult to make this young man understand that I did not want to steal the organ nor did I want to convince the elderly seller to deliver it; but I wanted to get an idea what it was worth, and that it looked great in the pictures and also that it had not been started since the early seventies.  I also did not want to hear about how great his shop was and all the rock stars that were his customers.  I was already a customer, and was looking for info and advice.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">So I linked the guy to the ad so he could see the photos, and he advised me somewhat, including informing me it would cost around $3k to add a leslie and turn it into a B3 equivalent.  But he said what his employer, a midwestern chop shop would pay for it (a three figure amount), and advised me that there were many variables including region.  I (and the A101) am north of Seattle.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">So I continued to research this.  The next day, I was informed by the seller that that he had received an email from the midwest:</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; ">Hi,</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; ">Just to let you know, this organ of yours is worth at least $1000.00 as it</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; ">is. Thanks!</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 18px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">This was from the owner of the shop I contacted in confidence and to whom I had presented the ad for the purposes of identifying and evaluating the organ.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I had already reported back to the seller what the assistant had told me the day before, as well as what a couple of other sources had said, and I was still waiting to talk to a couple of more guys I had been unable to reach.  The answers I got were so varied that I wanted to get several opinions.  </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">Later I talked to Bob Schleicher, and he indicated that it depended a great deal on the condition, considering it had not run in over thirty years.  I was realizing that I may need to take the organ to a shop 100 miles away in Seattle to see what it needed in order to put a value on it, but I was prepared to do so as I had established a good bit of trust with the seller.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I was dismayed that the owner of this Minnesota shop had taken the ad I had presented and without my knowledge had intervened by contacting the seller (two thousand miles away) in the midst of my negotiations.  This undermined my credibility with the elderly seller, whom I had been completely straight with but had told him what I had been told, which was not the same as the email he had received. Again, the agreed objective was to find a price that was fair to both parties, which was my goal.  I had intended to offer what a dealer would pay for it, and I believe the seller would have accepted it.  He had indicated that he had another buyer who had called before I did, but that he would prefer to sell it to me, a musician, and he appreciated my truthfulness.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 18px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">In the end, I did not get the organ.  And it was not over money.  I offered more money and my old "M" for free to the other guy, who wound up getting the A101 for $600.  Oddly, the elderly seller insisted on sending me $50 for my effort.  I repeatedly tried to decline, and explained that it is routine to research any purchase that is outside my field of expertise (guitars) and that I was merely trying to purchase the organ.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">Prior to the email that contradicted the information I had gotten from the same shop AND had already given to the seller, it looked like I was going to be able to buy the organ as soon as we had established fair market value.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">
    </span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">My email to the shop owner, requesting an explanation for his action, got no response.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 18px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I have a guess as to why he apparently intentionally undermined my negotiations, but it is only a guess.  I am a four figure past customer with this guy, but when I recently submitted (strictly as a courtesy to him) a very good price I had been quoted on an XK1 by a big store, he was unable to match it.  I did not need him to beat it, I was merely trying to give a sale to someone I wanted to support rather than a big store who doesn't really need my money.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 18px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 18px; ">
    </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">Am I missing something here, or was this guy out of line?</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I have been a pro musician since 1966, and have owned retail businesses, so I already know what I believe.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">I have been "Downtown" already.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">(I see "northern chop" has more than one meaning . . . )</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">What go around come around.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">
    </span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Helvetica; ">Any CIVIL comments appreciated.</font></div></div></span></span></div></div></span>

  • #2
    Re: Ethics?



    There's this little sign that hangs over my shop door. It reflects exactly what I learned many years ago....concerning my business, that's really none of anybody else's business.....</P>


    The sign reads...."You never see a fish on the wall with his mouth shut".</P>

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    • #3
      Re: Ethics?

      Totally a low blow, dude. That's very much out of line, as far as I'm concerned. I don't know that there's a whole lot you can do about it though except never do business with them anymore and perhaps encourage others likewise.

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      • #4
        Re: Ethics?



        So the shop owner told you they would pay XXX, and the seller that it was worth XXXX? Did they bid on it?</P>


        I'm not sure that you should expect confidentiality froma store- it's not like going to the doctor - but if they were not interested in buying the organ, it sounds more like an act of stupidity rather than underhanded-ness.</P>


        What possible motive could they have had to PO an existing customer over a couple of hundred dollars?</P>
        <P mce_keep="true"></P>

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