Larry,
People who wait don't get fair settlements.
People who push the envelope get fair settlements.
Hence my advice up near the top of this thread.
Take it from a lifetime business man.
Bebop

Larry and Tim, Should Fred be worried..

I'll be the first to admit at being 'too easy' when it comes to situations like this. When I bought my last car, if it wasn't for my wife, I'd be paying a higher interest rate for more money It's a flaw I have, I'd make a lousy lawyer, I am way too patient. I'd also be a lousy salesman, I'd give stuff away.

Anyway, I talked to the music store rep, and he made me an offer that I didn't like. He offered a deal on a S-700 that took about $125 off the list price, or I could repair the 3000 for $600 rather than the original $800. Instead of me demanding something better, I asked him to let me think about it, and I'd call him back.

When I called back, I actually countered him (yes I did !)with a new offer, he said " I'd lose money on that deal'. So now it's no longer about making a dissatisfied customer happy, it's about the store losing money. (I didn't tell HIM that, but told myself that)

I explained to him that Yamaha could probably fix the keyboard for a lot less than what the music store quoted.

He wanted the phone number of the Yamaha rep that told me that (why would I make that up), to confirm that there was a less expensive way to handle this...soooo I called Yamaha, and explained the new story.
Yamaha is well aware what is going on, and they have issued me a case number.
side note... I just realized while checking the spelling...Why did I need to call Yamaha? Doesn't the store have the number to verify prices?

So Yamaha called me today, and I had to explain the whole thing over again for the umpteen time. The very friendly Yamaha rep said he would call the store, to work something out (again) The day is over, and I have heard nothing from anyone.

While this Yamaha rep had me on the phone, he told me that indeed, a motherboard replacement is not cheap, and that the store would not make money on the new repair deal (again it's the money, not customer satisfaction). He then said if the keyboard were sent to Yamaha, most of the time, individual circuits can be repaired, at a much cheaper cost.

At this point, all I'm asking is that the music store ships the keyboard from the music store to Yamaha, then from Yamaha to my home. I'll pay the cost of repair. the music store pays for the shipping. I asked the Yamaha rep to ask the store rep if they would do that. ( I was in no mood to talk to the store rep again)

I really want this settled next week. Either I'm getting the broken keyboard back, and I'll be done with this store, and will have lost some faith in Yamaha, or a more reasonable settlement is reached.

Is that asking too much for a 3 month (and counting)repair wait?


Edited for spelling


------------------
Larry
SynthZone Frapper



[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 02-01-2008).]

Larry is this worth it?....you can get a used good condition 3k between 700-800 bucks if you look around a bit!

I guess we are beginning to see the lesson here...

If anything goes wrong with your arranger (or any other gear, for that matter), you don't take it to the dealer (unless it is still under warranty). You find out where the nearest Authorized Repair Center is, and talk to them.

The dealer, especially in these days of internet sales cutting brick and mortar stores' margins, is only interested in making a profit. Few of them even expect a repeat sale from a satisfied customer if they can't match online pricing. All they want is your money, and then outsource the work (sound familiar?!).

The Authorized Service Centers (you should be able to look these up online, or a call to the Headquarters will inform you) are the right people to make your first stop, one shop place to go. You'll generally find them to be honest and knowledgeable (they have to pass all kinds of tests to become Authorized), and usually have come across most problems before, so they know what your options are.

Here's hoping that this doesn't happen to anyone else, ever again!

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 02-01-2008).]

Don,

You're right.

I don't know why I'm going through this.
I'm real close to dropping everything.

Dikki,

You are absolutly spot on with this advise.

There is a huge difference in Authorized Dealers and Authorized Repair Centers.

I just assumed Yamaha Dealers would send Yamaha repairs to Yamaha Authorized Repair Centers.

Larry,

My immediate boss, the Yamaha rep for my territory, just finished having a PSR-9000 fixed for a customer...it needed a new display...of course it was way out of warranty.

He covered the parts, labour and shipping the instrument to the Yamaha Service Dept and back again.

The customer, a loyal Yamaha user, needless to say, was very pleased...and I'm sure he told his friends...and they told two friends...and they...well, you know.

This is not the first time my boss has done this...he tells me it goes a long way to establish customer faith in the product and the cost is small compared to the cost of bad public relations.

In my opinion, the store (if that's where you purchased it) and their Yamaha rep are making a huge mistake by not correcting your situation ASAP in some sort of way that YOU come away feeling you were treated as a valuable customer.

You have a lot more patience than I.

Good luck.

Ian

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 02-01-2008).]

Larry,
I just emailed you name and email address of my Yam contact in Los Angeles at corporate support that helped me with a couple problems the tyros 2 had when I got it.
Give him a try.
Bebop

I once had to bring in one of my my Psr9000 arrangers.. to a so called Authorized Yamaha Service person in a big Local Music store not too far from here to replace a worn broken keystrip Arggggg.....which if anyone knows who had this happen will when a certain Key is depressed will emit the Loudest sound at maximum loudness versus all the others because the key contact has torn thru the strip. Anyway....after 3 days of waiting thank goodness I was off....I picked it up from the store after a call saying it was ready......after getting it home and trying it before a big gig that night I notice that the key is repaired
and works as it should, BUT.....I now have NO Display!!! needless to say some how this idiot so called Authorized Service tech screwed up and didn't reconnect they Display Plug inside after the repair......
I could barley see the LCD lettering through the screen if I used a FLASHLIGHT as a reflective device.....and without exaggeration had to go to the gig and perform for 4 hrs like a blind man using the maglight flashlight to make all my changes & played the whole gig that way......the next day I went back to the store like a raving wild man to blast the crap out of this jerk.....he says "Just leave it and he'll get to it sometime this week " due to all the other work in front of mine....so I marched into the offices of the owners which I personally know and talk them the story of what happened......& that I had a full gig schedule that was being hindered by this nincompoop.......they were so angry....the owners went to the back of the store repair room and blasted this guy making him open the keyboard and see that he INDEED left the display plug terminal off causing the problem.....its was repaired......he was reprimanded....they apologized....I was happy.....& off I went into the sunset to make more music....

Dont always trust these so called AUTHORIZED service centers......its all about money not about your satisfaction most of the time....Buyer Beware!