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Greetings all,

I'm an italian student owner of a Brodmann PE 212 bought as brand new just two month ago at the only official italian dealer, but after some playing (just 3/4 hours - classical repertoire), a lot of problems, big and little ones, have emerged. I called a registered (and important) italian technician who said me that it's objectively impossible that it is a brand new instrument, but a "ex demo" at most.

The extimate is the following:

- change all the hammers: they are worn out as they have been used for years (perhaps cleaned before purchase with some invasive technique: in the store they were apparently perfect)

- change the big piano cover: it is irremediably flexed perhaps for the long time it has been keeped open.

- total and big tuning work

The problem is that the dealer is trying to "take time" from two months and if I don't change every time the telephone number, he doesn't aswer me. Initially he said "I will change your piano with an another new one", but now I see that those there were "only words".

What can we do now? Could someone help me? It's a big problem to me.

P.s. I have known after that this dealer has been legally warned by Yamaha.

Have you contacted Brodmann Piano Company?
I would recommend getting in touch with them if you haven't done so already.
Document all of your experiences with your piano, the dealer, and those of the piano technician you are working with.

I hope that the situation gets resolved. Keep in touch here on PW to let us know what happens.

Something is very wrong here, if this is truly the condition of your "new" Brodmann 212.
There are several Brodmann piano dealers that frequent this forum - some currently online here. Perhaps they will have a suggestion.

The way you've put things, doesn't reflect very well on your piano dealer or the Brodmann Company.
Before making any judgement though it is important to act immediately, document all information, and be open to a complete resolution of this problem.
If you bought a new Brodmann you should certainly expect to receive one in mint condition.
Anything less than this is entirely unsatisfactory, in my opinion.

He said "I have to take it from the packaging", but a new brodmann has not a flexed and warp cover... You see, in the store it's not easy to see that things... and he assured me that it was brand new.

Are there any piano dealers on board, who care to respond to Davehammerklavier , and offer any advice?

Thank you very much indeed... very kind and gentle.

Who is the dealer?

I would not mention him at the moment. I think that in my country is called "defamation".

I can say that he is the official and only dealer for that brand.

According to Brodmann's website the Italian distributor is:

Pianoforti Di Marco
Distributor
Via Aquileia 114
33052, Cervignano del Friuli (Ud), Italy
C: 01603820307
T: 330480600
F: 043193174
info@pianofortidimarco.it
www.pianofortidimarco.it

Evidently......

And an another italian owner has also the same problem at the hammers...

Brodmann should have records regarding the piano's production date and shipping history that can be tracked via the serial number. That is a place to start. It would also reveal if the warranty on the piano was ever registered (through a sale). If it's never been sold, it is technically new, though that is not reassuring at this point. Many dealers loan or rent instruments for some period of time before selling, which should be (and usually is) disclosed to the purchaser, but do not void the warranty.

If the piano was acquired by the dealer under some other circumstances, like B-stock, or a warranty replacement with any special warranty restrictions, that also should be disclosed. At the moment, your problem is still with your dealer. Learning any of the specific history of the instrument from Brodmann will help you to know their share in responsibility to you. I would not normally raise these questions, but you already feel the dealer is dodging you.

I'm very curious about the tuning problems you mention. This can have a wide range of causes from minor to major. The issue with the lid is straight forward, so long as you are entitled to the warranty. The issue with the hammers is tougher. You selected the piano with the hammers...they didn't break. Again, the primary issue here is the dealer's responsibility to disclose; hammer wear is not a warranty issue.

Many manufacturer's will step up even in the face of a bad dealer even if they were also misled or misrepresented. If that's the case, it's not fair to you or the manufacturer, and legal action against the dealer may be your solution of last resort. I wish you luck in achieving a resolution.

I don't think you need worry about defamation.
If all that you have presented here ( I noticed you already deleted one of your posts here in this thread) is correct,
than I believe you are entitled to a replacement with a brand new Brodmann212 or a complete resolution of the state of your current piano.

Thank You very much indeed.

The hammers seemed perfect and the sound very good (perhaps somehow too soft in the attack of the bass notes). the fact is that after an afternoon they have been marked if they had been used for years and years: I could't predict that.

Similarly the piano cover started to be imperfect in the black finish when I started to keep close the cover (in the store they keep the piano open): the technician said me that the cover started now to straighten itself and so the paint, stretched by the time that it was keep open, reveals now imperfections as "ladders".

Also the keys trims are marked as they were used for a lot of years: my never restored 1921 upright has perfect trims in comparison.

Buona Notte Dave:

Excuse my poor Italian. I am very sorry to hear about the problems you are having. If it was represented to you that you were purchasing a new piano, there is no excuse for the items you describe to be happening. Brodmann has a very specific "dealer preparation" sheet that they insist be followed before a piano is delivered to a customer. It is obvious that this was not completed, and in fact it seems like you may not have a new piano.

I would contact the Brodmann factory, Mr. Christian Hoeferl, and explain the problems you are having. Here is their contact information:

Email Address: office@brodmann-pianos.com
Vienna Telephone #: 43 (1) 890 32 03-15
Address: J.B Piano GmbH Austria, Kudlichgasse 24, A-1100 Wien

If none of those work, send me a PM and I will put you in direct contact with the American distributor.

I'm sorry to hear of the problems with your piano, DaveHammerKlavier. A new piano should be a time of joy, not aggravation.

However, I think your thread is better titled "Severe Dealer Problems," not "Severe Warranty Problems." The issues you are describing, as others have noted, are with the dealer and how he represented this piano to you. In the U.S., a flurry of increasingly scary looking letters from a lawyer would probably get the desired results, especially if he is avoiding your phone calls. I'm not sure how such things are resolved in Italy.

In Italy everything is more "rhetorical" and problematic (just see our political situation) and the owners rights are very difficult to assert because anyone has it's own opinion and hardly someone takes a stand.

I started to ask for the warranty coverage only (technician asked me a lot of money)... was the dealer that suggested me the total replacement of the instrument.

Thank You very much indeed. Here things are unfortunately very very different and a student like me has to do everything by himself.

Master88er, I have forwarded the e-mail that I sent to Mr. Hoferl to the address that you have indicated, but, as said in a previous post of mine (I deleted that one), I think that the dealer guessed my intentions and informed in time the Brodmann headquarter that I'm just a troublesome: they have never answered me again since I said something about my problems.

I write You a PM.

Dave,

I made some inquiries and learned that Mr. Hoeferl is on vacation in Croatia at the moment. BUT, Chris Venables (who often posts on this forum) is the European distributor for Brodmann, and I have asked the US Rep. to send him an email about your issues. You can also PM him through this site. His PW name is ChrisVenables.