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Just wanted to let everyone know that Jim Laabs Music (online and in Wisconsin) advertises used Estonias but when I called he said that they are new and that he has to say they are used because it against Estonia dealership rules to sell to anyone that is within another Estonia dealer's area. Just wanted to give a heads up to anyone looking for used Estonias. What a terrible way to start a relationship with a dealer

If they are new, and Estonia won't allow a dealer to sell new pianos in another dealer's area, then how is Jim Laabs Music getting these pianos? Given the high demand for Estonia pianos, I have serious doubts that authorized dealers are unable to sell all the inventory they get, and hence are unlikely to sell new pianos to/through unauthorized dealers.

Something here doesn't make sense, at least to me...

He flat out told me that the used Estonia piano he advertises on his website is new. The whys and wherefores are a mute point to me. I simply called because I was interested in a USED Estonia (budget reasons).

It's been a weird journey for me. Last week I emailed a guy a question on his Yamaha he had for sale in the Akron paper and he sent me pictures of it. I was on ebay and lo and behold there were the same pictures, including the serial # picture, on an auction where the same model piano was for sale at $10,000 more and from a different person entirely! This Akron guy just copied the description and pics. He never even had the piano. He kept asking for my name and address and he would set up a transaction using Square Trade. Obviously, I could tell it was a scam. He happened to be in the U.K. "on business" so he couldn't call me (first clue). I couldn't come and see the piano since his wife was all alone (second clue), the price was too good to be true (actually this was the first clue) and the serial# was the same as another piano I just happened to see elsewhere). Argh!!

Yikes that sounds weird, like Joe I wonder where the new Estonia's are coming from too! Sorry you have to deal with scamsters. Unfortunately that seems to be all too common these days.

Here's a rather interesting thread found on another piano board about Estonia as well:
http://www.armleg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1025&mforum=pianosinc

By the way, his email is paulyamahapiano@googlemail.com and his "name" is Paul Cotrone.

My last email to him was that I was sorry he felt he had to steal people's money and that it must be miserable to not love yourself. I never heard back from him, wonder why.

mamma2my3sons,
I think he is an Estonia dealer. He asked if I lived near an Estonia dealer and I said yes so he said he couldn't sell me a new piano, but I was calling on the used piano. I think it is his way of getting people to call and if they don't live near an Estonia dealer then to sell them a new Estonia. That is the impression I got.

Oh well. I'm a little disenchanted with the piano search right now so sorry if any of this comes across kinda crabby.

I think I'm just going to buy a Casio

No, don't do that. Somebody call the piano police. NOW!

Edit

Wouldn't the dealer only need one Estonia in order to catch people's attention? Use Estonia to get you in the store in the hopes of selling you something else.

I guess some dealers of Estonia feel that their market is too small and want a piece of the action in other cities and that is why he did what he did...not right but typical of the piano industry....another reason is that the industry has changed since the web..before you would go to your local dealer and buy a piano, now you might call someone in another country to see if you are getting a good deal and then the dealer will undercut by $1000 and everyone loses...too bad he has to act like that! Indrek would not approve

by the way another way to voice your concerns is to email estonia pianos directly and let them handle it

Are their a number of different piano dealers in your area? I would try to stay with someone fairly local, and well established. It's a lot easier to get any kind of service out of a dealer if they're close by, which may become an issue no matter what piano you choose. The online piano sellers seem to have a rather high incidence of being deceptive, or unresponsive to service concerns of their pianos. Is the choice exclusively to this piano maker? Brand new pianos can vary so much from one to the next (even on the same model) it really takes looking at it in person, to make an informed choice, let alone the potential differences in a used piano.

Sorry to hear of the negative experiences you've had, just be thankful you didn't give them any of your money!

Obviously, Estonia won't allow one dealer to advertise in another's territory. The dealer signs a contract to that effect. However, the contact doesn't include used pianos. He's really fishing for new piano customers, but can only do so with the "used" approach. As we can all see, it just tics people off.