Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Purchasing a new large digital piano? A word of warning.

I would never buy a piano online.

Returns are a mess, as you say. Also, there have been stories here about shipping damage.

For me, online is for small parcels only.

Four weeks to get parts? And that is before anyone thought the virus was serious. Now that’s poor customer service.

This is why you buy large items with curbside pickup during these times.

Don’t forget, in the U.K. (probably in rest of EU) your contract is with the shop that sold it to you, not the company who makes the product.

There’s been a lot of shops in the past few years simply telling you to contact the manufacturer and effectively washing their hands of you, but it’s not right for them to do so.

Consumer rights

It depends upon where you live and what the dealer situation is. In my case I checked with the "local"dealer who was an hour away. I specifically asked what would happen if the unit had to be sent back. I was told I would have to pay the same fee that it was to deliver the piano to get it back to the dealer and they would then ship it back. (BTW they didn't handle deliveries, they sent it via common carrier.) I then checked with Yamaha and it turns out that there was another company that would do the warranty service in our area, an electronics firm and not a piano dealer (Welcome to the rural life). That and some other questionable polices by the dealer sent me to purchase the DP online from Kraft. This is just my case but I think there are many of us out there that do not have a reputable local dealer as an option. I could have paid more to get a floor model unboxed but shipped via a common carrier (That was the deal breaker) or instead I ordered online, paid less and got the DP in the original packaging. Also they arranged to have it delivered and put in a room of my choice one flight of stairs up or down. It does help that the NU1X comes fully assembled so all I have to do was remove the packaging.

Thank you all for your replies and comments. Just a few observations:
This is exactly how I saw it. When I purchased my ES110 I was told to keep the box incase anything went wrong and I would have to send it back. But with the Casio AP 710 and all their further high-end models they send someone out to you to repair it. I saw a video for Bonners Music which showed them delivering a large digital piano, unpacking it and disposing of the box. For large items you don't keep the box.
Yep. I think that about sums it up. I have contacted Casio again but until the covid-19 issue is sorted they wont be able to send someone out - Which I fully understand.
Lesson most definitley learned. The most annoying aspect about this is that I photographed all the packaging as I took it out of the box, so if there was a fault I could put it all back in again in correct order. But of course the fault did not materialize for a few days. And again I can't emphasize how big the box was and how small my house is.

Where I went wrong in all this is failing to realise that if a fault did occur Casio would not be able to send someone out. So If I would of thought about it I guess I would of made space somehow for the box. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing.

I don't very often post on this forum, but do spend a lot of time browsing through it. I always find it pleasing how people take the time and effort to offer comments/remarks etc. And this post has been no exception. Again, thanks.

Often cardboard boxes can be folded flat without too much damage and unfolded back into a cardboard box. But it can be a hassle and require some fighting with either large staples or glue.

But still storing them is definitely a problem. Not only for digital pianos, but for e.g. the large flat screen TVs of today as well. Other large items are not that sensitive.

I still of the box for my TV although the warranty is out. But I don't of a box for my piano. Luckily it's a portable one and I don't of any plans for replacing it right now.

Witnessed a courier literally hurling boxes across his LWB van whilst trying to find the item that he was delivering across the road. I could clearly see the labelling on the boxes - at least two boxes containing IT equipment, and an item of furniture (only covered in bubble wrap) were literally airborne. 😳 NO WAY I’d send anything other than a portable piano via courier (and even then, I’d be having nightmares about it).

RE Internet purchases, Bonners have been super (they do have two large showrooms, so not an internet-only seller). Ordered from them despite the distance from where I live (4 hours drive). They have their own drivers for larger items (ie home pianos) however portable pianos are delivered via courier unfortunately.

When I had a problem with my LX (their fault), they sent some lovely chaps from Roland down to wrap it up, take it away and replace it. Can’t complain!