Disklavier

Another factor I did not mention is that not all
Disklaviers have UL approval.  DKVs sold in the US must
have this.  If someone in suit-happy USA has a model of
Disklavier they bought made for a non-US market, and
Yamaha of US sells them a part; it catches fire and
burns their house down, or their kid gets an electric
shock biting on the wires or whatever,  then the stage
has been set for a product liablility lawsuit.

While it is true that standarized parts are cheaper to
use, electricity is not the same all over the world.
It could very well be cheaper to make parts that don't
use 110 volts electricity.  How would you know whether
or not the electronics of something not made for US
current would have the necessary converters built-in,
or would you risk blowing every circuit?  If that
happened, would you not go after the people who sold
you the wrong part?

I think product liability is at the very heart of this
matter.  Americans sue more than anyone else in the
world.  It costs us big to have those attitudes as you
can see in the high cost of health care.  It seems to
me that Yamaha of America , a separate corporation from
Yamaha of Japan, would not be liable for a Disklavier
that caught fire in Japan that was purchased in Japan
for the Japanese market.  If someone were to bring that
same piano to the US and sell it to an American, and it
needed a cable to get it working again, and Yamaha of
America sold such a cable to the American buyer, and
unknown to them there was something nonstandard in the
unit and it was not UL approved, and the cable didn't
work right and blew every circuit the moment it was
plugged in ..... just who do you think the American
would go after???

Come on guys, the warnings are out there!  DO NOT buy a
product you can't get parts for - especially when you
are told in advance that this will happen.

The various Yamaha corporations service what they sell.
Local dealers who pay local sales taxes service what
they sell also.  But does that stop people from buying
in a different market just to get the cheapest price?
Apparently not.

Carol Beigel

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel J. O'Connor" <dano77vette@...>
To: <disklavier@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: [disklavier] Anyone Knows?


> Dear All:
>
> Horse Hockey!
>
>
>
> The likelihood that the actual cable is different in
different markets is remote.  Most companies subscribe
to quality and cost programs that benefit from greater
numbers for each discrete part. My experience selling
for Hitachi as a case in point.
>
>
>
> Much more likely is a "marketing strategy" that
Yamaha does not want to support a piano that is
purchased outside of the feudal markets that have been
laid down by corporate dictum.
>
>
>
> When we bought our Disklavier "used" the local Yamaha
dealer suggested that I would not be able to have
Yamaha service...he was argumentative and
grandstanding...and I believe that this is a strategy
to intimidate the customer to only buy from the local
dealer. When challenged he recanted and acknowledged
that they would indeed service the USA sold and
delivered serial number.
>
>
>
> Someday Yamaha will wake up to the fact that they
have an outstanding product that should be supported
with great aplomb no matter where the piano sits or
from whom it was acquired.  The dealers will then be
able to focus in on great service and support which
will make their sales flourish.
>
>
>
> And opinion of one.
>
>
>
> Cheers
>
>
>
> Dan
>