M
maugein96
Guest
Firstly, I do not want to insult anybody's intelligence by posting this, but felt that it may be of use to anybody who is unsure of how to proceed with an online purchase. I would stress that I have no inside knowledge of the accordion industry, as the post header serves to indicate, and the information provided is based on my own experience, and reading about the experiences of others over the years. I am based in the UK, and have no knowledge of how retailers operate elsewhere. I would also stress that the majority of online transactions are problem free.
The safest way to buy a new instrument online would be to find a ready made model and buy it off the shelf from a UK dealer. OK, you've checked with all the UK retail outlets and the instrument you want is not available. So what are your options?
We'd probably best cover the situation which applies when you commission a "custom made" accordion to be built. This is quite a grey area, but in some circumstances where you place such an order, you will automatically waive your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, Section 75. The common sense reason behind this is that somebody is going to be stuck with an item that was specially made for you, and may have difficulty moving it on if they were obliged to compensate you. The UK Financial Ombudsman is the only organisation who is deemed competent in this country to make decisions on such matters, and it may be as well to contact them and ask for advice. Precisely what constitutes "custom made" is something else that is open to question, and it would be dangerous for me to offer anything concrete. Some examples may include a special paint job, or non standard components in the instrument. In such cases part of the instrument may be standard whilst another element of it was customised. Again, the Financial Ombudsman makes the final decision if no resolution is possible between the buyer and seller.
Most manufacturers prefer to deal with a professional retailer for international transactions, as both parties will be familiar with all the red tape and etiquette involved with regard to import duty, courier rates, and other relevant taxes. There is also less likelihood of the item going missing, not to mention the customer ending up with insufficient funds to complete the deal. On top of that the makers are keen to advertise their instruments, and by appointing distributors they are effectively working to keep themselves in business. There was a time when your local accordion shop could order a one-off instrument from any manufacturer, but the chances were that the manufacturer would only supply on a trade basis, and the poor dealer would be obliged to order a consignment of demo models from them, or lose your business. Most of them understandably took the latter option.
In my very limited experience of such matters, using a dealer will be the route that most of us will be obliged to take, as if you contact the manufacturer directly, aside from any language difficulties encountered, they will tend to refer you to one of their distributors for the reasons I have described. You will then be obliged to place your order with the dealer and sign some form of contract.
Most of us in the UK will have heard of the Consumer Protection Act I previously mentioned, so we'll dig out the credit card to make either the deposit or the full amount, depending on the terms of the deal, in the belief that the credit card operator will refund us our money if the deal is unsatisfactory. In circumstances where you pay the dealer directly using the card, that is the case, so you're covered, subject to the custom made caveat. However, if the transaction involves the use of a third party "intermediary", such as Paypal, you will have automatically given up your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, and the credit card operator is absolved of any responsibility to reimburse you if you are not satisfied. In those circumstances you are bound by the terms and conditions of the intermediary. With Paypal, their customer compensation conditions would tend to indicate that if you commission an accordion to be built, that could be referred to as a "custom made item", and as such they will definitely not entertain a claim. It may be the case that you would be covered if you were buying an instrument which had already been constructed to the manufacturer's standard specification, but it would be as well to get clear written confirmation from Paypal before you commit to signing a contract. In the absence of any such confirmation, then it is a very clear case of "caveat emptor".
During the process of the accordion being constructed, please bear in mind that the dealer is at the mercy of the manufacturer with regard to deadlines, and the more "extras" you have specified, the longer it's all going to take. The dealer wants the accordion made as quickly as you do so that the deal can be concluded with minimum inconvenience to the dealer and customer. I would imagine there are as many cases where dealers are dissatisfied with the manufacturer (or vice versa) as there are customer complaints.
Occasionally, you may come across a manufacturer who is happy to deal with a private purchaser directly, via their on-line facility, and it's simply a case of telling them what you want, and having them make it for you, if they do not have any ready made models in stock ready for sale. In those circumstances you have to be absolutely certain that the manufacturer has understood precisely what you want, and it may well justify the cost of using an interpreter if you require anything other than a standard production model. You come to some sort of payment agreement with the manufacturer, always bearing in mind the caveats referred to above with regard to credit cards. You then have to pay any import duty, courier handling charges, and VAT when your instrument finally arrives on any of these godforsaken islands referred to as the "UK". These amounts can be found on the relevant government websites, although courier charges can vary considerably, and you may be obliged to accept the maker's choice of courier.
I'd better mention eBay, and admit that I have used that facility to buy a new instrument "off the shelf" from a dealer in the USA. I made considerable savings by doing so, compared to the UK list price, but UK customs are on a campaign to stop residents buying outwith the EU (while we're still in it), and you often get all sorts of hassle and delays after the instrument arrives. If they decide to open up the package you are liable for the cost of resealing it to the courier! Again, you are in a similar situation to the one above, although eBay's terms and conditions also apply, provided you use Paypal. It really is a bit of a minefield, and thankfully most transactions end satisfactorily. At least you get a chance to see independent feedback relative to the seller, although you are still liable for all the taxes and VAT the same as if you order directly from a manufacturer.
It would be a rare occasion indeed if you were able to buy a brand new and unused accordion from a private seller, and I wouldn't recommend it, pure and simple.
What is difficult to comprehend is that most people would never even think of buying something like a new car without at least trying one out first, yet there are ever more of us queuing up to buy new accordions because they sound great on You Tube and/or look great in the catalogues.
I'm glad my accordion buying days are over.
The safest way to buy a new instrument online would be to find a ready made model and buy it off the shelf from a UK dealer. OK, you've checked with all the UK retail outlets and the instrument you want is not available. So what are your options?
We'd probably best cover the situation which applies when you commission a "custom made" accordion to be built. This is quite a grey area, but in some circumstances where you place such an order, you will automatically waive your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, Section 75. The common sense reason behind this is that somebody is going to be stuck with an item that was specially made for you, and may have difficulty moving it on if they were obliged to compensate you. The UK Financial Ombudsman is the only organisation who is deemed competent in this country to make decisions on such matters, and it may be as well to contact them and ask for advice. Precisely what constitutes "custom made" is something else that is open to question, and it would be dangerous for me to offer anything concrete. Some examples may include a special paint job, or non standard components in the instrument. In such cases part of the instrument may be standard whilst another element of it was customised. Again, the Financial Ombudsman makes the final decision if no resolution is possible between the buyer and seller.
Most manufacturers prefer to deal with a professional retailer for international transactions, as both parties will be familiar with all the red tape and etiquette involved with regard to import duty, courier rates, and other relevant taxes. There is also less likelihood of the item going missing, not to mention the customer ending up with insufficient funds to complete the deal. On top of that the makers are keen to advertise their instruments, and by appointing distributors they are effectively working to keep themselves in business. There was a time when your local accordion shop could order a one-off instrument from any manufacturer, but the chances were that the manufacturer would only supply on a trade basis, and the poor dealer would be obliged to order a consignment of demo models from them, or lose your business. Most of them understandably took the latter option.
In my very limited experience of such matters, using a dealer will be the route that most of us will be obliged to take, as if you contact the manufacturer directly, aside from any language difficulties encountered, they will tend to refer you to one of their distributors for the reasons I have described. You will then be obliged to place your order with the dealer and sign some form of contract.
Most of us in the UK will have heard of the Consumer Protection Act I previously mentioned, so we'll dig out the credit card to make either the deposit or the full amount, depending on the terms of the deal, in the belief that the credit card operator will refund us our money if the deal is unsatisfactory. In circumstances where you pay the dealer directly using the card, that is the case, so you're covered, subject to the custom made caveat. However, if the transaction involves the use of a third party "intermediary", such as Paypal, you will have automatically given up your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, and the credit card operator is absolved of any responsibility to reimburse you if you are not satisfied. In those circumstances you are bound by the terms and conditions of the intermediary. With Paypal, their customer compensation conditions would tend to indicate that if you commission an accordion to be built, that could be referred to as a "custom made item", and as such they will definitely not entertain a claim. It may be the case that you would be covered if you were buying an instrument which had already been constructed to the manufacturer's standard specification, but it would be as well to get clear written confirmation from Paypal before you commit to signing a contract. In the absence of any such confirmation, then it is a very clear case of "caveat emptor".
During the process of the accordion being constructed, please bear in mind that the dealer is at the mercy of the manufacturer with regard to deadlines, and the more "extras" you have specified, the longer it's all going to take. The dealer wants the accordion made as quickly as you do so that the deal can be concluded with minimum inconvenience to the dealer and customer. I would imagine there are as many cases where dealers are dissatisfied with the manufacturer (or vice versa) as there are customer complaints.
Occasionally, you may come across a manufacturer who is happy to deal with a private purchaser directly, via their on-line facility, and it's simply a case of telling them what you want, and having them make it for you, if they do not have any ready made models in stock ready for sale. In those circumstances you have to be absolutely certain that the manufacturer has understood precisely what you want, and it may well justify the cost of using an interpreter if you require anything other than a standard production model. You come to some sort of payment agreement with the manufacturer, always bearing in mind the caveats referred to above with regard to credit cards. You then have to pay any import duty, courier handling charges, and VAT when your instrument finally arrives on any of these godforsaken islands referred to as the "UK". These amounts can be found on the relevant government websites, although courier charges can vary considerably, and you may be obliged to accept the maker's choice of courier.
I'd better mention eBay, and admit that I have used that facility to buy a new instrument "off the shelf" from a dealer in the USA. I made considerable savings by doing so, compared to the UK list price, but UK customs are on a campaign to stop residents buying outwith the EU (while we're still in it), and you often get all sorts of hassle and delays after the instrument arrives. If they decide to open up the package you are liable for the cost of resealing it to the courier! Again, you are in a similar situation to the one above, although eBay's terms and conditions also apply, provided you use Paypal. It really is a bit of a minefield, and thankfully most transactions end satisfactorily. At least you get a chance to see independent feedback relative to the seller, although you are still liable for all the taxes and VAT the same as if you order directly from a manufacturer.
It would be a rare occasion indeed if you were able to buy a brand new and unused accordion from a private seller, and I wouldn't recommend it, pure and simple.
What is difficult to comprehend is that most people would never even think of buying something like a new car without at least trying one out first, yet there are ever more of us queuing up to buy new accordions because they sound great on You Tube and/or look great in the catalogues.
I'm glad my accordion buying days are over.
