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Free piano?

  • 1.  Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 03:01
    I just had two separate offers for a free piano.  Someone wanted to donate a nearly new Yamaha digital acoustic grand to a "worthy family".

    The timing and the wording suggest scams.

    Is anyone else getting offers for "free" pianos (perhaps with significant shipping costs)?

    ------------------------------
    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 03:54
    Yes,  It's been all over Facebook. I even got that offer.

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 06:27
    I always recommend people put a price on a piano they want to sell. I tell they adjust down when people seem like they really want. "Free" means junk.or scam.





  • 4.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 05:51
    Short answer. Yes. And a scam it is. 

     

     

    http://bit.ly/Schedule_My_Piano

     

    "Good, better, best; never let it rest, 'til the good is better and better best!"


    "Providing quality service for the world's pianos" (When the world opens back up)

     

    Join us: 63rd ANNUAL PTG CONVENTION & TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
    Doubletree Orlando at Seaworld

    Aug 4-7, 2021

     

    George W.R. "Bill" Davis, RPT, SERVP

    The Piano Place GA

    2315 Rocky Mountain Rd NE

    Marietta GA 30066

    www.pianoplace.net

    bill@pianoplace.net


    Sent from my iPhone





  • 5.  RE: Free piano?

    Posted 02-23-2021 06:56
    Hello Blaine,
    Same here!  I did not think it to be a scam but when I was asked to "promise to take good care of her (the piano i.e.), I told them I could not be of help.
    Peter

    ------------------------------
    Petrus Janssen
    Peachtree City GA
    678-416-8055
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 08:07
    I suspected that this post might be a scam, partly because it was not addressed to me personally, but bcc'd on an email blast. For those of you who have determined that it is a scam, just out of curiosity, how can you tell for sure?

    Alan

    ------------------------------
    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-26-2021 10:42
    just out of curiosity, how can you tell for sure?


    Hi Alan.  Well, a few people have expanded their thoughts on that.  For me, it was a "free Yamaha" that made me wonder.  I let the text age for a few days and finally realized almost a week went by.  By then this thread was up and thriving.  Now that I've had a moment more to ponder, my memory mud boiled up the memory of a similar event a few years ago with this same group.  Perhaps it was on the other forum last time.

    Free Yamaha, no name text, out of the blue, no phone call, ... Yamahas are sooo easy to sell.  To offer it for free and pass up thousands  ........  there's got to be something wrong with this.  A former neighbor would say, "There's something not clean with that milk.".

    Lar


    ------------------------------
    Larry Fisher
    Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
    Vancouver WA
    503-310-6965
    Working the gravy zone for the rest of my days.
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 08:41
    If it is the "free" Yamaha Grand offer that I received, it is a scam. The piano is at Tennessee so called"moving company". According to others who responded, once you send the money for delivery, the scam is successful.

    ------------------------------
    Greg Junker
    Owner
    Belleville IL
    618-971-9595
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Free piano?

    Member
    Posted 02-23-2021 10:05
    I got the email for a Yamaha grand that they wanted to donate and I played with the sender to get more information such as the model and serial number, location of the piano, pictures etc. I got a model number and pictures showing the piano in the hallway of an empty house and it looked like it had been photo shopped. Some of the wording in the scam was a red flag such as using properties in place of property a number of times. The scammer told me the piano was in Johnson City, TN in storage and I would need to hire the trucking company they used to move it. The scammer could not give me a serial number -another flag because it would have been on shipping papers. The reason they gave is it belonged to her late husband and he would be mad if it was sold. Why contact someone in SC if the piano is in TN ? another red flag. I told her (Sheila) I am passing on the offer.  I am sure the next step in the scam was to send a check or other form of payment to zippy express

    Be careful out there !!!

    ------------------------------
    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    843-325-4357
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 10:23
    I had the same experience as Jim, but also Googled the email address. It came up with a profile picture of a lovely young woman, not the person sending the email. Since then, I've gotten the same email from 3 different addresses.

    ------------------------------
    Maggie Jusiel, RPT
    Athens, WV
    (304)952-8615
    mags@timandmaggie.net
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 11:14
    Same here, but it wasn't Sheila - it was Stella.

    The Yamaha Baby Grand Piano used to be owned and played by my husband who passed away last year. It was last tuned sometimes around October last year before he passed. I'm moving my properties to California and I don't think my husband will be happy if I sell this piano, at the same time am settling to a home of lesser space, so I'm hoping to give it out to someone who is a passionate lover of the instrument. I wasn't going to leave it alone in an empty house.

    Paul.






  • 12.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 11:34
    Hi Stella:
    Wow! What a coincidence! I have a sister that lives nearby, and I was going to help her move to Florida to be with the rest of the family. How about we meet at your house? I can pick it up on the way to Miami. I'm so excited! I'll take some photos with you and the piano to send to my Aunt Gertrude, the concert pianist, who will love to play it. So, we won't need to hire a moving company. What a generous person you are! I'm sure your dead husband won't be mad that you gave it away. What was the address again?
    Sincerely,

    Paul
    Dist. Atty. Ret.



    Paul Brown


    Same here, but it wasn't Sheila - it was Stella.


    The Yamaha Baby Grand Piano used to be owned and played by my husband who passed away last year. It was last tuned sometimes around October last year before he passed. I'm moving my properties to California and I don't think my husband will be happy if I sell this piano, at the same time am settling to a home of lesser space, so I'm hoping to give it out to someone who is a passionate lover of the instrument. I wasn't going to leave it alone in an empty house .



    Paul.




  • 13.  RE: Free piano?

    Member
    Posted 02-23-2021 12:04
    Ha Ha.. The name was Stella Gaffney . I told her I had my own movers and needed the address so I could get a quote. The response was I needed to use her mover. Wrong Answer....

    Sometime back I got a text message on my phone wanting me to tune and repair two S & S pianos being sent from New York to a hotel in Columbia, SC for a concert over a weekend. When I vetted the call with the hotel it was news to them- no such group or reservation. I played along with the text sender to get more information and details. The pianos needed to be repaired and tuned they said. I said it would be easier for me to call them to discuss but the reply was they just had mouth surgery and could not talk because their mouth was sown shut.... They kept texting me every few minutes until I finally said I was forwarding their texts to the State Law Enforcement Division...  The sewn mouth was a pretty good line !!!!

    ------------------------------
    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    843-325-4357
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 12:25

    Very funny James!

     

    I got the same email, and I sent to trash. 

     

    Funny that we've had 3 legitimate calls for donations in the past 2 weeks.  One is a nice Steinway upright we're going to get. The other from a faculty which we will take and another from an ancient Story and Clark 5' grand that doesn't play at all.  Not going for that!! I let her down nicely,

     

    Paul

     






  • 15.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 13:42
    Got the same email, but on my personal address, not my business email. Didn't reply to it. Glad I didn't!

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
    Piano Technician / Artisan
    (805) 315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 15:42
    I just received another more elaborate email about this piano just like the reply above.

    Perhaps we should contact a police department in Tennessee?

    ------------------------------
    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: Free piano?

    Member
    Posted 02-23-2021 18:12

    I have pictures I was sent showing a player system hanging off it. I tried to get a serial number but did not succeed. I meant to check the model information against the picture. I hope the scam is not posted to ebay or craigs list and someone falls for it. Its sad but true many people will get the impression offers like these are real and they send a check, money order to get merchandise that will never arrive. I would be happy to forward the pictures and emails to law enforcement but its probably not a high priority to investigate these scams.

    ------------------------------
    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    843-325-4357
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: Free piano?

    Member
    Posted 02-23-2021 18:32
    The Model is a DGB1 which is a Yamaha with a Disklavier. Anyone have something like this reported stolen since I recall a stolen Yamaha being reported in TN 2 or three years ago. It was in a house that was empty and after an open house was gone a few days later when the care taker or real estate agent checked on the house.

    ------------------------------
    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    843-325-4357
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-23-2021 20:09
    Jim,

    It is probably safe to say that stopping this scam would be a high priority for those gullible folks who are about to be taken in by it, or already have been. I would take it to the local authorities, by all means. Who knows from whence this scam truly originated.

    Alan

    ------------------------------
    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-24-2021 23:09
    I'm curious to know if they'd do anything. The chances of this scam actually being based in TN is pretty slim. At the very least, they might know who to report it to!

    ------------------------------
    Maggie Jusiel, RPT
    Athens, WV
    (304)952-8615
    mags@timandmaggie.net
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-25-2021 20:39
    About the same time this thread started I got a text msg saying they had a Yamaha piano for free.  I deleted it.  This almost same exact thing happened a few years ago via email.  Texting is a new twist.

    It makes me wonder if they've penetrated the PTG database somehow and extracted all the email adrs.  In my case, I initially blamed the new dentist I stated with  (any new contacts possibly generates new phishing) but then I saw this thread and pondered anew.  (uh gnu) 

    Lar


    ------------------------------
    Larry Fisher
    Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
    Vancouver WA
    503-310-6965
    Working the gravy zone for the rest of my days.
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-25-2021 20:45
    I just got the message today. I'm thinking they must have the PTG member list or something. Maybe RPT recommendations from the Technician search link on the website.
    Paul McCloud
    San Diego



    Larry Fisher
    About the same time this thread started I got a text msg saying they had a Yamaha piano for free. I deleted it. This almost same exact thing happened a few years ago via email. Texting is a new twist.

    It makes me wonder if they've penetrated the PTG database somehow and extracted all the email adrs. In my case, I initially blamed the new dentist I stated with (any new contacts possibly generates new phishing) but then I saw this thread and pondered anew. (uh gnu)

    Lar


    ------------------------------
    Larry Fisher
    Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
    Vancouver WA
    503-310-6965
    Working the gravy zone for the rest of my days.





  • 23.  RE: Free piano?

    Member
    Posted 02-25-2021 21:13
    Kinda felt left out...until this afternoon when I got it!.

    Deb






  • 24.  RE: Free piano?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-26-2021 09:26
    Awesome response Paul

     

     

    http://bit.ly/Schedule_My_Piano

     

    "Good, better, best; never let it rest, 'til the good is better and better best!"


    "Providing quality service for the world's pianos" (When the world opens back up)

     

    Join us: 63rd ANNUAL PTG CONVENTION & TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
    Doubletree Orlando at Seaworld

    Aug 4-7, 2021

     

    George W.R. "Bill" Davis, RPT, SERVP

    The Piano Place GA

    2315 Rocky Mountain Rd NE

    Marietta GA 30066

    www.pianoplace.net

    bill@pianoplace.net


    Sent from my iPhone