West Music Coralville Refused to honor warranty, sold used goods as new. Coralville Iowa

Three years ago, in May of 2015, I purchased a Yamaha keyboard (model P105) from a West Music satellite store in Decorah, Iowa.  As the P105 was to be updated and otherwise replaced with the P115 model, I was able to purchase a new P105 model at a sale price with the three year warranty still intact.

In April of 2018, the action of the keys felt a bit loose or “clunky”.  The keyboard was sent to the main store of West Music in Coralville, Iowa (phone # 800-397-9178 or 319-351-2000).  Repair under warranty was denied because the inside of the keyboard was full of what appeared to be “white cat hair” (depicted by the enclosed photo).  Yes, I have a cat.  Please note the enclosed picture of my cat, who is obviously black.  The keyboard in question has only been in the possession of West Music and in my home.  I would add that when it was shipped to the store in Decorah, Iowa, I asked for the box that it would have come in and was told it had none.  Only add on accessories had packaging.

When calling various nearby music dealers in Minnesota and Wisconsin about the problem, it was repeatedly stated that, with internal buildup notwithstanding, all indications pointed to extensive use prior to the time that I purchased the unit in question, indeed, it was my understanding that it had been a demo model prior to my purchase of it.

Also, Yamaha headquarters (Steve Demming, Phone # 808-854-1569) stated that the warranty need not be honored because it was not a Yamaha defect, and he did not authorize the Coralville store to do any work on said product.  I tried twice to contact the Coralville store manager, (Jim Metcalf Phone # same as the Coralville store number listed above), but my calls were not returned.

Word came to the Decorah store that I was to pay $40.00 for a service charge on what should have been covered under warranty.  My comment was that if West Music sells a used demo as new, voids a warranty, and could charge me for warrantied work, then they could keep it.

To their credit, and the fact that I had been a long term customer (prior to the time they became a West Music outlet), the Decorah store management refurbished what they could on their own time, at no charge to me.  The keyboard is now in my possession.

My point is that it appears West Music of Coralville, Iowa sold a used keyboard as new and the Decorah store got “caught up in it”.