bad form

[Mary Ann]

"safe" - in that it has happened to me so long ago that I don't remember anyone's name who tried to pull something like that on me, and no one would recognize themselves in this thread...
------------------------------------
This is a tangential topic, but another funny way that humans tend to think/behave (when seeking out services or products) is the phenomenon of anti-local discrimination.

ex's:
"Their custom-made products or their special services can't be particularly good, because they're less than an hour away."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ vs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That guy in New Zealand must have the best widget/do the best work, because they are the farthest away place that offers fill-in-the-blank."

Long ago a friend of mine who fixed electronic instruments and who was VERY good at electronics, invented the phrase "expert from afar." He noted the same thing --- people far away wanted his expertise and locals were blah, Oh, that's just Jim down the street.

[bloke]

LOL...

This isn't the same topic, but I think I'm seeing that schools and maybe even individuals go to the store in town first to see if they can fix something, but - if it's too hard for them to fix - then they might drive way out here...

... just need to remember to charge - not only for my time, but - for how hard the crap is that people bring me to fix, because they bring me some pretty difficult crap.

[Tubeast]

It´s an issue of culture.

There are regions in the world where sellers will get mad at you if you accept their initial asking price and fail to enter into a good-sported, intellectually interesting bargaining effort before making a deal.

And then there are regions where you earn bragging rights if you can tell stories of how good a negotiator you are and how you got BOTH wins of a situation, ripping off the other guy.

Either way, normal is what most people do.

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bloke]

Explaining that I’m fixing other people’s “fixes” is often interesting. It takes time to undo before doing sometimes.

admission:
I'm encountering fewer past "hack" repairs.
I can think of a few possible explanations, but all would be guesses.
I'm not even seeing all that many lead-soldered broken socket-flange braces (the type that should have been replaced or removed and brazed back together), these days.

[Rick Denney]

As with anything, communication is the key. E.g., "Let me summarize--we'll meet at X to trade tuba Y for dollars Z." And, "I am happy to meet buyers halfway to complete the sale, but price negotiation happens first unless there's a problem I didn't tell you about."

But I daresay that sellers forgetting to mention defects is more the rule than the exception. And most people go into a transaction assuming an adversarial posture because of that. I don't like adversarial transactions among friends.

By the way, the tuba I bought from you last year looked better in person than in pictures, but I was looking with experienced eyes.

Rick "playing that tuba at two gigs this weekend" Denney

[bloke]

I just wish my schedule had allowed me to do a bit more with the valves, but that day was the only day I could go to that meeting place, and that's as far as I managed to get with them...but you were aware of that ahead of time as well.