Hi again everyone. I received the flute I bought off e-bay today for my niece. (it's a Bundy if that matters) The description said it was in good condition with some finish wear. Well that was an understatement. I expected tarnishing on some keys but this flute has a spot on the bottom where the plating has actually been worn off. My daughter who plays tried it out and it sounded fine. I took it to the local flute repair person anyway for a check up and possible pad change.

My question is - what if anything would you do for this? (aside from leaving negative feedback) I imagine re-plating isn't cheap or easy/quick. It has obviously been used ALOT.

I am going to make a deal with my niece that if she tries it and likes playing I will get her a better one. (she wants to play flute but you know how kids can change their minds) It also came in a Pro Tech case that is made for a longer flute. (different foot right?)

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I get misrepresented flutes off of ebay all the time. I don't know why no one can be honest. I have learned to ask many questions and save all the responses to the emails for later on. I would send it back to the seller and tell them you want your money back. Make sure to tell them that you want your shipping money back also as they are the ones that clearly misrepresented it and you should not be out of any money because or it. Always be as sweet as pie too when contacting them, otherwise you will not get anywhere with them.

What next? Try and get your neice a better name brand flute. You can still get an Armstong, Emerson, Gemeinhardt and sometimes Yamaha used for fairly cheap. Take a look at www.usedflutes.com and try to avoid ebay next time. There are regular sellers on usedflutes.com that have made a name for themselves that you can trust. Just type in their email on the search bar to see if they are a regular seller. Liz101, flute4sale and Nancy Shine are all good reputable people to buy from on there. I would offer you a good deal on a used flute, but all of mine are already sold and I am never sure when I will be getting more in.

Personally I would not do anything as long as the flute plays well and is in good condition (aside from that spot on the bottom). The plating loss will not effect the sound, particularly not there, and is relatively normal on high contact areas (like where the right thumb is placed) with older flutes. I don't know exactly what questions you may have asked, or how the flute was described, but from what you said (finish wear), it sounds like the seller left the opening for you to ask how much and where, so it doesn't strike me as distinctly dishonest. Certainly I wouldn't think it would be worth the time and effort of returning a perfectly good flute, and then looking for another one.

Certainly I wouldn't think it would be worth the time and effort of returning a perfectly good flute, and then looking for another one.

Well, if it is not as described, then it is certainly worth the time to send it back, especially when you can get something much better. That is unless you only paid like $25 for it and then I wouldn't bother. I started off on a Bundy and that is probably one of the worst mistakes. The sound was horrible on it and it took so much more effort to produce a nice sound on it too. It held me back some.

If it is silver plated, there is something that Caswell plating Co makes. I am unsure of how long it will last. Here is the link to it:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/silverpl.htm

Thanks for the advice. I only paid $60 for it and like I said it did seem to play well. (plus whatever the checkup is going to cost) I have worked a trade for a Geminhardt that should be coming soon that I was going to keep for me. (my first lesson is wednesday) I have decided to keep "Ugly Betty" for myself and give my niece the Geminhardt. I can always borrow my daughters Geminhardt if I have problems with the ebay flute. Plus I do love things with a history. Something I know kids don't appreciate. They see worn and think yuck!

I know sometimes trying to save a few dollars can backfire like this. I've always had great luck on ebay before. I guess luck really can be a factor. Thanks for the used flute info Kara. It is appreciated.

Does anyone know if there is a site to look up the age of a flute based on serial numbers?

Marie-in Maine said: The description said it was in good condition with some finish wear. Well that was an understatement. I expected tarnishing on some keys but this flute has a spot on the bottom where the plating has actually been worn off.

Tarnish is not finish "wear". Plating worn off is what I would expect if someone said finish wear. I would say that it is accurately represented if there is plating worn off in a spot and the description mentioned finish wear..

Joe B

>>Does anyone know if there is a site to look up the age of a flute based on serial numbers?<<

I only find a sax serial number guide on the Selmer website (Bundy = Selmer). But, I'd guess that you could email Selmer and ask them.

--Judy

Marie-in-Maine,

Buying in Ebay is always a surprise -and that makes it interesting for me. I suppose you know the problem... So I do buy things there rather often, with mixed results.

If you have given this flute to your niece and she is happy with it and the sound seems to be good for you, then, I would not worry too much -at least for a while.

Now, there is the legitime concern that the flute was not good enough for a beginner, that would be a pity as she could lose time and effort and could even get dissapointed to the point of quitting. If you have the possibility, have it checked by a flute teacher.

As for the wear on the plating, I dare suggest (doing my best trying not to madden the experts) that perhaps you could try applying one of the liquid cold plating products available in commerce, considering that:

- Apply it only on the worn spot, very carefully avoid going close to or wetting the holes as there are fragile pads there
- Apply with a Q-tip and test the result on a small part of the spot
-We aware that the plate layer so obtained is extremely thin and will not last long. But it could improve the looking of the instruments so that your niece does not think she has a worn out instrument to start with.
Hope it helps