A Donegal woman who bought a piano for her daughter in a charity shop was left horrified when she found it was rusty and not working properly when it was delivered.
Shocked Denise O’Boyle paid €400 for the 85 year old piano at the Good As New charity shop in Letterkenny.
She paid a further €100 for it to be delivered to her home and a further €100 to have it tuned.
Ms O’Boyle, from Killybegs, said she did not play the piano but wanted her daughter to learn.
She had priced pianos but said they cost in the region of €3,000 and was delighted when she saw the piano in the charity shop for €400.
She brought a friend with her to view the piano but admitted the woman was not a piano expert.
“She just knew that it didn’t have woodworm and we thought it was okay then,” said Ms O’Boyle.
However when a piano tuner arrived at her home, Ms O’Boyle was told the piano was only worth €50.
“The piano tuner told me the keys were broken and it was rusty and that it couldn’t be tuned.
“ The man who came to tune the piano told me it wasn’t much good and it was only worth about €50,” she said.
Ms O’Boyle of Tullid, Killybegs is seeking her money back from the Good As New Charity shop on Port Road, Letterkenny.
However solicitor for the shop, Ms Karen McGinley said the piano was bought in good faith and a long time had elapsed since it was bought in January, 2011 and when the complaint was made in June.
Ms O’Boyle said the delay was due to finding a proper piano tuner.
She also added that she had been in contact with the Consumer Affairs Department and was told her purchase was covered under the Sales of Goods Act.
However defending solicitor Ms McGinley said this was a grey area and that an unreasonable time had elapsed since the item was bought.
“There was a five month period between when it was bought and when the first complaint was made and we feel that is excessive.
“The goods are sold at the shop as seen.
“The shop has no Government funding and relies on good will to run buses for cancer patients from Donegal to Galway and Dublin for treatment,” she said.
Judge Paul Kelly said it was a rather unfortunate situation that the case had come to court.
He adjourned the case until October 3rd adding “I think the shop might like to reconsider the matter.”
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