Burkart-phelan Inc

I ordered a flute from this manufacturer two years ago. The flute model is the [redacted] It is specified by the manufacturer to have a solid sterling silver head joint, body, posts and ribs.They specify the only parts plated on this flute are the keys only. Upon scratching the body of the flute recently, I was alarmed by the black coloration of the scratch so I called the company about it and was told that the flute I was shipped is a flute that was both copper plated and silver plated and that this is the reason for the dark discoloration. The company's website addresses the issue of plating by clearly stating that the head joints and bodies of their flutes are "not plated" and explains their reasons for not doing it. I have attempted to resolve this issue by calling the manufacturer, but they have treated me like it's not a big deal and that I'll eventually just go away. I am fifty seven years old and have been playing the flute since I was twelve years old. It is an important part of my life. Please help me to resolve this.Product_Or_Service: FluteAccount_Number: serial #XXXXXDesired SettlementI would like the manufacturer to replace the flute they used to deceive me with another flute that matches the specifications of the flute that I paid for, namely one that is not plated. I just want what I paid for.Business Response Flute #XXXXX was a special order, sold by [redacted] to a reseller. It was not purchased directly from [redacted], Inc. by the customer. The [redacted] flute was primarily sold through a network of resellers. The [redacted] flute was first released in 2008 (Version 1) with a solid sterling silver tube and nickel silver ribs, posts and keys, which were then silver plated. This Version 1 was available in B and C foot, and closed (plateau) and open (French) keys. In 2011, in response to customer feedback, we switched to solid sterling silver tube, solid sterling silver ribs and posts, with only the nickel-silver keys being plated (Version 2). The [redacted] flute was an official product until [redacted] 2014. It was discontinued in [redacted] 2015, and has been replaced by the [redacted] flute. Our reseller submitted a special order request on [redacted] 2013 for a closed-hole flute, which was a discontinued item. I informed the reseller that since the end-customer would only consider a closed-hole flute, that we could only provide an previous version of the instrument. I asked the reseller to confirm with the customer that they would accept a previous version of the instrument. I authorized the agent to discount the flute considerably as compensation for the differences between Version 1 and Version 2 flute specifications. A PO was issued from the reseller, the flute was shipped, and the reseller has verified that the customer's paid invoice indicates the extra 15% discount as agreed upon. The transaction between the reseller and the customer was completed in early [redacted] 2013.In [redacted] 2105, after the customer damaged flute #XXXXX, they contacted [redacted] directly to ask specific information about the flute, focusing on the silver tube and plating. We had several phone conversations together. I discussed the history regarding the [redacted] 200 model and details about instrument #XXXXX in a clear, transparent format. During the course of several conversations, the customer indicated that they loved the sound and feel of the instrument, and was surprised by the plating on the body. The customer indicated frustration at the cosmetic issue resulting from damage to the flute. During a phone conversion on Tuesday, [redacted] the customer confirmed that he loves playing the flute, and that it meets his expectations for performance. We agreed that there was never an attempt to mislead him regarding the plating on the instrument. The customer indicated the he was hoping we could continue to work together in the future. I confirmed that the customer was satisfied with the response we had given regarding his concern. It is accurate that our website does not mention the older version of the flute. This is an oversight which we will correct on our FAQ pages within 30 days. [redacted] appreciates the customer's input in helping us to correct this communication error. Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)The respondent statement that I was in agreement to accepting an outdated, discontinued flute that was both copper and silver plated is untrue. I made a decision to buy my flute from [redacted] based on their published specifications that the [redacted] flute is made of solid sterling silver and that only the keys are plated.I was completely unaware that the flute [redacted] Flutes shipped to me was plated until I called them to find out why a small scratch on the flute body appeared black in coloration. I never knew that [redacted] Flutes were ever plated until they admitted during that conversation that the flute used to fulfill my order had been copper plated and silver plated. [redacted] Flutes publicly denounces the practice of plating silver flutes, yet that is precisely the type of flute they used to fill my order. [redacted] Flutes continues to avoid this issue and has yet to offer a solution for this problem.