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Robert S. Koontz piano teacher repairman and con man racket ripped off many consumers Hagerstown Maryland *UPDATE ..his cell number!
I hired Mr. Koontz to repair our reproducing piano (a type of player piano) in June of 2002. He began the work and asked for half the cost of the total repairs so he could order supplies and cover his labor.
In the ensuing months Mr. Koontz didn't return our calls, missed appointments without notifying us, and never apologized for his inconsiderations.
Then in Aug. 2002, Mr. Koontz finally showed up several visits, although he was routinely late, and seemed harrassed by personal problems, like a car breaking down, and being rushed to get to his piano students' lessons.
Nevertheless, he completed about half the work he was hired to do to bring the piano back to working order. At this point I paid him for the rest of the money I owed him which would cover work already done and future work to complete a few minor repairs and a final tuning.
Then we waited another week for him to contact us to set up the last appointment, which was set for Sept. 25th, 2002. He didn't show up. We tried to call, but his phone service was disconnected. We left messages at his cell phone, but to no avail.
Finally, we called the Piano Store that had recommended Mr. Koontz to us. The manager their said that in September, Mr. Koontz had ended his association with them. Mr. Koontz had rented the store's studio for piano lessons, but had been delinquent in these responsibilities, too.
And after the store had received complaints about this, the management confronted Mr. Koontz, who at the time was reportedly thinking about teaching somewhere else. Immediately following this confrontation, Mr. Koontz left town with no contact information.
It appears, also, that Mr. Koontz was working with a friend who obtained employment at the piano store and was routinely recommending Mr. Koontz for lessons and piano repair. Once complaints began comming in about Mr. Koontz, the store managements did not include Mr. Koontz on their recommend list. Mr. Koontz's accomplice continued to recommend him and was subsequently fired.
Many of the families that were scammed by Mr. Koontz have contacted the police to locate Mr. Koontz. It is thought that he has moved 8 hours away to perpetrate this con racket again, and has run this racket over and over in the past.
Mr. Koontz is not an impressive business person, although his knowledge of pianos and playing skill is.
Dorothy
Hedgesville, West Virginia
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Ken DeLoria
Oregon,United States of America
My experience with Robert koontz
#6General Comment
Fri, April 08, 2011
I am writing in reference to Robert Koontz.
I'm a recording artist who plays piano (as well as other keyboards). I have toured extensively
in many parts of the world, played at least two hundred high-end pianos, and owned 5 grand
pianos in my lifetime including a Hamburg Steinway D and a Grotrian 277. Over the last 38 years,
I have encountered at least 500 tuners at show dates.
Robert Koontz is a superb tuner and a competent technician. He is one of the most sincere
tuner/technicians I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with. I'm writing this
because it's unimaginable to me that he should suffer the pain of being on this rip-off website.
I no nothing of the particulars of this specific case, but I know a hell of a lot about people
from years of touring, and I know a lot about pianos and piano techs. Robert is among the best.
If anyone wishes to contact me, I will happily speak with them or exchange emails. I am not
providing my contact information in this writing because this site prohibits it. However, the name
I've written this under is my true legal name and I'm pretty easy to get in contact with.
In conclusion, the only sentence in the complaint that did not sound false is that Robert arrived
late to appointments. He's arrived at my house late several times, but he's always called to let
me know. After having my home pianos tuned somewhere on the order of 400 times since I
bought my first Grand in 1972, I have seen a tuner arrive on time... perhaps 15 times. It's
simply the nature of the business for tuners who travel to client's homes. They cannot schedule
a precise arrival time any more than a Doctor can schedule a precise consultation time, even
though most Doctors work in a fixed location.
Robert Koontz
London NW2,Other,
United Kingdom
To anyone interested, these are the facts, please read:
#6REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, June 28, 2008
Since my last post I went back through some old receipts. I do remember this client now. In fact, I'm amazed I could have ever forgotten her. I can't believe that she thinks I owe her money. Unfortunately, Dorothy has failed to mention a few relevant facts regarding this, and so, for anyone who might be interested, here is the rest of the story of Dorothy and her piano.
When I first went to Dorothy's home I found, under a pile of debris, a dilapidated old player piano, worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $0-$50.
She asked me what I could do and I told her that the piano needed a complete restoration. (A complete restoration of this sort would have generally cost around $8000 to $10,000.) Since there was no way she could have afforded that, I very generously offered to bring it back to playable condition (NOT WORK MIRACLES) for the sum of approx $600. I did this as a kindness. I thought she was a poor, sweet, lady, raising about 5 or 6 children alone, in a tiny, squalid house and I thought I would do her a favor.
Ironically, now she wants my head on a silver platter, isn't life funny sometimes?
All in all, I logged about 26 hours on this piano. Over the next month or so I returned to her home (an hours drive for me) on 5 separate occasions. I did everything I possibly could have for her. My normal rate of pay is $65 per hour plus parts. For those of you who can do the math, this means she paid me $600 and got roughly $1700 worth of work. Now, does that seem like a rip-off to anyone??? On top of this, I worked there under extremely stressful conditions. She had a brood of uncontrollable, screaming children whom she refused to bring to heel. Every time I went back to Dorothy's house something else on the piano had been broken and, simply put, Dorothy's piano was in such awful condition that it should have been dragged into the back yard and shot.
I did what I could, I did more than I should, and I did it courteously and professionally. I also did it for about 1/3 my usual rate.
I suppose the old saying is true, 'No good deed goes unpunished'.
As for the rest of what she has to say here. It is a complete fantasy. A total pack of lies. I have never, EVER been fired from a job. I have never, EVER had a police report filed against me. I have worked my entire life, and have done a lot of good for a lot of people. I wonder if anyone reading this can understand what it feels like to do your absolute level best for someone, and then to have them twist and turn things, and write offensive and delusional things about you.
I am very upset about this. I'm especially angry because I know full well that this web page will come up each and every time someone does a google search on my name. And my name is my reputation. And I happen to have a very good reputation. Professionally, I have tuned for concerts, recordings, and film. My references include such notable people as: Abbey Road, EMI Studios London (where The Beatles recorded), The Royal Albert Hall, and Doc Severinsen's Orchestra. Not to mention the thousands of churches, schools, and individual clients for whom I have worked. And they would all tell you the same thing, I am an expert in my field, I am professional, courteous, and ethical, and I am probably the best piano tuner they have ever had.
If you have any questions regarding this you may
feel free to contact me by phone: (415) 933-1187
or at my email address: Robert_Koontz@hotmail.com
Thank you,
Robert S. Koontz
Rkoontz
London,Europe,
United Kingdom
Dear Dorothy
#6REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, February 20, 2008
I was very surprised when I read the comments you posted here. To begin with, please contact me with your details. If I have any past unfulfilled obligation to you (or anyone) I will certainly take care of it! I honestly do not remember you or your piano, but if I owe you a final tuning, it was an oversight and not a deliberate deception. It is true that I was in the process of moving around that period of time, and a lot was happening. Mistakes happen, and if I owe you anything I will most certainly take care of it. I must, however, take serious issue with the rest of your comments. They are quite simply malicious and untrue. I am not a conman and frankly the story you tell here about an accomplice, etc, etc, is just pure fiction. I cannot imagine who you are talking about?? or, where you would have gotten such a wild notion? Also, in regards to me having defrauded numerous people, etc, this is a total fabrication. I do the very best I can to maintain an high standard of ethics. Please send me an email and let me look through my records. If I owe you a tuning I'll send you a refund. Thank you. Robert S. Koontz.
p.s. Laura, whoever you are, I looked at your other posts and I am writing this specifically for you. From what I gather you are someone looking for a dead-beat father? And while Robert Koontz is not that common of a name, I assure you Laura, we are NOT the same man and I wish you every succes in finding him.
Laura
Lebanon,Oregon,
U.S.A.
Picture?
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, April 08, 2006
Do you have a picture of this man?
Mr. Koontz Cell Phone number
#60
Thu, November 14, 2002
Mr. Koontz's cell phone number still works. He may be using it at his next con racket location: 304-279-9176.