A Frank Discussion About Teacher Kickbacks
The subject of teacher kickbacks is not the most romantic side of the bowed instrument business. Most people assume that their instrumental teacher is an advocate for their best interests, someone who can be counted on for guidance when searching for, and purchasing a bowed instrument. It is worthwhile knowing that this is not always the case.
Some will try to justify the practice by saying that the teacher deserves to be compensated for their time. Teachers who help a student with the process of purchasing a bowed instrument should of course be compensated fairly for their time, but that payment should come directly from the student or family.
Calling a kickback a “commission” does not change the illegal or unethical nature of the kickback. A commission is something paid to someone who does sales in a particular industry, that being the profession of their choice. Teachers are in the business of teaching, not instrument sales. In Colorado where my shop is located, undisclosed kickbacks are actually illegal, but when kickbacks are paid to teachers, it is rarely disclosed. Teacher kickbacks are generally around 10% of the selling price, and can be as high as 30%. This of course drives up the selling price of the instruments.
The teacher cannot be a neutral advocate, if they are sending a student to a particular shop, and they are receiving a kickback from that shop. There are teachers in my area who routinely send the families of their students to out-of-state shops, this without even letting them know that there are potentially better prices, better service, and superior quality to be found locally. I encourage anyone who is shopping for a bowed instrument to visit the local, ethical shops first. If you can’t find what you want locally, then my suggetion is to work with an out-of-state shop with a written no-kickback policy. Those of us who have taken a stand on this have it posted on our websites. Also, be aware that even some prominent mail-order catalogue companies pay teachers commissions on instrument sales.
Some will try to justify the practice by saying that the teacher deserves to be compensated for their time. Teachers who help a student with the process of purchasing a bowed instrument should of course be compensated fairly for their time, but that payment should come directly from the student or family.
Calling a kickback a “commission” does not change the illegal or unethical nature of the kickback. A commission is something paid to someone who does sales in a particular industry, that being the profession of their choice. Teachers are in the business of teaching, not instrument sales. In Colorado where my shop is located, undisclosed kickbacks are actually illegal, but when kickbacks are paid to teachers, it is rarely disclosed. Teacher kickbacks are generally around 10% of the selling price, and can be as high as 30%. This of course drives up the selling price of the instruments.
The teacher cannot be a neutral advocate, if they are sending a student to a particular shop, and they are receiving a kickback from that shop. There are teachers in my area who routinely send the families of their students to out-of-state shops, this without even letting them know that there are potentially better prices, better service, and superior quality to be found locally. I encourage anyone who is shopping for a bowed instrument to visit the local, ethical shops first. If you can’t find what you want locally, then my suggetion is to work with an out-of-state shop with a written no-kickback policy. Those of us who have taken a stand on this have it posted on our websites. Also, be aware that even some prominent mail-order catalogue companies pay teachers commissions on instrument sales.