Invitation to Buy a Hang Cancelled - When Buying a PANArt Hang Goes Wrong!

Before we proceed - it’s important to state that (at least as far as we know) the following is a rare occurrence, and that most invitations to buy a Hang from PANArt are honored. However, with that said, the instance of refusal experienced by one Handpan.org member, is worthy of special note, and one way or another, offers useful lessons for those hoping to one day make the trip to Bern.

On Wednesday the 29th of Febuary, 2012, Handpan.org member ‘Touchesmysoul’, with a mixture of excitment, and shock, announced that she had ‘received a YES!’, from PANArt. Or in other words, she had been invited to visit PANArt in Switzerland, to select, and ultimately to purchase a Hang. Initially Touchesmysoul wasn’t 100% sure that she intended to purchase the Hang, stating that ‘I don't want to buy something for it to sit gathering dust in my house’ (a factor perhaps, that would have some influence on what would shortly follow).

However, once deciding upon at the very least, to visit PANArt, to see if she found resonance with the Hang, Touchesmysoul began to plan her trip...

Sunday April 22nd, 2012

The day that (despite much debate having taken place online (and off) concerning the 'quirks' of PANArt - with regards to the ways in which they choose to run their ‘business’), nobody saw coming. The day on which, Touchesmysoul returned to the forums with bad news. Despite having previously received an invitation to visit Bern, to purchase a Hang, her invitation had now been cancelled...

At some point over the two months in-between, PANArt (with the aid of those who whisper in the ears of Felix, and Sabina), had reached the decision that Touchesmysoul was no longer a suitable ‘candidate’, and her invitation was immediately revoked. But why? - (You'll find out shortly)

And while I personally tend to side with those who see what happened to be an ‘extreme’ (insert: 'harsh, cruel, etc.') move on the side of PANArt. It is known that PANArt’s artistic vision is extremely rigid, with little flexibility given for deviation by those who would play the Free Integral Hang (and very little forgiveness given to those who do so), And as such, with hindsight, it should have come as no great surprise to anybody. 

However, there are arguments to be made, and listened to, from both sides of the fence. And so for those who find themselves at the beginning of the ‘journey’ towards perhaps one day purchasing a PANArt Hang, for those mailing off second (third, or fourth...) letters, or for those who have already received a positive response from PANArt, the following few threads can be considered to be necessary reading (should you wish to avoid a similar fate)...

I Got a ‘YES!’ - HandPan.org

With perhaps arguably the most unfortunate lesson to be learned from the whole affair seemingly being - that with regards to the Hang, online, be careful what you say, and to whom you say it. The walls have ears!
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