We  hardly ever have returns, because we are willing to help our customers, in any way we can before they make their choice. We strive to help our customers know exactly what they will be getting, and make sure the instrument they purchase will meet their needs.  If for any reason, you want to return an instrument you purchased from us, you have two days after the delivery to let us know.  You can either get full store credit(less shipping) toward any other instrument, or a refund(minus shipping and a 9% restocking fee). No returns are allowed without first contacting us and getting an authorization. Returns are not accepted for books, recorded music, or wind instruments.  An explanation of how our return policy works, follows:

There are separate policies for returns for store credit and returns for refund.

Return for Store Credit:

If you are not happy with the instrument you chose, in order to return it for store credit you must notify us for return authorization by the end of the second day after delivery. You need to bring the return to the carrier you received it from within two business days of receiving authorization, pay for return shipping and insurance for the full value, and provide us with a tracking number. We are not  responsible for merchandise that is lost or damaged in return shipping, so you need to insure for full value to protect yourelf against this type of loss. Upon receipt of the merchandise in our shop, we will inspect it to verify that it was re-packed safely, and that any papers and warranty that came with it are there. For merchandise returned in original condition, you will get credit for the price you paid, less our cost of shipping the item in the first place. If shipping was included in the price, the store credit will be the selling price less the actual cost of shipping.

Example: An item has a $100 selling price and it costs us $10 to ship (total charge to the customer of $110). The customer then returns the item and it costs him $12 to ship back to us. The customer would receive a $100 credit but he would be out-of-pocket for the total $22 in shipping fees and would be responsible for paying the shipping charge and any price difference on the replacement merchandise he selects.

Refunds:

If you can't find any other merchandise that you will meet your needs, we will issue a refund, less our cost of shipping the item in the first place. In addition, there will be a 9% restocking fee, provided the merchandise is returned in its' new and original condition. If the merchandise is returned incomplete or altered in any way, the cost of repairs, or the replacement of missing parts or paperwork will be deducted from the refund. If shipping was included in the price, the refund will be the selling price less the original cost of shipping, minus the 9% restocking fee.

Example: An item has a $100 selling price and it costs us $10 to ship (total charge to the customer of $110). The customer then returns the item in original condition and it costs $12 to ship back to us. The refund will be $91.00. The customer will be out-of-pocket for a total of $31 ($10 original shipping + $12 return shipping + $9 restocking fee).

Some additional thoughts and information relating to the subject of returns:

Avoiding needless returns is important because:

 1) shipping always puts instruments at risk.

  2) needless returns increase prices because replacement merchandise is often ordered right away, and shops  end up with way more money tied up in their inventory than planned.

  3) if the instrument was bought from a shop with little or no inventory or 'before sale customer service', many shops have their merchandise drop shipped to customers from a builder or distributor, and have the returns sent back to the supplier, putting the all the risk and cost involved on the supplier. That is raising everyone's prices on instruments bought from the suppliers who are willing to put up with such practices.

At Folk Notes, we have always had, until the onset of online shopping, open lines of communication with all our customers because communication was necessary, either through e-mail or a phone conversation, for a purchase to be completed. In seven years, we have only had five returns(and two of those were instruments bought as gifts) for credit or refunds to people who have asked questions and let me help them with their purchase. The single most important thing you can do to make sure you will get an instrument you are happy with, is to know what you want and expect out of an instrument or accessory, and let me assist you in evaluating which instrument or accessory is most likely to meet your needs or expectations.

If a package should be damaged, temporarily misplaced, or lost in transit by the carrier, the carrier's guidelines concerning replacement and reshipment will be followed. For UPS this usually means a waiting period of 14 days from the scheduled delivery date. (In seven years I have only had one instrument damaged....  it was destroyed, actually, and two domestic shipments that apparently took a scenic route for about a week, so your chances of a mishap are small.)