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Ordering
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We are happy to provide detailed information on any instrument, including an in-hand description and phone audition. Before you contact us however, please make sure you have done the following:
-Check the Instruments page to make sure the item is still available. All currently available instruments are pictured there, or are listed in the Coming Soon section. (This is especially important if you found an instrument page directly through a search engine link, as the item may have been sold some time ago. A gallery of many of our Previously Sold items may be found here.)
-A detailed spec sheet and photo gallery for each instrument may be found by clicking on its thumbnail image, as displayed on the Instruments page. Please read the spec sheet carefully and in full before calling. We've tried hard to anticipate and answer most common questions.
-Items in the Coming Soon section do not yet have an individual spec sheet or gallery, but you may email info@archtop.com to request preview pictures and a brief description when they are ready.
If you have more questions:
Call Joe Vinikow at 206/325-3737, Monday through Friday between 10am and 7pm Pacific Time and Tuesdays until 4pm. (We are open Saturdays by appointment.) This is the most efficient way to get all your questions answered quickly and at once. We are located in Seattle, WA, so please make sure you know which time zone you are located in before calling. In order to minimize returns (see below), we prefer to preview any instrument with you in hand by phone before shipment.
We are happy to provide written appraisals, with detailed instrument identification and current market value, suitable for insurance documentation, estate valuation or any other purpose. Information on appraisals is here. We sincerely regret that our volume of correspondence does not permit us to respond to casual inquires on the nature or value of your instrument. Your favorite search engine is useful for this.
If you have only a few very specific questions on one of our instruments, accesories or services, then:
Placing an Instrument on Hold
Instruments can sell very quickly after posting, so to ensure you don't miss an item you really wish to purchase, we recommend you contact us immediately to place the instrument on hold. You may place any instrument on hold by phoning, faxing or emailing the following information:
If you wish to pay by money order, bank wire, or personal check, we will authorize but not charge your card, while we await receipt of your payment by mail or wire. We'll extend a hold on your instrument while your payment is in transit of five business days for domestic orders and seven business days for overseas customers. Personal or company checks are welcome, and ship after clearance. To send payment by money order or check, please email info@archtop.com for our mailing address. Payments by bank wire are especially recommended for international orders. Please email for our bank ID# and account information.
The discount price for payments by money order, bank wire transfer or check is listed to the left of the price in bold, eg. $2995/$3085. The regular price for VISA/MC (credit or debit), Paypal, Billpoint,Western Union or other means is listed to the right in plain type.
To place your order, call 206/325-3737, or toll free 877/850-1978, weekdays between 10am and 7pm Pacific Time. Fax orders to: 206/322-5692. Email: info@archtop.com
Hold requests are accepted strictly in the order received. Requests received after a hold is in place will be placed on a want list and notified in order, if a hold or approval is not completed. Holds are accepted only for instruments that have been priced.
Hold cancellation. When an instrument is held for you, it is reserved for you and you alone, and no other buyer may purchase it. Please double check to make sure the instrument is right for you and that you are able to complete the transaction before placing any instrument on hold. If you have any questions please call before making any hold request. To ensure that instruments are not withdrawn needlessly from bona fide purchasers, please note that a cancellation fee of $100 is charged on any hold order that is cancelled before shipment. Hold cancellation fees may be applied toward the purchase of any other item in our inventory for a period of up to 30 days.
A non-refundable deposit of 25% may be accepted to reserve any instrument for up to 30 days. Layaway orders are shipped on receipt of balance due. Note: instruments held on layaway are not eligible for return on approval.
To ensure safe transit for your valuable instrument, archtop.com ships guitars only via air service, fully insured.
US Orders: It is our experience that the safest and most economical air delivery in the continental US is by UPS 2 or 3 Day Select. We prefer to ship early in the week, to keep your parcel from experiencing temperature damage in a warehouse or truck over a weekend. Every instrument is meticulously packed and padded in hardshell cases, and shipped in custom made cartons. All parcels are fully insured against damage or loss in transit. UPS Three Day delivery for most orders is around a hundred dollars within the continental US. (Most orders west of the Rockies ship via 2 Day service at no extra charge.) For orders east of the Rockies, you may expedite delivery for an additional $50 for 2 day air, or $95 for overnight service within the US. If you have a UPS or Fedex account, we are happy to bill shipping charges directly to your account number if you prefer.
Overseas orders: Please email with your postal code for shipping rates overseas. Depending on your location, your order may ship via USPS, UPS or other carrier.
Accessories: Small parts are shipped by via USPS Priority Mail. Most orders ship for $10 within the continental US, or $20 overseas via USPS Global Priority Mail. Hardshell cases are shipped via UPS Standard service for $49. On shipment, we will instruct the carrier to forward the tracking number of your parcel to you directly by email, so you can track the progress of your order in transit.
Want List/Priority Notification
We are happy to keep a list of instruments you may be looking for on file. If we have not yet accepted a hold or layaway on an instrument (as above) we will notify want list customers in order of request. Queries on unpriced instruments are processed in order as well, once the instrument has been priced. Want list customers may receive preview pictures and descriptions of instruments before they are posted to the general public. Finally, want list customers may request priority on any returned instruments. To make a want list request, please email specific model, vintage and finish color preferences to info@archtop.com.
There is no sales tax or VAT for international sales, or US sales outside the State of Washington. Washington State residents add 8.8% sales tax. Overseas sales may be subject to import duties, which vary by country. We can not supply current duty rates for any specific country, so overseas customers must consult with their local customs authorities for these rates, and are responsible for their payment.
All instruments are sold with an unconditional approval period of 48 hours from when you receive the parcel. Within that time period you may call to indicate that you are returning the instrument for any reason, or no reason at all. We want to make sure that the instrument is absolutely right for you in every respect.
Returns are rare, but in the event you do wish to return an order, please call or email us within 48 hours of receipt of parcel for a return authorization. Return authorization is required for all merchandise. Once we have returned your call or email with a return authorization, ship the instrument back in its original packaging in the condition you have received it, fully insured. Please review our detailed packing guide here before shipment. In the event of a return, all customers are responsible for the costs of shipping and insurance both ways.
Refunds on instruments are issued for the amount of the cash sales price in full, upon receipt and inspection of the returned instrument. (Please note: we cannot refund VISA/MC or Paypal processing fees, as they do not refund these either to us or to you.) Outbound shipping charges are not refundable, and the purchaser is responsible for reshipping the instrument fully insured by air freight only. Refunds or credits on accessories may be made up to 30 days after purchase, and are subject to a 10% restocking fee. Refunds on accessories are limited to stock items only: special order items are not refundable. Please measure your instrument carefully and check sizes and clearances as listed before ordering. If in doubt, please ask.
Phone: Joe Vinikow at 206.325.3737, 10am-7pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. (9am -4pm Tuesdays and Saturdays) For US orders only, call toll free: 877.850.1978.
Fax: 206.322.5692.
email: info@archtop.com
Holds / Layaways / Shipping / Want List / Taxes and Duties / Approval and Returns / Contact
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