Shipping policy

Where we ship

We deliver to the United Kingdom and the United States.

Delivery is free to both, on every order, with no minimum spend and no threshold to reach. There are no surcharges for the Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, or anywhere else in the UK.

If you are outside these two countries, email sales@tonedistrict.shop before ordering and we will tell you whether we can help.

How long it takes

Processing: 1–2 working days. Every instrument goes through our workshop before it ships. That is the whole point of buying from us, and it is why we do not dispatch same-day. Accessories and small items usually go out faster.

Transit: 3–5 working days, UK and US alike.

So a normal order lands within about a week. We will email tracking as soon as the parcel leaves us.

Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding UK bank holidays.

If something is going to take longer — a special order, an instrument coming in from a distributor, or a setup that turns up something needing more attention — we will tell you rather than let you wonder.

How it ships

Guitars and basses ship in their case or gig bag, inside a purpose-made instrument carton with the strings slackened and the headstock supported. Amplifiers ship in original packaging where we have it and repacked where we do not.

Everything is sent tracked and insured for its full value. Someone will need to be there to sign.

If a parcel arrives visibly damaged, either refuse it or sign for it as damaged, then photograph the packaging before you open it. Keep the packaging until the claim is settled — the carrier will want to see it.

Deliveries to the United States

Import duty and taxes are payable on US orders. The United States suspended its $800 de minimis exemption in August 2025, so low-value parcels no longer enter duty-free the way they once did.

We pay (DDP). US prices include import duty and taxes. Nothing further is payable on delivery. If a carrier does bill you, send us the invoice and we will settle it.

Refused parcels are covered under "Refused and undeliverable deliveries" below. Refusing a parcel to avoid a duty bill is an expensive way to change your mind.

Timber and vintage instruments. Some instruments contain materials with import restrictions. Finished instruments containing most rosewood species were exempted from CITES controls in 2019, but Brazilian rosewood remains restricted and needs permits, as do ivory and tortoiseshell parts found on some older instruments. US imports of wood products also carry Lacey Act declaration requirements. Where this affects something you are buying, we will tell you before you order, and we will not ship an instrument that cannot lawfully cross the border.

Collecting from the showroom

You are welcome to collect. Choose collection at checkout and we will email when it is ready, usually within 1–2 working days once the setup is done.

Collect from 20 Victoria Springs, Holmfirth HD9 2NB, Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00, or by arrangement outside those hours. Bring your order confirmation.

Cancelling an order

If it has not shipped, ring +44 7454 755958 and we will usually stop it and refund you in full.

Once it is with the courier it has to be handled as a return.

Your legal right to cancel a distance purchase is set out in the refund policy. Cancelling within that window is free — we do not charge an administration or restocking fee for a lawful cancellation.

Returns

You have 30 days from delivery to tell us you want to return something, and a further 14 days to send it back. Full detail, including condition requirements, who pays postage and what cannot be returned, is in the refund policy.

The short version:

• Email or ring us first. We will send return instructions.
• Change of mind: you pay return postage, tracked and insured.
• Faulty, damaged or wrong item: we pay.
• Items come back complete, with case, tools, paperwork and packaging.
• Refund within 14 days of us receiving and checking it.
• US returns: mark the customs declaration as returned British goods.

Faulty goods and warranty

If something develops a fault, contact us. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you have rights against us — the retailer — not just against the manufacturer, and we would rather deal with it here than send you elsewhere.

New items carry the manufacturer's warranty and we handle those claims for you. Pre-owned items are covered as stated on the individual listing.

Wear and tear is not a fault. Strings, frets, pots and speaker cones wear with use, and an instrument that has been dropped, over-humidified, dried out or modified is a repair rather than a warranty claim. We will always tell you honestly which one you have.

Refused and undeliverable deliveries

If a parcel comes back to us because delivery was refused, nobody was available across repeated attempts, the address was wrong, or a duty charge was not paid, we will contact you to arrange redelivery.

Redelivery is chargeable at cost. Where a returned parcel has incurred a carrier fee, that fee is deducted from any refund.

This does not apply if you are exercising your legal right to cancel — in that case, tell us you are cancelling rather than refusing the parcel, and no charge arises.

Repairs and workshop jobs

Instruments left with us for repair are not shipped under this policy. We will agree collection or return arrangements with you when you book the work in. If we are returning a repaired instrument by courier, it goes tracked and insured and we will quote the cost as part of the job.

Questions

sales@tonedistrict.shop · +44 7454 755958 Mon – Sat 10:00 – 17:00