Buyer Protection

Trust, made concrete

Buyer Protection

Plain-language commitments for every order placed with The Musicians Club. We hold ourselves to these — in writing, not just in marketing copy.

1. Authenticity guarantee

Every instrument we sell is sourced from the maker, the maker’s authorised distributor, or a verified workshop relationship. We do not list relabelled stock. We do not list goods of suspicious provenance. If you have any reason to believe an instrument we delivered is counterfeit, contact us within 30 days — we will refund in full and pay return shipping.

For pre-owned and consignment instruments, we provide written provenance to the extent the seller can document it. We will not knowingly list stolen instruments — we cross-reference serial numbers against the stolen-instrument registry when relevant.

2. Condition transparency

For instruments above $5,000 we provide a written condition report before shipping. Pre-owned items get the same treatment plus high-resolution photos of any cosmetic or functional flaws. We do not photograph instruments to flatter them. If you receive an instrument and find an undisclosed flaw, contact us within 7 days — we will arrange repair, replacement, or full refund at our expense.

3. Insured shipping

Every shipment is insured for the full purchase price — not the carrier’s default liability cap. If a package is lost or damaged in transit:

• You do nothing. Notify us with photos / damage description and we file the claim.
• We pay first. You receive a replacement or refund within 5 business days — we don’t wait for the carrier’s claim cycle to settle.
• We then collect from the carrier. That recovery is our problem, not yours.

4. 30-day return window

Most in-stock items qualify for a 30-day return from delivery. Read the precise terms at Refund Policy. Items that are excluded from returns — custom builds, made-to-measure, opened consumables (reeds, strings, rosin), special-order instruments — are clearly marked on the product page before you commit. We don’t spring this in fine print.

5. Direct human support

One specialist, real person, 1-business-day reply target. We don’t use chatbots for substantive questions. We don’t outsource customer service. The person who responds to your email is the person who knows your order, knows the instrument, and can actually fix the problem.

For acquisitions above $10,000, the Concierge specialist who handles your file is your single point of contact for the lifetime of that instrument — including future trade-ins, repairs, or consignment if you decide to sell it through us.

6. Customs & duty support

International deliveries occasionally hit a snag at the border — a customs office wants paperwork, a carrier portal needs you to pre-pay duty, etc. If your delivery stalls, email us with the tracking event and we work the issue. Most customs delays clear within one business day once we’re looped in.

We do not under-declare value — this protects your insurance claim. We do not promise “DDP” or “duty-free shipping” on retail orders — for institutional orders above $10,000 we can arrange DDP through our freight forwarder on request.

7. Privacy & data

We process orders through Shopify Payments. We never store your card. We don’t share your email with third parties. We don’t add you to marketing lists you didn’t sign up for. We do not sell anyone’s data, ever. Read our full privacy policy.

8. What this protection is not

• This is not insurance against buyer’s remorse on excluded items (custom orders, special-order instruments). Those are clearly marked.
• This is not a price-match guarantee on items we already discount-source. We will not chase grey-market sellers to the bottom.
• This is not a substitute for instrument insurance. Above $5,000 we recommend dedicated instrument insurance — we can refer you to specialists. We do not sell insurance ourselves.