Mail Order Information
Important info about ordering from our website:
- Shipping cost is added to all orders except for international destinations (see below). If you want to pick up your order at our store in Takoma Park, please add a note in the "Special Instructions" section of your order, or call/email us. We will refund the shipping cost for orders that are picked up. Local Delivery by our staff is also available on certain types of orders for larger items. Contact us if you are located in the DMV metro area and are interested in having an order delivered.
- Our website shipping calculator occasionally overestimates shipping costs, as there are many variables that determine cost - between weight, size, insurance value and destination. We will refund any overage when we process your order. On rare occasions (for oversize items or destinations in Hawaii, Alaska or US territories), additional shipping costs may be required.
- Due to security concerns, we require most orders to be shipped to the credit card holder's billing address, or to a Paypal-verified address. Additional verification may be required if you want your order shipped to a different shipping address.
**INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING**
- Our website does not add a shipping cost to orders shipped outside the US, due to the wide variance in costs and shipping policies. We will contact you after receiving your order to set up a separate payment for international shipping costs. You may find it more efficient to email us in advance about placing an international order, so we can tell you the accurate shipping cost and set up a custom payment (please include your full shipping address so we can prepare a quote). Orders being shipped to the UK may be subject to additional VAT tax. Buyers are responsible for all applicable customs duties; we do not falsify invoices or documentation to evade taxes.
International Shipping Methods:
- For small packages, we usually use USPS First Class Mail International or Priority Mail International. First Class Mail is the most affordable, but delivery time varies widely and can often take several weeks. Generally First Class Mail is at the customer's risk; it is difficult to file claims for loss or damage. Priority Mail offers faster and more reliable delivery, for an additional fee.
- For smaller instruments such as mandolin, ukulele, violin, etc, Priority Mail or UPS may be used.
- For large instruments such as guitars & banjos, we prefer to use UPS Worldwide. Cost can be slightly higher than Postal methods, but in our experience is more reliable to deliver fragile items safely and quickly. Some countries also have size restrictions on postal packages; in these cases we must use UPS.
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- We try to keep our online inventory as accurate as possible, but occasionally there can be errors. If the item(s) you order are not in stock, we will contact you to discuss options. We recommend starting your online shopping with the "In Stock" collections on the main page of our website.
- Most in-stock orders will be shipped within 24-72 hours of when you place your order, Monday through Friday. If you have a specific time frame you need your item by, please contact us. You will be emailed a tracking number when your shipment is entered in our system. There can often be a delay of at least 24 hours before you can start tracking your package with the carrier.
Additional information:
Due to security concerns, we generally only ship orders to the billing address of your credit card - or with Paypal, an address that is verified on your Paypal account. If you want your order shipped to a different address, we suggest using Paypal and getting the shipping address verified on your account. We reserve the right to contact your credit card company for authorization on any order.
We accept payment for mail orders by the following methods directly through our website:
- Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
- Paypal (our Paypal address is auctions@hmtrad.com, or you can use https://paypal.me/hmtrad to send your payment)
We can also accept payments by personal check, money order, HMT Gift Card or direct ACH bank account payment - please contact us directly if you wish to pay by one of these methods (orders paid by personal check will be held until the check clears).
For some international orders on high-dollar items, we may require payment by either direct bank transfer or by Paypal to a confirmed shipping address.
Domestic Shipping Methods and Rates:
We use both UPS Ground and various USPS services such as Priority Mail and First Class Mail. USPS services generally include tracking. UPS Ground includes insurance up to $100. We will add additional insurance if necessary to cover the value of your order. We will choose the best and fastest shipping method for your order based on size, insurance value and destination. If the item you ordered is in stock, you should receive it within 2-7 business days by standard shipping methods, depending on your location. We can also use expedited methods if you need your order quickly – just contact us!
The calculation system our website uses to calculate shipping is not 100% foolproof, mainly because it cannot calculate based on destination. It may cost $40 to ship a guitar to PA, and $100 to ship the same guitar to CA. For this reason, our shipping estimates are generally skewed high, but it's our standard practice to refund any difference in actual shipping cost when we process your order. By the same token, we may sometimes need to charge additional shipping costs if our website severely under-calculated. Feel free to contact us if you have concerns about the shipping cost.
The minimum shipping charge for most small items is $8, which usually covers either Priority Mail or UPS Ground. Occasionally we can ship for less on very small items by First Class Mail, in which case you will receive a partial refund.
Most larger instruments such as guitars and banjos have a pre-set shipping cost of $75. Very large items such as harps and sitars will have a higher cost. Again, if this was overestimated, we will refund you any difference when we process your order. We appreciate your patience and flexibility - due to the wide range of items we carry, it is not possible to program an accurate shipping cost on every item to every destination.
We do offer free domestic shipping on select new and used items. If you see this option offered in your shopping cart, you're in luck!
Sales Tax:
6% Maryland sales tax will be added to your order if your address is in Maryland. Sales tax does not apply to orders being shipped outside of MD.
International Shipping:
HMT ships worldwide! International orders placed through our website will require a manual shipping estimate. After you submit your order, we’ll contact you about the shipping cost so you can complete and authorize your order. If you would like to get a shipping quote before you place an order, feel free to email us (include the specific items you wish to order, and your city, country and postal code).
We use both UPS and USPS services to most international destinations. Some countries have size restrictions and/or insurance caps on less expensive methods, so we are sometimes limited in our options. Recently, we have found UPS to be a generally more reliable international service, though it can be more expensive.
International shipping costs do not include any customs duties you may be charged by your local jurisdiction. We have no way of anticipating these costs, but would suggest you contact your local post office for further information. We do not falsify customs invoices for the purpose of evading taxes/duties.
For some international orders on high dollar items, we may require payment by direct bank transfer, or by Paypal to a confirmed shipping address. It is sometimes difficult to get credit card security authorization on an international transaction, and it's important for us to protect the security of our customers as well as our own.
** Instruments containing Brazilian Rosewood cannot be shipped internationally due to CITES regulations. **
Damage Claims/Item Not Received:
If you receive your order and something is damaged, don’t panic! Save all the packing material and contact us immediately. We will file a damage claim with the shipper and give you further information. You aren't held liable for damage or loss caused in shipping by fully insured methods – but sometimes damage claims can take a while to process, so we appreciate your patience. If you have received shipping confirmation but your item has not arrived in the expected time frame, please contact us and we’ll look into it right away.
When will my order be charged?
Your credit card or Paypal info is submitted securely to Shopify (we do not receive any of your credit card details). Your order will be charged once it comes through our system (usually 1-2 business days). You may see your charge as "pending" during this time. If the item you ordered is not in stock, we will contact you with the expected ETA. Some of our suppliers are small operations dealing with handmade items; occasionally ETA’s can be longer than estimated. If you wish to request a refund on a backordered item, just contact us and we’ll be glad to help.
Availability and Stock:
Our goal with our website is to show you items that are in stock, or that we can order quickly if we’ve run out. If the item you ordered is not in stock, we will contact you with an expected ETA. Some items you see on our website may not be “purchasable” through the site because they are out of stock. If you would like to purchase one of these items, just contact us! If you order multiple items and some are out of stock, we will contact you with options.
We can often special-order many more products than what you see listed here, if it’s a brand name we’re a dealer for. If you don’t see the item you’re looking for, contact us and we’ll let you know if we can get it!
Return Policy:
Our return policy is outlined here.