Refunds
& Returns

This page covers refunds, returns and exchanges for everything we sell and rent — instruments, accessories, printed music, repairs and rental agreements. Rentals and outright purchases work differently, so each has its own section below.

If you are not sure which applies to you, call the shop on (978) 897-6382 and we will sort it out with you. We would always rather fix a problem than lose a customer over it.

You may return a rented instrument at any time. There is no minimum term and no cancellation fee.

If you paid for a school-year or annual plan in advance and return the instrument early, you pay only for the months you had the instrument and we refund the unused time.

How to return it depends on your rental:

• School programs — we collect the instrument from the school. Near the end of the school year we email instructions about where to leave it.
• Private rentals, or if you miss the school collection — return the instrument to the shop at 7 Nason Street, Maynard.

Please return the complete outfit: instrument, bow, case and rosin. Full return instructions, including how to label the case so it is logged correctly to your account, are on the Instrument Care & Return Procedures page, which forms part of your rental agreement.

Size changes are included in every rental at no extra charge. When your student grows out of an instrument, contact us and we will arrange the swap — at school for school programs, or at the shop otherwise. This is an exchange, not a return, so your rental continues uninterrupted and your purchase credit is unaffected.

Every rental includes insurance covering accidental damage or theft. Intentional damage or abuse is not covered.

If an instrument is damaged, contact us straight away rather than returning it or attempting a repair yourself. In most cases we will arrange the fix at no cost — sending a replacement string for the teacher to fit, or repairing the instrument at school on our next service visit. Ordinary maintenance and wear are included in the rental and are never charged as damage.

Fifty per cent of your rental payments applies toward the purchase of an instrument. Purchase credit is earned on payments actually made. If a rental is refunded because the instrument came back early, the credit for those refunded months is not retained.

Unopened accessories in resalable condition may be returned within 30 days of purchase with proof of purchase, for a refund or exchange. This covers cases, shoulder rests, rockstops, endpin anchors, stands and similar items.

Some things we cannot take back once they leave the shop, for reasons of hygiene and condition rather than policy for its own sake:

• Strings, once the packet is opened
• Rosin, once used
• Chin rests, shoulder rests and similar items that have been fitted and played
• Printed music and method books, once opened
• Special orders placed on your behalf
• Gift certificates

If an item is faulty we will replace it regardless of the above — see Faulty or damaged goods below.

Choosing an instrument takes time, and an instrument that sounds right in the shop can feel different at home or in a rehearsal room. Instruments bought outright may be returned within 14 days in the condition they left the shop, with the case, bow and any accessories supplied, for a full refund.

Beyond 14 days we are usually still willing to discuss an exchange toward another instrument. Please talk to us before making a decision either way.

Instruments that have been altered, damaged, or worked on by anyone other than our own bench cannot be accepted for return.

If something arrives faulty, or a fault appears in normal use, contact us and we will repair or replace it. This applies whether or not the return window above has passed, and it does not affect your statutory rights.

Wood moves with the seasons. A seam that opens, a bridge that shifts or a peg that slips is normal behaviour in a stringed instrument, not a fault — bring it in and we will put it right.

Repair and setup work is charged for time and materials and is not refundable once carried out. If you are not satisfied with work we have done, bring the instrument back and we will make it right at no further charge.

We will always contact you before carrying out work beyond what was agreed, or before exceeding an estimate.

Refunds are issued to the original payment method. Card refunds usually appear within five to ten business days, depending on your bank. Refunds on rental plans paid by invoice are issued the same way the payment was received.

Where a refund is due on a part-used rental term, we calculate it to the whole month.

Fees are otherwise non-refundable except as set out in your rental agreement or in this policy.

Contact the shop first, by phone or email, before returning anything. It saves a wasted journey and lets us have the paperwork ready.

• Call (978) 897-6382
• Email info@spencerbrookstrings.com
• Or use the contact form

Returns are handled in person at 7 Nason Street, Maynard. We do not require items to be shipped back, and we ask that you do not send anything to the manufacturer.

This policy sits alongside our Instrument Care & Return Procedures, the FAQs, and the rental agreement you accept when a rental begins. Where a rental agreement says something different from this page, the rental agreement applies.

If anything here is unclear, ask us. We would rather explain it once than have you guess.