out on approval trial
We know that selecting an instrument and/or a bow to purchase can be an exciting and sometimes daunting process. As a service to our customers we offer a free “out on approval” instrument/bow in-home trial. Our trial period gives you 2 weeks of time with the instrument(s) and/or bow(s) so that you can feel confident in your purchase decision.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
GETTING your trial items
The process for collecting your out on approval instruments will vary depending upon your location.
PICK UP IN-STORE
If you are near one of our inventoried locations (Cincinnati, OH - Monroe, MI - Clinton, NY) you can come into the shop to play our selection and then make the decision about which instruments/bows you wish to trial. A typical trial for a customer coming into the shop and taking items home would be: 1-4 violins/violas, 2 cellos, 1 bass or 1-4 bows.
SHIPPED TO YOU
If you live a long distance from one of the locations listed above we can ship* items to you. With this in mind please view our sales pages to browse our instrument and bow inventory to narrow down your selection. If you have any questions about a particular item, please contact the shop or any of our reps and we will be glad to assist with your selection process.
A new option available is to setup a webinar test, where staff in our shop can play an instrument for you virtually to help narrow down your trial selection. This is especially useful for cellos since we will only ship one at a time. Please contact our Cincinnati office, if you are interested in this virtual option.
*Please Note: If you have items shipped to you please keep the shipping materials so that you can easily return items to us.
*Shipping Restrictions: Only one cello will be shipped to a customer at a time. Basses are not shipped for any reason, they must be picked-up by the customer or trialed in the shop.
TESTING
You will have 2 weeks to test the instrument(s) and/or bow(s) in your home. We ask that students not take the instruments/bows to school to try out in their school orchestra to avoid the risk of damage. Students may take them to their private instructors and/or to their orchestra teachers to solicit their opinions. Typically, you will be contacted after about a week via an email or phone to see how your trial is going and to discuss the return of the items. The expectation is that any unpurchased items will be returned at the conclusion of the two-week trial period. You are not under any obligation to purchase.
returning items
If you will have any issue returning the instruments/bows on time, please contact our Cincinnati office immediately. We realize that extenuating circumstances can come into play and sometimes coordinating with private instructor schedules may require some flexibility. We do ask that you consider your calendar carefully so you are not planning your trial during a time when you will have difficulty returning items on time.
As mentioned, if the instruments/bows were shipped to you, we will pay one way shipping via UPS. Please keep the original shipping materials to use for your return shipment. Return shipments will be at the customer’s expense. You may use your selected carrier or you can contact the Cincinnati office for a discounted UPS return label. We ask that you or the carrier pack the instruments/bows in a similar fashion to how they were received. If you are near one of our area reps you may return the instruments/bows directly to them and avoid the shipping fee.
I’M INTERESTED, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME?
The process for signing out the instruments/bows is simple and easy! Please complete the form below and a representative from our shop will contact you to discuss the specifics of your trial.