Terms and Conditions of Trade

By placing an order you agree to the following terms and conditions. These terms and conditions are important and should be carefully read before you place your order.

GENERAL

• John Myatt Woodwind & Brass is the trading name of Hitchin Music House Ltd. Registered in England Company No. 06540533, V.A.T. No. 930 2556 44
• All goods remain the property of John Myatt Woodwind & Brass until paid for in full.
• The invoice number must be quoted on all correspondence or when any item is returned to the shop.
• We are not obliged to supply goods until acceptance of your order; it is on acceptance that a contract comes into effect.

ORDERS

• All orders must be accompanied by payment before goods are dispatched (except official educational orders).
• Our minimum order is £5 excluding carriage.
• Payments will be cashed immediately and refunded promptly if necessary (see 'Approval' below).
• Cheques may require clearing before goods can be dispatched, if a cheque 'bounces' we charge £10.
• We make a 2% surcharge if purchase is made by credit card for 'on commission' sales.
• Official educational orders must be paid within 14 days of the invoice date for discounts to apply.
• We reserve the right to charge interest on any overdue balance over 30 days from invoice date.
• If an order is filled in instalments, each delivery will be accompanied by an invoice for the goods supplied in that delivery and payment should be based on the individual invoices, not on completion of the order.

INVOICE FINANCE/FACTORING

Certain conditions only apply to educational customers, bands and trade accounts which have been assigned to HSBC invoice finance - they will have been notified in advance that they fall into this category. Normal approval terms do not apply for these customers - they may only return goods if faulty; the Buyback scheme does not apply for these customers and "On Commission" instruments may not be purchased on their accounts.

APPROVAL/CANCELLATION RIGHTS

Most instruments and accessories are supplied on 7 days approval (from the time of receipt by the customer. This does not apply to opened boxes of reeds; for copyright reasons sheet music and CDs can only be returned if incorrectly supplied by us or received damaged. The customer must inform us within this time if they intend to return the approval item. It is the customer's responsibility to return the item in perfect condition if it is not required. Any damage or missing items will be charged for. Our carriage charge is not refundable. See guidelines on returning instruments for further advice. Orders sent by mail/carrier may be cancelled within 7 days of receipt of the goods but the customer must arrange and pay for their return and reeds must be returned in unopened boxes.

CARRIAGE

We reserve the right to send items using the method we consider most suitable. Goods are normally insured while in transit, if goods arrive damaged we must be notified immediately. Please keep all packaging in the case of damaged items as the insurers may ask to examine.

GUARANTEES

• All new instruments and some accessories carry 12 months guarantee.
• Secondhand and Special Offer list items carry a 6 month guarantee excluding 'on commission' instruments which are sold as seen.
• The customer is responsible for the cost of returning goods for repair under guarantee and we will return at our expense. The customer is responsible for carriage costs both ways when returning for routine service/checkup.
• We reserve the right to repair the instrument ourselves or return it to the manufacturer.
• Our guarantee does not cover plating, lacquer or cracked wood joints, however certain makers make ex-gratia replacements. The guarantee will be invalidated if problems have been caused by lack of care.
• We can not cover the cost of repairs done by other repairers without prior authorisation.
• Cracked joints will be returned to the manufacturer for their assessment.

PRICES

Where two prices are listed the first is the Recommended Retail Price suggested by the maker/supplier, the second is our discount price. All prices on myatt.co.uk and in our printed catalogue are inclusive of VAT where applicable or unless otherwise stated. If prices have changed you will be notified before we accept your order and offered the option of confirming your order at the correct price or cancelling it.

'ON COMMISSION' SALES

Items marked as 'on commission' are being sold for customers. We make a 2% surcharge if purchase is made by credit card for 'on commission' sales. All 'on commission' items are 'sold as seen' without any guarantee, so extra care is advised with the examination during the approval period.

INSTRUMENTS IN STOCK

The instrument listings include all available items. We do not have everything listed actually in stock on this site. A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to order an instrument that is not in stock.

REPAIRS

We cannot be held liable for repair work carried-out by third-party repairers, unless authorised in advance.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Our customer care number is 01462 420057 and calls are charged at standard rates. This service is available during our normal opening hours. We aim to respond to all complaints within 5 working days and resolve as speedily as possible. Complaints can be notified by post, by FAX or by phone.

BUYBACK SCHEME

1. To be eligible for the scheme the customer must have signed a 'Buyback Form' and had it accepted by a member of staff.
2. The instrument may be returned within six calendar months from the invoice date for a refund of 80% of the price paid excluding carriage, less the cost of any missing items, repair and/or depreciation costs beyond normal wear and tear.
3. If the instrument has suffered damage beyond normal wear and tear, repair costs and depreciation as assessed by John Myatt Woodwind will be deducted from the refund total.
4. All refunds will be made by cheque which will be sent by post within seven days of the return of the instrument.
5. It is the customer's responsibility to insure the instrument from the time of purchase.
6. The customer must show their copy of the 'Buyback Form' to obtain a refund.
7. No reminder will be sent.
8. During the six month period the instrument is the customer's property.

Returning Goods

Please be aware that if goods are being returned the safe return is the responsibility of the sender! We strongly advise the sender to insure the goods using a compensated parcel service -most carriers offer this service. Please ensure you keep all your return documents in a safe place as they will be needed in the unfortunate event of your having to make a claim. Please take great care when packing instruments - make sure that any loose items in the case are cushioned/wrapped in tissue paper/newspaper or similar; gently shake the case and if the instrument appears to be moving cushion as above until satisfied that it is stable. Then place case in the box it was sent in; again cushioning the gap between case and the box and putting a clear note explaining the circumstances of the return. Firmly seal the box with packing tape/string as necessary. Mark the exterior of the box ‘FRAGILE’. Please take care and use common sense when returning goods! We have in the past received new instruments worth thousands of pounds returned from approval with no packaging and sticky address labels stuck directly to the case which makes a new instrument second hand and the sender liable for the depreciation in value! If you would like any further advice please contact our packing department.

1. Keep all packing materials.
2. Make sure you use a service that offers adequate compensation (e.g. 'Interlink', 'Registered Post').
3. Remember to keep the documentation in case you need to make a claim.
4. Don't forget to enclose a covering note which should include the invoice number.
5. If you have been in touch with a member of staff please mark the parcel for their attention.

The customer is responsible for the cost of returning goods for repair under guarantee and we will return at our expense. The customer is responsible for carriage costs both ways when returning for routine service/checkup.