ORDERING INFORMATION

Placing an order / Payment options / Shipping Information & Rates / How long will it take to get my order? /
Ordering without a case / Returns & Cancellations / Warranty

Blue Lion's office is closed on Fridays; you're welcome to leave a message on the answer machine and we'll return your call as soon as possible (usually on Saturday or Sunday).  If you prefer to email, we'll reply on Saturday whenever possible. Thanks!

HOW DO I PLACE AN ORDER?

At this time, we are not set up to enable online ordering of dulcimers from this website. Accessories, books and CD's are available to order online through PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account). If you are interested in purchasing a dulcimer or have any questions concerning a custom instrument please email, write or give us a call at:

Blue Lion
10650 Little Quail Lane
Santa Margarita, CA 93453

(805) 438-5569

email: 2bluelion@gmail.com

We recommend contacting us via the phone if you have questions concerning custom options, ordering, specific instrument details, inlay, etc. It is easier to answer these types of questions "in person" and we much prefer the human contact. If you choose to contact us via email, we'll try and reply within 48 hours. Please keep in mind that if Janita is off to a festival or a dulcimer week the email does not get checked regularly.

If you order by mail or email we'll need your shipping address and phone number and an email address (if you have one) by which we may contact you.

* * California residents please add 7.25% sales tax to your order. * *

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Instruments: We ask for a deposit of half the total cost of the instrument; prior to completion we will notify you when we expect to be able to ship the instrument and verify the balance due.

Upon receipt of the amount due we will ship the instrument to you via UPS ground service unless other arrangements are made. You can pay by personal check, money order, VISA, Mastercard or Discover card; if you choose to pay by credit card we will send you an electronic invoice (it goes through PayPal but you do not need a PayPal account to remit payment); it is very secure and easy to use.

Accessories: We can accept payment via personal check, money order, VISA, Mastercard or Discover Card. [Please note there is a minimum order of $15.00 for credit card purchases.]

If you mail or email* in an order and would like to put it on a credit card, be sure to include the following:

• type of credit card (Mastercard, VISA or Discover)
• the name as it appears on the card
• credit card number and expiration date
• three digit security code from the back of the card
• if your billing address is different from your shipping address, please include that information

Minimum amount for credit card orders is $15.00. With all orders, be sure to include your address and phone number just in case we need to give you a call.

* If you wish to email us credit card information, please do so in two or three separate emails, splitting up the card number and additional information. This is a simple way to keep your financial information relatively secure.

back to top

SHIPPING INFORMATION

We ship via USPS or UPS; smaller items ship via the U.S. Post Office unless included with an instrument order. 

Click here for information on shipping rates.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET MY ORDER? *

Accessories: For accessories (strings, recordings, tuners, etc.) we can usually have your order in the mail or on the delivery truck within two to four days. Let us know if it's a "rush" order and we'll do our best to get it out the next day.

Priority mail takes 2 to 4 business days; surface mail first class takes about 5 to 8 business days. Media rate takes 7 to 10 business days.

Instruments: How long will it take to get an instrument? Unless the instrument is in stock, the average time to build an instrument is about 14 to 16 weeks once we start the build, depending on the model, custom options and choice of finish. This can vary by several weeks depending on the time of the year (weather, festivals being attended, etc.) so be sure to let us know if you have a deadline for delivery.  We are trying to stop working 7 days a week (what a concept!) so our build time is going to be longer than it used to be. 

PLEASE NOTE:  if you place an order for a dulcimer and we have just begun a run of instruments, it may take up to 6 months for us to complete your dulcimer as we have to finish the current run before we can begin a new one.

We will try and keep the home page updated with where we are in terms of a run of instruments to help you time your order so you don't have so long a wait. 

Shipment via UPS can take anywhere from 2 to 6 business days depending on where you live. Whenever possible, we'll provide you with the package tracking number. If you live in a designated rural zone, the shipment may take and extra one to two days for delivery.

* IMPORTANT NOTE: Janita is the shipping department.  If she is away at a festival or other trip, we are unable to ship any orders.  We always try to have a notice on the home page of the website to this effect when she is planning to be gone, but you can also check her calendar of events if you need to.

back to top

INSTRUMENT ORDER WITHOUT CASE

If you choose to order an instrument without a case, we charge an additional $10.00 to cover the cost of a stronger box and extra packing materials. These materials may include Styrofoam packing peanuts which we encourage you to recycle, either by donating them to a packing center in your area or saving to reuse. While we try to avoid using packing materials which are not environmentally friendly, the safest way to ship an instrument often requires the use of these peanuts. All of our peanuts come from recycled sources (we haven't had to buy any yet!) and we hope you'll be able to find a home for them other than in a landfill.

If you have the room, we encourage you to save the box we shipped your instrument in; should you ever need to return it to us for repair (or whatever) you will have a suitable container on hand.

back to top

RETURNS & CANCELLATIONS

If you wish to return any item you have purchased from us please contact us first for a return authorization.

We are both musicians, and we understand how hard it can be to buy an instrument unseen and unheard and unplayed. We appreciate our customers' trust and confidence in our instruments, but we realize our instruments may not be perfect for everyone.

If the instrument is a standard model without extensive customization, you may return it for a refund of the price of the instrument within ten days of receipt as long as it is undamaged. We will issue you a refund check within 7 days of receipt of the return if the instrument is undamaged.  If it requires cosmetic touch up due to your playing and/or handling of the instrument we will deduct the cost of the repair from the refund amount and the refund will be mailed to you after the repair is complete. 

We do ask that you call first before returning it so we can discuss the problem with you and perhaps work out a solution. [We are happy to report that in the last 45 years of building over 5000 instruments only four have been returned; in one case the customer ended up calling us up a week later and having us send it back to him!]

Highly customized instruments are not returnable. For instruments with minor customization, please call to discuss return options; we will do our best to accomodate you.

NOTE: Cancelled orders may be subject to a 15% cancellation fee.

back to top

WARRANTY

We guarantee materials and workmanship of the instrument for as long as we are alive and able to effect competent repair if necessary. Beyond that, it's up to you!

back to top