Shipping
Shipping with Luthiers Mercantile: Quick, Safe, Experienced Service!
Customers in the United States pay the following shipping costs
- Order value from $0.01 – $49.99, shipping $10.25
- Order value from $50.00- $149.99, shipping $12.45
- Order value from $150.00 and up, shipping $14.95
- 3-day service $25.00 (see below for details and restrictions)
- 2-day service $30.00 (see below for details and restrictions)
What changed?
In addition to global inflation, shipping rates have increased steadily (over 20% in recent years) and rose steeply at the beginning of 2023. We do not want to disguise these costs by increasing the price of our products, with club fees, or with exorbitant shipping rates on selected items. Out of respect for our customers, our new shipping rates are as transparent and as fair as possible.
What hasn’t changed?
Our skilled shipping department takes great care to package your order with three goals in mind.: economy, accuracy, and safety. Our team are experts in delivering delicate tonewoods and other parts safety to addresses across the globe. On the rare occasion that you should encounter a problem, our customer service people are glad to sort it out for you as quickly as possible. All orders are guaranteed!
One more thing! The packing peanuts we use to secure your package are made from 100% biodegradable potato starch. You can discard them with your compost or water them into your garden.
Expedited Shipping
Expedited shipping is available in the contiguous United States. We are unable to expedite oversized items unless you phone us and make special arrangements. – actual charges apply.
If your expedited order is placed before 12:00 PST (3:00 pm EST), it will ship the same day. Of course, this does not include serviced items and special requests, or the exceptions mentioned below in Shipping Restrictions. The term “days” in our policy always refers to business days – Monday through Friday, holidays excluded.
3-day Expedited (USA domestic – contiguous USA only) – 3 business days if ordered by 12 pm PST. We cannot ship expedited to a P.O. Box – $25.00 – restrictions apply
2-day Expedited (USA domestic) -2 business days if ordered by 12 pm PST. We cannot ship expedited to a P.O. Box – $30.00 – restrictions apply
Examples of transit times using our expedited shipping:
- A “2-day” that ships on Monday will arrive on Wednesday.
- A “3-day” that ships on Monday will arrive on Thursday.
Shipping Restrictions
If an item is flagged to ship either USA Only or USA Contiguous States Only, it may not be exported outside the United States, typically either because it is subject to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) or USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife) regulations or due to its dangerous nature. Dangerous goods requiring ground transport cannot be expedited. Oversized items cannot be expedited unless you call to make arrangements for this in which case you will be charged actual freight.
Hazardous and Dangerous Materials Shipping Fees
By law, items with a 
must conform to federal hazardous material regulations when shipped. All carriers who are certified to handle Hazardous Materials charge a fee to handle HAZMAT packages, so we must add this to your shipping charge. We do not keep any of this fee. We do no ship HAZMAT via USPS. There is one HAZMAT fee per package, so it may be in your interest to consolidate your purchase of celluloid nitrate (Ivoroid, etc.) products as much as possible.
SIGNATURE REQUIRED: A signature is required for all HAZMAT packages upon delivery, so be sure you have your package shipped to an address where someone is available during normal business hours.
Insurance
All orders that we ship in the USA are insured, but in some cases, it will take several weeks to complete a claim for you.
Returned Packages
Please see the Returns page to learn about how to get a return authorization number (RMA) from LMI. If a package is returned by the carrier without an RMA or other permission from LMI (refused by the recipient, carrier unable to get a signature, or customs/import fees are not paid, etc.) then you will be charged for the return shipping. These charges normally far exceed the original shipping charge. We will refund you for the returned merchandise when it arrives here, but we will not refund your original shipping charge.
International Shipping
International shipping costs are based primarily on the weight and size of the package (not the cost of the order). Add the items to your shopping cart. The website will give you an accurate quote with several options before you complete the order.
The carrier, the type of service you choose, and the shipping address, all have an effect on the shipping cost.
Please note that USAIR (least expensive) shipping transit times can sometimes be lengthy. Tracking for USAIR packages falls short of what is provided by Global Priority Mail service or FedEx. In the very rare cases where an order is lost, it can sometimes take several weeks or longer before we can issue a refund or replacement.
When checking out, If you only see the Pick up at LMI – Will Call option (and no other options appear), it means you must remove any restricted items from your cart. These items (typically either shell, hazardous/dangerous goods, or CITES-regulated species) are clearly indicated as such on the product page where the item is ordered.
If you are using a freight forwarder, we are not responsible for any damage that happens to your package in transit to your address.
International Taxes/Import Duties
The charges for your country’s taxes or import duties are not included in your payment to us for your purchase or shipping. These costs, if any, are your additional responsibility. It is your obligation to understand your country’s customs and import rules and restrictions. If a package is returned to us because you are unable to pay for customs clearance and taxes, or otherwise clear a package through customs, or if you refuse delivery, you will be charged for the return shipping charges and for any other charges accrued as a result. These charges can be substantial. Reimbursement for merchandise will occur only after it is returned to Luthiers Mercantile.
All international deliveries require a signature for receipt of the package.