FAQ & Useful Info
If you have a question, the best thing is to use the contact page but here below is some useful information to get you started.
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OUR GUARANTEE
We believe that buying vintage gear should not be a risky business. See our guarantee of your sonic satisfaction here.
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WE BUY YOUR GEAR OR SELL ON COMMISSION
If you have gear to sell then please take a few minutes to read our Gear Wanted page before getting in touch. It will save us both time, and explain why "make me an offer" is not how we do business.
Meanwhile, our commission/consignment sales service is growing steadily and proving popular with our customers. We take the hassle out of selling your vintage (and less-vintage) gear, leaving you to concentrate on making music. Read all about our service here.
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SHIPPING
We are very experienced at packing and shipping valuable and sensitive gear worldwide. Binson Echorecs, large valve amps, vintage synths, rare racks, and even a CS-80 or two - you name it, we've sent it and it has arrived in one piece and ready to play.
The shipping prices for our gear vary considerably depending on the type of gear, value and destination. To see shipping costs put the item you are interested in the cart and then either use the shipping estimator or go into the check out process. Or just contact us and we'll tell you what you need to know.
SHIPPING DISCOUNT ON MULTIPLE ITEMS:
We keep it simple: if you buy more than one item you only pay the shipping on the item that has the highest shipping cost. This is the same no matter how many items you buy together (so the more you buy together, the bigger your shipping discount). If you check all the items out all together this will be calculated automatically at checkout. However, if you make an order and then wish to add to it before it ships please get in touch and we will refund the shipping on the item(s) that are cheaper to ship.
Note that this also allows you to purchase add on items such as transformers and other accessories, and also t-shirts and other merch, without paying any extra shipping on them.
Please also be aware that we have have not entered automatic shipping for every country. The countries we ship to most often will have shipping rates and we are in the process of adding more shipping fees to the check out process. But if you are looking at an item that doesn't have the carriage information you need then please use the contact page or call on +44 1773 856475.
Which carriers do we use?
We usually use Royal Mail, UPS and DPD/Interlink - it depends on the item and destination as to which is the most economical. If you have a preference then we should be able to accommodate it (but we may need to pass on any additional costs).
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TAX
Hey! We love tax! Only joking. But we do have to pay it. Some of our gear sells with an extra tax component in some territories, some doesn't. It is noted in the gear description and pricing. If you need to know more then read more on our tax page here.
Buyers from outside the EU may incur customs/import taxes ('brokerage fees') on entry to their country. We have no control over these charges: they are the responsibility of the buyer - failure to pay will result in the items being returned to us. In these circumstances the cost of shipping both ways will be born by the customer. We are a registered export business so cannot falsify customs declarations about the value of your items.
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REVERB & EBAY
We have a store on Reverb which you will find has the same items you see here. Prices and shipping costs should be the same across both, however if you spot a discrepancy just let us know. But it is worth noting that items will usually arrive here on our site before they are listed elsewhere (and they will hit our mailing list even before that...).
We also have an ebay shop. Some of what you see here on the site may be on ebay and it may be more expensive on there. If you find any item on our ebay that you can't see here (or it's cheaper on there) please get in touch and we can give you the "website price". We also currently use that ebay account and our other ebay account for clearing out spares, parts, cases, fixer-uppers and other small items, as well as gear we are looking to clear at auction so do check there if you are after such things.
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PROBLEMS WITH YOUR ITEM
See next section for information on Warranties, Returns & Refunds.
It is important to note that vintage electronics sometimes do not travel well, and couriers (and their sorting machines) can be less than careful. We use carriers we trust and are experienced in packing vintage equipment for shipping. We always do our utmost to make sure shipments will arrive safely, but due to the delicate nature of vintage equipment this is not always the case - if there is a problem on receipt, get in touch immediately and retain all packaging materials and take photos to assist any possible insurance claim. With some vintage items, it may be necessary to adjust/calibrate after shipping and buyers should be prepared for this.
We are wise to parts-swapping scams and take all necessary precautions to protect ourselves: if you open/unscrew the case of any item without our prior agreement, we will not accept return under any circumstance.
We endeavour to ensure all equipment supplied is working correctly and safely (unless otherwise noted in the description), but due to the nature of courier handling and vintage electronics we can accept no liability for loss or injury once it leaves our hands. Any damage or loss arising in shipping will be recompensed via transit insurance and the buyer is expected to take all necessary action to facilitate the claims process. We cannot be held responsible for injury or loss arising from electrical fault or use/misuse.
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WARRANTIES, REFUNDS & RETURNS
You can read our refund policy in detail here - includes everything you need to know if you decide you don't want your item or if there is a problem with it. But the most important things to note are that:
- You need to test your gear and notify of us of any issues as soon as you can; we expect you to unpack, assess and test your gear within 14 days of arrival, and all warranties and guarantees we give are only valid if you do that.
- You have 14 days for returns for any (or no) reason.
- You have 30 days warranty against most faults (not due to misuse etc) - we must be notified of the possible issue within that initial 30 day period - if you leave it longer before testing your item then we are not able to provide any warranty or guarantee at all.
- The warranty period on some items (e.g. Roland Echoes, some Binsons) may well be longer - please ask if you are unclear; however they must still be checked and verified as OK within 14 days of arrival!
- If you have notified us of any issue with your item you then have 30 days from that point to provide us with the information necessary to diagnose the issue and decide on the best course of action. We cannot keep queries about possible faults open indefinitely.
- Once we have agreed to receive an item back (for any reason) it must be shipped by you, or available to collect (depending on what we have agreed), within 30 days from that point.
- If you are shipping the item yourself it must be shipped by a tracked service and the tracking number supplied to us.
- It must be securely packaged and arrive back to us in the condition it has arrived to you - if this is different from how we supplied it then photos of any new issues must be sent before shipping is agreed.
- and finally, however long you've had your item, if there is a problem you should always get in touch and we will try to help
- Read the policy in full here.
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PRIVACY AND COOKIE POLICIES
Read our policies on these in full here. But know that we use cookies etc in all the ways that most regular retail sites do, and that, like any reputable online retailer, we take your privacy and data protection very seriously and will never sell or share personal data you give us relating to to sales or marketing with anyone.
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TERMS OF SERVICE
We want our buyers to be absolutely satisfied and always endeavour to be accurate in our descriptions, however we are human, so if we've got it wrong get in touch and we'll do everything we can to make things right.
We are seasoned aficionados/buyers of old (and new) gear, so we understand the process and treat our customers as we like to be treated when we buy new toys. Ultimately our goal is take the pain and risk out of buying this kind of complex equipment and we will do all we can to achieve that.
Hungry for more? Read our full terms of service here.
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Business details
Address for returns and business correspondence only - we are not a shop! If you want to visit us to try out a piece of equipment then please use the contact form.
Soundgas Ltd
21c Coasthill
Crich
MATLOCK
Derbyshire
DE4 5DS
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1773 856475
Company registration number: 8449098
VAT number: GB 164906295
RETURNS ADDRESS:
Returns Dept Soundgas Ltd, 21c Coasthill, Crich, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5DS.
