Customer Service

We zealously guard your privacy and personal information as if it were out own. We conform to the highest standards of technological security to ensure that your confidential personal and payment information is kept secret and secure; the our website and e-store are protected by Digicert SSL Certificates with the strongest 2048-Bit and SHA-2 encryption available. Also, we are fully compliant with Payment Card Industry [PCI] data security standards and all credit cards are processed through Payment Processing Incorporated, the industry leader for reliable and secure electronic payments.

Your email address is not shared and is securely stored in our customer records. Email and other contact information is used only for contacting you regarding your purchase, sending you tracking information, or emailing you our monthly newsletter, Virtual Violins, if you choose to receive it. You may view our full Privacy Statement here.

You may place an order at any time - simply add your items to the shopping cart, enter any coupon codes that you'd like to use, and check out.  You'll be given the option to login or create an account to improve your shopping experience with us; you can also go straight to checkout to enter your billing and shipping information.

We offer Free Ground Shipping on all instruments, including instrument outfits, electric instruments, and electric instrument packages.

Our shopping cart uses a UPS Real Time Shipping Calculator to estimate the approximate shipping cost for your order based on the shipping method that you select, the shipping information that you provide, and the dimensions of the items in your cart.  We ship primarily via UPS, but we reserve the right to use any carrier of our choice.  If there is a significant discrepancy between your quoted cost and the actual shipping cost, one of our staff will members will contact you before we ship.  In most cases you'll notice a small difference in your favor.

We process online orders Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm.  After placing an order, please allow us 1-2 business days for processing.  If an item is out of stock or back-ordered, we will contact you to let you know when we expect to receive it.  Your credit/debit card will not be charged until we've verified your shipping quote and confirmed that your all of your items are in stock.

For online orders, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal. For all orders placed outside of the United States we can only accept PayPal (or a wire transfer in some cases - please contact us for details).

At our store we accept cash, major credit card, money order, and checks (a government issued ID may be required).

We guarantee your satisfaction and the authenticity of everything we sell.

You may return most products you buy from us within 30 days if they are in original condition. You will need to provide the sales receipt along with all original accessories and packaging.  Damaged or worn merchandise will not be accepted for return. Damaged or worn items may be accepted for trade (with the loss of value deducted from the value of the trade) at the sole discretion of the Long Island Violin Shop.

To ensure your complete satisfaction, Instruments or bows purchased from our shop that exhibit any defect in materials or workmanship in the first year may be returned for refund or exchange, with some exceptions.  We will also allow the exchange of any instrument or bow purchased from our shop for one of equal value during the first year of purchase.

Please do not send merchandise without contacting us first to schedule a return.

We do not guarantee electric instruments, amplifiers, pedals, and electronic products, whether purchased online or in our shop. These items come with manufacturer’s warranties. If you are having trouble with your product please contact us - often we can help you fix the problem. If the item proves defective within the period and terms of the manufacturer’s warranty, we can act on your behalf in initiating a warranty claim or help you do so. For information on your product's warranty please visit our page listing manufacturer warranties.

Normal wear and tear as well as changes to the color or discoloration of finishes, is not covered.

Strings installed on an instrument may not be returned or exchanged.

Special or custom orders of items not normally stocked may be exchanged only if defective. Refunds are not available for special or custom orders.

Sheet music may be returned within 30 days of purchase if clean and not marked or opened. A restocking fee of $3.00 will be charged per title returned. DVDs and CDs are non-refundable unless defective, and may be exchanged within 30 days of purchase for the same title, and will not incur the restocking fee.

Our guarantee is only valid to the original purchaser and does not cover instruments or bows that have been modified or altered, subjected to extremes of temperature and/or humidity, or damaged.

If you have any further questions regarding our Guarantee & Returns Policy, please contact us and we will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible. Thank you!

You may visit us and try instruments and bows in one of our private soundproof studios. We are glad to help you narrow your choice down to several instruments and allow you to take them, without cost or obligation, for home tryout and teacher approval. We also ship instruments and bows for home trials.

We ship acoustic instruments and bows for home trial anywhere within the continental United States. We can ship to your home or place of business (an adult signature will be required) and generally ship orders of in-stock items within 1-2 business days.

You may try either 2 violins, 2 violas, or 1 cello, and 4 bows for an 11 day trial period. You will only be charged a nominal fee to cover the outgoing shipping cost. If you decide to keep an instrument or bow we will credit your shipping fee towards your purchase (you get free shipping!)  Listed below are estimates of typical shipping charges that you might expect:

We will email you a customer-specific Trial Agreement that must be signed and returned (via fax or scan/email) before we ship your items. We prefer to ship trials early in the week (Monday - Wednesday) to avoid items being in transit over a weekend, but exceptions may be made depending on weather conditions and the shipping destination.

We want to fulfill every musician's dreams, but unfortunately we can't stock everything! If you want a special item we do not stock, we can get it for you at the same great prices as other similar items for a 50% deposit. Even if you want a special instrument, it can be made just for you at no extra charge.

Our relationships with makers and suppliers allow us to speed the order and delivery process while we serve as your agents to ensure everything is just the way you want it. And before we place the order we will verify every detail including delivery time and price. Deposits for custom orders are not refundable and orders once placed, are final and not returnable.

If you want to secure a particular instrument for purchase from our stock, you may use our layaway program. Down payment is $200 or 25% of the selling price, whichever is greater. You have 90 days to pay off the balance. Three additional payments are due in 30-day installments with automatic billing on a credit card or bank account. After the final payment is made you may pick up the instrument or have it shipped. Any shipping charges will be added to the final payment.

If you cancel within 30 days, we retain 10% of the deposit or $25; whichever is greater.

If you cancel after 30 days, we retain 20% of all funds paid or $50; whichever is greater.

If 2 months pass without additional payments or communication from you, we retain all funds and the contract is cancelled.

If final payments have not been made 90 days from the start of the layaway, we retain all funds and the contract is cancelled.

If you are trading-in instruments and/or bows purchased from us, we generally allow 100% of the original sales price toward the same instrument of greater price (i.e. violin to violin, etc.). This includes any credit allowed from a rental or earlier trade-in of an instrument or bow. You must provide the original receipt you received from us at the time of purchase.

From what you paid, we subtract the cost to put the instrument back in salable condition. If you have maintained your instrument with a reasonable degree of care and it has not sustained serious damage, we will charge approximately $200 for a violin, $250 for a viola, $350 for a cello and $400 for a bass. Badly damaged or abused instruments with cracks, or deep scratches, or other serious damage may not be accepted for trade-in or will result in extra charges.

We reserve the exclusive right to judge the condition of an instrument and to carry out any repairs. Cases are not included in trade-in value. While instruments consigned for sale here may be purchased with a traded-in instrument, we cannot offer the same trade-in terms as for cash purchases.

Clients receive credit for their trade-ins when we receive the instrument.  Mail order clients are expected to return their trade-in promptly.

If you are not the original purchaser of one of our instruments or want to trade in instruments not purchased here, we will still consider your items, but cannot be as generous as we would be to an original purchaser returning one of our instruments. 

Most growing children change instrument size every two years. If you purchase one of our fractional (1/32 through 3/4) violins or violas, you may trade it in toward the next size of the same maker and model for a flat fee of $200, provided the instrument is in good condition with normal wear and tear. Badly damaged or abused instruments with cracks, deep scratches, or other serious damage may not be accepted for trade-in or will result in extra charges. To trade up in size toward a higher quality instrument, please see our standard trade-in policy above. Pernambuco bows may be traded in for the price paid minus reconditioning costs. Synthetic or brazilwood bows and cases do not have any trade-in value.

Some musicians of petite stature may first go from a 3/4 to a 7/8 size instrument and later decide to try a full 4/4 size. Or a player may decide a 7/8 suits them better than a 4/4 and want to move down in size. You may change size from a 7/8 to 4/4 (or vice-versa) of the same maker and model for a flat fee of $300, provided you keep your original case and bow and the violin is in good condition with normal wear-and-tear. Badly damaged or abused instruments with cracks, deep scratches, or other serious damage may not be accepted for trade-in or will result in extra charges. To trade up/down in size toward a higher quality instrument, please see our standard trade-in policy above.

Sometimes a new teacher will suggest a different size instrument- for instance from a 15 1/2 inch to a 16 inch viola. You may trade your 15" to 16 1/2" viola to another viola of the same maker and model for a flat fee of $400, provided you keep your original case and bow and the viola is in good condition with normal wear-and-tear. Badly damaged or abused instruments with cracks, deep scratches, or other serious damage may not be accepted for trade-in or will result in extra charges. To trade up/down in size toward a higher quality instrument, see our trade-in policy above.

Most growing children change instrument size every two years. If you purchase one of our fractional (1/8 through 3/4) cellos, you may trade it in toward the next size of the same maker and model for a flat fee of $300, provided the instrument is in good condition with normal wear and tear. Badly damaged or abused instruments with cracks, deep scratches, or other serious damage may not be accepted for trade-in or will result in extra charges. To trade up in size toward a higher quality instrument, please see our standard trade-in policy above. Pernambuco bows may be traded in for the price paid minus reconditioning. Synthetic or brazilwood bows and cases do not have any trade-in value.

Some musicians of petite stature may first go from a ¾ to a 7/8 size instrument and later decide to try a full 4/4 size. Or a player may decide a 7/8 suits them better than a 4/4 and want to move down in size. You may change size from a 7/8 to 4/4 (or vice-versa) of the same maker and model for a flat fee of $500, provided you keep your original case and bow and the cello is in good condition with normal wear-and-tear. Badly damaged or abused instruments with cracks, deep scratches, or other serious damage may not be accepted for trade-in or will result in extra charges. To trade/down in size toward higher quality instrument, see our standard trade-in policy above.

We always aim to be perfect, but we are only human. Please do not be hesitate to comment, critique, or complain! We welcome any opportunity to prove our commitment to our customers, and hope you will let us know if you were not delighted. If you have a complaint or any problem with one of our products or services, or feel you were not treated properly by a staff member, please contact us for immediate attention. If one of our products is giving you trouble, please call us immediately so we can do what it takes to fix the problem.