Shipping policy

Shipping Policy

All orders are dispatched from our workshop in the United Kingdom. Below is everything you need to know about how, when and where we ship - including what happens with VAT and customs charges outside the UK.

Dispatch times

  • In-stock items (accessories, pickups, pedals, parts) - dispatched within 2–3 working days of your order being placed.
  • Guitars and basses held in stock - dispatched within 2–3 working days.

Orders placed at weekends or on UK public holidays are processed on the next working day. You will receive a dispatch confirmation email with tracking as soon as your order leaves us.

Made-to-order instruments

Instruments that are built to order do not have a fixed lead time. Every instrument is made by hand in our Devon workshop, and how long yours takes depends on the specification, the availability of timber, hardware and electronics, and where it sits in the workshop schedule. Lead times vary considerably through the year and can be significantly longer at busy periods.

We will always give you an estimated timescale for your build, and we will keep you updated as it progresses. Please treat any timescale as an estimate rather than a guaranteed delivery date.

If you need your instrument by a particular date, please contact sales@mansonguitarworks.com before you order and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable.

Custom commissions

The Manson Guitar Works Custom Program - one-off instruments designed around an individual player - opens and closes to new commissions depending on workshop capacity, and is not always taking orders.

Please email sales@mansonguitarworks.com and we will let you know where things stand and add you to the list to be notified when the programme next reopens.

How shipping is priced

Your exact shipping cost is calculated at checkout, based on the delivery destination and the weight of your order. Every available service and its price is shown before you pay, so you always see the full total before committing to the order.

United Kingdom

We offer Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 on smaller, lower-value orders, and DHL Domestic on everything else. Instruments and higher-value orders are always sent by DHL so that they are fully tracked and insured in transit. Typical delivery is 1–2 working days by DHL or Royal Mail Tracked 24, and 2–3 working days by Royal Mail Tracked 48. The Isle of Man is treated as a UK destination.

Europe and rest of world

We ship worldwide to more than 130 countries, using one of three services depending on your destination:

  • DHL Express - our fastest option and the standard service for instruments. Typically 1-3 working days to Europe and 2-5 working days worldwide.
  • DHL Economy - a lower-cost tracked option available to most of Europe. Typically 3-6 working days.
  • Royal Mail International Tracked - available on smaller, lower-value orders to selected European destinations. Typically 5-10 working days.

Delivery estimates are indicative and are not guaranteed. Transit times exclude customs clearance, which can add several days.

Large and heavy orders

Very heavy or oversized orders - and a small number of destinations we ship to less often - are shown at checkout as "Oversize - we'll quote shipping before dispatch" or "Shipping quote on request" at no charge. We will contact you with a shipping quote before your order is dispatched, and nothing further is charged until you have approved it. If the quote doesn't work for you, we will refund your order in full.

Import VAT, customs duty and courier fees

This is the most important section for customers outside the United Kingdom, so please read it before ordering.

Because we ship from the UK, orders delivered outside the UK leave here free of UK VAT. Prices shown to non-UK customers already have UK VAT removed - you are not being charged UK tax.

In exchange, your own country will charge import VAT, and may charge customs duty, when the parcel arrives. These charges are not included in the price you pay us and are the responsibility of the recipient.

  • Import VAT is charged at your country's own standard rate - across the EU this is typically around 20%. It is calculated on the value of the goods plus the shipping cost.
  • Customs duty may also apply depending on the goods and their origin.
  • The carrier's clearance or admin fee is charged by DHL or Royal Mail for handling the customs entry and collecting the tax on your behalf.

DHL will normally contact you by email or SMS to collect these charges before they deliver. Your parcel will be held until they are paid. On higher-value orders, such as an instrument, this amount can be significant - please budget for it.

We cannot calculate, pre-pay, waive or reimburse these charges, and we cannot declare an order as a gift or at a reduced value. If a parcel is refused at delivery or returned to us because import charges were not paid, any outbound and return shipping costs and any carrier fees incurred will be deducted from your refund.

If you are unsure what you are likely to be charged, your national customs authority publishes the rates, and we are happy to confirm the declared value of your order before it ships.

Tracking and delivery

Every order is tracked. You will receive a tracking number by email at dispatch. Instruments and higher-value orders require a signature on delivery.

Please make sure your delivery address is complete and correct at checkout, and include a phone number and email address so the carrier can reach you. We cannot change a delivery address once an order has been dispatched, and we are not able to refund orders lost as a result of an incorrect address being supplied.

Damage or loss in transit

Everything we send is packed to withstand normal courier handling, and instruments are shipped insured. If your order arrives damaged, please keep all packaging and contact sales@mansonguitarworks.com with photographs within 48 hours of receipt so we can raise a claim with the carrier. If tracking shows your order has not moved for an unusual length of time, get in touch and we will chase it.

Returns and cancellations

See our Refund Policy for returns, cancellations and your statutory rights. Shipping charges are non-refundable except where an order is cancelled before dispatch or the goods are faulty or incorrectly supplied.

Questions

Email sales@mansonguitarworks.com and we will help.