PURCHASE ORDERS: We welcome purchase orders from schools and other institutions. You can shop online, call, fax or mail your order in to us. If you shop online, use the Purchase Order Number box to cite your PO number. You may also print out your order and mail or fax it to us along with your PO. Purchase orders can be mailed or faxed to our store if your school requires them. If your school does not require POs, simply place your order and instruct us to bill the appropriate office. All such orders may be subject to review and confirmation before shipping.
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Order Confirmation
You will receive three or four confirmations from us.
- The first is automatic and will occur immediately after clicking the "Submit Order" button. It will say "Your Order Has Been Submitted!" followed by "Order Confirmation Number: " and your nine digit confirmation number. Write this number down, in case you wish to contact us about your order in the future.
- The second confirmation is in the form of an e-mail. It is sent automatically from our server to the e-mail account you provided when you clicked the Submit Order button. It lists the items you ordered plus the address information you gave us. If you see an error with either, send us an e-mail right away and we will try to correct the problem. If you do not receive this e-mail, there may have been a problem with your e-mail address.
- The third confirmation will occur when your order has been processed (either shipped, placed on backorder or cancelled). The third confirmation will be in the form of a short e-mail with an attached PDF of your invoice or backorder form.
- UPS Orders only: The fourth confirmation will be in the form of an e-mail from UPS. This e-mail is from our UPS server and will provide you with your tracking number and a link so that you can follow your package's progress.
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Tracking Numbers
All packages shipped via UPS and Post Office Priority Mail are assigned a unique tracking number at the time they leave our store. Customers who request UPS will automatically receive an e-mail from our UPS server when their order is shipped. At the current time we do not have a method to automatically inform Post Office customers of their tracking numbers. Post Office customers wishing to know their tracking number should send an e-mail to orders@hickeys.com with your request. We will look up your order, retrieve the USPS tracking number and e-mail it back to you. You can then use that number to see your package's in-transit progress by using USPS's Tracking webpage. As Post Office tracking numbers are more difficult for us to obtain and transmit to you, we ask that you do not request these unless the package seems to be running late and you wish to use it to confirm its progress.
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Shipping Services
Hickey's Music is dedicated to keeping your costs as low as possible. Our UPS Flat Rate service means all packages 5 pounds and under cost only $8.95 to ship anywhere in the continental United States. We also offer a $3.99 Flat Rate Economy Shipping option for media-only* orders of any weight, going anywhere in the United States. With our special low shipping rates, you don't have to worry about shipping charges becoming unbearable if you place a large order. Click on the "Info" buttons below to learn more about each option and its cost.
* "Media-Only" means orders for sheet music, books, CDs and software only. This method can't by law be used for accessories or instruments.
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Domestic Orders |
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USA - UPS Ground
1 to 6 business days. |
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USA - UPS 2nd Day Air
2nd Business Day, by end-of-day. |
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USA - UPS Next Day Air
Next business day, by end-of-day. |
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USA - Priority Mail
3 to 5 days to most US addresses. |
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USA - Economy Shipping (Media Mail)
1 to 4 weeks. Music, Books, CDs & Software only. |
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International Orders |
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UPS Worldwide
2 to 7 days to major destinations. Trackable. |
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Express Mail International
3 to 5 days to major destinations. Trackable. |
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Priority Mail International
6 to 10 days to most destinations. |
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First Class International
Up to 4 pounds. Delivery time varies. |
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Local Orders |
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School Delivery |
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In-Store Pickup |
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International Shipping
We ship to destinations outside the United States every day. For letter sized flats we recommend using UPS Worldwide for this purpose as it is fast, trackable and insured. For larger packages we recommend using the US Postal Service. Services provided include Air Mail, somewhat faster Priority Mail International and trackable, insurable Express Mail International. See the Shipping Methods section for more details. All packages shipped to APO and FPO addresses are shipped exclusively via the U.S. Postal Service. Some countries may levy customs duties or taxes on your package. We are not responsible for these fees. You might also have to pay a fee to UPS or your country's postal service for delivery outside of a standard delivery area. These charges are not included in the amount paid to Hickeys Music. We have no control over whether you will be charged any such fees or taxes, although our experience tells us that these fees are not always charged. We mention this so that you are aware that such fees may become payable. If your order has already been shipped, it can not be cancelled.
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Customs & Duties
For international customers only: Many countries add import duties to packages shipped from the United States. We do not pay these duties for you, you must pay them yourself when presented with the package by your postal service or UPS agent. Import duties are often assessed according to the value of the package. When shipping packages weighing over one pound (Postal Service) or in a package other than an official UPS Letter envelope (UPS), we must declare the package's value for your country's customs agents. Packages weighing less than one pound or in a UPS Letter envelope are exempt from this requirement. If the value is not shown on a package requiring it, it will be returned to us. We are often asked if we can lower the declared value of the package so that any import duties will be less. Regrettably we can not as it is illegal and can get both of us in trouble. There are however a few techniques that may be employed that might help lower or eliminate import duties altogether. We do not guarantee any of the following, however we are told that they have worked with some customers.
- Educational Materials: Some countries grant exemptions for educational materials. We are a major educational supplier. If you like, we can mark your package "Educational Materials." Please notify us in the Special Instructions box on the order form.
- University & Institutional Orders: Some countries will exempt packages shipped to government institutions, schools, colleges or universities. If this is the case in your country, you may be able to work out a deal with your school to purchase the materials for you (with no duties) and then re-sell them to you. Or you might try using the university's address with your name as the "attention" line providing it is legal to do so.
- USA Relatives: Some countries do not charge import duties on gifts from friends or relatives living in the United States. If you have friends or relatives in the United States, you may wish to have them purchase the materials for you. We will ship the package to them, and they can then ship it to you as a gift.
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Shipping Insurance
All packages sent UPS are insured against loss or damage. All packages sent via the Post Office valued at over $100 are automatically insured. An extra fee of is added for this service. Packages valued under $100 (including Priority Mail) are NOT insured unless you request it and pay the additional insurance fee. We can not and will not replace packages that are not insured. If an uninsured package is lost or damaged, we will be unable to grant a replacement, refund or credit of any kind whatsoever. We strongly suggest paying the extra fee and insuring your Post Office package if you do not wish to take any chances. In certain countries where the postal system is less reliable and package loss rates are high, we will automatically add postal insurance.
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When Will My Order Ship?
Our systems are designed to ship most orders in less than 24 hours of being submitted, providing the item(s) you ordered are in stock. Many orders ship in less than 6 hours. Generally, if you place your online order before 2PM Eastern time, it will usually be shipped that same day if it is to go UPS, or the next morning if it going via the Post Office. For out-of-stock items, see below for our Out of Stock policy. Orders placed after 2PM on Friday usually ship Monday. During our busy season (August through late September, and again around Christmas through to February) there may be a delay of a day (or even two) in processing orders due to high volume. UPS orders are shipped Monday through Friday, Post Office orders ship Monday through Saturday. No orders are shipped on Sunday.
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What Is a Backorder?
This is a popular question. A backorder occurs when something is temporarily out of stock at our store and we have to turn around and order it in from the publisher or manufacturer for you. Being "backordered" does not mean that an item is out of print, discontinued or no longer available. It's just out of stock here at Hickey's and we have it on order. For most (most, not all) publishers and manufacturers, we can obtain backordered items in ten days or less. In many other cases, the publisher or manufacturer is also out of stock. In these cases the backorder may take a few extra days to a few extra months to obtain. Times vary depending on the item and the maker, so there is no way to give a general answer.
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Backorders & Out of Stock Items
Most items you see displayed on this website are currently in-stock and available for immediate shipment. An exception is Orchestral Parts, most of which are special ordered for you; and a few other items. Items that are out of stock typically have a note in parenthesis stating "Ships in x Days" where x is the number of days we estimate it will take to obtain the product from the publisher or manufacturer. When you place your order with us, there is a good chance that everything will be in stock and your order will be sent complete in one package. Sometimes, despite our best efforts an item may not be in stock for one reason or another. If this happens to you, the out-of-stock item can either be backordered or cancelled. When you place your order online, you are given some choices about how you would like us to handle any out-of-stock items. Since we need to charge shipping on each package sent, you may wish to instruct us to either send all your backorders in one package, or to hold your entire order until it is complete. Here are the options as they appear on the on-line order form:
Split Once.
- In-Stock items are sent today.
- Out-of-Stock items are backordered are sent later, together, in one package.
- Backordered items that become unavailable are cancelled.
- Backorders that arrive to us within 90 days are shipped unless you tell us in advance to cancel them.
- Backorders that arrive after 90 days will be sent with your approval only. We will contact you via e-mail to see if you still want the item(s).
- Note: Second package will incur a shipping charge.
Split As Needed.
- In-Stock items are sent today.
- Out-of-Stock items are backordered and sent individually as they arrive.
- Backordered items that become unavailable are cancelled.
- Backorders that arrive to us within 90 days are shipped unless you tell us in advance to cancel them.
- Backorders that arrive after 90 days will be sent with your approval only. We will contact you via e-mail to see if you still want the item(s).
- Note: Each package will incur a shipping charge.
No Backorders.
- In-Stock items are sent today.
- Out-of-Stock items are cancelled.
Ship When Complete.
- All items are sent in one package, when possible.
- Orders with out-of-stock items will be held for up to 60 days awaiting completion.
- After 30 to 60 days, available items will be shipped. Item(s) still out of stock will ship when available.
- Backorders that arrive after 90 days will be sent with your approval only. We will contact you via e-mail to see if you still want the item(s).
- Note: Recommended for International orders
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Trial Periods
We offer trial periods on in-stock music, mouthpieces and instruments. You may try a maximum of three in-stock mouthpieces, one in-stock instrument or $1,000 worth of music for up to ten days. We can not allow trials on out-of-stock or special-order music, mouthpieces or instruments.
How it Works:
We'll sell you the item(s) you wish to try. You have the right to return any trial item within ten (10) days of receiving it (see exception below for music). Upon arrival in our store, we will issue a refund of the purchase price less the outgoing shipping cost, plus any clean-up fees or damage assessments (see below). The cost of return shipping is yours—we regret that we can not provide free return labels for trials.
Mouthpieces: When we receive your return, we will credit your credit card, less the original shipping charge and a $3 per-item clean-up fee. All mouthpieces should be rinsed out and wiped down prior to return. Woodwind players—please use a patch during the trial to prevent teeth marks. Returned mouthpieces must be free of patches and have no marks whatsoever as a result of the trial. Brass players—please be careful of causing excessive scratching of the shank. For all mouthpieces, boxes must be clean, straight and in resalable condition with all parts included. Please be careful when unwrapping and testing to avoid additional charges. If damage is evident, the loss of value to the mouthpiece will be deducted from your refund.
Instruments: When we receive your return, we will credit your credit card, less our cost of shipping the instrument to you. There is no clean-up fee. The instrument must be in exactly the same condition as when it left our store. If new damage is evident, the cost of repairs and/or the loss of value to the instrument will be deducted from your refund. Instruments are shipped to you expertly packed and fully insured, and must be returned in the same manner. Any damage sustained during the return will be your responsibility to rectify.
Music: We now offer a "Half & Half" program for music trials. Under this program, you may purchase a quantity of music totaling $250 to $1,000, with the right to return up to half of it within a trial period of ten days. Returned music must be neat, clean and unmarked to receive return credit. No copies of any sort whatsoever may be made during the trial period (we have a way of knowing, so don't try it). Credit for returned music will made in the form of a refund to your credit card.
Other Stuff: We regret that we can not allow trials of CDs, DVDs or software due to copyright issues. Mouth instruments (recorders, harmonicas, etc.) can not be sold on a trial basis for reasons of hygene.
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Returns & Exchanges
Our Return Policy is designed to be fair and upright, so that we may offer you the widest selection of hard-to-find musical items at a reasonable cost with low-cost speedy delivery. As such, it may be different from those of some other retailers, therefore please take a moment to become familiar with it.
All returns or exchanges must occur within 30 days of the original invoice and must be accompanied by a copy of the invoice and a Return Form or a note explaining the reason for the return. Be sure to always include a copy of your invoice—returns received without invoice copies will not be credited. You do not need a Return Authorization (R/A) number before sending your return. If you are uncertain of whether you are allowed to return an item, please contact us first before sending it back. Any item returned in violation of this policy will not be credited and may be refused and sent back to you.
- Music Music is not returnable or exchangeable unless there is a printing error or we shipped the wrong item to you (except for Half & Half Trials—see above). We can not take back music because it is not satisfactory or is not what you expected, or because it is too easy or too hard. In the case of defective music, we will exchange your defective copy for a corrected version if possible. We will only issue a refund or credit if a corrected copy is no longer available. Music returned must be in mint condition with no markings whatsoever.
- Accessories Accessories are returnable if they and their packaging are unused and in mint condition. Accessories that arrive with themselves or their packaging damaged will be credited at a lesser value than when sold.
- CDs CDs are returnable only if they are still in their original, unbroken shrink wrap. Defective CDs can of course be returned, and will be exchanged for new ones. CDs may not be returned because they are not what you expected or because you don't like the performance.
- Software Software is returnable only if the item was sent in error and the shrink wrap is unbroken. Software that has damaged or defective media (disks) can be exchanged for undamaged only. No refunds will be issued for damaged or defective media unless a replacement is unavailable. Software that has "bugs," does not work on your system, or is otherwise found to be unsuitable is not considered defective and can not be returned.
In cases of defective or erroneous merchandise, we will also refund your shipping charges if the original shipping charges pertained to only the returned item. In cases where you are returning an item for reasons other than defect or error, we will credit your account for the cost of the item only, minus shipping charges. This is our general policy regarding returns and exchanges. There may be exceptions or circumstances unforseen at the time of this writing. In those cases we will do what is fair and appropriate to remedy the situation.
We appreciate your cooperation with us in regards to this and other policies outlined on this page. These policies have been instituted so that we may offer you the widest selection of hard-to-find musical items at a reasonable cost with fast delivery. While a more liberal return policy might be initially appealing, it would seriously affect our ability to offer you the wide range of products you will find here.
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Instrumentation Codes
Following many of the titles on this website, you will see a set of numbers or abbreviations enclosed in square brackets. These codes indicate the precise instrumentation of the work listed. Their format varies depending on the type of ensemble (woodwind, brass, string, orchestra or band), Click on the following links to see explanations of each type (these links will open popup boxes):
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Legal Terms
All information on this website is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Information from this website may contain typographical errors or technical inaccuracies. Policies, terms, prices, availability, specifications and all other information is subject to change at any time without notice.
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