Frequently Asked Questions

How may I place an order?

You can order by telephone (877-964-5569), fax (707-964-1979), mail (P.O. Box 799 Fort Bragg, CA 95437), or online at this web site (www.larkinthemorning.com).

How do I pay for an order?

For mail orders, you can send your credit card number, a personal check, or a money order. Please do not send cash.

For credit card orders, we accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diner’s Club, and JCB.

Wire transfers are accepted with a $20.00 fee.

How often do your prices change?

Our prices are always current on this web site.

Since we mail several catalogs and newsletters each year, older versions may occasionally have out of date pricing.

Most of our products have stable pricing. But the rare and unusual nature of our product means that international exchange rates and world events sometimes affect our prices. For this reason, our prices are subject to change at any time.

Do you give discounts to schools, churches, seniors, or for large orders?

No. We offer consistent pricing to all our retail customers.

We do offer wholesale prices on selected items to retail merchants with a valid resale permit. Please call us for details (877-964-5569)

How will you ship my order?

We ship by United Parcel Service whenever possible.

Please give us your complete street address. United Parcel Service cannot deliver to a Post Office Box.

Can I place an order to be delivered outside the United States?

Yes. Shipping charges will be determined for each individual order. Payment will be accepted in U.S. dollars by credit card, International Money Order, wire transfer (with a $20 fee), or a draft drawn on a U.S. bank.

When will I receive the merchandise I ordered?

It depends on what you order. Most orders ship within 24 hours. But due to the rare and unusual nature of many items we carry, we are sometimes out of stock. We order from more than 1000 suppliers in over 70 countries, and sometimes have items specially made by individual craftspeople. While many out of stock items ship sooner, an out of stock item may take 6-12 weeks. Standard delivery by UPS normally takes 6-8 days within the US. You can request express shipping for additional cost.

We will do our best to procure out-of-stock items for you as quickly as we can and usually the delay will be short. We ask for your understanding in the cases where the delay is longer. We will be happy to give you as much information as we have about how long it might take. Any information we have may be approximate, and might be subject to change.

What if some merchandise in my order is in stock, while other merchandise is out of stock?

If some items on your order are out of stock, we will ship a partial shipment. We will charge shipping and handling for each shipment. If you would like us to hold your order until it is complete, just let us know.

What is “Special Order” merchandise

Some of our merchandise is identified as “Special Order, both on this web site, and in our catalogs and newsletters. Many of our products are specially made one at a time by individual craftspeople. We'll do our best to estimate the expected delivery time for these orders. We do have a non-refundable 25% deposit for special orders. Please call us (877-964-5569) to get information on delivery time for these items.

I need the items I ordered by a specific date! Will it arrive by my deadline?

We will do our best to ship your order as quickly as possible. If it is in stock, and you have ordered it a reasonable amount of time before you need it, your chances are good. Unfortunately, since it is impossible for us to have every item we sell in stock at all times, we may not be able to ship it immediately. Some items can take a while for us to get. Occasionally, even when items ship immediately, there is some unexpected delay in transit. For those reasons we can never make a guarantee that your merchandise will arrive by a particular date.

We can provide tracking information on all orders shipped with United Parcel Service.

You can request Express Shipping for additional cost. Just call us at (877) 964-5569.

Can you ship the merchandise to me COD?

Sorry, all orders must be prepaid, either by check or money order, or with a credit card. We cannot ship COD.

I only want to order one small, inexpensive item. Are you really going to charge me $10.00 to ship it?

Unfortunately, yes. Due to the high cost of processing and shipping even small items, we find it necessary to charge a minimum of $10.00 for shipping and handling on each order. It might be to your advantage to consider ordering several items at once, rather than one at a time. Very often several items can be shipped for the same $10.00 minimum amount.

What do I do if my merchandise arrives damaged?

We insure every package that we ship. If anything arrives damaged, you're covered. Please contact us immediately (877-964-5569) if any merchandise arrives with damage. We will file an insurance claim and see to it that the damaged item gets replaced quickly. You will need to retain the damaged item as well as the box and packing material. The shipping company may want to pick those items up from you.

What do I do if I want to return an item I’ve ordered?

We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you are not satisfied for any reason, please call us to obtain a return authorization. We will cheerfully authorize you to return merchandise for replacement or refund if you call us within 15 days of receipt. All returned items must have prior authorization, so please make sure you call us before sending anything back to us. (Reeds, strings and items that have been special-ordered for you, are not returnable).

When will you be opening a retail store close to where I live?

We currently have three retail stores: San Francisco, California; Mendocino, California; and Seattle, Washington. Although we are evaluating potential locations for more retail stores, we do not expect to open any more stores in 2003 or 2004. We hope our web site (www.larkinthemorning.com) or telephone representatives (877-964-5569) can serve you well in the meantime.

I have an antique or unusual instrument. Are you interested in buying it from me?

We might be interested. Please sent an email with a digital photograph to info@larkinam.com, or give us a call at (877) 964-5569 to discuss.