About Ordering

You can order from our online shopping cart, or you can place an order by e-mail [email protected], or you can call us at 206-451-4275 M-F 10-5 PT. We take VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC and Paypal, and we process your charge the day we take your order. For your security we keep no credit card info on our server. The best way to order is online. By ordering online you can immediately download the manual for your kit, to study while you wait the three to six weeks it usually takes for your kit parts to be manufactured and delivered. Online orders will receive confirmation by email (we have no control over spam filters, so be sure to check your spam folder if you aren’t finding your confirmation).

Cancellations

If you have a problem with your order please give us a call at 206-451-4275 or contact Eileen at [email protected].We understand that things come up in life and sometimes an order needs to be cancelled and refunded.

Each kit is manufactured and packed to order, and the production and packaging schedule is influenced by demand. With that in mind we start ordering parts for your kit once you place your order. Order cancellations will be charged a 15% cancellation fee to cover parts cost. If you receive your kit and you change your mind and want to send it back to us there will be a 25% restocking fee applied to your refund. Kits that have been partially assembled are not returnable or refundable​.​ If you wish to change your unshipped order to a different kit, we will grant you a store credit for the cost of your original order and waive the cancellation fee.

Why does it take so long to get my kit?

We do things differently than a lot of our competitors, and though we are from Seattle, we are definitely not Amazon. We are a small company and while our sonic quality is generally higher and our prices are generally lower you may have to wait a while to get your order. When we receive your payment your order goes into the processing queue. There will almost always be some orders in the queue ahead of yours.

And so it can take a few weeks to see your kit. We have a delivery status page to keep our customers informed of the shipping status of our products – potential backorders, when we have kits ready to ship, and everything in between. We try to update this page weekly.

The main parts for your kit like chassis plates, Bottlehead transformers and wood bases are made in small quantities by US manufacturers we have developed close relationships with over our 20 years in the industry. They have a reputation for being the best at what they do, and because of that there are times when demand for their services creates a delay in getting parts to us. We try to keep plenty of stock of major parts on hand, but after 20 years we have learned that sometimes there are backorders and you just have to be patient if you want the best quality you can get for the best price you can get.

By charging orders the day they come in we have the cash flow to operate on a cash basis with these manufacturers. This means we send a check with every purchase order rather than asking them to carry us for 30 to 90 days or more like a lot of manufacturers do. And in that way we keep our costs down.

And sometimes we must order in relatively small quantities – virtually to order for the more exotic products like a Tube Repro – and it takes some time for all the individual parts in your kit to come to us to be packed together.

We have a very small, highly trained staff. In order for us to operate efficiently we must process the orders in batches. There are so many products in our lineup that on average orders for each product get processed about every two to four weeks, give or take. Hence the average wait time for your custom packed to order kit to ship is four weeks, give or take a week or two.

If you are buying a product to be assembled by our factory authorized tech, understand that we have to put your order in line with other kits. There may be other orders ahead of yours and it may take a while to get your kit ready for the technician who will build it.

If you are getting fidgety about getting your kit may we suggest participating on the Bottlehead forum after you order. There is all sorts of great info about each kit, assembly tips, mods, finishing ideas, tool suggestions, etc. that make for great study material in preparation for the arrival of your kit.

Common Ordering Questions

“Can I use more than one card to pay?”

Our shopping cart cannot do this, but there are two easy work-arounds. If you are paying with PayPal, you can go into your PayPal account and transfer money into it from various sources, then use your PayPal balance to pay. Alternately, you can buy yourself a gift certificate with the first card, then use that gift certificate along with your second card to buy your kit.

“What about ordering more than one kit…?”

You are more than welcome to do this. If you buy two full kits (say, a Crack and a Reduction) at the same time, you get a discount on both. You will be charged shipping on all items you order. Sometimes kits can ship in the same box, in which case you will be sent a refund for any overpaid postage when your order ships. The ability to ship items together is tied to the shipping queues of all items, and is not always feasible. Also, the heavier the box, the more abuse it will take in shipping, so it’s not always the best option. If you are ordering multiple kits (whether the same or different) and you have a strong preference either way about combined shipping, please make a note in the “Order Notes” box on checkout.