Refund policy
Return, Repair & Refund Policy
At Cream Guitars, every instrument is handcrafted in limited quantities using premium materials, meticulous craftsmanship, and extensive quality control. Many of our guitars and basses are built to order or produced in very limited batches.
Because of the nature of our manufacturing process, we encourage every customer to carefully review the specifications of the instrument before placing an order. Every instrument is built to meet the published specifications, not subjective personal preferences.
Our goal is to ensure every customer receives an instrument that performs exactly as intended.
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1. Inspection Upon Delivery
Customers should inspect their instrument immediately upon arrival.
Any shipping damage or manufacturing concern must be reported within 5 calendar days after delivery and must include:
* Photographs of the instrument
* Photographs of the shipping box (if applicable)
* A detailed description of the issue
Claims submitted after this period may not qualify for warranty or return consideration.
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2. Right to Repair
Cream Guitars reserves the right to repair any manufacturing defect before authorizing a replacement, return, or refund.
Whenever possible, Cream will prioritize repairs performed by an authorized local technician or qualified repair center to minimize shipping costs, customs procedures, and customer downtime.
Cream may choose, at its sole discretion, to:
* Provide replacement parts.
* Authorize a local repair.
* Reimburse previously approved repair expenses.
* Return the instrument to Cream for repair.
* Replace the instrument.
* Issue a refund only if a reasonable repair or replacement cannot be completed.
The choice of remedy remains exclusively at the discretion of Cream Guitars.
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3. Manufacturing Defects
A manufacturing defect is defined as a failure resulting from materials or workmanship that prevents the instrument from performing according to its intended specifications.
Natural variations in wood, finish, color, weight, resonance, grain patterns, or handcrafted characteristics are not considered defects.
Likewise, routine setup adjustments resulting from climate, humidity, transportation, altitude, string changes, or individual playing preferences—including action, neck relief, intonation, pickup height, or tuning stability adjustments—are considered normal maintenance and are not covered as manufacturing defects.
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4. Customer Satisfaction Returns
If an instrument is delivered exactly as specified but the customer decides they no longer wish to keep it due to personal preference—including feel, weight, appearance, tone, balance, neck profile, or any other subjective reason—the following conditions apply.
Return requests must be submitted within 14 calendar days after delivery.
The instrument must:
* Be in brand-new condition.
* Show no signs of wear or use.
* Contain all original accessories, case, documentation, tags, certificates, and packaging.
* Have no modifications or alterations.
The customer is responsible for:
* Return shipping costs.
* Shipping insurance.
* Import duties.
* Export duties.
* Customs brokerage fees.
* Taxes.
* Any other governmental or transportation charges.
A 35% restocking and processing fee will be deducted from the purchase price before any refund is issued.
This fee reflects the labor, setup, inspection, quality control, administrative processing, and the limited-production nature of every Cream instrument.
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5. Custom Orders
Because custom instruments are manufactured specifically for one customer, all custom orders are final sale.
This includes, but is not limited to:
* Custom finishes
* Special colors
* Personalized electronics
* Custom hardware
* Artist specifications
* Personalized engravings
* Limited editions built to customer specifications
Custom orders cannot be cancelled, returned, exchanged, or refunded except in the event of a verified manufacturing defect that cannot reasonably be repaired.
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6. Return Condition
Returned instruments must arrive in the same condition in which they were originally shipped.
Cream reserves the right to reduce or deny any refund if the instrument shows:
* Scratches
* Dents
* Wear from playing
* Finish damage
* Electronic modifications
* Hardware replacements
* Missing accessories
* Missing documentation
* Damaged packaging
* Evidence of misuse, negligence, or improper handling
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7. Refund Processing
Once the returned instrument has been received and inspected, Cream Guitars will determine whether the return complies with this policy.
Approved refunds will be processed using the original payment method.
The following charges are non-refundable:
* Original shipping charges.
* Import or export duties.
* Customs fees.
* Taxes.
* Payment processing fees charged by banks or payment platforms.
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8. Limitation of Returns
Cream Guitars reserves the right to refuse returns from customers who repeatedly purchase instruments with the intention of evaluating them before returning them, or whose purchasing behavior is determined to be inconsistent with normal consumer use.
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9. Our Commitment
Our commitment is to build inspiring instruments of the highest possible quality while providing professional support throughout ownership.
If a problem arises, our first priority will always be to resolve it quickly, fairly, and efficiently. Whenever possible, repairs will be performed locally to minimize inconvenience for our customers, and every effort will be made to ensure the instrument performs exactly as designed.