Terms and Conditions

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1.   Terms and Conditions 

1.1 “Guitar Doctor” aims to deliver a high quality and professional service to all his customers, he values their custom and their property entrusted to his care.  

1.2 The following terms and conditions are not exhaustive and, in the interests of maintaining the best quality of service, may be subject to change at any time.  

1.3 In using “Guitar Doctor” services the customer indicates their acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.  

2.  Equipment Drop-off / Collection   

2.1 All items are to be brought to and collected from the workshop unless otherwise agreed.  

2.2 When the equipment is ready for collection or delivery, the customer will be contacted by telephone or e-mail (as specified by the customer).  A mutually convenient time for collection can then be agreed.  

2.3 “Guitar Doctor” can offer a pick-up and delivery service within a reasonable distance at a small additional cost to be agreed at the time.  This charge may be waived for Schools or Professional/Rehearsal Studios.  

2.4 Any items sent in for service or repair must be packed well and include customer details and a full description of the fault.  Shipping charges for the delivery and return are to be paid in full by the customer.  Any items sent in without prior agreement will not be accepted and returned to the customer.  

2.5 The customer is entirely responsible for adequate and appropriate packaging.  “Guitar Doctor” will under no circumstances accept responsibility for the loss or damage to goods due to insufficient or improper packaging.  

2.6 Due to a lack of storage space on the premises, unless otherwise agreed, any item not paid for and collected within 10 working days upon completion, will be liable for external storage costs at US$20.00 per week until picked up.   

3.    Advice and Call-outs   

3.1 There is no charge for enquiries or advice.  For an out of workshop visit there is a call-out fee of $25 plus a $60 hourly flat rate after the first hour.  

4.  Quotations, Estimates and Charges   

4.1 For routine service and repairs “Guitar Doctor” works to a fixed price menu system.  Customers will be charged for replacement parts, labor and delivery (if applicable) at the standard rates as set by “Guitar Doctor”. 

4.2 The quoted prices assume the equipment is delivered in good order, i.e., have all their parts present and in working order.  If a guitar has had its strings fitted in a manner so as to incur additional work in removing them; If it has badly rusted screws, broken or damaged tuners or anything else that has to be repaired before the required work can be completed will be repaired at the pro-rata rate.  

4.3 “Guitar Doctor” may request a deposit against any repair which in his opinion is likely to exceed a significant proportion of the depreciated value of the product.  

4.4 The charges for services provided do not include carriage/delivery charges.  

4.5 Prices are subject to change by “Guitar Doctor” at any time without prior notice.  

4.6 A free estimate can be provided for any other work.  

4.7 Quotations are issued subject to the price and availability of any necessary components.  

4.8 An estimate of the likely charges will be offered as soon as any diagnostic work has been completed on the understanding that this may be subject to change as the work progresses.  This is due to the fact that other faults may become apparent after the initial problem is resolved.  Work may be suspended pending the receipt of further instructions.  

4.9 If the revised estimate is rejected or additional parts are no longer available the customer will be liable for full payment of any work carried out so far.  

4.10 When an estimate has been provided but no reply is received by “Guitar Doctor” within 7 working days it will be assumed that the estimate has been rejected.  

4.11 Where the customer was informed that the project is beyond economical repair, or where the estimate has been refused, the customer and “Guitar Doctor” will agree on a mutually convenient time for the customer to collect the equipment.  If the item is not collected within 90 days, the title to the product will pass to “Guitar Doctor” who shall be free to dispose of the product.  The customer will be liable for any charges for such a disposal.  

4.12 The onus is on the customer to inform “Guitar Doctor” if their contact details should change.  

5.    Payment.   

5.1 All due payments, unless otherwise agreed, are to be paid on or before the item collection by the customer or delivery by “Guitar Doctor”.  Items will not be released until full payment has been received.  Payments accepted are cash, direct debit and major credit/debit cards.  “Guitar Doctor” will hold on to your equipment until the payment is cleared. Special terms are available to Schools and Colleges.  

6.    Diagnostics.  

6.1 Should equipment require testing to identify the cause of a problem it may be necessary to fit new parts, the cost of these parts is to be met by the customer.  

6.2 At the end of the diagnostic phase the customer will be advised of likely charges.  If the customer decides not to continue with the repair, then “Guitar Doctor” will do their best to return the equipment to a similar state as received.  This cannot always be guaranteed since components may only have been partially functioning to begin with and may not be working at all after diagnostic testing.  

7.    Repair and Intermittent faults.   

7.1 “Guitar Doctor” will go to all reasonable efforts to service or repair the equipment to remedy any faults as reported by the customer.  

7.2 Although “Guitar Doctor” will make every effort to maintain a comprehensive stock of parts, with the ever-increasing complexity of products requiring a vast range of spares it is impossible to keep every possible part in stock. Spare parts that are not in common use will therefore be sourced from other suppliers.  At times “Guitar Doctor” may request an advanced payment for such spares.  

7.3 Any such repair is subject to the availability of the necessary parts.  

7.4 Intermittent faults can sometimes be difficult to isolate.  Work is only accepted on the understanding that there is no guarantee of a successful outcome. Should a fault re-occur then work will only continue at the customer’s request and further expense.  

8.    Completion Times.   

8.1 “Guitar Doctor” aims to repair, thoroughly test and return equipment as quickly as possible.  

8.2 When equipment is received for repair and, if appropriate at each stage of the repair, “Guitar Doctor” will give an approximate indication of the time required to complete the work.  This may be extended due to unforeseen factors such as other problems becoming apparent or delays in acquiring spare parts etc.  If, within this period the customer decides to cancel the repair, the customer is liable to pay the full estimated amount.  

8.3 “Guitar George” will always try to meet any urgent needs of the customer but strict deadlines for the completion of work will not be agreed to.  Customers should therefore make contingency plans in the event of delays.  

9.    Loss / Damage Liability.   

9.1 All items will be treated with the utmost care and consideration.  In any instance of loss/damage, liability will be limited to the value of the specific item.  

10. Copyright.  

10.1 All materials on the Website are the property of “Guitar Doctor” and the user may download or print extracts for personal use only.  The user shall not make any other use of the material on the Website without prior written permission form “Guitar Doctor”.  

11. Trademarks.  

11.1 The trademarks, trade names and logos displayed on the Website are the property of “Guitar Doctor”.  Users shall not use these without the prior written permission of “Guitar Doctor”.  

12. Warranty.   

12.1 “Guitar Doctor” guarantees that any repair made shall be free from defect in material and workmanship for a period of three calendar months after collection or delivery of the equipment to the customer.  

12.2 This warranty does not cover any faults not previously reported by the customer or any new faults developed during the warranty period.

12.3 The warranty excludes wear and tear (such as crackly pots or jacks), physical damage due to incorrect use or misuse and any damage due to unauthorized repair or attempted repair. It will also exclude if any items have been modified or altered after “Guitar Doctor” repairman  

12.4 Any new components sourced and fitted by “Guitar Doctor” will be guaranteed as per the manufacturer’s guarantee.  Parts supplied by the customer are not guaranteed.  

13. Warnings:  PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERY CARE WILL BE TAKEN IN ALL REPAIRS.   

13.1 Maple Fretboards:  Some Fender and Squire fretboards have a synthetic, catalytic cure lacquer applied over a solvent based acrylic sealer.  This results in very poor adhesion between the lacquer and the substrate.  Taping the fretboard with masking tape to protect lacquer often results in large areas being pulled off by the masking tape on removal.  Most of these guitars emerged in the nineties and the same problem occasionally afflicts other manufacturer’s “copy” models.   

13.2 Fender “vintage reissue” Bass and Guitars (approx. 1988-1993) used nitro-cellulose lacquer for the body finishes.  These instruments suffer from a condition called “lacquer fusion” in which the still drying lacquer effectively glued necks and scratch plates to bodies resulting in chipping when either were removed, an essential procedure on these instruments as part of the set-up process.   

13.3 Gibson nuts.  These may require replacement but are routinely fitted in such a way that the base of the nut is below the lacquer line.  No responsibility will be accepted for chipping of lacquer around the nut during the course of replacement. We endeavor to give the best of care but outcomes vary.   

13.4 While “Guitar Doctor” will do their very best to look after your equipment it is impossible to establish conclusively the prior non-existence of a mark no responsibility can be accepted for dents, bumps or scratches.  

13.5 All straps must be removed from guitars and any valuables from cases before depositing them for repair as no responsibility will be accepted for their loss.