[TPIN] Sheet Music Service

[James Olcott]

Regarding return policies of sheet music companies:

This is a pretty dicy subject. For any retailer of sheet music, to  
send out a piece "on approval" is rough, as 1) the music could be  
copied and sent back, and 2) if it does come back, any part could be  
missing or damaged in some way, making reuse not possible until such  
things are corrected. And you've payed for shipping the stuff in the  
first place.

We, as publishers and retailers of our own stuff, as a regular  
practice, rely quite heavily on the honesty of our customers (paying  
via check from an invoice, for instance), and in general, we are  
rewarded for our trust. But at the end of each year there are always  
a few outstanding invoices, and I have had to eat a few bucks each  
year because of this sort of thing.

And so it is with how the customer has handled the merchandise and  
returned it. Someone will, if it is known that there is any sort of  
"open-door" return policy, take advantage somewhere along the way,  
and burn it for everyone.

So, for me, at least, I stay mum about any sort of written or implied  
return policy, with each case handled on its own merit. In  general,  
I am very uncomfortable with it, and if put to the wall officially, I  
would have to say it is not my common practice. With the online  
examples, (score samples and mp3 files), guesswork in ordering things  
is much less so.

JO

James Olcott, prop
Triplo Press
806 White Oak Drive
Oxford, OH 45056 USA

Phone/fax: 513/523-5836
Web: www.triplo.com
EMail: trpmusic at triplo.com

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