Refund policy

AAA Band Rentals Return & Refund Policy

Effective Date: October 18, 2026

Returns & Exchanges

At AAA Band Rentals, we want you to be confident in your purchase. We understand that choosing a musical instrument is personal, and sometimes an instrument may not be the right fit. Our return policy is designed to provide customers with a reasonable opportunity to evaluate a purchase while protecting the value and condition of the instruments we sell.

Return terms depend on the price of the item. Instruments under $1,799.00 follow the Standard Merchandise terms. Instruments priced at $1,799.00 or more follow the Professional & High-Value terms.

Standard Merchandise (Under $1,799.00)

Unless otherwise stated below, new merchandise priced under $1,799.00 per item may be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund or exchange.

A Return Authorization must be requested before merchandise is shipped back to AAA Band Rentals.

Returned merchandise must be received in the same condition in which it was delivered and must include all original:

Packaging
Cases
Accessories
Mouthpieces
Documentation
Warranty materials
Tags
Manuals
Promotional items

Merchandise showing excessive use, wear, damage, odors, pet hair, smoke exposure, contamination, scratches, dents, missing components, altered packaging, or other conditions inconsistent with a normal evaluation period may be subject to a return-condition adjustment reflecting the reasonable cost of cleaning, sanitizing, repairing, replacing missing materials, or loss in resale value.

AAA Band Rentals reserves the right to refuse a return when an item has been damaged, abused, altered, or returned in a condition that prevents reasonable resale.

Professional & High-Value Instruments ($1,799.00 and Over)

Professional-level instruments priced at $1,799.00 or more per item follow a shorter, stricter return path because they are costly to inspect, restore and resell.

Return window: 7 days from delivery.
Restocking fee: 15% of the purchase price, deducted from the refund. The fee is waived if we shipped the wrong item or the instrument arrives damaged or confirmed defective.
Return Authorization and serial number: A Return Authorization is required. The serial number on the returned instrument must match the one we shipped. Returns with a different serial number will be refused.
Packing documentation: Photograph or video the instrument and its packing before sealing the box, and keep the carrier receipt.
Shipping: The customer pays return shipping using a trackable, fully insured, signature-required service. AAA Band Rentals is not responsible for damage in return transit.
Condition: Scratches, dents, lacquer or plating wear, and other changes in condition are deducted in addition to the restocking fee.
Refund method: Original payment method only. Exchanging one professional instrument for another is treated as a return and carries the same fee.
Limit: One high-value return per customer in any 12-month period.

Shipment Documentation & Return Verification

Every instrument is documented before it ships. We record the make, model and serial number, photograph the instrument, and keep that record with the order.

Verification on return: The returned instrument is compared against our shipment record. The model and serial number must match exactly.
No substitutions: We do not accept a different instrument, a used or lower-value instrument, or an instrument with substituted parts. These returns are refused and no refund is issued.
Applies to all instruments: This verification applies to every instrument we ship, regardless of price.

Try Before You Buy

We would much rather you find the right instrument before you buy it. You can audition any professional instrument at our Norwalk or Cos Cob showroom by appointment, or book a video consultation with our team. Call 203-416-6359 to schedule.

Brass & Woodwind Instruments

For health and sanitation reasons, all returned brass and woodwind instruments are inspected and sanitized before being offered for sale again.

A $10 sanitation fee will be deducted from refunds on returned brass and woodwind instruments that have been played. On Professional & High-Value instruments, the sanitation fee is in addition to the restocking fee.

Additional reasonable cleaning or restoration charges may apply when an instrument is returned with excessive dirt, residue, odors, pet hair, contamination, staining, or other conditions requiring cleaning beyond normal sanitation.

Free Shipping & Returned Purchases

Free outbound shipping is a benefit provided with a completed purchase.

If an order that received free shipping is subsequently returned for reasons other than an error by AAA Band Rentals or a verified defective product, AAA Band Rentals’ actual outbound shipping cost will be deducted from the customer’s refund or merchandise credit.

The customer is also responsible for return shipping.

If AAA Band Rentals provides a prepaid return shipping label for a customer-remorse return, the cost of that return label will also be deducted from the refund.

If an item is being returned because AAA Band Rentals shipped the wrong merchandise, or because the merchandise arrived damaged or is confirmed defective, AAA Band Rentals will be responsible for the appropriate shipping costs.

Instrument Purchases Are Not Free Trials

Our return privilege is intended to allow customers to determine whether a purchased instrument is suitable for them. It is not a free instrument trial, rental, or audition program.

Customers who choose to return an instrument because of personal preference—including tone, feel, response, resistance, playing characteristics, or simply changing their mind—remain responsible for applicable outbound and return shipping costs.

Payment Disputes

By completing a purchase, the customer agrees to this policy. Please contact us before disputing a charge with your card issuer so we can resolve the issue directly. If a chargeback is filed, we will contest it with our shipment records, delivery confirmation and inspection records, and we will pursue all remedies available to us, including legal action, for fraudulent or improper disputes.

Return Authorization Required

Before returning merchandise, please contact:

AAA Band Rentals, LLC
20 Fitch Street
Norwalk, CT 06855
203-416-6359

A Return Authorization must be obtained before shipping a return.

The Return Authorization should appear on the shipping label or outer shipping carton and should not be written directly on the manufacturer’s packaging.

Return Packaging

Customers are responsible for securely packaging returned merchandise.

If an item was originally double-boxed, it must be returned double-boxed. Original packaging should be used whenever possible.

Customers should use a trackable and adequately insured shipping method. AAA Band Rentals is not responsible for damage occurring during return transportation arranged by the customer.

Refund Inspection

All returns are inspected before a refund is finalized.

Receiving a returned package does not constitute acceptance of the merchandise as being in original or returnable condition.

After inspection, AAA Band Rentals will determine the applicable refund, exchange, merchandise credit, shipping deduction, sanitation charge, restocking fee, or return-condition adjustment in accordance with this policy.

Refunds are issued to the original method of payment whenever practicable.

Abuse of Return Privileges

Our return policy is meant to keep customers from being stuck with the wrong instrument. We may, at our sole discretion, limit or suspend return privileges and decline future orders for customers who abuse it. That includes excessive returns, returns of items no longer in new condition, returns with a mismatched serial number, and a pattern of buying instruments for use and then returning them.

Used, Demo, Clearance & Open-Box Merchandise

Used merchandise is not returnable because of buyer’s remorse, personal preference, tone, feel, comparison shopping, or because the customer subsequently finds another model or price they prefer.

If a used instrument or item has a significant undisclosed defect or is materially different from its description, please contact AAA Band Rentals promptly so we can evaluate and resolve the issue.

Items clearly identified as Final Sale are not returnable except where required by law.

Demo, open-box, clearance, closeout, and discontinued merchandise may carry different return conditions as stated on the product listing or invoice.

Special Orders & Modified Merchandise

The following are not returnable unless defective or incorrectly supplied by AAA Band Rentals:

Special-order merchandise
Custom-ordered merchandise
Custom-finished merchandise
Personalized merchandise
Merchandise modified at the customer’s request
Items involving customer-requested installation or labor
Opened reeds
Used mouthpieces
Used personal-use or hygiene-sensitive accessories

Items marked "Special Order" on the product page are ordered specifically for the customer and are non-returnable and non-exchangeable, unless defective or incorrectly supplied by AAA Band Rentals. Deposits paid on special-order merchandise are non-refundable. Please contact us with any questions before ordering.

Questions?

We would much rather help you choose the right instrument before you order than have you purchase something that is not appropriate for you.

Please contact us with questions about instrument selection, specifications, playing characteristics, or compatibility before ordering.