Shipping Info & Return Policy

What is your shipping method?

All U.S. packages are shipped via FedEx Ground. All Canadian packages are shipped via UPS Ground. We will NOT ship via USPS because they don’t provide a tracking number (only delivery confirmation). Please do not ask us to use USPS, we will never ship a package without a tracking number. Customers please note: We do not require a signature on shipments unless instructed to do so. We are NOT responsible for stolen packages. If you live in an area where your package could potentially be stolen from your doorstep, please contact us and have us request a signature.

How long will it take for my order to get here?

Generally, if you purchase your items by noon, we will get them shipped out that same business day. From there, FedEx typically takes 3-5 business days for delivery.

How will I know when my order has been shipped?

We will forward the tracking number ONCE to the email provided when the items have been shipped. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure their email address is updated, we are not responsible for spam filters or emails that get bounced back as undeliverable.

What are your shipping charges?

All orders within the contiguous 48 states of America include free FedEx Ground shipping. Please note, free shipping only applies to finalized sales. Canadian, Hawaiian, and Alaskan buyers please contact us BEFORE purchasing your order so we can tally up all necessary charges and facilitate your order.

Where do you ship?

We ship to the U.S. and Canada. Canadian, Alaskan, and Hawaiian buyers, please read below:

All orders in the lower 48 states of America include free shipping, and are sent via FedEx.
For our Canadian customers, we offer half off of the shipping costs. This does not include brokerage fees incurred at the border. Canadian buyers please contact us BEFORE making a purchase so that we can tally up all necessary charges to facilitate your order in the quickest manner possible. Canadian buyers please note that we only use UPS for Canadian orders—we are unable to use USPS because they do not provide a tracking number.
Hawaiian and Alaskan customers please contact us BEFORE purchasing so we can tally up all necessary charges to facilitate your order. We only use FedEx Ground and NOT USPS because they don’t provide a tracking number. Due to the high shipping rates to Hawaii and Alaska, we cannot be held responsible for any damages if they should occur in transit. To make up for this, we ensure that the package is doubly padded, but please be aware of this before you purchase.
We do not ship outside of the U.S. or Canada due to the extremely high shipping rates.

What is your return policy?

All products are warranted against defects in workmanship for a period of 30 days from the day of purchase. Defective products and/or components will be replaced according to this 30 day warranty by either refund or replacement. Should such a defect somehow occur, the customer pays shipping to return the item to Mother Rhythm Drums. We will pay the shipping to send a replacement after the defective product is received. If you choose a refund rather than replacement, a refund will be given in the amount of your purchase minus the cost of shipping/handling incurred initially in shipping the item originally. In the event of a return/exchange, the customer must contact us BEFORE shipping the items back to ensure proper procedure is followed. Please do NOT send the item back via USPS, the item will be sent back to you. All return packages require a tracking number and USPS does not provide this. Free shipping/handling only applies on completed and finalized sales. Any defect caused by the improper use or abuse of products will not be covered. Any non-defective item returned simply for the sake of changing one’s mind about the purchase will be subject to a 25% restocking fee. THIS INCLUDES THE SIZE OF THE DRUM BEING SMALLER OR LARGER THAN YOU EXPECTED, SO PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY AND USE A TAPE MEASURE TO BE SURE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIZE YOU ORDER.

Why do you charge a restock fee?

In the rare event of a return due to a customer’s change of heart, we charge a 25% restocking fee. We do this for the following reasons:
-It generally costs about $25 in freight charges to ship a 23“x13” size djembe. Since free shipping only applies to finalized sales, these are the shipping costs that initially get the item to you. The restock fee allows us to recover these charges in the unlikely event that you are unhappy with your drum.
-Each item is carefully and extensively padded, using materials such as cardboard, packing tape, and bubble wrap. The cost for these materials, as well as the considerable amount of time it takes to pack the drum properly and ensure the item isn’t harmed in shipping, are recovered by the restock fee.
-In addition to everything above, we give each drum a lot of personal attention before we ship it. This includes rope-pulling, tuning, chiseling minor adjustments, smoothing of skin, things like that. All of these tasks are time-consuming, and are our investment in you as a customer. It is thus necessary for us to recover a small portion of that investment in the event of a change of heart.
Please note, we waive the full restock fee during exchanges. In these instances, we only charge you the initial cost of shipping the first item to you.
With all this said, we grade our drums very strictly, and it is our pact with you that we will do our very best to make sure everything is good to go with your order, and that you get exactly what was advertised, a great sounding drum at a great price (please visit our testimonials page if you need reassurance).
Lastly, we wanted to mention that if you aren’t comfortable with these terms up front, then you may be better-suited to buying in a local retail music shop where you can handle the drums and make the decision on which drum you want. However, be prepared to pay much more for the same quality of product in most cases. We do our best to afford you as many comforts in the buying process as are possible, and hope that you will grow to trust us and come back for future transactions.