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Top of page
| How to Order parts |
| I have an on line
shopping cart system. It will make a nice organized parts list for you as you shop. All
the parts prices are totaled for you as you go so you can see exactly what you are
spending. See the shopping cart info above. Note:
I only stock what you see on my web site. Please do not add notes to your orders and
try to order something that is not on my web site.
Minimum orders:
I do not have a minimum order amount, no order is too small. I do have a minimum
shipping amount to cover misc. expenses. See the Minimum shipping information below.
Paying for
your parts with a credit card:
You can enter your credit card number on my Secure shopping cart check out
form. If I already have all of your credit card information on file and your information
is current and correct, you do not need to send your credit card again. Choose "Use
Information on File" as your payment method.
Credit cards are not processed live on line. I process
the credit card after I have imported your sales receipt from my on line shopping cart.
I accept these credit/debit
cards.
Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
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Paying for your parts with a money order
If you do not have a credit card, you can send a money order or certified check. You
can get a money order at any convenience store, post office, Wal-Mart, etc these days. If
you choose MONEY ORDER as your payment method on your shopping cart order, I will
send you an email with mailing instructions and your order total including shipping
charges.
I do not do UPS COD anymore. It seems that some customers were not home
to receive their package when UPS arrives. UPS then sends it back to me and I end up
eating the shipping charges. A few bad apples ruined it for the many good customers out
there.
Sorry, I do not accept Pay-Pal. There is too much hassle
in me trying to collect the delayed funds flowing in from Pay-Pal.
I also do not accept wire transfers or Western Union.
Please do not send personal or
company checks. I will mail them back to you.
Credit cards and money
orders only please.
Thanks,
Doug
Hoffman |
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of page
| This is how my Parts
catalog/Shopping cart works. |
| Step 1 |
You add parts to your
shopping cart while browsing my parts catalog.
After you are done adding parts to your shopping cart you hit the "CHECK
OUT" button.
Your parts list screen looks like
this. Shopping cart screen
|
| Step 2 |
After you press the "CHECK OUT" button you are taken a screen to enter your
name and address info.
After you are done entering your name and address information you hit the "SUBMIT" button.
The name and address screen looks
like this. The name and address screen.
|
| Step 3 |
After you hit the "SUBMIT" button, you get the final order confirmation
screen.
Your order is final now and will be shipped ASAP.
The Final Order confirmation screen
looks like this Final order confirmation
screen.
|
| Note: |
You can leave my parts
catalog after starting a part list without checking out. Your parts list will still be
waiting for you for up to 10 days if you have cookies turned on and you are on the same
computer. You can return and add more parts to your parts list. You have the option to "Continue shopping", "Check
Out" or "Restart" or delete your parts
list and start a new one.
This is what the screen looks like when you return to your parts
list. Restart screen |
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| Minimum shipping
charge |
| I have a minimum shipping amount of $5.50.
The basic priority mail postage cost me $4.05. The remaining amount goes to cover the
items below. Note: There are other charges
that are included in the shipping charges. It seems that everybody and their brother is
always trying to suck money out of the small business man. Here are some of the items that
I have to recover and are included in the shipping charges.
* Bank credit card processing fees. (American Express is the worst)
* Telephone company charges for DSL lines, internet access, etc.
* Postage machine charges for printing my own postage, postage stamp forms, monthly
service charges, etc.
* Shipping tape, shipping bags, shipping boxes, bubble wrap, styro packing peanuts.
* UPS pick up charges.
* Bank service charges.
* Office supplies including Computer paper, labels, pens, staples, ink jet cartridges,
etc, software upgrades, etc.
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| Shipping
cost |
There is no way I can
calculate exact shipping cost on my shopping cart. There are way too many variables when
it comes to shipping. Here's just a few of the things that can change shipping cost.
* The package weight and shipping distance will vary with every package.
* How much packing material and the weight of the box can change the weight of a package.
* Items that can be crushed or broken get packed differently than non fragile items.
* If a pile of parts does not fit physically into a flat rate postal package then it cost
more to ship than if I can use a flat rate package.
* A long skinny package with $5 worth of parts inside can cost more to ship than a short
fat package with $200 worth of parts inside.
I am only able to calculate the correct shipping amount after I have the package
packed up and I know the exact weight, package size being used and how far it is
being shipped. |
Note: Certain items do not lend
themselves to being shipped together in the same package. Sometimes items have to be split
into separate packages because they are very long, such as a piece of circuit board,
reverb tank or something very heavy such as a transformer, or something wide and short
such as a book.
Example: You order 18 inches of circuit board (very long) and a book (very wide).
The above example would be split into two different packages. Please
do not ask for exact shipping cost estimates on a package. I do not know what the shipping
is going to be until I box up all the parts and know the exact weight of the
package. |
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| UPS VS Priority mail |
In general, Priority
mail is faster and cheaper than UPS up to a certain weight. After about 2 pounds, UPS is
cheaper but not faster. UPS is more expensive to have a package delivered to a residential
address than a commercial business address. By commercial address I mean a real commercial
business address. Having a business in your home does not qualify you as a business
address. Having a business in a shopping center does qualify you as a business
address. UPS controls this, I have no say so as to what is or isn't a real business
address.
If your address is out of the way or in the country, UPS will be even more
expensive. For example, Black mountain NC which is not too far from me is $7.12 for a one
pound residential delivery but only $4.87 for a commercial address. Priority mail is only
$4.05 for the same Black Mountain residential address.
If you live in a big city, UPS is usually cheaper than in the country.
Below you can see some price and time comparisons between UPS and priority mail.
Packages would originate from zip code 28768. These are not actual shipping charges, just
raw rate comparisons. See my Minimum shipping charge section.
The rates below are not current, they are only used to illustrate a point.
Priority mail is usually 1-3 days delivery time. UPS delivery times are based on distance. |
| Zip code -> |
01108 |
28711 |
50428 |
84123 |
94010 |
| Delivery times |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Priority mail -> |
2 - 3 days |
1 - 2 days |
2 - 3 days |
2 - 3 days |
2 - 3 days |
| UPS -> |
2 - 3 days |
1 day |
3 -4 days |
5 - 6 days |
6 - 7 days |
| - |
| 1 pound package |
| Priority mail |
$3.85 |
$3.85 |
$3.85 |
$3.85 |
$3.85 |
| UPS ground Non business address |
$5.48 |
$7.12 |
$7.48 |
$5.75 |
$5.86 |
| UPS ground Business address |
$3.98 |
$4.87 |
$5.23 |
$4.25 |
$4.36 |
| - |
| 2 pound package |
| Priority mail |
$4.90 |
$3.95 |
$4.90 |
$5.40 |
$5.75 |
| UPS ground Residential address |
$5.84 |
$7.17 |
$7.84 |
$6.28 |
$6.57 |
| UPS ground Business address |
$4.34 |
$4.92 |
$5.59 |
$4.78 |
$5.07 |
| - |
| 3 pound package |
| Priority mail |
$6.85 |
$4.75 |
$6.85 |
$7.85 |
$8.55 |
| UPS ground Residential address |
$6.14 |
$7.20 |
$8.14 |
$6.65 |
$7.12 |
| UPS ground Business address |
$4.64 |
$4.95 |
$5.89 |
$5.15 |
$5.62 |
|
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| Domestic shipping information |
Continental U.S.A. Shipments,
Alaska, Hawaii and US territories. Small packages being shipped within the United States and US territories are
usually sent by U.S. Postal priority mail. They usually arrive in 2-4 working days
after the order is placed. If the package is heavier than 3 or 4 pounds I will
usually use UPS ground to ship the package.
If you must have package tracking or insurance, please specify UPS as your shipping
method. You can only specify UPS shipping for shipments to the 48 US states. Make sure
your UPS shipping address is not a PO box. |
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| International shipping information |
International
shipments can be sent to most countries by United States Postal Service GLOBAL
PRIORITY mail. Global priority mail is very fast, usually less than 5
days, but it has a 4 pound maximum weight limit. I charge $11.00 for Global
priority mail shipping if the parts will fit into the standard 9 inch x 12 inch flat rate
Global Priority envelope that the US postal service provides. One book or a small box of
parts will fit into the envelope. I can pack many small parts into a Global priority
envelope by using a small box inside of the flat rate envelope. Shipping to Canada and
Mexico is only $9 using the Global priority method mentioned above.
Check this page to see if Global priority shipping is
available to your country. Examples:
Global priority mail is not available to all parts of Italy.
Global priority mail is only available to Sao Paulo
and Rio de Janeiro Brazil, no other cities in Brazil.
In the examples above, I would have to use regular Airmail when Global priority is not
available.
If I have to use a regular box, because the parts will not fit into the flat rate
Global priority envelope, it will cost more to ship by Global Priority. The flat rate
Global priority envelope is cheaper than using a regular box, even if both packages weigh
the same. This only applies to packages weighing less than 4 pounds. Packages that weigh
more than four pounds cannot be sent by Global Priority mail.
Airmail Parcel Post mail is used for packages that weight over 4
pounds or packages that do not qualify for Global priority shipping. Airmail Parcel Post
is more expensive and takes longer to arrive than Global Priority mail. Customs
forms are required on this type of package. I have to attach a copy of your sales receipt
with the customs form. The actual value of the shipment must be stated on the customs
form.
Most small parts and one book will fit into a Global priority package no problem.
Sometimes I split the order into two Global priority packages and it is still cheaper and
faster than airmail parcel post. I will do my best to get you the best shipping rate on
your international order. I usually charge $1.00 to $4.00 more than the posted rates at
the USPS web site. This charge is for filling out
the customs forms and the extra time it takes to do an international shipment.
Please do not ask for exact shipping cost estimates. I do not know what the
shipping is going to be until I box up all the parts and know the exact weight of
the package. Please read this section on shipping cost.
Sorry, I do not offer shipping by UPS or Fed-X for international shipments.
Customs forms: Global priority
flat rate envelope packages that weighs less than 1 lb. do not require a customs form. All
other packages must have a customs form attached to the outside of the package. Please do
not ask me to alter your customs form. The US Postal service requires that I attach a customs
form to the outside of the package. Airmail packages that are too heavy for priority mail
must also have a copy of your sales Receipt attached to the outside of the package. The
Sales Receipt list in detail all of the items that are inside the box. Customs will also
sometimes open your package and look inside to see if everything matches the Sales
Receipt. |
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| Package
Tracking |
| There is no tracking available on US postal packages. I have
tried their delivery confirmation service and it is useless. The post office can take
weeks to give you any sort of meaningful answer as to where your package might be. Most of
the time their answer is useless because they don't know. Delivery confirmation is only
used by the sending party to confirm that the package was delivered, it is not a tracking
service. UPS does have good tracking. If your
shipment was sent by UPS, you can email me and I will send you the tracking number. UPS is
only available for domestic shipping. |
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| Delayed
or lost packages |
Attention International
customers: I have no control
over the postal delivery system in your country. Sometimes shipments arrive very quickly
and sometimes they take longer. There is no way to trace your shipment. We are at the
mercy of the postal systems of both countries. Sometimes your package is held in
customs for some unknown reason. I have no way to check on a package or where it is. Some
countries hand the package over to a second party delivery service. Once again, I have no
control over how your package is delivered in your own country.
I ask that all International customers please be patient. Your package will arrive
someday! Very few packages are ever actually lost. Global priority mail is usually very
fast. Some European customers report that they get their package four days after they
order from me. If your package is taking longer than usual, you can contact your customs
office and see if they are holding your package.Attention domestic customers. I have no control over the postal delivery system. If you absolutely must have something by a certain date or you
want a tracking number, you must request UPS as your shipping method. There is no
effective way to track a postal package. Priority mail is usually very fast and some
customers report two day ship times after they place the order.
Note to all customers: I am not responsible for packages that are
delayed or get lost. If your package is lost or delayed it will probably come back to me
eventually. I will have to wait until your package returns to me before I can re-ship it
to you. Please ask your postman if he remembers delivering the package. It is also
possible that the address label got destroyed or the package may be undeliverable for some
reason. The postal service will always return the package to me if they can read the
return address. International customer, please check with your customs service to see if
they are holding your package.
Strange tales: Customers
have had all kinds of crazy things happen to their packages. Many times they say they did
not receive the package only to find the mailman left the package in a weird place
somewhere around their house.
True stories:
A customer found his package in the back seat of an old card in his yard.
A customer finally found his package in his daughters car. His daughter did not tell him
she had grabbed the package.
A customer found that the local post office was holding his package because they tried to
deliver it to his business on a Saturday. The business was closed on Saturday and so they
just held the package instead of trying to re-deliver it on Monday when the business was
open.
A customer reported that the mailman left the package in a side porch where the family
hardly ever went and so they did not think to look there.
A customer was staying at a Hotel for a few days so he had me send his package there. The
package was not delivered in time and was thought to be lost. A few months later he
checked into the same hotel and the front desk said he had a package. Yep, it was his
missing package.
These are just a few of the many weird stories I have
heard over the years.
Sometimes the postman may take your package back to
the post office. It's always a good idea to give your local post office a call and see if
they are holding your package for some strange reason. The truth is, very few packages
ever get lost, they always show up. |
Top of page
| Finding information on my web site. |
| I spend a great deal
of time keeping my web site up to date. I really appreciate it when I see people that have
thoroughly investigated my web site and found the info they needed on their own. Please
check out the web site thoroughly before sending me an email question. I am not trying to be difficult here, I am just so busy
that I only have time to handle customer orders and everything else it takes to run a
business. I spend many hours improving my web site, so that people can have a lot of good
information at the touch of a button 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the world.
The internet is a great source for finding
information and it saves me hours of time so that I can get on with the chores of the day,
filling your parts orders and getting your parts to you as quickly as possible. I have
thousands of customers, there is no way to answer each and every question that each
customer may have. I try and have most of the info that you may be seeking on my web site.
Sort of like an on line library.
This is my Hoffman Amplifiers
Amp forum where you can ask questions about amps. There are a bunch of
knowledgeable guys on this forum. Don't be afraid to drop in and ask a question.
Thanks,
Doug Hoffman |
Top of page
| How to
return parts |
| Please email me first and describe
what you want to do. Do you want to exchange the part or do you want a refund? If you
would like a refund I can only credit your credit card, I cannot send you cash or a
check. If I credit your credit card you will see a credit appear on your next credit
card statement.
I do not exchange similar
parts, I always write a credit card credit and this also corrects
my inventory on hand for the item. If you need to order more parts, go
ahead and place your order, your returned parts have nothing to do with
your order since. They are separate transactions. I cannot accept used parts
on a return. If the part is defective I will replace it with a new one. If I determine
that the part was misused or installed improperly, I will not accept the part for return.
Do not dismantle parts. I had a customer dismantle a Wah pot and then wanted to send it
back.
Always include a note with your returned
part so I know what you want to do. If there is no note in your package I will just put
your package on a shelf and wait to hear from you. The best thing to do is to include
our email correspondence about your return. Once I read the email, I will know exactly why you
are returning the part. I get 100's of emails in a day, do not expect me to remember our
previous conversation without a written copy. I will just put your package aside and wait
until you contact me by email if I cannot figure out why you have returned a part to me.
Send the parts and your email correspondence note to:
Hoffman Amplifiers
190 Lakeland Dr
Pisgah Forest, NC, 28768 |
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