terms & conditions

TERMS & CONDITIONS

This Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) describe to you the details when shopping with us as we want that the process of purchasing goods through us is clear and understandable to you to create a pleasant environment for transactions. The T&Cs lay out everything you need to know that your experience shopping with us is safe, secure and fair. If you unsure about any aspect or your rights under the T&Cs please get in touch with us before you make an order on www.shakuhachi-atelier.com. We reserve the right to update or amend the T&Cs from time to time if there are changes we need to reflect.

In order to comply with the European Union (EU) Directive on Distance Selling, you must agree to our T&Cs before your order can be processed. By submitting your order, you are acknowledging that you have read and agreed to our T&Cs. They govern any contract for sale that we jointly enter into and tell you the rights and obligations you have. As a consumer you may have other statutory rights granted by law which are not affected by these T&Cs. It is our responsibility to supply you with goods that meet your consumer rights. If you have any concerns that we have not met our legal obligations please contact us.

Site details
Our site address is www.shakuhachi-atelier.com

Our registered office address is 29 E Fieldgate Mansions, Romford Street, London E1 1JS. You can contact us at info@shakuhachi-atelier.com.

The registered PayPal merchant for payments initiated and processed through this website, and registered bank account holder for payments made by direct bank transfer, is Thorsten Knaub, who owns and operates the shakuhachi-atelier.com website.

The website content and all ordering and payment processes are conducted in English.

Goods & services we offer
We offer handmade shakuhachi flutes made out of bamboo and PVC materials as well as a range of accessories related to shakuhachi instruments and its use.

It is possible to commission shakuhachi flutes or accessories, if you have specific requests or requirements. We endeavour to have a suitable range in stock, but if the required instrument or accessories are not in stock, or if you have a particular request please do not hesitate to contact us info@shakuhachi-atelier.com to ask for the possibility to commission a flute or accessory build to order.

Payment
PayPal – When you initiate the shopping process and you have filled out all the required information on the check-out page and click on the “Proceed to PayPal” button, you will be forwarded to the PayPal login page where the payment process can be completed and will be handled by the secure PayPal servers. You do not need to have a PayPal account to pay, you can use your credit card too. After the payment is completed you will return to shakuhachi-atelier.com website.

Direct Bank Transfer – When you initiate the shopping process and you have filled out all the required information on the check-out page and choose the ‘Direct Bank Transfer’ option you can make your payment directly into our bank account. Once clicked on the “Place order” button, you will receive your order information by email where you will also find the necessary bank details. Please also add your Order ID as the payment reference when making the transfer. Your order will not be shipped until the full amount (including any applicable delivery costs) has been received and the funds have cleared in our account.

Order confirmation
You’ll receive confirmation of your order by email – please check your junk mail folder if you haven’t received it after placing your order. Please check that the details contained in this email are correct. If there are any mistakes, please let us know immediately. Your confirmation email is neither an invoice nor a formal acceptance of your order. Invoices are sent with the goods. If we are unable to fulfil part or all of your order (due to having sold out for example), or if there is an error in your order, we will advise you as soon as possible. If payment has been made on an order that we are unable to fulfil we will immediately refund you by the same method you paid us.

Test Driving Shakuhachi
It is possible to audition the jiari shakuhachi. If feasible the shakuhachi can be tried out in person in London or Paris or elsewhere if it can be arranged. Please contact us by email if you wish to arrange or enquire about this option.

Otherwise, when placing an order and after the payment is completed, the flute will be sent out (track & trace/signature service) and from the day of arrival there is a period of four days for you to try out if you find the flute is suitable for you. This gives you time to get used to explore the instrument and/or take advice from a teacher or other shakuhachi player if you can.

The prospective buyer is responsible for maintaining the good condition of the flute during the audition period. All necessary repairs and/or loss of value of the flute incurred as a result of damage or mishandling during the audition period are the financial responsibility of the prospective buyer.

If the buyer wishes to return the flute during the audition period, it needs to be sent within the four days or the day immediately after (if a Sunday, the following day is of course fine). The flute needs to be returned to either the London office or Paris workshop address. A recorded (signature) delivery service is to be used and the customer will bear the cost for the return shipping. On receipt of the original flute in the original condition a full refund will be made to the customer.

This audition period is not applicable for the PVC shakuhachi flutes.

Delivery costs, options & handling
In the moment we offer delivery to EU countries as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Ukraine. Items will be sent out either from our UK office address or from our workshop in France.

Delivery to all other countries we ship to is calculated as a flat-rate of € 7.50 per small item (bags, PVC flute, etc..) and for CDs the flat-rate is € 2.50. There is also a flat-rate fee for medium items of € 8.50 (e.g. the min’yo PVC set). If you purchase a bamboo shakuhachi your order will be sent out using a track & trace (signature) service and delivery costs are charged at a flat-rate of € 25.00 per item.

Before the check-out you will be able to purchase extra insurance (€ 35.00) when sending out your order. This will cover the loss or breakage of your order when in transit.

We aim to send out orders within a week of receiving the order. We will confirm shipment by email and provide tracking details if applicable to your order despatch. As delivery is by an outside delivery company we cannot be held responsible for delays caused by the postal system.

We will do our utmost to make sure that all orders are fulfilled and delivered within the timeframe specified but should events outside our control prevent this we will contact you by email and arrange alternatives.

Proof of delivery supplied by the delivery company is sufficient evidence to establish that goods have been received. We can’t be responsible for lost parcels if you enter an incorrect delivery address on your order.

Where a delivery has failed, resulting in return of the item to shakuhachi-atelier.com by the delivery company an additional delivery charge at the same rate as the original will be levied on redelivery.

Returns & Refund
You must inform us within two working days if the goods are lost or damaged in transit so that we can make a prompt claim against the delivery company and correct the problem. Please quote your order number in all correspondence.

Your right to cancel
You should contact us in writing (email) to inform us about your intention within 7 days of receiving your order and no later than 14 days. You may use the attached cancellation form, but it is not obligatory.

Your right to cancel ends 14 days from the day you receive your goods. 
This 14 day period is the time you have to decide whether to cancel. You then have to sent the goods back to us as soon as possible and not after a further 14 days period. The goods should be in their original state and not damaged while they were in your possession. You will bear any arising postal cost of returning any items to us.

Your right to a refund
After the reception of goods in their original condition and packaging you will receive a refund within 14 days.
A deduction can be made if the value of the goods has been reduced as a result of you handling the goods more than was necessary to establish its nature, characteristics and function. The extent to which you can handle the goods is the same as it would be if you were assessing them in a shop.

Exceptions

  • items or services of value less than £42 (€ 50)
  • unsealed CDs
  • items prepared to order to the specific requirements of the customer
  • any faults you were aware of when purchasing the items
  • damaged an item by trying to repair or getting someone else to do it (though you may still have the right to a repair, replacement or partial refund)

Faulty or damaged items
If the items you received are faulty beyond there intended purpose or are misdescribed you can return the item to us. Surface cracks or other imperfections in the bamboo, which do not affect the performance of the shakuhachi fall into ‘as described’ and ‘fit for purpose’ categories and do not constitute a faulty item. To receive a full refund damages and misdescriptions must be notified as soon as you become aware of them after the purchase and no longer than 30 days after you received the item. You will have to contact us in writing (email) to inform us about your intention. If possible and if you wish a repair or an alternative product of the same value and function may be offered to you in exchange instead of a refund.

Please note, bamboo being an organic material will naturally react to changes in temperatures and humidity. You should take great care when handling and storing your shakuhachi as unsound storage and usage may result in splitting the bamboo, joint-area or altering the fine inserted blowing edge (utaguchi). The use of a Dampit or other fill-type humidification devices are at your own risk and we cannot be held responsible for any damages which occur due to the inappropriate handling or storage of the instrument.

INTELECTUAL PROPERTY, COPYRIGHT AND PRIVACY

This website and its content is copyright of ©2022 shakuhachi-atelier.com.
All rights reserved.

Photographs and artworks on the website retain the individual copyright of its creators. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

  • you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
  • you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Privacy Policy
The privacy policy sets out how shakuhachi-atelier.com uses and protects any information that you give shakuhachi-atelier.com when you use this website.

Shakuhachi-atelier.com is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Shakuhachi-atelier.com may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 01.07.2019.

What we collect
We may collect the following information:

  • name
  • contact information including email address
  • demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests

What we do with the information we gather
We require this information for:

  • billing and payment processes
  • safeguarding the order process
  • only disclose information to third-parties for goods delivery purposes
  • internal record keeping

For a complete overview of the Privacy Policy please refer to our Privacy Policy page.

Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by shakuhachi-atelier.com and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, shakuhachi-atelier.com takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

External links
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of shakuhachi-atelier.com. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.