Return Policy

We’re all musicians here at Chicago Music Exchange and we want you to love the gear you get from us. We understand that sometimes you get a piece of gear that doesn’t work out for you. That’s why we offer an easy return policy to take the stress out of purchasing from us.

If you decide you'd like to return an item, please contact your Sales Rep as soon as possible, give us a chat on our website, or give us a call.

If you placed your order on Amazon, we advise issuing the return request from your account on that platform of purchase - our Customer Service team will process a refund upon receipt of the item(s).

Most new items may be returned within 30 days of delivery and most vintage & used items may be returned within 3 days of delivery for a full refund, exchange, or store credit. Please pack the product safely for the journey back to us. If the product was shipped for free, the charge will be deducted from refund, unless the reason for the return is outside normal circumstances.

Please contact us as soon as possible if your order was received incorrectly, damaged, or defective. Most times we will give you an RA number (Return Authorization). Why is that number important? This will allow us to speed up the process of the return.

We also reserve the right to charge a restocking fee. Some products are not returnable due to the consumable nature of the product, copyright reasons, or sanitary reasons. Some of the items include, but not limited to: guitar & bass strings, amplifier tubes, previously installed instrument pickups or speakers, drum heads, drum sticks, cleaning products, software, books, microphones, harmonicas, earplugs, earbuds, headphones, as well as any other products designed to come in contact with the mouth or ears. Returns for premium vintage gear is also subject for review due to the liability for possible fraud and/or damages during transit. If you aren’t sure if what you bought falls into a category like this, call us (773) 525-7773! Use our 'How To Ship A Guitar' guide for any shipping questions or concerns!

Items marked Final Sale have been heavily discounted and are not eligible for returns, exchanges or refunds. If you have any questions regarding your Final Sale items, please reach out to our customer service team through live chat, email (customerservice@chicagomusicexchange.com), or phone (773) 525-7773. Exceptions to the policy are if you’ve received a faulty, damaged, and/or incorrectly advertised product, in which case you can reach out to the Customer Care team for a full refund (case must be submitted up to 3 days after delivery date). Returns, exchanges, and cancellations that do not meet this criteria will be charged a restocking fee of 20% of the price paid plus any additional shipping charges. Please note that not every minor cosmetic blemish can be pictured so communication with a physical or digital sales representative is encouraged. As these imperfections are commonly created during production, these inquiries will be subject to review if it does or does not qualify for a full refund or exchange. CME reserves the right to adjust prices as needed. In the event that an item you purchased has dropped in price again, we will match the new price up to 30 days from purchase date. For this, you will need to reach out to our Customer Service team.

We strive to get your return processed quickly. Most of the time we have it done within two business days. Funds going back to credit cards usually takes two to four business days. CME strives to make sure all customers are happy with their experience. It is our priority to provide great service along with great gear. We always want to be helpful, and open to your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts! If you have any questions, we’re here for you!

Feel free to give us a chat on our website or give us a call at (773) 525-7773.