Refund policy

In this policy, "Houghton Horns," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Houghton Horns LLC. "You" and "your" refer to the customer.

How to Request a Return, Exchange, or Refund

To request a return, exchange, or refund, go to myaccount.houghtonhorns.com (or click the icon of a person in the upper-right corner of the website) and log in with the email address you used when you placed the order. Click over to the Orders screen and open the order. Click "Request Return". A staff member will review your return request and respond by the next business day.

If you have any issues with the automatic returns process, please contact us at sales@houghtonhorns.com or 817-993-6400 and we can manually process it for you.

Return, Exchange, and Refund Policy

Shipping Damage and Missing Items. You must report shipping damage to any items, missing items, or incomplete items to us immediately upon receipt. Please send photos and a description of the issue to sales@houghtonhorns.com.

15-Day Return Period. Most items sold within the United States are granted a fifteen-day return period. (See exceptions below.) If you wish to return an item, you must request a return through our website within fifteen days of receiving the item, and we must approve your return request before you send the items back. Otherwise, the sale is final.

Non-Returnable Items. No returns will be accepted, nor refunds given, for:

• Items upgraded or customized by us at your request;
• Items upgraded or customized by you, or at your direction by another individual or business;
• Items that have been taken to another business for service without our authorization;
• Items that you special ordered and that we do not normally stock;
• A deposit for a special order on a product that we do not normally stock;
• Consumable maintenance accessories (cleaning snakes, polishing cloths, oils, rotor bumpers, rotor string, etc.);
• Stretched and/or deformed leather products such as hand guards, straps, or Brass Witches;
• Print and recorded media (including sheet music and books);
• Clothing that has been stained, worn, or washed;
• Hygiene items such as face masks or bell covers.

Modifying or Canceling Pre-Orders, Special Orders, and Backorders. If we have not yet fulfilled your order, you can modify or cancel it at any time — provided the item is one we regularly stock. If we have special-ordered an item from the manufacturer for you, we will do our best to have the manufacturer modify or cancel the order so we can refund you, but once your order is in production, it may be too late. At that point, the special order becomes a final sale: no refunds or exchanges.

Return Shipping. You must return items with all original packaging and something that identifies your order — such as a copy of the original order confirmation, or a note with your order number, name, and email address.

Items may be returned in person at our 137 Hill St location.

If you choose to ship the items back to us from a U.S. location, we will provide a return label electronically for you to print out and use. If you choose to use your own shipping label to return the item from inside the U.S., no reimbursement will be provided. No returns will be accepted from outside the U.S.

You are responsible for any damage that occurs in transit back to us, so we encourage you to pack the items carefully before shipping. You may pay to include insurance with the return label upon request.

Refunds and Deductions. Once we receive your return, we will inspect the items and process your refund after they are declared to be in the same condition in which they were shipped to you. The following will be deducted from your refund, where applicable:

• The cost of the return shipping label we generated for you, if you chose to use it;
• If you used our free shipping option, our outgoing and return shipping and handling costs;
• A $5 cleaning fee for a returned mouthpiece;
• A restocking fee of up to 50% for items that show any signs of use (scratches, dings, dirt, etc.).

International Orders. UPDATE MAY 12, 2025: Unfortunately, due to the tariff situation, we cannot offer returns, exchanges, or refunds on international purchases at this time. Currently, all international sales are final. We sincerely apologize for these circumstances and hope to resume international returns soon.

Shipping, import taxes, duties, and customs fees on international orders are not refundable. In addition, if we are charged any unexpected taxes, duties, or customs fees during the shipment of any item for any reason, you will be responsible for those charges.

Third-Party Financing. You are responsible for abiding by the terms and conditions of any financing contract you sign with a third-party financial institution such as Affirm, First Financial Bank, Shop Pay, Synchrony, or the Musician's Federal Credit Union. Even if you return the items within the 15-day return period, you may be responsible for any payments, interest, or other fees that accrued during the duration of your financing contract with the third party.

Return Policy Abuse. Our return policy exists to ensure our customers don't get stuck with the wrong equipment. At our sole discretion, we may limit or suspend return privileges or free shipping and returns for customers who abuse our return policy through practices including, but not limited to, excessive returns, attempts to return items that are no longer in brand-new condition, attempts to return items after the return period, and so on.