Shipping

The CME Difference: CME's mission is to make sure your shipment will arrive quickly, carefully, and correctly. We realize that the online ordering of guitars and instruments, in general, can be a nerve-racking experience. We are here to put your mind at ease and make your transaction smooth and enjoyable! As musicians ourselves, we want to make sure everything gets to you the way it should, every time.

Most orders ship the same or next day: We greatly appreciate your patience, and are working hard to fulfill all requests as quickly as possible, while practicing recommended safety guidelines.

Our Bottom line: We care! This is something we take very seriously, because it's what you deserve. Our shipping, sales, and customer service teams are always striving to create the best experience for you. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we want to know.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to support@chicagomusicexchange.com, or call us directly at 773-525-7773.

Click here for UPS Service Alerts, here for USPS residential Service Alerts, and here for FedEx Service Alerts.

Every guitar gets a full inspection, as well as basic setup. Used guitar amps and drum sets undergo rigorous packing procedures to ensure quality and protection. Please contact our Sales team with any special requests.

*Any order valued over $700 USD will automatically be signature required unless otherwise requested.

USPS, UPS, FedEx Service Delays:

USPS:

USPS has suspended their service guarantee for First-Class Mail, as well as for Priority Mail 2 and 3-day delivery service. Potentially, packages can be in transit for an extra 4-7 days or so, with absent or infrequent scans.

Please visit: https://postalpro.usps.com/node/8016 for more details.

USPS has also temporarily suspended acceptance and delivery of international mail items to several countries. Please reference this list if you are shopping with us from abroad: https://www.usps.com/international/mail-shipping-services.htm#readmore

UPS:

UPS' service guarantee is suspended as of 3/26 and until further notice. This applies to shipments coming from any origin, to any destination. Delays will normally be posted in the tracking details for the shipment as soon as determined.

UPS’s Signature Required guidelines are temporarily being adjusted such that consignees will no longer need to sign for UPS Signature Required deliveries. Despite this adjusted process the driver will still need to make contact with the consignee. The consignee must, at the time of delivery, acknowledge that UPS is making a delivery and, if applicable, show a government-issued photo ID.

FedEx:

Effective Jan. 3, 2023, the FedEx money-back guarantee was reinstated for select FedEx Express services for U.S. domestic and U.S. export shipments. Services include:

- FedEx First Overnight
- FedEx Priority Overnight
- FedEx Standard Overnight
- FedEx First Overnight Extra Hours
- FedEx Priority Overnight Extra Hours
- FedEx Standard Overnight Extra Hours
- FedEx International First
- FedEx International Priority
- FedEx International Priority Express
- FedEx International Priority Freight

The FedEx money-back guarantee for all other FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx SameDay City, and FedEx Office services remains suspended.

You only have to sign for a package if required by the sender or by FedEx policy. To find out if your shipment requires a signature, you can look at the tracking information that is emailed from the sender or enter in the shipment's tracking number on fedex.com.

If your shipment requires an indirect signature, you can sign electronically through FedEx Delivery Manager. If the shipment requires a direct or adult signature, then someone must be available to sign in person. If someone is not home to sign for a direct or adult signature, the courier will leave a door tag or reattempt delivery.

WE SHIP FAST! Most orders are picked, packed, and shipped within 24 hours.

SIGNED, SEALED, & DELIVERED: After your purchase is completed, and as soon as the order is shipped, you will be e-mailed your tracking number to track the status of your shipment until it gets to your door.

TIME IS MONEY: We have excellent relationships with all our carriers, so at checkout you'll have a bevy of shipping services to choose from, including overnight and second day options, ensuring your order arrives when you need it to. Chat or call anytime to learn more.

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OF $75+: If your order is eligible for free shipping, choose that option at checkout and it will automatically ship with the best carrier for the job, typically UPS Ground or SurePost, FedEx Ground, or USPS First Class or Priority Mail depending on size, weight, and delivery speed. (Free shipping is limited to domestic orders to the contiguous 48 states.)

For more information on if an item you're interested in qualifies for shipping, feel free to reach out via phone, email, or chat.

UPS Regional Transit MAP

FEDEX Regional Transit Map

*For any trade or selling transactions at Chicago Music Exchange, due to the potentially sensitive nature of some of the finish materials used on instruments and the pending weather factor changes, we will typically wait up to 24 hours to open the gear sent to us. Then another 24-48 hours to process the instrument. IL residents are eligible for tax credits for trade-ins. We appreciate your patience!