San Francisco Music Box Co.
Although I was tempted to look at the pretty music boxes on the first page I really wanted to see if there was a store near where he lives just in case he wanted to return it. (Although online returns are easy as you will see below.) There is a store locator box and I found that there was. You will also find links to special offers, gift cards, collector’s club and customer service on the first page.
There are a lot of options from which to choose and I found the site very easy to navigate. I like how they give links if I wanted to view all the categories by type or price or if I wanted to view a category by a special tune. (I will buy my husband one for Valentine’s day – I have it picked out already.) or by special occasion, such as a holiday or birthday.
There are a huge variety of music boxes and they are all very different than ones you may have seen. Many are intricately designed. There is one of New York that plays New York, New York. I have that one in mind for my daughter’s birthday. This particular one we are told is an Internet special. The $45.00 price tag is not available through the store or through phone orders. However, I questioned this so I called the phone number and in fact was told that the $45.00 price tag was indeed available over the phone. The customer service person wasn’t sure about the store but she did think the regular price is $45.00.
Even if you don’t intend to buy any of these products, take a look at the site. It loads very quickly so it won’t take long. The music boxes are so unusual. Some are expensive - $150 for example for a piano but it is gorgeous. I love the carousel for $100. Prices range from $20 to $1,000.
You will also have the option of e-mailing the page to a friend.
Buying the music box:
I found the perfect gift for him. I clicked on "gifts for him" and found Black Leather Valet Jewelry Case, which not only plays the William Tell Overture but also has two levels of storage compartments. This costs $65.00 but it is something hopefully he will have forever. I chose not to have it gift wrapped for an additional $3.00. As I was doing this review I checked out one of the “shopping cart specials were shown.” I fell in love with the Norman Rockwell Puppy Love Ornament with a special price of $9.60. It is an ornament, not a music box with a regular price of $16.00. It will be perfect to bring to our friends’ house for their tree.
Shipping and returns:
There are a variety of shipping options depending on how fast you want your item. For my stepson I chose the standard shipping, which is usually what I do choose. The shipping cost was $6.00 and it wouldn’t have mattered if I had bought more than one item. We are told that “Orders are input within 24 hours of next business day. Standard delivery is 7 to 10 business days as UPS or USPS ground delivery.” I note in my calendar when I order items. I ordered this on September 2, 2002 and he called us September 13 and told us he received it. That was within the promised time frame so I was very pleased.
"SFMusicbox.com will ship your international order via UPS International Air."
There was an additional $3.55 in tax added on. San Francisco Music Box takes Discover, Visa, American Express and Master Card.
They will accept a return or exchange within 30 days of the original purchase with a valid receipt and send a prepaid return label.
Other information:
At this point if you buy someone a gift card, they cannot use it online so make sure there is a store near them!
This site has no tracking system for your order so you have to their customer service department or e-mail them. I found the customer service representative to be very pleasant when I called about the phone price.
There is no gift card option, which I am also disappointed about.