The following policies are outlined on this page:
Packaging
Pricing
Privacy
Shipping
Packaging
It is very important for your singing bowl to be well protected in transit. Meanwhile the world is drowning in unnecessary packaging.
When we package bowls they are first wrapped in handmade Nepali Lokta paper. This fine quality paper is made from the sustainably harvested bark of a shrub that grows in the Himalayas. The bark paper protects the finish of the bowl from contamination by any of the more high tech packaging components used to insure your singing bowl arrives in perfect condition.
Outside the lokta paper we use a layer of lightweight plasic foam sheeting. All the plastic packaging is at least second use, in other words recycled. I re-use all the packaging that comes to me and supplement it with second hand packing materials from other sources. Boxes may also contain barrier or space filling materials. These, too, are not virgin materials but recycled from other uses.
The outside packing container is a corregated cardboard box. This kind of paper generally has a high recycled content. USPS boxes are new, non-standard boxes are second use.
The least sustainable part of our packing is the tape. We use 3M Scotch packaging tape made in the USA which minimizes its carbon footprint when compared to cheaper Chinese tape.
Pricing
Best Singing Bowls is proud to provide excellent quality singing bowls for moderate prices. My emphasis is on value. I put a tremendous amount of effort into the procurement process so that I bring back the best singing bowls of a given grade. As a result I believe I have some of the best quality for the price points I offer.
As you can imagine, there is a measure of arbitrariness to the process of agreeing to a price in Asia and no doubt there is some of that in my final pricing as well. Sometimes I am able to buy high grade singing bowls for very reasonable costs and I pass the value of those transactions on in my final pricing. What I am saying here just because I’ve priced a singing bowl on the lower end, say under $400, it does not mean those singing bowls aren’t premium quality. There are some spectacular singing bowls on this website for some very reasonable costs. Listen to the sound clips and read the specifications because every bowl I sell has something profound about it.
The higher priced singing bowls, small bowls above about $300 and large singing bowls over $600 are uniformly of the highest quality sound available. These singing bowls, mostly in the section I call exceptional bowls, are rare world class instruments that are priced at a significant premium in Nepal. Some higher priced singing bowls are more costly due to rarity or lineage – ceremonial bowls in the unique section come under this heading.
The pricing on the Musser mallets is generally a bit below suggested retail. The mallets are designed to be sold in pairs or sets of four and I sell them by the each which means you can stretch your ringing implement money further. I pay more for my least expensive Musser mallet than I SELL any Nepali mallet for. The mallets are truly precision instruments and are actually made here in the USA so part of the price you pay supports domestic manufacturing.
Privacy Policy
1. We do not share any of your personal information with any other organizations or individuals.
2. All information provided by you is completely confidential.
3. The only use of your personal information is as you have requested for it to be used: in communicating with you.
4. We never rent, sell or otherwise distribute your personal information, and we never will.
5. Only when required by law would we provide any information to a third party, such as a government.
6. We do use Internet cookies to track generic traffic behavior, and not individual usage.
7. The Internet cookie is not tied to any personal information.
8. In other words, your visit is entirely private and anonymous, as it should be.
Shipping
Orders generally ship in one or two days as 100% of items are in stock.
Our standard shipping is by USPS priority mail standard size boxes from Santa Cruz, Ca. 95063. You can specify faster service or UPS if you like. We ship to PO boxes by USPS.
Our shopping cart has freight rates include insurance for the value of the order. These are general rates. If by chance your shipping rate is $10 or more BELOW the general rate I’ll issue a refund check with your order. Minimum charge is $15.
Shipments under $200 – $15.00
Shipments from $200 to $350 – $20.00
Shipments from $350 to $500 – $30.00
Shipments from $500 to $1,000 – $40.00
Shipments from $1,000 to $,2500 – $80.00
Shipments over $2500 – freight quoted seperately
International orders are welcome, please send us an email so we can make proper arrangements.
Standards
Guarantees
