Delivery arrangements vary with every instrument we sell, from using a courier to deliver worldwide, to meeting at a convenient place.  Therefore the website prices do not include shipping.  The cost of getting your kora to you simply depends on how much packaging and delivery costs us – we will charge it at cost.

• • How? If being sent by courier or parcel service we take the bridge down to protect the kora in transit (and reduce the shipping costs). This means that you need to put it back up, and retune the kora.  We have a helpful video  to help you do this and have been told by several customers that it was much easier than they had feared!  We make purpose-built plywood boxes to ship the koras.
  • How much? As a rough price guide, the specialist packaging we use plus an insured courier delivery within the UK or France costs approximately £90/110€. In the past it has cost in euros: to Italy 140€, to Finland 215€, to the US 240€ and to Kuwait 370€.   Delivery from  point of collection is 3-5 working days  worldwide. We will always give you an accurate price for shipping and insurance.  For customers outside of the European Union (EU) please also bear in mind any customs charges (see below).

• • Collection: We are also happy for customers to come to us to collect their kora – that could be the UK or France depending on when it is ready.   If you come to us there is no delivery charge, you get free coffee and an introductory lesson 🙂

• • For other items such as strings and stands etc we will normally post items within three days of a cleared payment, or we will contact you to advise otherwise.
  • Bags are generally at least two weeks as they are made to order, but we do try to have one or two in stock.
  • The nature of our work means we generally keep low stock levels and are often travelling. If an order is urgent and you are happy to pay any extra costs let us know in the comments box and we’ll always do our best to help where possible.
  • If you are buying a kora and accessories together, the Shop Checkout will show you the charge for shipping the accessories.  If you’d like us to ship it all together when your kora is ready then delivery charges will be taken into account – you will not be overcharged.

• We ask for a 25% deposit on koras.  For week-long workshop places we request 200€.  For other bookings we usually request 50%.
• Accessories require payment in full at the time of order.
• We prefer payment via bank transfer, but we do accept PayPal and also credit and debit cards (through PayPal but no account needs to be set-up).
• If you are an overseas customer, please check with your bank or PayPal to see what rate of exchange you will be given.
• Some banks will charge you to make international transfers.  There are now many alternatives to using your bank to send money internationally.  The one we have used for several years is TransferWise and now have a multi-currency bank account with them. They have a Money Transfer service separate from their bank services.   The first transfer up to £500 is free using this invite from us
• If the balance for a kora purchase is also paid through PayPal, we will ask you to pay half of the PayPal fees – so for international transactions that is 2%.  This surcharge will be shown separately on your invoice if you have already told us that this is how you will pay the balance.
• All goods remain the property of The Kora Workshop until paid for in full.
• Deposits for workshop places/holidays are not refundable unless that place is taken by someone else, and no other places are available.   Travel insurance is advised.
• Deposits on bespoke koras are not refunded unless and until that instrument is sold at full value.

Now that the UK has sadly left the EU, as of 1st January 2021 your country’s Customs department may require you to pay an import charge.  Most countries do not apply this on low value goods, but there is still a lot of confusion and nothing is clear at the moment.  Any customs charge made is completely beyond our control and is normally paid to the courier or postal service at the time of delivery, or you may be sent a bill instead.  You are responsible for paying this charge and unfortunately at the moment we simply cannot include it in our prices or quotes. The amount of customs/tax varies from country to country.

You can calculate how much import/customs duty you are likely to pay in your country by using this  Import Duty Calculator .  It is pretty straightforward to use but if you need help, please ask once you have a complete shipping price from us.  The HS/Commodity Code for a kora and accessories is 92 02 90 80 00.  Remember this is a guide, only the customs office for your country actually decide the customs due.

For 5 years from the date of purchase we will replace any defective parts. The guarantee does not cover any damage caused by accidents, transport, inappropriate storage or mis-use.   After 5 years we will still normally repair any defects free of charge, but reserve the right to make a reasonable charge for our time.

The Kora Workshop is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk