I find myself having to explain the same thing to customers over and over again. If it is a Gliga you want, please read this and take note!
1. Gligas are in short supply and are made to order by Gliga. This applies to all Glgia retailers and there is absolutely nothing any of us can do to speed it up.
2. Elida Violins is a very small business, too small to be registered for VAT.
3. Not all Gligas sell at the same rate (unsurprisingly), for example I only sell a cello of any description maybe three or four times a year, and I have only sold about four Maestro specials, five double basses, and three 1/32 violins in 15 years. As far as I recall, I have never sold an 11 inch viola.
4. Gliga expect to be paid on a regular basis by those who sell their instruments (again, hardly surprising!)
5. Gliga account for about 95% of my business (there are two very good reasons for this: i. I was the first person to sell them in the UK and have become very well known for them ii. they are good!)
It follows that:
1. I cannot keep items in stock that are only likely to sell once every few months, let alone that are only likely to sell every few years! If you want something at all unusual, do not imagine it will have been ordered on the offchance that someone might want to buy it this month. It won't have been!
2. It is no use taking months thinking about what you want and then deciding that you need a Gliga immediately. You MAY be lucky IF what you want is something very standard. If it isn't, you won't. "Very standard" basically means 4/4 Gamas, Gems 1s and 2s, and Genial 1s, 3/4 Gems 1s and 2s and Genial 1s, and 1/2 Gems 1s and 2s and Genial 1s. And that's it. Occasionally there may be violas or Gama supers or left handed instruments or smaller sizes, but not always. There will never be cellos or double basses. And if I happen to have sold out of what you want, I am not going to be able to get another until the next order. Orders are sent from Gliga once a month if I am lucky.
3. No, you can't have something on approval and keep it right through the school summer holidays. That could cost me a sale.
IF YOU WANT IT, ORDER IT!!!! NONE of this affects your right of return.
"O but I don't like that!"
Sorry. Neither do I. If you are not willing to order on this basis then I suggest 1. trying the other retailers (but if ordering from the USA, which is about the only place that keeps in a large stock, allow for VAT and customs duty on the full amount including shipping costs - hint, it always costs more and usually a lot more!) or 2. Getting a different instrument from me. I do sell other things. After all if you go elsewhere because you can't get what you want when you want it, the chances are that you will end up buying something else anyway. You can always trade it in for a Gliga later or 3. Keeping an eye on ebay.
There is absolutely nothing else I can do about this. Thank you for understanding.