Terms Of Sale
ORDERS
All orders are subject to acceptance by Empire. We reserve the right to deny or cancel any order for any reason. Common cancellation reasons include but not are limited to pricing error, insufficient quantity available, or payment discrepancies.
PRICE/PRODUCTS/SERVICE
All products and services offered are subject to availability. All prices are subject to change without notice.
PAYMENT POLICY
All orders (new and repairs) must be paid before we can process them. We accept all major credit cards and PayPal. You can also finance your purchase through Affirm at checkout. We reserve the right not to process or ship your order if you are not a verified PayPal customer or if you use a forwarding or unverified address. In this case, you will be refunded for your purchase. If you paid via PayPal, the refund will be issued minus the applicable PayPal processing fee.
BUILD TIME
Based on the current supplies and production schedule, the build time provided is a rough estimate, not a guarantee. We will do our best to complete your order within the build time; however, due to the nature of our products, there may be some delays from time to time. For custom orders, the build time commences when we receive and accept your impressions and artwork, not when you pay for the order. Build time does not include shipping times.
BUILDER DESIGNER AND COSMETIC QUALITY
Our builder designer is a tool you can use as a reference guide when choosing customizations for your order. It is not a replica representation of your custom IEM appearance. Your custom IEM may look slightly different due to the uniqueness of your ear anatomy, custom art quality and material used for the shells and faceplates.
Due to the nature of our products and natural materials we use, there may be some micro bubbles in the shells and/or faceplates, pattern variance on the faceplates, or color variance on the shells. These are cosmetic properties beyond our control. They do not affect the operation or performance of your in-ear. And they are not considered defects.
ARTWORK
If you have custom art work, your order will not be processed until we have received and approved it. We will do our best to make your artwork look like the designer’s image; however, it may look slightly different due to differences in computer monitor screens, artwork quality, and ear anatomy. If we can’t accept or create your artwork, we will contact you.
ORDER CHANGES / ORDER CANCELLATION
Custom orders cannot be changed or canceled once we have accepted the order and started production. Universal products and accessories can be canceled before shipment.
SHIPPING
Your order will ship to the address provided on the order, according to the shipping preference you have chosen and paid for. Buyers are responsible for shipping charges and applicable import/export fees or VAT for new and repair orders.
PRODUCTS AND SOUND SIGNATURES
Each model is uniquely turned and meticulously built according to the design configuration and specs. We recommend you go to an authorized Empire dealer to demo our products before ordering your custom in-ear monitor. This is the best way to ensure that you order the right product for your listening experience based on your preference. Due to the nature of our custom in-ear products, they cannot be returned or refunded.
REPAIR POLICY
Empire will repair or replace qualified in-warranty orders within our standard turnaround time. Customers may be required to pay for shipping. Out-of-warranty repairs must be paid before service can be performed. All service work we perform is warranted for 90 days.
Limited-edition products, products over five years old, and discontinued products may not be serviceable due to obsolete supplies and components.
ABANDONED ORDER POLICY
Due to the nature of our products and services, payment is required before orders can be processed. Our facility has limited storage space, so we can only store abandoned orders for 90 days from the date we receive them. If an order is not processed 90 days after Empire receives it, it will be considered abandoned.
Abandoned order applies to orders that the customer fails to (1) provide the required impressions to build the product; (2) provide Empire a verifiable address to ship the order; (3) send Empire the custom artwork necessary to complete the order; (4) pay the shipping fees required for Empire to return the product to the customer; (5) pay for the service charges to process the repair; or (6) respond to Empire about their orders after 90 days from the original received date. Abandoned products shall become the property of Empire. Empire reserves the right to dispose abandoned products at its discretion without further notice or obligation to the customers.
WARRANTY
Please see our warranty policy.
EAR IMPRESSIONS
Ear impressions are required for all custom in-ear orders. To avoid processing delays, please ensure your impressions meet our requirements before sending them to us. Your order will not be processed until we receive and approve your impressions.
All impressions sent to Empire become the property of Empire. Empire shall store the impressions for 2 years if the customer needs to reorder. Due to the impression material and shrinkage issues, impressions should not be used after 2 years. Empire, at its discretion, shall dispose the impressions after 2 years.
CIEM FIT WARRANTY
See our fit warranty policy.
RETURN POLICY
- Custom IEMs: Final sale, no refund, no return
- B-stock products /Clearance /Accessories: Final sale, no refund, no return
- Universal IEMs: Returnable within 30 days of receipt. All returns are subject to approval and a 20% restocking fee. Approved products must be in a new, resalable condition and have complete original packaging. If your return is approved, we will refund to your original payment minus the shipping charges, rush fees, and restocking fees. If your return is not approved, we can ship it back to you at your expense.
SERVICE POLICY
If you purchased your IEM direct through Empire, you may ship your IEM to our service department for repair.
PREPARING YOUR IEM FOR SHIPPING
- Complete an Empire repair form. For us to properly diagnose and repair your IEMs, you must complete the repair form.
- Include the completed repair form with your IEM.
- Pack your IEM and cable in the Empire storage case or hard case.
- Pack the case in a non-destructible shipping carton.
- Ship the package to our service address below.
Once we receive your IEM, we will process it for diagnosis. A customer service member will email you about the diagnosis and costs. Qualified in-warranty service orders will be repaired or replaced at Empire’s discretion. An out-of-warranty service order will not be processed until you approve it and pay for the repair. Our standard lead time is 4-6 weeks. If you purchased your IEM through one of our authorized resellers (USA or International), you must return it to that reseller to process all of your service needs.