Warranty & Returns

OUR WARRANTY

Willow and cane are natural materials used by SMK Sports in accordance with the laws of the game; these materials naturally deteriorate with use and even with the best preparation, cannot be made impervious to the effects of poor quality balls, mistimed shots, yorkers, excessive tapping, or general wear and tear etc.

As a result it is impossible for any manufacturer to accurately predict the life expectancy of a cricket bat. SMK Sports Cricket bats are warranted for 12 months from the date of purchase. The warranty covers manufacturing and material defects. It excludes damage caused by the use of poor quality balls, mistimed shots/ yorkers, tapping and normal wear and tear.

PROOF OF PURCHASE & PREPARATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT ANY WARRANTY CLAIM

Majority of unsuccessful claims are as a result of poor preparation of the bat before use. Therefore and in order to be validate the warranty, a professional bat knocking-in service must be used.

All bats returned under warranty will need to be accompanied by proof of sufficient preparation as well as proof of purchase. All bats are assessed by our experienced staff and in some cases, the bat maker at SMK Sports Cricket.

Following assessment, the bat will be either repaired or, if repair is not viable, replaced or part replaced (i.e. a new bat offered at a significantly discounted price) depending on the nature of the damage and its general condition. We pride ourselves on good customer service and we will always try to be fair and reasonable with the customer especially in ‘grey area’ cases.

Advice on preparation, maintenance and remedial action should your bat suffer unfortunate damage is available under the bat care section of our site. Please take the trouble to read the advice. Preparing a cricket bat can be long and painstaking work, for this reason we offer a bat knocking-in service at point of purchase.

The service provides piece of mind knocking that the bat has been prepared by a professional and takes the guess work out of knowing when the bat is ready to use. In order to process a claim, we will need to see proof of knocking-in, typically this will be in the form of a receipt from another company that has carried out the knocking-in professionally.

RETURNING A BAT FOR ASSESSEMENT AND REPAIR

If you are making a warranty claim and you wish to send your bat back to us then please complete a Bat Return Form – Warranty Claim and return it together with your bat to the address given on the form. For non-warranty work please see Bat Damage, Repairs and Other Services.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF DAMAGE

Shoulder damage occurs when the ball is struck hard on the relatively thin edge at the top of the bat. This can cause splitting of the wood but prompt repair will prevent further splitting and will not impair the bat’s performance.Surface/edge cracking is common with use. Minor cracking can be sealed with superglue but if the cracking is excessive, the application of a facing and/or fibreglass edging tape may be recommended following repair.

TOE DAMAGE: THIS CAN TAKE SEVERAL FORMS AND SUCH DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY

• Horizontal cracks / delamination may appear on the toe of the bat caused by moisture uptake from the ground, softening the fibres which then open up with repeated tapping. If the damage is severe the performance of the bat will eventually be affected. Prompt repair will reduce the risk of performance impairment.
• Yorker damage occurs when the ball becomes trapped between the toe of the bat and the ground. The severity of the damage depends on the power of the shot, the hardness of the ball and the hardness of the playing surface. Any resulting splitting should be assessed and repaired if appropriate. In severe cases the bat splitting is severe enough to render the bat unusable however usually this can be repaired to give further life to the bat.
• Corner denting/cracking can be caused either by poor preparation of the bat or by severe impact or by a combination of the two. The damage is normally repairable without any significant loss of performance.

Whilst these forms of damage are repairable, they are ultimately caused by manor of use and not a defect of the bat. For this reason, such damage is not covered under warranty.Handle Problems: Handle failure can be caused by material defects or can result from shoulder damage running into the handled region. In all cases the bat has to be rehandled.

Sometimes the only effective way of repairing significant shoulder damage is to rehandle the bat even though the handle itself has not failed. Prompt effective repair work can prevent more serious damage so, in the event of damage, the bat should be returned promptly to us for advice following the procedure prescribed. Leaving damage unattended until the bat is beyond repair may be construed as neglect.

Repairs carried out within the SMK Sports Cricket 12 month warranty period are free of charge, though there is normally a return post and packing charge. Subsequent repair and servicing is chargeable (this will be judged on individual case by case basis).

If you are uncertain about the damage and need advice before sending a bat to us please contact us at: info@smksports.comWe manufacture the bats very carefully to provide the highest levels of performance and durability, but we are dependent on you, the owner and player to continue our work by preparing, protecting and maintaining the bat in accordance with our recommendations.

RETURNS

All of our products come with a 14 day money back guarantee (This excludes custom made, personalised items, teamwear or bats which have been knocked in). This is providing that the item has not been used in any way and is returned as new, in its original packaging.

Whatever the reason, if you are not completely satisfied, please email info@smksports.com to obtain a returns authorisation and the item must be returned back to us in its original condition within 14 days of receipt.

FAULITY ITEMS

If you are returning the goods because you believe them to be damaged or faulty, please note that we will first inspect the goods and check carefully against all the claims made. Faults caused by accident, neglect, misuse or every day wear and tear will not be applicable.

In some instances, for returns made against faulty bats, our inspection may include a consultation with the bat maker. If we agree that the goods are indeed damaged or faulty, we will replace the item or refund you. Return postage costs will also be reimbursed, up to a maximum of £6.00, if a receipt of postage is included. We recommend returning your goods by recorded delivery. We are unable to refund the cost of Special Delivery and cannot take any liability for loss or damage caused in transit.

Liability for postage costs back to us will be with the customer unless your goods are damaged, faulty or there was an error on our part, in which case we can refund up to a maximum of £6.00 if a receipt of postage is included.

NON-FAULTY ITEMS

If you have ordered the wrong size or colour, or wish to return goods for any reason other than that they are damaged, faulty or incorrect, then you must also do so within 14 days of receipt, but we are unable to refund any return postage costs for such returns. Non-faulty returned items may be subject to a 10% restocking charge. If you would like an exchange, please re-order the item you require online and we will give you a full refund (less postage) upon receipt of your return.

RETURN ADDRESS:

SMK Sports, 60 Stream Bank Dr, Freehold. NJ 07728