Expensive Equipment & Warranties: One Sports Mom’s Advice

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Last Updated on January 3, 2024 by The Smetz Files

I knew from Jay’s playing days that baseball equipment was expensive. Multi hundred dollar bats and gloves did not shock me. However, multi hundred dollar bats and gloves for 10 year olds that don’t last a season, welllll I was NOT expecting that!

Sticker Shock

We’ve all seen the reels on Instagram mocking travel ball teams with thousands of dollars worth of bats in the dugout…$400 bat, $2 swing! I laugh, but the reality and absurdity of it all hits pretty close to home.

Skill work: Soft toss

Here’s what we recently discovered, the manufacturer’s warranty bat companies offer is worth it. We indulged G with a new bat for his birthday (he has an October birthday that coincides perfectly with fall ball). We splurged, but he’s worth it. We talked about the responsibility of getting this bat. Here’s the thing, G isn’t a big kid. He doesn’t hit home runs (yet!). So, I thought his bat would last a year or so.

Wrong!

Great Expectations

He used it for the fall season. Just as the season was ending he was at batting practice and the barrel of the bat flew off! Fortunately, one of his teammate’s families had told us to check out the manufacturer’s warranty. They had used it to replace several bats.

At first I was incredulous, but when G’s bat broke I was floored by the customer service and what the warranty covered. We contacted the manufacturer, completed their paperwork online, printed a shipping label, boxed it, and mailed the bat back. They confirmed it was broken and sent us the replacement value and how to proceed. We had a backup, but admittedly, the timing was perfect since his tournaments were over. Once the company sent their confirmation and gave us the options, they had a new bat shipped to us within hours. Like I said, we were impressed with the customer service.

There’s so much analysis and agonizing about purchasing the right bat for your hitter. But do not hesitate to investigate their warranty/replacement plan. From a relatively experienced sports mom, I say it’s worth it to know before you purchase.

If you’re searching for a new bat, check out this blog post from fellow sports mom, Moms on Deck where she highlights the five best bats.

Fellow sports moms, what advice would you offer new sports families?

Read more of my Sports Mom adventures and my simple musings of a small town mom!