I've inadvertently let my racket slip out of my hands a few times, and it has hit the ground pretty hard a few times, but it never looked like it was damaged in any major way. But, I was playing a match today and off a shanked return the frame abruptly cracked and crumpled about the the 3 o'clock position. Is it possible for me to get the racket replaced or get a refund from the company?
Cracked Radical Mp
- Thread starter DKtennis
- Start date
bobeeto
Professional
Sorry big man
TwinCinema
Semi-Pro
Actually it might be possible! One time I bought an Audi A3, drove it for a year or so with no issues except the occasional scrape and ding in parking lots. Then one day my hand slipped off the steering wheel and I slammed into a guard rail at 60mph. Car was pretty much totaled, but when I went to the Audi dealer and asked for a refund, he said no problem and wired $45K into my account no questions asked.
gold325
Hall of Fame
Give it a shot
My friend would throw his Bab Strikes out of frustration and he had 2 replaced at different times when they cracked at the lower throat. (Not kidding BTW)
Dont link this post to them though!
KungfuTennis
Semi-Pro
You broke the racket via abuse/mishandling and you want a replacement or refund from HEAD? LOL
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Even if the previous times you dropped the racquet it didn’t look like damage occurred, you may still have caused non-critical weakening of the composite material. Then when you shanked, it could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
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dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Let me talk to the Head HQ and give them the details and see if it was used within the design parameters (LOL).
Ahhhh. I too can sympathise with your predicament. I had my brand new Head Prestige Pro Aux 2.0 crack on either side of the frame (hairline fractures) just above where the grip tape sits -
You can follow my plight here - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/the-head-prestige-is-back-back.765484/page-3
Naively, I expected some sympathy but instead got lectured on morals, taking responsibility for my actions etc by a whole bunch of self-righteous posters many of whom have liked on some of the more cynical remarks in your thread.
The "crash your car and you expect the dealership to replace it" analogy especially is peak idiocy.
What I have since learned is that you must really hit a nerve when you bring this topic up amongst some of these people who really spend way too much time on this forum so I'm what I'm going to say is going to burn.
Fortunately, Head provided me with a full warranty refund on my frame and with that I purchased another Wilson Blade -
What I will say is given the damage occured is in that 3 o'clock position you're going to really struggle to get a warranty approved. As a general rule, according to my pro shop, anything above/on 3 and 9 o'clock is almost always warranty void regardless of the circumstances.
Good luck with it and give it a "crack" (no pun intended LOL), it's worth a shot if you explain what happened. Depends too on the proshop and what kind of account they have with Head. They might do it but it's a long shot!
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PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
That ain’t no hairline fracture. Head was nice to refund you. The racquet slipped out of your hands on a service motion and impacted the top of the frame against the ground. That’s a lot of compressive stress at the base of the neck. You do that 10 times on 10 different racquets of the same model, and I bet you damage a lot of them in the same spot where stress intensity is high. Racquets are not designed to sustain compressive stress on the vertical axis.
Thanks for the physics lesson. Having only a rudimentary knowledge of the topic I assume the fact that the racquet wasn't connected to the ground via me holding it I assume then the force from impact travelled to the extremes of the frame where the impact is therefore seen.
If that were not the case it would have caved at a position between 3 and 9 o'clock where I would never have even bothered with any of this. In such a case, it would have moreso be linked to me smashing the frame in anger or alike motion.
In anycase, Head did the right thing; not the nice thing.
I have no doubts that if they felt it was damage through negligence or abuse that they would have declined my request.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
I think the reason ppl reacted strongly was your OP in the other thread implied it was a manufacturing defect that caused failure. In my view, a manufacturer isn’t obligated to issue a refund or replace a damaged item if manufacturing defect was not the main cause of the damage, regardless of whether the damage was due to accident or intentional misuse. So while it was unfortunate that your racquet cracked while still being so new, it wasn’t the manufacture’s fault that it broke. Hence, they were very nice to refund you.
What do you call when you shill for a brand for free? Simping?
Look possibly it could have been interpreted that way but why can't I assume (rightly or wrongly) that there was a manufacturing defect? They can barely produce the same frame with the same specs (I'm embellishing here simps so take it easy) so it's not out of the ordinary to possibly expect that something might be wrong with a particular racquet no matter how unlikely that might be.
I too didn't intend on being antagonistic only I thought it wasn't a too unreasonable request to expect a replacement under the circumstances esp. given the age of the frame and circumstances around the damage.
Alas, the responses were baffling and lead me to think like Gas above has alluded to that some of those posters were literally simping for Head. They reacted as though I asked them to pay for my replacement.
I got sucked in too LOL they pissed me off and I snapped back. I never go to those lengths to prove a point posting up receipts etc. That's lame AF anyway I hope the OP can get lucky although I doubt it somehow!
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PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
All good, man; I get angry on these forums too. Glad you got a refund.
Ta x I switched to the a Blade (first Wilson I've ever used) which is a tad similar to the HPP2.0 but in a more modern, easier to use package but I know I'll get another HPP because it's literally the best Prestige release in sometime in my opinion.
Thanks! Well I made a claim, I guess I'll see what happens.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
let me make sure Head understands what really happened and NEVER again do the stupid thing replacing abused frame like this under the warranty!
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Really???
You dropped the racket and it cracked.
Can you imagine if we all “dropped” the rackets we don’t like and Head sends us $$ to buy Wilson frames like you did???
How does that make any business sense for Head or any other company??
See that's the thing - it makes complete business sense. Shows your lack of business acumen. They were well within THEIR right to refuse my claim. They didn't because they saw it my way. The racquet wasn't abused and the condition of it was proof of that.
My perogative what I did with my credit note champ. Not up to Head. They graciously issued a credit. I was told it was a replacement frame that would be sent to them and I would have taken that as well if they had done this - again, what is it that you are incapable of understanding here?
Did you pay for my credit bahahaha? The way your acting I really hope you did.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
The racket was not made to be smacked on the ground and someone doing it (oops) is in no way warranted by Head.
Them being “nice” has absolutely nothing to do with good business practice as you already showed by going directly to the comp.
Again, I’ll discuss with them and make them aware what actually happened and how the refund is used.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
The only difference between racquet abuse and accidental collision is the intention of its user. In both cases, the racquet sustains damage. I can see where @A-Style is coming from. The racquet was expensive and quite new, there was no ill intent leading up to the damage, and the damage occurred in a place that was unexpected and could indicate a non-zero probability that a manufacturing or design flaw contributed to it. On the flip side, those who have broken racquets on the service motion know that is one of the easiest ways to break a racquet, and it may seem outrageous for somebody to request a refund. I think whether this case falls under Head’s warranty (it doesn’t) is beside the point; I’d like to think that the company understood the circumstances and made a decision to graciously provide a refund in the spirit of good customer service. They didn’t have to, but they did.
This thread. Ahhhh it really not worth the effort LOL:
1. I was issued a STORE CREDIT. Head, contrary to what we all assumed, didn't send a replacement frame and refunded the pro shop the wholesale cost of my frame. He then passed it on in the form of a instore credit. Hence I brought a Wilson Blade as I trialled one during the time my HPP was cracked and loved it so much I purchased one. The plan was to keep the HPP 2.0 because I am a avid PT630/PT57A collector and I love how it plays. I'll wait to for the price to drop a little more a grab a couple lter.
2. Nice? LOL. They weren't nice. They issued a credit part of a warranty claim on my racquet. Standard business practice in cases where they (Head) (not you even though you think you are) deem it worthy - as was mine. You can't spin it any which way you please. Not a hard concept to understand. Head too are not stupid even if ... (i'll refrain from personal attacks). This isn't their first rodeo. If they felt, upon inspection that the racquet had been damaged via abuse then they could have easily spurned my request.
@PistolPete23 encapsulates it perfectly for me!
Thank you for being the voice of reason. This though may be too reasonable for some!
He works for Head. Sounds like he's getting the SDB onto you.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Hence, the expensive car ACCIDENT (not necessarily total crash but let’s say “money shift”) analogy by another user.
In most cases vehicle accidents are not intentional but none of us would expect car manufacturer to replace it.
Sh*t happens, racket slips out of hand and it should be user's responsibility a 100%. Zero Manufacturer responsibility and zero design flaws no matter where the crack is.
When we test the racket durability, we bang on it, we smack the balls, we try to frame it, we scrape the ground but none of us let it slip out of hand or smack it on the ground.
Two things I do not agree with here:
1) the nature of the incident that made he frame unusable (zero manufacturer fault/design flaw, responsibility or warranty coverage)
2) the way the claim was handled by allowing the user to smack the racket, give them the credit back and let them purchase the competitors product.
2a) Think of it this way -- what IF (and I know it is not the case) the user did not like the frame and intentionally smacked it on the ground, or got pissed and did a Safin with the frame then went to the manufacturer and claimed -- it accidentally slipped, and same comp happened.
I found this to be an abuse of the racket (with no intention to do so) and an abuse of the rules.
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TennisAddiction
Semi-Pro
Whatever you do, don't admit that it "slipped out of your hands a few times"
Mate, let up. You keep going on and on and on.
What's since been established is 1. You don't own the Head racquet brand and 2. You don't work for them either.
So this truly does beg the question... why do you CARE FOR!
I could understand if I come on and gloated about the fact that I "scammed" Head out of a "refund" and got myself a brand-new Blade after smashing my former racquet to in a fit of rage.
For the nth time now, this did not happen. I refuse to go over it because I don't need to justify my actions to you but Head upon inspecting frame made a determination to warranty the frame. Head, are not a stupid company and if they saw it any other way they would have voided my request. They didn't and provided a credit back to the store - not a replacement frame like we expected (they told me that usually what happens is if a warranty is approved that a replacement frame is sent to them). If this happened, I would have GLADLY taken it.
They are a great pro shop and been doing business there for 10+ years through 2 owners.
Head provided a wholesale credit back to the shop for x1 frame which was passed on to me in the form a "retail" store credit. So effectively any racquet I chose.
The PS could have told me that he'd only replace the HPP because I'm sure the Wilson 1. is it much higher demand amongst his customers and 2. He can sell them at "full price" making more on each frame. He certainly then did me a solid in basically giving me a new Blade.
Plus, there are no "two sides". There's just one. Mine.
The other is some argument on the natural law of racquet warranty refunds. In that imaginary space, maybe to the letter of @dr325i laws I shouldn't have got one...
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Hansen
Professional
well, there are no two sides, that is right.
if someone is unable to keep the racquet in his hands, its his mistake. to expect that a company is giving a refund for this is pure entitlement.
if op had the racquet bought from his friend, i doubt that he would have had the, lets call it temerity, to ask for a refund.
that this is a discussion at all is crazy.
if someone is unable to keep the racquet in his hands, its his mistake. to expect that a company is giving a refund for this is pure entitlement.
if op had the racquet bought from his friend, i doubt that he would have had the, lets call it temerity, to ask for a refund.
that this is a discussion at all is crazy.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
I think the nuance here is where the racquet impacted and where it cracked. The location of damage corresponded to a "seam"or "edge" in the layup far away from where the racquet impacted. So you can't rule out manufacturing defect with 100% certainty. I personally don't think it was likely that there was a pre-existing defect in the location of breakage. The more likely scenario is that there's a stress intensity hot spot in that location due to the design of the layup, and the force of spiking the racquet on the top of the hoop caused it to break at the weaker location. However, there's still some non-zero probability that there was a defect there ...
I agree that it is entirely the fault of the user for the racquet slipping out of his hands on a service motion. Under the rules of the warranty, Head could have refused to issue credit. But I'm guessing due to the nuance of the situation, they did it in the spirit of customer service and maybe to ensure retention of a customer in the future.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Oh stop!
I ran my car into the wall head on at 60mph and my back seat and trunk is also buckled and damaged. Design flaw?
It is good to see that the manufacturer/store acted like they did, but I see no benefit of doing this in a long run with all “loyal” customers that do the same thing
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
If you ran your car into the wall and the front was fine, but the trunk buckled, that would be interesting, no? Again, I don't think it's likely there was a manufacturing defect, just a weak spot that caused the racquet to buckle right above the handle under the large compressive forces of the spike that the racquet probably wasn't designed to sustain in the first place. All racquets have weak spots, so in a sense, all racquets are flawed. But even as a materials scientist familiar with failure mechanisms, I can't say with absolute certainty that a pre-existing defect wasn't there, especially since there wasn't apparent damage at other locations like 3 & 9, where the same compressive stresses were present. The situation is nuanced, not so black and white, is all I'm saying. If the racquet spiked, and the damaged occurred at 12 o'clock or 3&9, in addition to the breakage at the top of the handle, it would be a different story.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Slam them on the ground, then try to reach to them...
Once again, the decision to replace the frame had nothing to do with LOYALTY of my patronage. They lodged the claimed and it was assessed on the merits. A wholesale credit was paid to the pro shop and passed onto me. Simple.
Given you know so much I'm curious @dr325i why was the frame replaced?
We both agree it wasn't done out of the goodness of Head's heart and they DGAF about my relationship either to the pro shop so enlighten me please.
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The more I think of it, you know, you are right.
It was pure entitlement - entitlement as a consumer to request a replacement/warranty from the manufacturer in situations where I DEEMED it necessary,
Whether they DEEM it valid to approve/refuse such claim is ultimately their entitlement.
So yes, there isn't two sides to this argument, just one - MINE! Ha ha!
Cope harder flog ;-)
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dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Smart a ss Ausie with an ego believes he can teach Americans (that have been in the marketing industry since 1995, when A-style (LOL) was in diapers) the basics of consumer business and marketing. And of course, using insults to make his redneck “A-style” pop up.
@A-Style they gave you the credit because it costs them probably less than $25 to make another and did not want to deal with your crap. And yes, just going and claiming refund for being a goof ball and slamming the racket on the ground (instead of playing tennis) is a pure entitlement, as mentioned above
@A-Style they gave you the credit because it costs them probably less than $25 to make another and did not want to deal with your crap. And yes, just going and claiming refund for being a goof ball and slamming the racket on the ground (instead of playing tennis) is a pure entitlement, as mentioned above
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
That's a road too far
gold325
Hall of Fame
Only thing more cringe is this thread
In A-Style case
Damaged was in a different part of racket than typical abuse - Head refunded it. It is also possible Head had a issue with a few rackets cracking in the same area - best to replace than reveal internal company details - most tennis rackets even if poorly made wont ever get used enough during "warranty time" to show issues anyway.
Just like my friend whose racket cracks was just above the handle - he admitted to me that he threw it a few times - but not in the place typical racket abuse shows up - Babolat replaced 2 rackets. Pure Strikes apparently were known to crack in that area.
Whats the big deal? Let them try to get a refund or replacement. And let the racket companies handle it and deny/approve claims. It's not like they smashed the racket on purpose, then walked to the store and then asked for their money back.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
I believe this is a one off, and the poster should be happy it happened. Of course, we have no idea what he told to the store/Head Rep but I almost guarantee that if you go to any manufacturer and tell them -- racket slipped from my hand, smashed on the ground and cracked, can you replace it -- the answer will be no.
Head (latest) durability testing is probably the most stringent in the industry. I have been a part of their durability test (2025 Gravity) and this includes HEAVY racket use (all within the intended use -- no intentional ground contact or smacking on the wall), by multiple individuals for extended hours with x-rays, and other reliability equipment. There is absolutely NO way that they would release the product today (not sure how it worked in the past) with any possible integrity issues. Additionally, that mold and layup (with very minor modifications going 2019 --> 2021 --> 2023) has been around for 5 years with no defects and even Pros using it...
The throat area is probably the most stress susceptible are of a racket and no surprise it cracked there.
