At AJ Sports we want you to be completely satisfied with everything you buy from us. This policy explains how to return an item, what we can and cannot accept, and how we handle faults. It sits alongside your legal rights and does not replace them.
Returns address:
AJ Sports Kingston, 81-85 Robin Hood Way, Kingston, London, SW15 3PW
We aim to process all returns within 10 working days of receipt.
1. Online orders - changing your mind
If you have bought from us online and simply changed your mind, you may cancel within 14 days of receiving your order and return the item to us within a further 14 days.
To be accepted, the item must be:
• unused and unworn, with all original tags, stickers and packaging intact;
• in a resaleable condition; and
• accompanied by proof of purchase (order number or original invoice).
Refunds are issued to the original payment method within 14 days of us receiving the goods, or of you providing proof of postage, whichever is sooner.
You are responsible for return postage on change-of-mind returns. We strongly recommend a tracked service - we cannot take responsibility for items that do not reach us.
This right does not apply to the categories listed in section 3.
2. In-store purchases
The 14-day cancellation right above applies to online and distance purchases only. It does not apply to items bought in person in one of our stores, where you have had the opportunity to examine the goods before buying.
As a gesture of goodwill we will normally offer an exchange or credit note on unused, unworn in-store purchases returned within 14 days with proof of purchase. Where a cash refund is offered on a non-faulty in-store purchase, this is limited to a maximum of £75, with any balance issued as store credit or a gift card.
Your rights in respect of faulty goods (section 4) apply equally to in-store purchases.
3. Items we cannot accept for change-of-mind returns
The following cannot be returned or exchanged simply because you have changed your mind. This does not affect your rights if the item is faulty.
• Personalised and bespoke items - including personalised or printed clothing, personalised bats, custom teamwear and any made-to-order product.
• Hygiene and protective items worn against the body - abdominal guards, briefs, trunks, jock straps, boxer shorts, baselayers and similar undergarments. For hygiene reasons these cannot be returned or exchanged once removed from their packaging, whether or not that packaging was sealed.
• Any item that has been used, including bats that have been oiled, knocked in, taped, stickered, netted or used in play, and footwear worn outdoors.
• Bats which have entered our preparation service. Once you have paid for and we have begun preparation, the bat is no longer in a resaleable condition and cannot be returned as unwanted.
4. Faulty items
If an item develops a manufacturing fault, you have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. These rights are against us as the retailer and are separate from, and additional to, any manufacturer's warranty.
Depending on how long you have had the item and the nature of the fault, the appropriate remedy may be a repair, a replacement, a price reduction or a refund. We will assess each case on its facts following inspection, and we will always tell you what we have found and why.
How we handle a fault claim:
1. Contact us with your order number, a description of the problem and clear photographs.
2. Faulty items must be returned to us for inspection before any repair, replacement or refund is agreed. We cannot assess a fault from photographs alone.
3. Where a manufacturer's warranty applies, we will normally submit the item to the brand as part of that assessment. This does not delay or reduce your rights against us.
4. We will confirm the outcome and next steps as quickly as we can.
If a fault is confirmed, we will refund your reasonable return postage costs.
What is not a manufacturing fault:
• General wear and tear, or damage consistent with normal use.
• Damage caused by misuse, accident, or use outside the intended purpose of the product.
• Damage caused by inadequate or incorrect preparation of a bat, or by use before preparation is complete.
• Damage caused by use with a wet, damp, unsuitable or excessively hard ball, including cheap or machine-stitched balls and bowling machine balls not designed for use against a bat.
• Damage caused by storage in damp, very dry or very hot conditions.
• Deterioration of grips, toe guards, anti-scuff sheets, laces, studs and other consumable or replaceable parts.
5. Cricket bats - important information
Please read this before removing anything from your bat.
Cricket bats are made from natural English or Kashmir willow. Every cleft is unique: grain count, grain spacing, colour, weight, density, moisture content and shape all vary from bat to bat, including between two bats of the same brand, model and grade pressed on the same day. This natural variation is why bats are individually selected, and it is also why a bat cannot be identified by appearance alone.
The manufacturer's stickers are the only means of identifying a bat. They link the blade to its brand, model, grade and production batch. There is no serial number, no other marking and no external record against which a bat can be matched.
Accordingly:
• Please do not remove, peel back, replace or alter the stickers on your bat. If a crack appears beneath a sticker, leave the sticker in place and contact us - we can assess it without removing anything.
• Where stickers have been removed, replaced or altered, we are unable to verify the brand, model or origin of the bat, or that it is the item supplied by us. We are therefore unable to inspect it under section 4, submit it to the manufacturer, or offer a repair, replacement or refund on the basis of a fault.
• If you are unsure about anything to do with your bat's stickers, condition, preparation or care, please ask us first. We are always happy to advise and there is no charge for doing so.
Bat life.
Willow is a natural, consumable material and every bat has a finite playing life. Surface cracking, edge and toe damage, grain lift, and gradual loss of performance occur through normal use and are not, on their own, evidence of a manufacturing fault. We cannot guarantee the longevity of any bat, regardless of price or grade.
Repairs.
Many bats which are past warranty or outside the scope of a fault claim can still be repaired. We offer a repair service at a nominal charge - please contact us and we will advise on what is possible.
Preparation.
Bats supplied unprepared require knocking in and oiling before use. Damage arising from use before a bat is properly prepared is not a manufacturing fault. Where you have purchased our preparation service, we will prepare the bat to the standard specified for that service.
6. Proof of purchase
We require proof of purchase - an order number, invoice, receipt or bank transaction - for all returns, exchanges and fault claims. We are unable to process a return without it.
7. Goodwill
Where we are unable to accept a return under this policy, we may still be able to help on a discretionary basis. Any such offer is made as a goodwill gesture, is specific to the circumstances, does not constitute an admission of liability and does not set a precedent for future claims.
8. Your statutory rights
Nothing in this policy excludes or limits your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, or any other applicable consumer protection legislation. If any term in this policy conflicts with those rights, your statutory rights take precedence.
9. Contact
For any question about a return, a fault, a repair or the care of your equipment, please contact us before taking any action. We would always rather have the conversation first. Contact us on info@ajsports.co.uk or come into one of our stores and we will be happy to help.
