There's very little you can do wrong with a new bat under prepare before use yes but even so that type of damage should not happen my money's on the willow not being properly pressed did it ping from ball one.
That's a very bold statement to make considering who the bat maker is. More likely it's under prepared and the balls are terrible. $15 wouldn't get you a very good ball I would guess.
You also need to consider its a natural product and the the edges and toe are always areas which are susceptible to damage. Even more so if it's not prepared.
It's very easy to blame the bat maker but worth considering all other options which are more likely before blaming them. Id be pretty confident that it was pressed properly and the damage is due to external factors.