There is no good reason for any bat company to knowingly sell anyone a bat that doesn't perform as the only person it really hurts in the long run is them. You won't go back for another and neither will anyone you talk to about it. Word of mouth advertising is worth far more to these guys than any amount of full page spreads and fancy advertising. If a batmaker has a good reputation as all the brands on this forum do then it's because it's been earned so I wouldn't worry about being palmed off with an average bat as that simply won't happen. No one gains from that!
At the end of the day, performance is key. Forget about the looks, focus on the performance!