Hello Cricketers,
Allow me to introduce myself, I am the new owner of the bat in question hence figured that I will explain the situation first hand as I appreciate B3 product and hence still in the process of getting it fixed and exploring options.
By background, I have mostly used Newbery (Kudos & Kudos 2 & custom), custom Pakistani willows, SS Ton Matrix, GM Player Ed (Watson) and I like light pickup yet with the meat to hit which is what this bat offered however the unfortunate turn of events brought on a couple of major damages. I should also share that because I really like the bat, I still haven't lost hope and trying to get it repaired by skilled folks.
Now I can understand the shoulder damage as that is purely incidental however I have only seen ONCE case of delamination to a high quality willow and hence it is surprising to see the extent of damage (8 inch long on the upper right middle of the bat) to a bat that is 3 years old but sparingly used.
I have also taken the opportunity to peruse the forums and it appears that B3 has been aiming to improve both in pressing and handles so if some older products (like the bat in question) pre-date their improvements then I as a customer expect them to review/respond with greater understanding to such products.
Above said, whether a vendor chooses to replace/repair or not is secondary but what remains important is the customer service aspect and a genuine standing behind the product with an attitude to understand first and then respond accordingly.
I have already reached out through CoverDrive (through email) and have also directly emailed (through email) and have not received a response; I still believe that B3 offers great quality products but I am interested in seeing how they respond from a customer service perspective before I choose to recommend or buy from B3 again.
Thanks,
Khan