Official Distributor vs Hand-Imported: What the Warranty Covers
When you buy a branded bat, ball or racket in Sri Lanka, it can reach the shop in two ways. It can come through the brand's official distributor, or it can be imported by someone else. The difference decides who can honour the manufacturer's warranty.
What is an official distributor?
An official distributor is the company a brand has chosen to bring its products into a country and sell them to shops and customers. For example, Ralhum Sports is the official distributor of Gray-Nicolls, Gilbert, Molten and Babolat in Sri Lanka. Products we sell come from the brand itself or its official partner.
What is a hand-imported product?
A hand-imported product is bought abroad by another seller and brought into Sri Lanka outside the official channel. The product may look the same, but it did not come through the official distributor. That means the manufacturer's warranty does not cover it here.
What the manufacturer's warranty covers
Products you buy from Ralhum Sports carry the manufacturer's warranty. It covers manufacturing defects only. A manufacturing defect is a fault that was in the product when it was made. It does not cover damage from use, accidents or normal wear and tear.
If your item has a manufacturing defect, you can return it within 14 days. The item must be in the condition you received it. Contact us with your order number and photos of the defect. Our help and FAQ page has the details.
How to check before you buy
- Ask the seller if they are the official distributor of the brand in Sri Lanka.
- Ask what warranty comes with the product and who honours it.
- Check our brands page to see which brands we distribute officially.
Schools and institutions can ask us for letters from our brands that confirm we are their official distributor in Sri Lanka. See our schools, clubs and dealers page.
Shop genuine gear
Browse Gray-Nicolls, Gilbert, Molten and Babolat, or see all our brands.