#228: GIll1918 Presents Mike Cunningham "What Does a Pole Vault Pit Warranty Really Cover?"

0:00Welcome to the Gail 1918 Project, a podcast series by coaches, for coaches powered by Gail Athletics. Think of this as the TED Talks of Track and Field Coaching, short, insightful, and packed with valuable strategies to help you grow as a coach. We're bringing the once a year track clinic straight to your ears daily. Interesting creating your own episode? Everyone's welcome to participate. Check out the show notes below for more information. Now, let's get into today's topic. Hey gang, welcome back here to the Gail 1918 Project. So proud to be your host Mike Tenham here with Gail Athletics. And today we're answering a question that sounds simple, but is often misunderstood. What does a Povol Pit warranty really cover? When a school is preparing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a new landing system, the warranty naturally becomes part of the comparison. One manufacturer may advertise five years, another may advertise 10, 12, 15, or even use the word lifetime.

1:01It is tempting to line up those numbers and assume the longest warranty must be the best warranty. But the number of years is only the easiest part of the warranty to understand. The most important part is everything else. What is covered? What is excluded? Whether coverage loses value over time, who decides if a claim qualifies, who pays the freight and what the manufacturer actually does when something goes wrong. So today I want to help coaches, athletic directors, and purchasing departments look past the headline number and understand the questions that reveal the real value of a warranty. Let's begin with the basic purpose of a product warranty. In most cases, a Povol Pit warranty is designed to protect the purchaser against manufacturing defects, defects in materials, or defects in workmanship. In plain language, it addresses a problem related to how the product was made.

2:03Depending on the written terms, that might include a qualifying problem with a seam, hem, stitching, vinyl construction, handle, strap, piece of hardware, foam component, or the overall workmanship of the landing system. But this is where coaches need to slow down. Every warranty is different in broad words, such as materials or workmanship, do not automatically mean every component is covered in every situation. A warranty may cover seams and handles, but treat foam differently. It may cover a material defect, but require the manufacturer to determine whether the problem is truly a defect or the result of use, storage, weather, or maintenance. That is one of the right question is not simply how long is the warranty. The right question is exactly what does the warranty protect. Most Povol Pit warranties are not designed to cover normal wear and tear or damage caused by outside events.

3:04Common exclusions include ordinary use, UV exposure, water intrusion, weather damage, maintenance, vandalism, misuse, abuse, improper storage, poor maintenance, fire flooding, wind, tornadoes, and all the other natural events. That distinction matters because many of the threats coaches see in the real world are not manufacturing defects. If a weather covers left off and water gets into the landing system, that's generally not a defect in how the pit was manufactured. If mice burrow into the foam, that is generally not a warranty issue. If high wind moves or damages an unsecured pit, that again is generally not a warranty issue either. Damage from weather, vandalism, fire, or another major event may be something a school needs to discuss with its insurance carrier. The manufacturer's warranty and the school's insurance policy serve different purposes. Finding that before an incident is far better than discovering after the damage has already

4:08occurred. Now let's talk about that headline number. During a search, a coach may see 5, 10, 12, I've seen 13, 15 year coverage. A manufacturer may also advertise I've seen this a lifetime warranty on a particular component. A longer term can absolutely be valuable, but only after you understand the terms underneath it. The specific parts are covered. What is excluded is the warranty pro-rated, who evaluates the claim. Does the school pay for freight? Is the remedy a repair, a replacement, a refund or a credit? What paperwork must the school retain? What actions can void coverage? A shorter warranty with clear, practical terms may be easier to use than a longer warranty wrapped in vague language. I'm not telling you to ignore warranty length. I am telling you not to confuse length with value.

5:09The word lifetime, that's an interesting word. That deserves some special attention. Many people naturally hear lifetime warranty and think it's covered forever for as long as our school owns it. That may not be what the document means. Some coverage might apply to only to handles or straps or hardware or other specific components rather than the entire landing system. The word lifetime might refer to the expected useful life of that component as defined by the manufacturer. Not the lifetime of the school, the coach or the purchaser. If you see the word lifetime, it's not encouraged to ask three follow-up questions. Time of what? Which components receive that lifetime coverage? And who determines when that lifetime has ended? Lifetime does not automatically mean forever. It means whatever the written warranty says it means. Another term coaches should understand is pro-rated.

6:12A pro-rated warranty reduces the value of the coverage as time passes. Imagine a product has a 10-year pro-rated warranty and a covered issue appears after six years. The manufacturer may decide that 60% of the warranty period has already been used instead of repairing or replacing the product at no charge the school may receive partial credit towards a replacement. That can be a surprise if the coach believes a 10-year warranty meant full coverage for all 10 years. So ask directly, is this warranty pro-rated? If it is, how is the remaining value calculated in each year? A simple example from a manufacturer can eliminate a lot of confusion. A warranty is only useful if you understand the claim process. Start by asking who reviews a claim and what evidence does that person need. Our photographs enough? Does the school need the original invoice? Is there a serial number?

7:14Is there inspection or maintenance records helpful? Does the damage component need to be returned? And how long does a typical review take? Also ask who pays the freight? Polval pit components can be large and expensive to ship. A warranty can sound strong until the purchaser discovers that returning a section is the school's responsibility. You should also clarify who pays the ship a repaired or a placement component back to the school and how freight damage is handled. Finally, ask what happens after approval? Does the manufacturer repair the existing component? Replace it? Issue a refund? Offer credit? Do not wait until you have a problem to learn these answers. Let me use Gill athletics as a transparent example here. As of right now today in this recording, Gill's our published limited product warranty lists 12 years for poll vault and high jump landing systems that does exclude our smaller

8:16essentials landing systems. The essentials landing systems, they're listed separately and we have a five year warranty on them. For products manufactured by Gill, our written warranty says Gill will repair or replace a warranted product in the case of malfunction, defects in workmanship or material, or failure to conform with the warranty as long as the damage was not caused by misuse, abuse, or failure to provide reasonable care and maintenance. Our document also says the customer must have a copy of the invoice. It states that repair or replacement is at our option and without charge, provided the product is returned to Gill at the purchaser's expense. Gill also receives the right to refund the actual purchase price instead of repairing or replacing the product. The published language here doesn't not describe a schedule that reduces coverage year by year. We don't pro rate. Still every customer should read the current written warranty for themselves because warranty terms can change and the document, not a podcast episode, is the controlling source.

9:20I also want to be clear about what a 12 year warranty does not mean. It does not mean every type of damage is covered for 12 years. The cause of the problem, the care of the product, the documentation, and the written exclusions still matter. So before purchasing a landing system, here's what I recommend asking every manufacturer the same, these nine questions. Number one, what exactly does your warranty cover ask separately about the phone, vinyl, seams, him's, handle straps, hardware, top pad, the base sections? Question number two, what does the warranty exclude? I would ask specifically about normal wear, whether UV exposure, water rodents, vandalism, misuse, storage, and freight damage. Third question I would ask is the warranty pro rated. If it is, ask for a year by year calculation. Fourth question, who decides whether a claim qualifies and what criteria is used?

10:26Fifth question, what happens when a claim is approved? Hair replacement, refund, full credit, partial credit? Sixth question, who pays the freight in each direction? Seventh question, what documentation must the school keep? At a minimum, at a minimum, know whether you will need the original invoice, photograph, serial numbers, inspection records, or maintenance records. Fifth question, what conditions or actions can void the warranty? And the ninth question that I'd recommend asking every manufacturer before you choose to possibly purchase their Volvo Pit. If the word lifetime appears anywhere, lifetime of what and who defines what that means, what lifetime means. Those questions give you a much clearer comparison than place in warranty links side by side on a spreadsheet.

11:29A warranty is ultimately a promise and the value of that promise depends on the company standing behind it. Written language matters, but so does the manufacturer's behavior after the sale. Talk with coaches who have owned the product for several years. Ask whether they have ever filed a claim. Was the process clear? Was the response timely? Did the company communicate honestly? Did the coach feel the outcome was fair? And the question I always like to ask, would you buy from that manufacturer again? Those conversations can tell you things that are brochure simply cannot. Along warranty from a company that is difficult to reach may provide less practical confidence than a clear warranty backed by people who respond, explain the process, and continue supporting customers years after the delivery. So what does a pull-up-up-it-warranty really cover? Usually it covers qualifying defects and materials or workmanship. It usually does not cover normal wear, weather, rodents, vandalism, natural disasters.

12:36The number of years matter, but it's not the whole story. Ask what components are covered, whether the warranty is pro-rated, who evaluates the claim, who pays for a documentation are you going to need, and what remedies are available. If you remember only one question from this episode, make it this one. What happens if something goes wrong? A good manufacturer should be able to answer that clearly before you buy, not after you have a problem. Thanks so much for joining us here on the Gild 1918 project. My name is Mike Cunningham, National Business Development Managers. I've got all of these articles up on YouTube, over on the podcast, and even up on LinkedIn on my account and the GildFx account if you'd like to read these different articles that we've been sharing with you for the past couple of weeks. I'll ask you, because you keep asking good questions, keep taking care of your equipment, keep taking care of your athletes, and we'll see you next time.

13:39Hey gang, Mike Cunningham here. Hey, I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Gild 1918 project series. It's really my mission, my passion, to bring you massive amounts of value, and I hope this one hit the mark. The Gild 1918 project is really dependent on you, for you to build your own episode, to hear your voice, to have your voice heard you have something to say and teach other coaches out there. So please get a hold of me, email, text message, Twitter, smokes signals, get a hold of me, and let's help create your episode of the Gild 1918 project. Hope you enjoyed it today. They will see you tomorrow.