Return and Refund Policy
New Life Athlete
Return & Refund Policy
Most of what we sell is built to order, shipped on a truck, or manufactured directly for you — and returns on that kind of equipment work differently than returns on a pair of shoes. Rather than publish one comfortable-sounding rule we could not honor, we have written down exactly what applies to each category, including the parts that cost money. Read the section that matches what you bought, and you will know precisely where you stand.
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery—including if you changed your mind. Recovery and therapy devices have a shorter 14-day window. You need a Return Authorization number from us before you ship it back. You pay return shipping on change-of-mind returns; we pay it when the fault is ours. Restocking fees range from nothing to thirty-five percent depending on the category and the condition the item comes back in. A small number of categories cannot be returned, and they are all listed in section 7.
If your item arrived damaged, defective, or isn't what you ordered, none of those fees apply. We cover return shipping and refund or replace it in full.
1. What You Can Return, and Why There Are Categories
We accept returns for any reason — defective items, items damaged in transit, items that turned out to be wrong for you, and straightforward changes of mind. You do not have to justify a return or prove anything is broken to send something back within your window. You do need a Return Authorization number and an item in resellable condition.
New Life Athlete is an authorized online reseller. When you buy from us, the item generally ships directly from the manufacturer, and when you return it, it goes back to that same manufacturer—not to a warehouse we control. That arrangement gets you factory-fresh stock and better pricing, but it also means each manufacturer's handling terms shape what a return looks like in practice.
We could hide that behind a single friendly-sounding promise and then deny claims one by one by email. Plenty of retailers do. We would rather tell you now that a compression device, an in-ground basketball system that ships as freight, and a simulator assembled after you order don't carry identical terms. The category tables below reflect the real terms on each line we carry.
One clarifying rule, the same one that governs our Shipping Policy: the product page is authoritative. Where a product page states a return window, a restocking fee, or a non-returnable designation that differs from the general terms here, the product page controls.
This policy is public, and you don't need to register, log in, or create a profile to start a return. Email support@newlifeathlete.com or call 760-229-1343 with your order number, and we will take it from there. We reply within one business day.
2. Return Windows by Category
Every window below is measured in calendar days from the date your item is delivered. Thirty days is our standard. Two categories are shorter, and we call them out plainly here and on the relevant product pages.
| Category | Window | Measured from |
|---|---|---|
| Parcel accessories Small training aids, sleeves, padding, replacement parts |
30 days | Date of delivery |
| Freight sports equipment Basketball systems, goals, volleyball, field equipment |
30 days | Date of delivery |
| Golf simulators & launch monitors Camera tracking systems and enclosures |
30 days | Date of delivery |
| Recovery & therapy devices Wellness and therapy devices |
14 days | Date of delivery |
| Custom, made-to-order, personalized | Not returnable | See section 7 |
Requesting your Return Authorization within the window is what preserves your claim. The package doesn't need to be back at the manufacturer by the deadline, but it does need to be in transit shortly afterward. Please ship within seven days of receiving your RA, and RAs expire after thirty days if unused. If you are close to a deadline, email us and we will date-stamp your request when it arrives.
3. What Condition Items Must Be In
A return has to be resellable for us to credit it in full. In practice, that means the item should come back in its original manufacturer packaging with all inner packing material, manuals, hardware, cables, power supplies, remotes, applicators, and accessories included. Original packaging on freight and simulator items is not a formality — it is engineered protection, and equipment shipped back in a substitute box regularly arrives damaged, at which point it stops being a return and becomes a loss.
Two specifics worth calling out. For therapy devices, the serial number on the unit must match the serial number on your invoice, and units showing signs of being opened, modified, or tampered with are rejected by the manufacturer on arrival. For freight equipment, poles, backboards, and structural components must be unassembled; once concrete has been poured, hardware has been drilled, or a system has been permanently mounted, the item is installed rather than returnable.
Please do not write on the manufacturer's carton. Tape your shipping label to the outer shipping box, and put the RA number on the outside of every carton in the shipment.
4. Restocking Fees, Stated Plainly
Restocking fees exist because when a large item comes back, somebody physically inspects it, repackages it, and either returns it to sellable stock or writes it down. We charge those costs to you, and the table below reflects them honestly rather than averaging them into a single number that would be wrong for most of the catalog.
| Category | Restocking fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Parcel accessories | 0–15% | Waived entirely if unopened and factory-sealed |
| Recovery & therapy devices | 15% | Applied to device returns as a condition of the manufacturer accepting them |
| Golf simulators & launch monitors | 15–20% | Assessed by condition on inspection |
| Freight sports equipment | Up to 35% | Waived on cartons returned unopened and uninspected |
| Any item returned unsellable as new | Up to 50% or refusal | Missing parts, damaged packaging, visible use, or reclassification as refurbished |
| Defective, damaged, or our error | None | No restocking fee, and we pay return shipping |
Three things about that table deserve emphasis. First, freight can genuinely reach thirty-five percent on heavy equipment, and we would rather publish that than surprise you with it. Second, to pay nothing, don't open the cartons — we waive restocking entirely on merchandise returned unopened and uninspected, so if you change your mind, call us before you start unboxing. Third, the unsellable-as-new row is not a trap; it happens when a unit must be sold as refurbished, and we will always send you photographs and the inspection notes before applying it.
5. Who Pays Return Shipping
For change-of-mind returns, you pay return shipping, and we do not issue prepaid labels. On a parcel-sized item, that is a modest cost. On freight, it can run into the hundreds of dollars, so ask us for a quote before you commit.
Freight returns must be shipped prepaid. We refuse collect shipments at the receiving dock, and refused returns generate return-trip charges that we deduct from your refund. If you would like us to arrange return freight, we are happy to—we will quote it, book it, and deduct the actual cost from your refund, with the carrier invoice attached.
We also ask that change-of-mind returns be insured for the full purchase value and sent with tracking. Once a package leaves your hands, the carrier's liability is what stands between you and a total loss, and we can't credit uninsured returns that are lost or damaged in transit because there is nothing to recover. Tracking also protects you: it proves you shipped within your window.
We pay return shipping and charge no fees at all whenever the fault is ours or the manufacturer's—we shipped the wrong item, the item arrived defective, the item arrived damaged, and you documented it as described in section 6, or the item was materially misdescribed on our site. In those cases, you get a prepaid label or a scheduled freight pickup, and a full refund including your original shipping charges.
6. Damaged and Defective Arrivals
This is the most important section in this document, because damage claims are won or lost in the first few minutes of a delivery, and the deciding factor is almost never the damage itself — it is the paperwork.
Inspect every carton before you sign. If you see any damage, crushing, punctures, tearing, staining, or shifted contents, write it on the delivery receipt in specific detail before signing, and photograph it while the truck is still there. A delivery receipt that describes the damage protects you completely. A clean signature tells the carrier the freight arrived intact, and once that signature exists the claim is very likely to be denied — by the carrier, by the manufacturer, and unavoidably by us.
Accept the delivery. Do not refuse it. Even badly damaged freight should be accepted with the damage noted, because a refused shipment triggers return freight, storage, and reconsignment charges and slows your replacement down by weeks. Note it, accept it, photograph it, and call us the same day.
Deadlines on damage are short, and they are set by carriers and manufacturers rather than by us:
| Visible freight damage | Note on the delivery receipt at the moment of delivery, then contact us the same day |
| Concealed freight damage | Within 48 hours of delivery — notify both the carrier terminal and us |
| Recovery & therapy devices | Within 48 hours of delivery, with photographs |
| Simulator electronics | Within 48 hours of delivery, packaging photographed before disposal |
| Parcel shipments | Within 7 days of delivery |
The forty-eight-hour concealed-damage deadline is hard because it is the window freight carriers allow to file a claim at all. We will advocate for you past that line, and sometimes we win, but we cannot promise an outcome we do not control. Please open your cartons and look, even if installation is weeks away.
Keep all packaging until the claim closes. Carriers routinely require a physical inspection of both the item and the box it came in, and packaging that has already gone to the curb usually ends the claim.
When you document damage properly, the process is genuinely painless. Send us photographs of the damage, the packaging, and the annotated delivery receipt, and we will file the claim and arrange a repair, a replacement part, a full replacement, or a refund—whichever you prefer when there is a choice. You pay nothing, including return shipping.
7. Items We Cannot Accept Back
A small number of categories are non-returnable, and we would rather you know before checkout than after. Each one reflects a genuine manufacturing or hygiene constraint rather than a preference of ours.
| Activated software & licenses | Non-refundable once a license key is issued, downloaded, or activated, including simulator and course software. |
| Third-party software | Excluded from return coverage by the publisher. |
| Impact screens & enclosure screens | Excluded from return coverage. Inspect on arrival; shipping damage is covered under section 6. |
| Simulator flooring, drapes, side panels, turf | Excluded from return coverage. The simulator return window covers camera tracking systems and enclosures. |
| Custom, made-to-order, personalized items | Custom padding, lettering, color matching, and configured packages cannot be canceled or returned once production begins. |
| Opened hygiene & personal-contact items | Applicators, mouthguards, and items with direct skin contact, once opened. |
| Assembled or installed equipment | Anything drilled, anchored, set in concrete, or permanently mounted. |
| Clearance, floor-model, open-box, final-sale | Sold as-is where labeled. Manufacturer warranty, if any, still applies. |
| Gift cards, shipping charges, service fees | Non-refundable. |
Non-returnable is not the same as unsupported. Every item above still carries whatever manufacturer warranty came with it, and we handle defective, non-returnable items under section 10. Non-returnable simply means we cannot take it back because you changed your mind. And if any item in these categories arrives damaged or defective, section 6 applies, and you are fully covered.
8. Canceling or Changing an Order
Speed is everything here. If we haven't released an order to production or handed it to a carrier, canceling is usually simple and free. Once either has happened, cancellation becomes a return, with the terms in sections 4 and 5 attached.
| In-stock parcel & recovery items | Free cancellation before we generate the shipping label. Contact us as soon as possible; we aim to catch requests within 24 hours. |
| Freight equipment | Free cancellation before release to the carrier. After release, we handle it as a return. |
| Golf simulators & launch monitors | 7 days from order, and only before production begins. A cancellation fee of up to 20% plus up to 10% in non-recoverable payment-processing fees may apply. |
| Custom & made-to-order | Not cancellable once production begins. |
The cancellation right on made-to-order simulator systems is valid for seven days from the date of order and carries a fee of up to twenty percent plus up to ten percent in non-recoverable payment-processing fees. After that seven-day period, or once your system enters production, you cannot cancel the order. If you are even slightly unsure about your space, ceiling height, hitting-bay dimensions, or configuration, call us at 760-229-1343 before you buy. We will happily talk you out of the wrong system.
Request address and configuration changes as soon as possible. Once freight is moving, an address change becomes a reconsignment, and the carrier bills for it regardless of how short the new distance is; we pass that charge through to you at cost.
9. How and When You Get Your Refund
We begin processing every return request within two business days of receiving it, which is when we issue your RA and return instructions. Once your return arrives at the receiving facility, it is inspected—typically 3 to 5 business days for parcel items and 5 to 10 business days for freight and simulator equipment, which go through a more thorough teardown.
When inspection clears, we issue your refund within five business days to your original payment method. Your bank or card issuer then needs its own three to ten business days to post it, which is outside our control. All told, most parcel refunds land within two weeks of the item arriving back, and most freight refunds within three.
Your refund equals the purchase price of the returned item, minus any restocking fee from section 4, minus original outbound shipping if the item shipped under a free-shipping promotion, minus return freight if we arranged it for you, and minus any documented accessorial or refused-delivery charges. We send a written breakdown of every deduction with your refund confirmation. No deduction ever appears without an explanation.
We don't refund original shipping charges on change-of-mind returns, since the carrier performed that service and was paid for it. We refund original shipping in full when the return results from our error, a defect, or documented shipping damage.
Refunds go back to the original payment method. If that is impossible—an expired card, a closed account—we will arrange store credit or an alternative method with you directly. Exchanges are available on most items; ask, and we will set one up rather than making you return and reorder.
10. Warranties
Warranty coverage comes from the manufacturer who built your equipment, and terms differ meaningfully by product line. We won't print one blanket number here, because it would be inaccurate for most of the catalog. We'll help you use whatever coverage you have.
| Recovery & therapy devices | Typically 2 years from purchase, non-transferable. Excludes misuse, unauthorized repair, liquid ingress, and transit damage. |
| Freight sports equipment | Tiered by product line — see the product page and manufacturer literature. UV fading and normal weathering are never covered; painted surfaces typically carry a 1-year warranty. |
| Golf simulators & launch monitors | 1 year on internal electronics, private non-commercial use only. Grass fiber panels and impact screens are excluded. |
A few warranty realities that catch people, so you hear them from us first. Warranties are non-transferable and generally end on resale — coverage belongs to the original purchaser at the original ship-to address. Transit damage is not a warranty matter; it is a freight claim, and section 6 is how it gets resolved. Certain products are designated residential-use-only by their manufacturer, and installing one in a school, gym, park, church, or commercial facility voids coverage. And warranty shipping is not free shipping — a free-shipping promotion covers the original trip to you and nothing more.
None of this affects your rights under applicable consumer protection law, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness that your state provides.
If you are purchasing for a school, university, municipality, health club, training facility, church, apartment complex, or any commercial or revenue-generating setting, contact us before you order. Some product lines are warranted for private residential use only, and simulator systems generally carry no warranty at all for commercial customers without a separate commercial license. Institutional buyers also frequently need heavier-duty product tiers, certified installation, and different freight arrangements than the standard configuration. Tell us about your environment, and we will route you to equipment that is actually warranted for it.
To open a warranty claim, email us with your order number, the serial or model number, a clear description of the fault, and photographs or video. We prepare and submit the claim for you and follow up until it resolves. Manufacturer warranty determinations are theirs to make, and where one is declined we will tell you honestly and give you the stated reason rather than going quiet.
11. Please Talk to Us Before You File a Dispute
If something has gone wrong with your order, contact us. We answer email, we answer the phone, and we have never solved a problem faster by learning about it from a card issuer.
Filing a chargeback on a delivered order freezes the funds and, in doing so, freezes our ability to do the very things you want — issue a refund, ship a replacement part, file a freight claim, or authorize a return. Once a dispute is open, we must respond through the card network's process with documentation, and everything else stops until it closes, which typically takes much longer than working with us would have. We reserve the right to submit delivery confirmation, signed delivery receipts, correspondence, and this policy in response to any dispute.
None of that limits your rights, and it is not a threat. It is a request. Email support@newlifeathlete.com or call 760-229-1343 first, and give us a genuine chance to make it right. We nearly always can.
12. How to Start a Return, Step by Step
- Email or call us within your window. Send your order number, the item, the reason for return, and photos if the item is damaged or defective to support@newlifeathlete.com, or call 760-229-1343. No account or login needed.
- We reply within one business day and begin processing within two. Before you commit to anything, we'll confirm the applicable window, any restocking fee, who pays return shipping, and the ship-to address in writing.
- We issue your RA number. Nothing ships back without it — unauthorized returns are refused at the dock.
- Pack it in the original packaging. Include all accessories, manuals, and hardware. Write the RA number on the outside of every carton, not on the manufacturer's box.
- Ship it insured, with tracking, within 7 days. Freight must go prepaid. Send us the tracking number or BOL. If we are covering return shipping, we send you a label or book the pickup.
- Inspection, then refund. The item is inspected on arrival; we refund within 5 business days of clearance with a written breakdown of every deduction.
13. Getting Help
The fastest way to a good outcome is a short conversation early. If you are unsure whether an item is returnable, whether you are within your window, or how a fee would apply to your order, ask before you act — we will give you a straight answer, including when it is not what you were hoping for.
| support@newlifeathlete.com | |
| Phone | 760-229-1343 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific |
| Response time | Within one business day |
| Return method | By mail or freight carrier, to the address issued with your RA |
| Include with every request | Order number, item, reason, photographs where relevant |
New Life Athlete is an online-only retailer and does not operate a public retail showroom. Please do not send returns to any address in our business records—return addresses are issued with your RA and vary by manufacturer. We refuse returns sent to an unauthorized address, and we cannot credit merchandise we never received.
14. Changes to This Policy
We revise this policy as our catalog and fulfillment terms change. The version in effect for your order is the version published on the day you placed it, and the effective date at the top of this page identifies it. Completing a purchase on newlifeathlete.com indicates your agreement to these terms. Nothing here limits any right you hold under applicable U.S. federal or state consumer protection law, and where a provision of this policy conflicts with a mandatory legal right in your jurisdiction, that legal right prevails.
Thank you for reading this far. Most people do not, and the fact that you did means you will have a much better experience if anything ever does go wrong.
New Life Athlete — an authorized online reseller owned and operated by Renaissance Online Sales, LLC
EIN 41-4951719 • support@newlifeathlete.com • 760-229-1343 • newlifeathlete.com
Online only — no public retail showroom. Hours 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific, Monday–Friday.
Related: Shipping Policy • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy
