Why we made this promise
Athletic programs lose thousands of dollars of gear every year — and then quietly re-buy it because the old system (a spreadsheet, a clipboard, a coach’s memory) couldn’t prove what was missing from what was lost.
GearLocker was built by a high school wrestling coach who lived that problem. We believe the software should pay for itself in the gear it helps you recover. So we put that belief in writing.
If it doesn’t work the way we say it does, you don’t pay the difference. We do.
The promise, in plain language
If the value of gear GearLocker helps you recover in the 12 months following the date your subscription agreement is signed is less than what you paid in annual subscription fees, we will refund the difference.
You keep the software. You can renew if you’d like. We just owe you the gap.
How “recovered value” is calculated
The system tracks recoveries in real time. When an item is marked missing in GearLocker and later returned and checked back in, its replacement value is added to your recovered-value total for the 12-month period.
The replacement value used is the value you enter into GearLocker for each item. Entered values must align with documented purchase-order records, invoices, or published manufacturer pricing — the same numbers your school would use for insurance, budgeting, or audit purposes.
At the end of your 12-month guarantee period — measured from the date your subscription agreement was signed — we total every recovered item’s replacement value. That total is your recovered-value figure for the guarantee.
How “cost” is calculated
Your “cost” under this guarantee is your contracted GearLocker annual subscription fee for the 12-month period following your agreement signing date. One-time implementation, onboarding, and professional-services fees are not included in the guarantee math and are not refundable under this policy.
Eligibility requirements
For the guarantee to apply, your program has to actually use the software the way it was designed to work. These aren’t traps — they’re the conditions that make the savings math possible in the first place. If any one of them isn’t met, the guarantee doesn’t apply.
1. Every athletic program on campus must run through GearLocker.
All athletic programs at your school must use GearLocker for check-in and check-out of gear throughout the 12-month guarantee period. If only some of your programs use the system and others stay on spreadsheets or paper, the guarantee doesn’t apply. The guarantee is a full-school commitment, not a program-by-program one.
2. Replacement cost must be entered for every item — and must align with documented purchase orders.
Every item in GearLocker must have a replacement cost entered. Without a value on an item, we can’t count it when it’s recovered. If items are missing replacement costs, your school is not eligible.
Entered values must align with documented purchase-order records, invoices, or published manufacturer pricing. In the event of a refund claim, GearLocker reserves the right to request supporting documentation (purchase orders, invoices, or vendor quotes) for items included in the recovered-value calculation. Values that materially exceed documented purchase cost will be adjusted downward to match actual documented cost before the refund is calculated. Refunds are calculated on verified replacement cost, not entered values.
3. Parent/guardian emails must be entered for every athlete.
Every athlete in GearLocker must have at least one parent or guardian email address on file, so that automated missing-gear notifications can be sent. Parent notifications are a core part of how gear gets returned — if parents can’t be notified, recovery rates fall, and the guarantee math doesn’t work. Schools with missing parent emails are not eligible.
How the guarantee works for school districts
The ROI Guarantee is a per-school promise, not a per-district one.
If you’re a district signing up with multiple schools, the guarantee applies to each individual school’s subscription cost — not to the district’s total. Each school is evaluated independently against the eligibility requirements above.
Example: a district signs up 10 schools for $30,000 in total annual subscription. At the end of 12 months, 2 of those 10 schools have met the eligibility requirements (every program using GearLocker, replacement costs entered for every item, parent emails on file for every athlete) and their documented recovered value is less than their individual subscription cost. Those 2 schools are eligible for a refund of the gap between their recovered value and their individual subscription fees. The other 8 schools are not eligible because they didn’t meet the requirements.
Exclusions
In addition to the eligibility requirements above, this guarantee does not apply in the following cases:
- Free trials, pilot programs, or accounts without a signed annual subscription contract.
- Subscriptions cancelled before the end of the first 12 months.
- One-time implementation, onboarding, and professional-services fees (these are never refundable under this policy).
- Material program changes mid-year (e.g., a sport or program is cut entirely, or the district restructures in a way that eliminates inventory).
- Force majeure events that cancel the athletic calendar.
- Any renewal year beyond the first 12 months. The guarantee is a first-year promise; by year two, you already know the value.
How refunds work
Within 30 days of the end of your 12-month guarantee period (measured from the date your subscription agreement was signed), we will generate a recovered-value report documenting every item that was marked missing and later recovered during that period, with each item’s replacement value totaled. You receive a copy.
If a refund claim is triggered, GearLocker will request supporting purchase-order documentation (purchase orders, invoices, or vendor quotes) for the items included in the recovered-value total. Any entered values that materially exceed documented replacement cost will be adjusted to match documented cost before the refund is calculated. We’ll work with you to reconcile quickly.
If you’ve met the eligibility requirements and your verified recovered value is less than your first-year annual subscription fee, we will refund the difference to the payment method or billing account on file within 30 days of the reconciled report being finalized. No escalation process. One email from us, one refund to you.
You are not required to cancel your subscription to claim the refund. The software continues to work. The refund reflects the shortfall, not your experience — and we want the chance to earn your renewal.
Questions we get asked
Do most schools actually trigger a refund?
No. The overwhelming majority of schools that meet the eligibility requirements recover considerably more in gear value than they pay — often several multiples. We’re comfortable making this promise because the math works for almost every school that uses GearLocker as designed.
What counts as a “recovery”?
A recovery is any item that was marked as missing in GearLocker and subsequently returned, checked back in, or located through the system during your 12-month period. If an item is marked missing and never recovered, it does not count toward your recovered-value total.
What if I enter replacement values that are too high or too low?
Entered values must align with documented purchase orders, invoices, or published manufacturer pricing. Use the same numbers your school would use for insurance, budgeting, or audit purposes.
If a refund claim is filed, GearLocker will request supporting purchase-order documentation for items included in the recovered-value total. Any values that materially exceed documented replacement cost will be adjusted downward to match actual documented cost before the refund is finalized. The guarantee is based on verified replacement cost, not on values a customer could inflate after the fact.
When does the 12-month clock start?
The 12-month guarantee period begins on the date your subscription agreement is signed. For districts, all schools covered under the original agreement share that start date. If a school is added to an existing district agreement mid-year through an amendment, that school’s 12-month period begins on the amendment signing date. Each school’s eligibility and recovered-value math is calculated independently over its own 12-month window.
Does the guarantee apply to implementation fees?
No. Implementation, onboarding, and any one-time professional-services fees are separate and non-refundable under this policy. The guarantee covers your annual subscription fee only.
Can I renew after receiving a refund?
Yes. The refund and your subscription are independent. Many schools whose first year was disrupted (by staffing changes, rollout delays, or onboarding challenges) go on to have a stronger second year — and the guarantee is a first-year promise only.
Where is this written down?
In your GearLocker subscription contract. The guarantee on this page matches the language in the contract you sign. If you ever want to see the contract language in advance, ask your GearLocker point of contact — we’ll send it.
Ready to put it to the test?
The fastest way to see whether GearLocker is the right fit for your school is a 20-minute demo. We’ll walk you through the software, talk through your program’s inventory, and show you exactly how the recovery tracking and ROI math work in practice.