Note: This post is “unlisted” and is available only to readers who have a direct link. As of November 18, 2025, I have shared this link only with Service Departments at OpenTip, Mikasa USA, Mikasa Canada, and Mikasa Japan.
From OpenTip’s website
Opentip is an all-in-one online store with hundreds of thousands of products that can fit in your needs, including apparel, accessories, sporting goods, customizable products and more. We work with the reputable and reliable leading suppliers, so you can rest assured that everything we sell is made to the highest standards and your order is punctually delivered with care. Our mission is to offer premium products at competitive prices while developing a long-lasting partnerships with customers.
Quality Assurance
Most merchandises are backed by standard manufacturer warranty. We stand behind our sales. We try our best to meet customers’ needs beyond expectation.
Fast Delivery
Fast delivery is our advantage. We estimate the deadline before we take an order, and strive to do our best for prompt delivery as soon as possible.
Damaged & Defective Goods, Product Warranty, as well as Return and Exchange policies are published on OpenTip’s website on their Terms of Use page.
My Order
On October 31, 2025, I placed an order with OpenTip for a Mikasa V200W-USA volleyball. They have charged me CAN$92.19 for the ball plus CAN$44.19 for shipping and handling.The parcel arrived at my house on November 9, 2025. At a considerable shipping cost, this was a long delivery time. Their facility is located in Needham, Massachussets, USA and the destination was in Dundas, Ontario, Canada, only about 410 miles away from their location. Either the high shipping cost or the long shipping time were, therefore, hard to accept.
The ball arrived on November 9, 2025 with manufacturing defects visible on the surface of the material. I have reported this to the seller and received their request for pictures showing the defective ball. I provided the requested pictures the next day and they confirmed that they received them.
Consultation with MIKASA
OpenTip Customer Service informed me that they had sent my pictures to Mikasa and were consulting this case with Mikasa. They did not specify if the consultation was taking place with Mikasa Japan or Mikasa USA. They then forwarded to me the following answer allegedly received from Mikasa:
Hi we forwarded your pictures and question to Mikasa and below is the reply from them.
“That wrinkle looks like a brand-new ball that was just inflated. Those wrinkles usually go away on their own shortly after inflation, but I would expect playing with that ball once they will be gone.The ball will usually need to be inflated once to the 4.26-4.62 PSI and it will stretch out a bit more while it breaks in and require some more air and those wrinkles should go away”
Please see if playing the ball or inflating more air can fix the wrinkles problem.
Lenny
The manufacturing defect
Regular Mikasa V200W-USA (and the original V200W) balls are, by design, covered with dimples for better grip. These dimples occur in regular rows and columns as a grid of small, depressed dots on the surface of the ball. The ball that I received from OpenTip has several spots where the dimples are merging and forming long grooves running in different direcions. These grooves did not disappear after seven days of the ball being pumped to a pressure of 4.5 PSI. The “some more air” recommendation is not justified, as the pressure instructions printed on the ball clearly read, “Do not over-inflate”. In addition, the “Please see if playing the ball or inflating more air can fix the wrinkles problem” recommendation would effectively cancel their return policy which requires that returned items be “unused”. (Why, so that they can resell them?)
I find it difficult to believe that any rep of a reputable top quality ball maker, such as Mikasa, would call this obvious manufacturing defect “normal”. Yet, OpenTip’s Customer Service did not reply to my request for the name and contact info of the Mikasa rep who gave them the answer quoted above. Therefore, I was unable to verify their (in my opinion misleading) position.
As a former player and a phys ed teacher, I have dealt with many volleyballs and owned many for years, including several Mikasas. I have never seen a new volleyball forming such deep grooves on the surface where only dimples should exist by design. This weakens the material and will, with time, result in irregular shape, uneven grip, and possible cracks.
As of today, Monday, November 17, 2025, OpenTip has not approved my return and refund request. This, after avoiding, and then trying to delay the return process that, in reality, does not require much time. I asked that they initiate the return and refund process by the end of Monday, November 17. They did not reply. According to their website, they now have 45 of these balls in stock but did not suggest an exchange. I am beginning to suspect that they acquired (at a discounted price) balls that did not pass the manufacturer’s quality control and are now selling them without informing unsuspecting customers about it. I cannot think of another explanation of their avoiding and delaying tactics.
Obligatory Membership
This online purchase required me to sign up for OpenTip membership. I sent them an emai and asked why they don’t have the usual option to make a purchase as a Guest, why they were collecting and saving on their server(s) my personal data just because I wanted to buy one of their items. Their answer was, “We do not keep your personal information, but to register an account before ordering is necessary.” I wonder why? I also wonder if this is true. Since the day I registered an account, I began receiving daily ads from OpenTip. It looks that they are keeping my data on their server(s), after all.
A disappointed Customer
(Name and order number known to OpenTip’s Customer Service, Ticket #546206)
My Dundas Valley 