most independent pro shops have as part of their rent agreement that they will fix damaged balls,..the pro shop doesn't get paid for it, and it doesn't cost the house anything,..if the pro shop is part of the center then they will also fix it,..again at no real cost to the center...you having it fixed elsewhere and bringing them a bill proably won't be approved by the manager..if you want it fixed else where you'll probably be stuck with the bill...jim
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je

You may want to simply ask the center what options are available to you as far as repair and/or replacement.  It is nice to see that you realize the ball likely only needs to be resurfaced and not replaced.  As a person who has a friend who owns several bowling centers I can tell you that you wouldn't believe the small scratches for which people will demand a new ball.  Just let the center know that you're being reasonable and ask them to treat you in a like manner.

Policy really depends the bowling center.  Many places have a disclaimer posted in small text somewhere around the desk area that states they're not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged equipment.

Having said that, many centers also realize that fixing equipment damaged by their machines is good public relations - having a reputation as a house that chews balls and then tells you to take a hike is a sure way to drive down business.

One of my kids... er bowling balls... was recently damaged by the bowling center's equipment beyond repair.  (Chuck about the size of a computer mouse taken out)  Although I didn't expect it (this house doesn't have the best of customer service reputations) they replaced the ball with a near-duplicate (weight, top weight, pin position) and allowed me to take the ball to a driller of my choice, then reimbursed me for the drilling 100%.  Now that is customer service.  End result - they got their equipment fixed and I got my equipment fixed, I'll continue to bowl there.

Good luck - I hope the situation is resolved to your satisfaction.
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Kill the back row

If you don't trust the pro shop in that center to do the work, then I feel the bill is in on you.  They are willing to provide the service and get you back as close to original as reasonably possible for free.  If you don't feel comfortable using this pro shop, then you can ask management to reimburse you to take it somewhere else.  If you are a good customer, then they may do this.

My wife recently had a ball come back with a small chip between the bridge.  Since we were out of town and this would require plugging, we just took it home for repairs and paid it ourselves.  I should have looked at it closer to really check the damage and asked what the center would do, but we were in a bit of a hurry and it didn't look very bad.

I have only had one ball replaced when it cracked after hitting the rake arm.  This was a house I frequented often, so I knew the manager well.  He told me that if I used the pro shop in his center, then everything was free.  If I chose to drill elsewhere, then the drilling was on me.  I thought this was more than fair especially considering the pro shop was top notch.