I have not been "really" quilting for a year yet, only yo-yo's and when I started I bought the starter pack from Fiskars with the mat, rotary cutter, and ruler.
A couple of weeks ago I had read a post saying that Olfa recommends that you soak their mats in water to help heal the mats.
Since my mat also showed many cut marks I decided to call their customer service to see if they recommended soaking it in water also.
The clerk was very polite and told me "NO!" She also asked how long I had had the mat and told her it was less than a year. She told me to take a photo of the mat and e-mail it to them with an explanation of what was wrong. I did as she told me.
With great surprise, about a week later I received a new mat in the mail. They didn't even want the old one back!
That is what I call great customer service! I will definitely buy their products from now on!