Signed me up as a member when I signed ONLY a Liability Waiver to TRIAL their facility for FREE!
They SIGNED ME UP AS A MEMBER WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT and billed me a total of $835.31 over 7 months!
I only discovered this because I eventually attempted to become a MID-DAY member and was told I was already an UNLIMITED member!
All because I attended their Grand Opening based on an online advertisement that included the words "FREE MONTH" and "No Risk and No Obligation to CONTINUE."
I'll say it again... "NO OBLIGATION TO CONTINUE" was in the advertisement!!
During my first visit, they had me sign ONLY a LIABILITY WAIVER and check a box indicating that I had READ the Terms. All of that was in line with my expectations for trialing the facility. However, the owner, Alex McCarty, claims this is my consent for their top-tier membership and recurring billing!!!
Because I initially gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed it might be an honest mistake, my first attempt to resolve this was NOT to demand a REFUND. Instead, it was a POLITE, GOOD-FAITH request for a CREDIT so that I could receive the value/service I had been billed for. Note that the front desk did confirm that their records indicated I hadn't used their facility since my initial visit 7 months ago!
Additionally, I really wanted this to work out and become an actual member, so I was extra generous with my initial request and offered the following:
1.) Agree to a full year of membership
2.) Pay for lessons
3.) Buy my next paddle through ACE Pickleball
From my perspective, I gave them a way to resolve this cleanly and gain, not lose, revenue, but they BLUNTLY refused!!! 🤯
After my CORDIAL requests to "discuss" this issue were ignored twice (once in person and once via email), I called, which finally triggered an email response from McCarty, who replied with malign platitudes and stated, “I would prefer not to have your business going forward.” 🤯
When I discussed this with McCarty, I clearly stated many facts demonstrating that I had no idea I was a member and being billed. I even shared an email from 24 hours after my initial visit where I was ASKING HIS STAFF QUESTIONS ABOUT BECOMING A MEMBER. Why would I ask about becoming a member if I was already one...?
HE IGNORED THIS.
Instead, this triggered his final offer which was to give me HALF my money back and PERMANENTLY BAN me from the facility ==> “I will cancel your account effective immediately without the ability to resume membership at a later date, refund all of your payments made in 2026 ($357.99), and consider the matter closed.”
This felt like a slap in the face, considering I had not been rude or aggressive. I was simply bringing an issue to management’s attention, demonstrated that I was legitimately unaware of the membership, and gave him the opportunity to do the right thing.
I still can’t wrap my head around how this was handled. As a business owner myself, I would never take money from a customer without providing value in return. If a customer could demonstrate, as I did, any reasonable gray area, I would be willing to work with them to REFUND or at least CREDIT their account.
Additionally, the two times I visited, the place looked like a ghost town in need of customers, so I expected my win-win proposal to carry more weight.
Why didn’t I catch the charges during the 7 months?
1.) The charge on my credit card does not say "ACE." It says "APC," which closely matches another service I regularly pay for with similar dollar amounts.
2.) I have no record of receiving billing emails from ACE Pickleball. McCarty claims they sent two emails but would not share their content. I provided a screenshot showing that I retained all ACE Pickleball emails, yet the emails he claimed showed that I was being billed were not present.
HE IGNORED THIS.
QUESTION: Why were there only 2 billing emails if I was charged 7 times!?
FINAL VERDICT: I believe Ace Pickleball’s advertising and enrollment practices are misleading and do not clearly obtain informed consent for recurring billing. When challenged, Management's response was to stand behind policy/process, followed by permanent banishment!