Be careful when you register for races at Active.com! I apparently signed up for a trial membership to Active Advanatage which if you don't cancel in 30 days, charges your credit card $59.95. I am always very careful to avoid signing up for unwanted email updates and trial offers, but somehow this one slipped under my radar.

The Active.com customer service was friendly and refunded the membership fee in full. However, when I mentioned to the customer serivice representative that this felt like a scam, he replied that the page was clear and that I had to have signed up for this. I asked him if this happens to customers often and he said that it did occasionally. Guessing by the fact that their automated phone system has a "If you are calling about a $59.95 charge, please press _", and that their website has a FAQ sheet explaining how people signed up for the membership, I'd speculate that this happens more than occaisionally. The FAQ sheet asserts that emails are sent to memers notifying them that the membership has been activated and when the charge will be made, but these emails went into my junk mail folder and I only found them once I discovered the charge and went digging. Again, this is my fault for not being a more careful consumer, but it this company is clearly trying to make money in a somewhat deceptive manner.

Here is what their FAQ sheet says about Active Advantage:

When does the offer appear in the registration process? The ActiveAdvantage trial membership offer is not
displayed during the actual registration process. The offer exists on an interstitial page that appears after the activity registration is complete (payment already submitted), but before the confirmation page.

How does the registrant sign up for the trial membership?
To enroll as a trial member of the program, the registrant is simply required to enter and verify their email address and then click through the acceptance button on the page. After this step the registrant will continue on to their activity registration confirmation page.

How long does the trial membership last? 30 days
What if the registrant doesn’t want to become a trial member? The registrant simply has to click the decline button on the offer page. After this step they will continue on to their activity registration confirmation page.

What happens after the trial membership expires? At the end of the trial the user may cancel at no charge. If they do not cancel, they are automatically billed $59.95 for a 12-month membership. Customers may cancel their membership at any time and receive a prorated refund. All of this information is presented to the registrant on the trial offer page.

How do you communicate with members?
There are numerous communications sent to new members, starting with a confirmation email directly after they enroll in the trial membership. Trial members also receive a “reminder” email halfway through the trial period, a notification email prior to membership billing, and a billing confirmation email. Additionally, members receive a monthly “member update” email that highlights special offers and new merchant partners.

What do ActiveAdvantage members receive? ActiveAdvantage exists to provide members with discounts on everything they need to prepare for, participate in and commemorate the activities that they love. As such, members receive discounts on registrations across the Active Network as well as valuable savings provided by leading retailers across a wide variety of categories.

How do you know registrants like ActiveAdvantage? ActiveAdvantage has grown significantly since it first
launched in 2003. We stay in constant contact with our members to gauge their satisfaction with the program. In a recent member survey, more than 70% of members said they would strongly recommend the program to a friend.

What if a customer forgets to cancel their membership before the trial expires?
If a customer forgets to cancel their trial membership, their credit card on file will be charged the yearly fee of $59.95. However, they may contact customer support at [email protected] to receive a prorated refund.

What if trial members contact my organization with questions about the program?
ActiveAdvantage provides customer support contact information in all member communications, including phone and email, and is able to handle all inquiries quickly in-house. Should an isolated incident occur in
which a member contacts your organization, simply forward the inquiry directly to your Account Manager.
The program has a track record of responding quickly to all inquiries and our goal is to create zero administrative impact for your organization.

Does this offer violate the registrant’s privacy? No. Active takes the privacy of all registrants very seriously. When registrants choose to participate in the program they voluntarily agree to Active’s terms and privacy policy. Members may also choose to optout of receiving member update emails at any time. Additionally, no user data is submitted to 3rd parties.

Questions? If you have further questions please contact us.
We will be happy to help you.
ActiveAdvantage Contact Information
877.228.4881 | [email protected]