Active dot com Review, Monday 3/26/2018

Active.com Review

Santa Barbara International Half Marathon

Fewer and fewer races that I run use active.com for race registration.  I have been satisfied with my active.com membership in the past, but when my membership expired in 12/2016, I did not to re-up my membership.  I don’t remember why, but, I assume to take advantage of some promotion, I went ahead and signed-up, again, in March of 2017.  The membership was $70.  Here are the discounts/giveaways that I received:

• $85 off of shoes
• I won a free race registration to a half marathon (at least $85)
• I won a free pair of earbuds ($15)
• I got reimbursed for a fishing license that I purchased ($25)
• Free compression socks
• No processing fee (about $13)
• Fifth race was free ($65)
• I think that I got reimbursed something for pics, but I can't remember exactly

Active has easily been the best $70 that I spent in 2017.

I do have one complaint that is eating at me.  I, occasionally, by things from ActiveGearUp (Left Lane Sports).  Over the last 5-6 years, I've probably purchase, 1-2 things from ActiveGear-Up per year.  Either the return policy has changed, or I had never looked at it. I ordered something a few months ago and changed my mind about the purchase before it even arrived.  I asked for a refund for an unopened package, and I was told that there were no refunds.  I had to pay shipping both ways, and they would only give store credit.  That is ridiculous.  Gear-up said, basically, that I should be happy getting a 70% discount.  Really, the items they sell are a little cheaper than I could get somewhere else, but they only sell things that everyone has on sale, like discontinued items.  Maybe it is 70% off MSRP, but by the time it is being sold on ActiveGear-up, everyone has the item on sale.  If you include shipping, you are never really saving that much, if anything, and I’d much rather have the peace of mind knowing that I can return an unopened package.  This policy must work or they wouldn’t do it, but why would I buy something with no returns unless the savings was amazing?  I send all ActiveGear-Up ads to junk, now.

Final Thoughts
The $85 discount on shoes is a real discount. You can get just about any shoes that you want. The price of the shoes aren't artificially increased before the discount. As long as the shoe discount stays in place, I will continue with active, because the membership pays for itself (in my case) with that one purchase. I’m going to buy several pairs of Hoka Cliftons every year, so why not $15 off, and, then, be eligible for all the other active discounts.