Pelham F&G - Resolved

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Hey guys, I wanted advice on a legal issue I'm having with Pelham F&G

I was a member at this club in NH for a few years, and was brought in by a member here. Basically I was unsatisfied with the club when Dues were up this year, and after cutting the check and sending it in I hit "the last straw" so to speak and decided to completely cancel my membership with this club and even boycott it. Their response was a certified legal letter threatening to pursue charges for an un-chashable check (I cancelled it before it was deposited) plus a no-tresspass order.

Story: I started to dislike this club last winter when they seemingly decided to plow all the ranges closed (As in, plow all the snow straight up to the benches intentionally so they could not be used) causing the club to be "closed" during half of last winter. I hadn't been shooting since in months and I USUALLY like to go 1-2 times a week. When good weather hit I decided to make an event out of it, and had family travel from RI, Florida, NY and MA to come to the range to shoot. I checked the schedule in advance, and there were events but they promised to leave lanes and other ranges alone. Every single weekend day of every weekend was booked with events, so we agreed we would only use 1 range/lane and would make a day of it. When we got there, not only was a lane not left open but there were events going on at EVERY range (As opposed to events being staggered at each range, like the calendar said).

Trap had an event, utility range did, pistol pits had IDPA or something, and the other pits had a few events. Looked like vendors, the works. The club was basically closed, and we tried for half an hour to get a spot until we left very frustrated. For anyone that knows this club, it has a LOT of ranges and I've always been able to get a spot or share a range even at the busiest peaks, but not this day and not even if we waited hours. We rescheduled for a few weeks later, same plan, and THE SAME THING happened. We tried a total of 5 times to get to the range, and could never once get a shot off. I still have not been able to shoot since last fall, and I've wanted to go every week.

Dues were up in April, and honestly the check bounced at first because a 5 year old service I cancelled decided to accidently charge me $20 and I micro-manage my checking account so it didn't have the funds and it bounced. I immediately got refunded and waited for them to retry, and I tried to use the range a few times more and each time was a failure. I got fed up, decided to call it quits. I tossed my membership card, I ate the $30 bounced check fee, and decided to never waste a 40 minute drive to that shithole club ever again, and I cancel the check. I figure I never got to use the club this entire season, why pay for services not rendered?

Well the club reached out to me in August and I told them what I wrote above. I was unhappy, and will never set foot in the club again. Today I got certified mail stating if I didn't send them my membership card, plus a money order for $7.50 to cover the check bounce fee, that they would press charges for me over the issue and issue me a no tresspass. This has me so infuriated I want to make sure nobody ever signs up to be a member/sucker at this club again, but I know that's unrealistic. So what are my options?
 
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Legal Issue with Pelham F&G

Hey guys, I wanted advice on a legal issue I'm having with Pelham F&G

I was a member at this club in NH for a few years, and was brought in by a member here. Basically I was unsatisfied with the club when Dues were up this year, and after cutting the check and sending it in I hit "the last straw" so to speak and decided to completely cancel my membership with this club and even boycott it. Their response was a certified legal letter threatening to pursue charges for an un-chashable check (I cancelled it before it was deposited) plus a no-tresspass order.

Story: I started to dislike this club last winter when they seemingly decided to plow all the ranges closed (As in, plow all the snow straight up to the benches intentionally so they could not be used) causing the club to be "closed" during half of last winter. I hadn't been shooting since in months and I USUALLY like to go 1-2 times a week. When good weather hit I decided to make an event out of it, and had family travel from RI, Florida, NY and MA to come to the range to shoot. I checked the schedule in advance, and there were events but they promised to leave lanes and other ranges alone. Every single weekend day of every weekend was booked with events, so we agreed we would only use 1 range/lane and would make a day of it. When we got there, not only was a lane not left open but there were events going on at EVERY range (As opposed to events being staggered at each range, like the calendar said).

Trap had an event, utility range did, pistol pits had IDPA or something, and the other pits had a few events. Looked like vendors, the works. The club was basically closed, and we tried for half an hour to get a spot until we left very frustrated. For anyone that knows this club, it has a LOT of ranges and I've always been able to get a spot or share a range even at the busiest peaks, but not this day and not even if we waited hours. We rescheduled for a few weeks later, same plan, and THE SAME THING happened. We tried a total of 5 times to get to the range, and could never once get a shot off. I still have not been able to shoot since last fall, and I've wanted to go every week.

Dues were up in April, and honestly the check bounced at first because a 5 year old service I cancelled decided to accidently charge me $20 and I micro-manage my checking account so it didn't have the funds and it bounced. I immediately got refunded and waited for them to retry, and I tried to use the range a few times more and each time was a failure. I got fed up, decided to call it quits. I tossed my membership card, I ate the $30 bounced check fee, and decided to never waste a 40 minute drive to that shithole club ever again, and I cancel the check. I figure I never got to use the club this entire season, why pay for services not rendered?

Well the club reached out to me in August and I told them what I wrote above. I was unhappy, and will never set foot in the club again. Today I got certified mail stating if I didn't send them my membership card, plus a money order for $7.50 to cover the check bounce fee, that they would press charges for me over the issue and issue me a no tresspass. This has me so infuriated I want to sue this club into the ground and make sure nobody ever signs up to be a member/sucker at this club again, but I know that's unrealistic. So what are my options?

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Life is too short to worry about this kind of shit. Pay the $7.50 in pennies if it makes you feel good then join another club that does not suck.
 
I would try to get in touch directly with the board of directors or whatever kind of management they have there and explain everything again and see if you can come to some kind of mutual agreement. I realize they will probably want whatever money they feel they are due but I don't see how it could possibly be worth their while to take legal action over one membership check when they are apparently so flush with members that you can't even find an open lane to shoot.
Keep a level head and talk to them. The last thing you want to do is get cops/lawyers/courts involved over something so small.
 
I would try to get in touch directly with the board of directors or whatever kind of management they have there and explain everything again and see if you can come to some kind of mutual agreement. I realize they will probably want whatever money they feel they are due but I don't see how it could possibly be worth their while to take legal action over one membership check when they are apparently so flush with members that you can't even find an open lane to shoot.
Keep a level head and talk to them. The last thing you want to do is get cops/lawyers/courts involved over something so small.

Good point, but I did toss my membership card. I intend to just include a letter explaining that WITH the $7.50
 
Sue them for what? because you failed to do due dilligence on them before you joined? [rofl]

I'm not exactly surprised at this point at that kind of spastic stuff going on. Most of the better ranges in NH are overcommitted at this point because of the post sandy hook boom.

-Mike
 
You wrote the check.... Pay them

I wrote a check to be able to use a club, more than a year has gone by since I've been able to shoot at this damn place. I intend to pay the $7.50, but I guess as a business manager this type of service is making me extremely angry. If you went to a restaurant, waited 2 hours for a dinner with family you haven't seen in years and when you complain and try to leave they tell you that you need to tip your waitress on the meal you never had or they'll press charges and trespass you, I'd think you'd be pretty pissed. Shitty analogy but in situations like that I throw everything I can at the unhappy person to turn around the ****up that wasn't their fault to begin with.
 
Sue them for what? because you failed to do due dilligence on them before you joined? [rofl]

I'm not exactly surprised at this point at that kind of spastic stuff going on. Most of the better ranges in NH are overcommitted at this point because of the post sandy hook boom.

-Mike

It wasn't like this at all the year before. Even at the peak, busiest times the worst case scenario was sharing a lane with someone. But now every weekend is booked off by an event paying the club. Unless your work allows you to go mon-thurs, the club is basically closed to you. This has only been this past spring/summer, and in winter the club was closed
 
When you say you "cancelled the check," do you mean you put a stop payment on it?

Did they keep your access card active into the new membership year as a courtesy after the first check bounced?
 
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I would pa the $7.50 and send them a certified letter stating that this amount makes them whole as you have not intent of using their services.

I'd also print a contract on the back of the check "by cashing this check, payee agrees full and complete settlement of all funds owed the club for any reason to date.". Yeah, I know these contracts are largely bogus (you won't get out of your mortgage or credit card bill if the bank cashes a payment with such a notation) but some insurance companies still use this technique on settlement checks.
 
Never been a problem for me, I shoot there all the time and never have issues. Seems a little odd that in 5 trips you couldn't get a shot off. Not saying it didn't happen but it certainly hasn't been my experience.
 
Dues were up in April, and honestly the check bounced at first because a 5 year old service I cancelled decided to accidently charge me $20 and I micro-manage my checking account so it didn't have the funds and it bounced.

I would say that if a measly $20 threw your whole checking account into a tailspin you need to concentrate a little less on the micro part and a little more on the manage part.
 
I would say that if a measly $20 threw your whole checking account into a tailspin you need to concentrate a little less on the micro part and a little more on the manage part.

I micro manage my checking account. Off topic but I'll type it in, as some people have never seen a system like this and really like it while others don't bother.

I have an online checking account, direct deposit goes to
I have 17 savings accounts (Rent, utilities, comcast etc all the way to actual savings accounts) that then automatically divide 100% of the funds into themselves
My charge accounts ALL automatically charge the savings accounts made for them. So every month my landlord deducts rent from my rent account.

It's 100% automatic, I just double check once a week to make sure my accounts have the proper funds/no double charges. Costs me nothing, no monthly fees, and all my money has savings account interest accumulating. I can quickly budget as well, and I am always 100% sure I have a 6 month backup in each account so there's no question of paying bills. This can all be setup with just a penny per account at capitalone360, with no bullshit. I use my credit card for other purchases (gas/grocery etc) for the cash back/points benefit, which is 100% paid off automatically each month so I don't accumulate interest. My credit score is a solid 780 and climbing, up from 630 just by using this system for a few years.

tl;dr my checking account is always intentionally empty.
 
Yeah, I'd pay the $7.50. That said, looking from the outside, have to admit I would avoid this club based on OP's experience. Just don't like how they handled it, fwiw.

In the business world, I've had people owe me alot more than $7.50 and picked up the phone and resolved things without threatening them. We've only ended up having to pursue someone beyond a few phone calls once and it wasn't for $7.50, either.
 
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Never been a problem for me, I shoot there all the time and never have issues. Seems a little odd that in 5 trips you couldn't get a shot off. Not saying it didn't happen but it certainly hasn't been my experience.

8 trips. 5 with friends/family from out of state, 3 on my own. Twice on my own the utility range may have had room, I didn't check because all I brought was pistol. Every pistol pit and regular pit were over-filled, and on my own I even tried going back later in the day to the same conditions. When I brought friends and family ALL ranges, however, were booked.

The 2nd time there was a pistol pit lane open, but it looked like the wives of the shooters used it as a "hangout" zone as they spectated. When I asked if we could use it people from the event told us no, to come back another day. I asked by myself too, they had no idea I had 5 others in the car. Every time we tried asking at the regular pits if we could share, most of them seemed like event shooters warming up that said no and the other ranges already had 3-4 shooters sharing a range.

We tried going early once, mid day another time, late AFTER the calendar said the event ended and never had luck.
 
I want to point out that after the 2nd time this happened, I emailed the BoD about the issue asking if they could more formally leave lanes open or better plan it because I was sure other members were having difficulty too. For the sake of keeping a long post as short as possible I also didn't go into detail on how much utter effort we put in to just get a shot off. It wasn't a pop in and out, we tried, waited, asked, went to every range, went back later in the day etc.
 
Hey guys, I wanted advice on a legal issue I'm having with Pelham F&G

I was a member at this club in NH for a few years, and was brought in by a member here. Basically I was unsatisfied with the club when Dues were up this year, and after cutting the check and sending it in I hit "the last straw" so to speak and decided to completely cancel my membership with this club and even boycott it. Their response was a certified legal letter threatening to pursue charges for an un-chashable check (I cancelled it before it was deposited) plus a no-tresspass order.

Story: I started to dislike this club last winter when they seemingly decided to plow all the ranges closed (As in, plow all the snow straight up to the benches intentionally so they could not be used) causing the club to be "closed" during half of last winter. I hadn't been shooting since in months and I USUALLY like to go 1-2 times a week. When good weather hit I decided to make an event out of it, and had family travel from RI, Florida, NY and MA to come to the range to shoot. I checked the schedule in advance, and there were events but they promised to leave lanes and other ranges alone. Every single weekend day of every weekend was booked with events, so we agreed we would only use 1 range/lane and would make a day of it. When we got there, not only was a lane not left open but there were events going on at EVERY range (As opposed to events being staggered at each range, like the calendar said).

Trap had an event, utility range did, pistol pits had IDPA or something, and the other pits had a few events. Looked like vendors, the works. The club was basically closed, and we tried for half an hour to get a spot until we left very frustrated. For anyone that knows this club, it has a LOT of ranges and I've always been able to get a spot or share a range even at the busiest peaks, but not this day and not even if we waited hours. We rescheduled for a few weeks later, same plan, and THE SAME THING happened. We tried a total of 5 times to get to the range, and could never once get a shot off. I still have not been able to shoot since last fall, and I've wanted to go every week.

Dues were up in April, and honestly the check bounced at first because a 5 year old service I cancelled decided to accidently charge me $20 and I micro-manage my checking account so it didn't have the funds and it bounced. I immediately got refunded and waited for them to retry, and I tried to use the range a few times more and each time was a failure. I got fed up, decided to call it quits. I tossed my membership card, I ate the $30 bounced check fee, and decided to never waste a 40 minute drive to that shithole club ever again, and I cancel the check. I figure I never got to use the club this entire season, why pay for services not rendered?

Well the club reached out to me in August and I told them what I wrote above. I was unhappy, and will never set foot in the club again. Today I got certified mail stating if I didn't send them my membership card, plus a money order for $7.50 to cover the check bounce fee, that they would press charges for me over the issue and issue me a no tresspass. This has me so infuriated I want to make sure nobody ever signs up to be a member/sucker at this club again, but I know that's unrealistic. So what are my options?

My personal take on it is that you wrote the check for membership, and you changed your mind and decided you no longer wanted to be a member. I get the steps that lead you to the decision but I don't fault the club for taking some action after your check bounced and then they try to deposit it again and the payment on the check was stopped. (I am inferring they contacted you about it and you said to try it again)

It seems like there is a gap in communication between you and the club. (Or maybe you just cut down details in the explanation and there was more back and forth with the club over time)

The way I would have handled it is to approach club leadership in person regarding the range access issues. Then I would determine my desire to be a member based on the results of that. Knowing some of the leadership at my club I know sometimes there is just an onslaught of people wanting you to treat them as the most important person at the club and so I could see the communication breaking down if they don't have time to dedicate to fix the issue. (Everyone is a volunteer, and I have heard people get an earful over noone answering the club phone in the middle of the week because x person had a question the needed answered.)

If I am very unhappy with the membership I would approach the club to try to get my membership money back prorated for the day I ask for it. Most clubs have hundreds of members that don't show up even 1 time a year and so non-use of the range itself isn't a justification for wanting the entire membership fee back retroactively. Though honestly I would just walk away and find a new club because fighting with a club over $180 just isn't something I would want to do long term when I had sent the check in to renew and then changed my mind after. Again not faulting how you came to the decision to not be a member but I would have taken a different path in executing it.
 
$7.50 is a small price to pay to get rid of a headache.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Even though it's the principle of the thing....This

- - - Updated - - -

I would pa the $7.50 and send them a certified letter stating that this amount makes them whole as you have not intent of using their services.

I'd also print a contract on the back of the check "by cashing this check, payee agrees full and complete settlement of all funds owed the club for any reason to date.". Yeah, I know these contracts are largely bogus (you won't get out of your mortgage or credit card bill if the bank cashes a payment with such a notation) but some insurance companies still use this technique on settlement checks.

+1
 
I would have gone in front of the BOD before it got to the boiling point, explained my concerns and judged my continuing membership based on the actual response to the issue. If I had changed my mind before they cashed the check, I would have written the BOD (Certified Mail) explaining that and requesting that they don't deposit the check but return it to me.

Legal wrangling about such things will take much more out of the complainant than the cost of a year's membership.
 
there's gotta be another side to the story. i can't see a big club like pelham going after a former member like this, you really ruffled some feathers, op.
 
Bounced a check and wants to stick the receiving end with the fee? Is this real life?
 
I lived damned close to PF&G (I can see the utility range firing line if I walk to the end of my street) and I have to say that there are days when it's pretty damned quiet. There have been plenty of weekends where there was barely a peep from the place. This is going back to December 1, 2015.

It's your money that you spend on a club/range membership. So join where you like, or more likely where you can. A LOT of other ranges/clubs have membership caps, so getting in won't be as easy.

Personally, IF I was to have family come from other states (outside of New England), I probably would have arranged something with the club to ensure we would have range time. A simple email, or phone call, could have done wonders for this. This would have been my action after either the first or second time you got range blocked.
 
there's gotta be another side to the story. i can't see a big club like pelham going after a former member like this, you really ruffled some feathers, op.

there's gotta be another side to the story. i can't see a big club like pelham going after a former member like this, you really ruffled some feathers, op.

I think they're just thinking of the liability or fraud. As a manager my first thought at a chargeback/bounce is someone trying to pull one over on me, because it usually is. Maybe they're just lazy, don't want to deactivate my number from the gate pinpad, and are trying to force me to send my card back. I had a pretty good track record at this club, the only hickup was a guest flinching while shooting pistol and one of the old guys who drive around watching members made a huge deal of it and pretty much told him he can never touch a gun on property again. I thought it was pretty harsh for a first timer's trip to the range, he was just hitting dirt at the bottom of the berm (He sucked pretty bad, he was limp wristing and flinching badly with a Glock)

I did communicate to the club via email my concerns. I also was working at the time 18-20hr shifts m-f and did not have availability to get to their meetings. I figured the club forgot about me after it bounced, and when I tossed my membership card I lost my gate numbers and never wanted to go back. The next communication wasn't until August, when they asked me about the bounced check. I simply stated pretty much what I put in the OP, that I will not be going back to the club and disposed of my card. In the reply I was told OK, please send back the card (Apparently missing the point that I tossed it) and nothing else. I didn't send the card, because I didn't have it and I already stated as much. The next communication was the certified mail I got today, asking for the card plus bounced check fee or face the consequences
 
I lived damned close to PF&G (I can see the utility range firing line if I walk to the end of my street) and I have to say that there are days when it's pretty damned quiet. There have been plenty of weekends where there was barely a peep from the place. This is going back to December 1, 2015.

It's your money that you spend on a club/range membership. So join where you like, or more likely where you can. A LOT of other ranges/clubs have membership caps, so getting in won't be as easy.

Personally, IF I was to have family come from other states (outside of New England), I probably would have arranged something with the club to ensure we would have range time. A simple email, or phone call, could have done wonders for this. This would have been my action after either the first or second time you got range blocked.

I'm not saying this place is so overloaded you'd have difficulty getting a lane any time. Up until this calendar year there had NEVER been a problem, and I brought a few guests and still never had a problem on the busiest days. This year just either was bad luck for me consistently 8 times. But when I went and asked to use the "reserved" lane I was always greeted with hostility. I received no response from the club when I reached out about the issue. And then their response when I decided to leave and not pay for 6 months of no services rendered I get threatened with legal action. Had they tried to submit the check (Or even the bank FFS) the day after, or any day after until about July, they would have had their money.

For the record I'm not pissed about the $7.50, they could have been real douchebags and asked for the $220 annual dues anyway. I'm pissed that their response to an unhappy member is to go after them legally instead of trying to fix the problem. My last club (Medfield Sportsmans Club) was fantastic about events, and would make sure other ranges were untouched if an event would require use of an entire range. I used to be able to walk in any saturday/sunday last summer at Pelham, with or without guests, and get a lane no problem too. But now they rope off entire ranges days in advance of events, they plow their ranges closed in the winter for no logical reason, and then book events on just about every range every chance they get. I guess this club would be a dream if you shot IDPA or whichever one they do.

An example of their behavior toward members is their action pits. 75 yard ranges with picnic tables. You drag the table, shoot at 10, 20, whatever many yards you want. One day they decide to chain them down inside their overhead rain protecting "sheds" each range has, and post that you can't shoot from within the overhead. So now if you want to shoot at their regular pits, you got to bring chairs and tables and it's only slightly more convenient than finding a good sandpit and doing the same (if you can find one, however). They pull shit like this all the time. It's not like people were shooting the benches.

I guess buying myself a new rifle in December and a new pistol in April and still haven't been able to shoot them really added fuel to the fire too. There were days I was so desperate to shoot I was just asking if I could shoot 1 round to function check my new carry piece just to make sure it was actually functioning, and not being able to.
 
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