HuntVault Hunting Gear Subscriptions

HuntVault offers hunting gear subscriptions for people who love the great outdoors. And it takes some exploring on the company’s website to discover all the costs and terms of its memberships.

On HuntVault’s “subscribe” page, the company lists four subscription options: Elite 365, Elite Monthly, Original 365 and Original Monthly.

The subscription HuntVault seems to promote the most is the Elite 365 subscription, which has an advertised price of $150.

Clicking on the Elite 365 subscription option also reveals that it costs $150.

Hovering over “Subscription details” simply reveals a small pop-up that states “Outdoor gear delivered monthly!”

And once consumers add the subscription to their virtual cart, the same $150 price is repeated.

This advertised $150 price is also promoted on the HuntVault homepage as well as in a social media ad.

But the reality is the Elite 365 subscription does not cost $150. It actually costs more than $1,900. That’s because the advertised $150 price is the monthly cost of an annual subscription, a fact consumers may miss if they don’t scroll down past the “Add to cart” button on the product page or read the fine print on the payment page. And the advertised price doesn’t include shipping, which costs $9 or $50 per shipment depending on where you live. That means the Elite 365 subscription actually costs between $1,908 and $2,400.

What’s more, the Elite 365 subscription can only be canceled after “12 orders,” another material fact that is tucked away under the “Add to cart” button. So if you aren’t happy with your monthly deliveries after a few shipments, you’re still on the hook for the whole year (unless you want to pay a cancellation fee, the amount of which is not disclosed).

Another thing the company isn’t clear about? The fact that this subscription may continue to auto-renew even after the 12-month term expires.

Beneath the “Add to cart” button (we’re beginning to notice a trend) on the Elite 365 product page the company claims that the membership “Renews monthly ($150/month) for one year,” implying (for anyone who sees this language) that the commitment is over once the year is up. However, HuntVault then confusingly states that the “Subscription can be canceled after 12 orders.”

And it’s not just the sign-up process for the Elite 365 subscription that consumers need to be wary of. Signing up for the Original 365 subscription, which also requires a 12-month commitment, presents the same issues regarding hidden fees and difficulties discerning the true cost of membership.

Getting out

HuntVault’s terms and conditions reiterate the sections of its website that state Elite 365 and Original 365 memberships can only be canceled “once a customer has reached minimum order requirement of 12 subscription orders / boxes.” But the terms do not say how consumers can cancel their Elite 365 or Original 365 subscriptions, whether they have to call or email the company or have the option to cancel online.

Difficulty canceling a HuntVault subscription is among the issues consumers have reported to the BBB, which gives the company an F rating. Consumers have also complained about prices increasing during a subscription term, products not meeting expectations, failed deliveries and an unresponsive company.

The FTC recently passed a “click to cancel” rule provision that requires sellers to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and memberships as it is to sign up. That means if a company allows you to sign up online, it must also allow you to cancel online.

Consumers should try to learn as much as possible about a company’s cancellation policy before signing up in order to potentially avoid some headaches – and future charges for unwanted products or services – down the road.

HuntVault did not respond to TINA.org’s request for comment.

See more of our coverage on subscriptions.