Terms of Use
Last Updated Date: 10/20/2026
We welcome you to our website (the “Website”). The Website is designed to provide information to sell products, as a resource regarding the products and to create a community of like-minded people interested in the topics we discuss (the “Products and Services”). The Website is owned by Indian Industries, Inc. d/b/a Escalade Sports (along with its affiliates, collectively referred to herein as “Escalade Sports,” “we,” “us,” and “our”). These terms and conditions (“Agreement”) apply to all websites, apps, features, functionality, products, services and content, provided by, operated by and/or hosted by Escalade Sports.
PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE OF THE WEBSITE AS THEY CONTAIN TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT IMPACT YOUR RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS, AND REMEDIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICES, INCLUDING AN AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE FOR ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION UNDER SECTION BELOW.
This site is protected by United States, individual state and international copyright, trademark and trade secret laws. All rights reserved. Certain features of the website may only be accessible by registered users of the website.
1. Acceptance of Terms.
This Terms and Conditions of Use Agreement (this “Agreement”) sets forth legally binding terms for your use of the Website. BY USING OUR WEBSITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER YOU ARE A “VISITOR” (WHICH MEANS THAT YOU SIMPLY BROWSE ONE OR MORE OF OUR WEBSITES) OR YOU ARE A “MEMBER” (WHICH MEANS THAT YOU HAVE REGISTERED ON ONE OF OUR WEBSITES AS A USER). If you do not accept the terms of this Agreement, you should leave our Website and discontinue use of the Products and Services immediately.
2. Changes to this Agreement.
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to modify this Agreement from time to time, and without prior notice. All such modifications shall be effective immediately upon its posting on any of our Websites unless we expressly specify otherwise. In any event, no changes will apply retroactively as to any claims existing prior to the date of the modification. If we choose to amend this Agreement, we will update the date at the top of this Agreement and post the updated version. By continuing to use the Website after we have posted an updated version of this Agreement, you are affirming that you agree to be bound by the amended Agreement. You are expected to check this page, so you are aware of any changes, as they are binding on you. If there are material changes to this Agreement, we may also reserve the right to provide notice of said changes in other alternative manners, such as posting said changes to our Website and/or communicating said changes via e-mail or other communication channel.
3. General Registration Requirements.
If you wish to become a Member, communicate with other Members and otherwise make use of the Products and Services, you must agree to this Agreement. In consideration of your use of the Products and Services, you represent that you are of legal age to form a binding contract and are not a person barred from receiving services under the laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdiction. You also agree to: (a) provide true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by the registration form available on our Website (the “Registration Data”) and (b) maintain and promptly update your Registration Data to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, or we have reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, Escalade Sports reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Products and Services (or any portion thereof). Use of the Products and Services and membership on our Website is void where prohibited.
4. Minors.
Due to the nature of the internet, we cannot prohibit minors from visiting our Website. However, all users who register with any of our Websites must be 18 years of age or older. Escalade Sports’ Products and Services are intended solely for users who are eighteen (18) years of age or older. Any registration by, use of or access by anyone under 18 is unauthorized, unlicensed and in violation of these Terms and Conditions. By participating, you represent and warrant that you are 18 or older, and that you agree to and will abide by all of these Terms and Conditions.
5. Member Account, Password and Security.
If you register on one of our Websites, you will be required to choose a password and user name, and you may be asked for additional information regarding your account, such as your e-mail address. You are solely responsible for the activity that occurs on your account, whether authorized by you or not, and you must keep your account information secure, including without limitation your login, password, and payment method(s). You must notify Escalade Sports immediately of any breach of security or unauthorized use of your account. Escalade Sports will not be liable for any loss you incur due to any unauthorized use of your account. You, however, may be liable for any loss Escalade Sports or others incur caused by your account, whether caused by you, or by an authorized person, or by an unauthorized person.
6. Cookies and Log Files.
Escalade Sports may use the “cookie” feature of your browser to assist in providing you directed products or services. Cookies identify a specific browser and certain usage history. Escalade Sports may choose to use cookies to identify you and to recall previous requests from your browser in order to better serve you. You may choose to disable the cookie feature of your browser; however, cookies may be required for certain portions of the website to function correctly. Escalade Sports may use log and tracking files that gather information such as internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks. Escalade Sports may use such information to analyze trends, administer the website, track user’s movement in the aggregate, and to analyze broad demographic information for aggregate use. Escalade Sports may integrate third-party technologies and share related information with third parties who assist in analyzing this data and providing services to us, including analytics, advertising, and helping us understand how our website is used and can be improved.
7. Electronic Communications.
You may communicate with Escalade Sports electronically via this website and you consent to receive communications from us electronically. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.
8. Responsibility for Content.
You, and not Escalade Sports, are entirely responsible for all content, including any information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, video, messages, tags, or other materials that you upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available via the Products and Services (“Content”). Escalade Sports does not control the Content posted via the Products and Services and, as such, we do not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of such Content. You understand that by using the Products and Services, you may be exposed to Content that you deem offensive, indecent or objectionable. Under no circumstances will Escalade Sports be liable in any way for any Content, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any Content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any Content posted, emailed, transmitted or otherwise made available via the Products and Services. You represent and warrant that you own, have the right to use or otherwise control all of the rights to the content that you provide, that the content is accurate, that it does not violate these Terms and Conditions, and that its disclosure and use will not cause injury to any person or entity. You hereby agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Escalade Sports, its shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers, subsidiaries, employees, agents, suppliers, licensees, and distributors, successors and assigns from all damages, liabilities, claims and expenses, including without limitation attorneys’ fees and costs, arising from any claims by third-parties based on any content you provide.
9. Prohibited Conduct.
You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities in connection with your access to or use of our Website, Products and Services:
posting, uploading, transmitting, or otherwise making available any Content that:is patently offensive and/or promotes racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual;
harasses or advocates harassment of another person;
exploits people in a sexual or violent manner;
contains nudity, violence, or offensive subject matter;
solicits personal information from anyone under the age of eighteen (18);
provides any telephone numbers, street addresses, last names or email addresses of anyone other than your own;
promotes information that you know is false or misleading or promotes illegal activities or conduct that is abusive, threatening, obscene, defamatory or libelous;
violates any intellectual property or other proprietary right of any third party, including Content that promotes an illegal or unauthorized copy of another person’s copyrighted work, such as providing pirated computer programs or links to them, providing information to circumvent manufacture-installed copy-protect devices, or providing pirated music or links to pirated music files;
involves the transmission of “junk mail,” “chain letters,” or unsolicited mass mailing, instant messaging, “spimming,” or “spamming”;
contains restricted or password-only access pages or hidden pages or images (those not linked to or from another accessible page);
furthers or promotes any criminal activity or enterprise or provides instructional information about illegal activities including, but not limited to making or buying illegal weapons, violating someone’s privacy, or providing or creating computer viruses;
solicits passwords or personal identifying information for commercial or unlawful purposes from other Members;
involves commercial activities and/or sales without our prior written consent, such as contests, sweepstakes, barter, advertising, or pyramid schemes;
includes a photograph of another person that you have posted without that person’s consent or, in the case of children under the age of eighteen (18), parental consent, or otherwise constitutes an invasion of an individual’s privacy or infringement of publicity rights;
disrupts, interferes with, denies service to or otherwise harms or violates the security of this Website, or any services, system resources, accounts, passwords, servers or networks connected to or accessible through Escalade Sports or affiliated or linked sites, “flames” any individual or entity (e.g., sends repeated messages related to another user and/or makes derogatory or offensive comments about another individual), or repeats prior posting of the same message under multiple threads or subjects;
contains a virus or other harmful component;
using any robot, spider, scraper, or other automated means to access the Website or Products and Services for any purpose without our express written permission;
attempting to probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of any system or network associated with the Website, or breaching any security or authentication measures, or attempting to override or circumvent any security components, digital rights management tools, or usage rules embedded into our Website;
impersonating any person or entity, or falsely stating or otherwise misrepresenting your affiliation with a person or entity;
collecting, harvesting, or storing personal data about other users without their consent;
using the Website or Products and Services in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Website or interfere with any other party’s use of the Website;
reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling, or otherwise attempting to discover the source code or underlying ideas or algorithms of the Website or any software used on the Website; or
using the Website or Products and Services for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by this Agreement.
10. Rejection/Removal of Content.
You acknowledge that Escalade Sports is not obligated to and may not pre-screen Content posted on our Website, but that Escalade Sports shall have the right (but not the obligation) in its sole discretion to pre-screen, edit, refuse, or remove any Content or portion thereof that is available via the Products and Services, in its sole discretion, for any reason. Without limiting the foregoing, Escalade Sports shall have the right to remove from our Website any Content that violates this Agreement or is otherwise objectionable in the sole discretion of Escalade Sports, or to restrict, suspend, or terminate your access to all or any part of the Products and Services at any time, for any or no reason, with or without prior notice, and without liability. If you become aware of misuse of the Products and Services by any person, please contact Escalade Sports.
11. Third Party Statements.
Escalade Sports is not responsible for third party statements. Reviews, critiques, editorials, commentary, forum or blog discussions or similar type statements posted by third parties are not intended to imply sponsorship, adoption, belief or endorsement of them by Escalade Sports.
12. Preservation/Disclosure.
You acknowledge, consent and agree that Escalade Sports may access, preserve and disclose your account information and Content if required to do so by law or in a good faith belief that such access, preservation or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process; (b) enforce this Agreement; (c) respond to claims that any Content violates the rights of third parties; (d) respond to your requests for customer service; or (e) protect the rights, property or personal safety of Escalade Sports, its Members and the public. Under no other circumstances will Escalade Sports intentionally disclose your account information to any third party.
13. Non-commercial Use.
The Products and Services may not be used in connection with any commercial purposes, except as specifically approved by Escalade Sports. Unauthorized framing of or linking to any of our Website is prohibited. Commercial advertisements, affiliate links, and other forms of solicitation may be removed from Member profiles and Content without notice and may result in termination of membership privileges.
14. Your Content.
You represent and warrant that: (i) you own all right, title and interest in all Content posted by you on or through our Website or the Products and Services, or otherwise have the right to grant the license set forth in this section, and (ii) the posting of your Content on or through our Website or Products and Services does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, contract rights, confidentiality, or any other rights of any third party. By posting, displaying, publishing, transmitting, or otherwise making available (individually and collectively, “posting”) any Content on or through our Website or the Products and Services, you hereby grant to Escalade Sports a non-exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees) to use, copy, modify, adapt, translate, create derivative works, publicly perform, publicly display, store, reproduce, transmit, distribute, and otherwise make available such Content on and through our Website, in print, or in any other format or media now known or hereafter invented, without notification, compensation, or attribution to you, and without your consent. If you wish to remove any Content from the Products and Services, your ability to do so may depend on the type of Content, the location and manner of posting, and other factors. You may contact us to request the removal of certain Content you have posted, but Escalade Sports has no obligation to remove any such Content, may choose whether or not to do so in its sole discretion, and makes no guarantee as to the complete deletion of any such Content and copies thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a backup or residual copy of any Content posted by you may remain on Escalade Sports’ servers after the Content appears to have been removed from our Website, and Escalade Sports retains the rights to all such remaining copies.
15. Escalade Sports Content.
All Products and Services, product and service information, website design, text, graphics, logos, button icons, audio and video clips, the selection and arrangement thereof, pricing and financial information, and all software is the exclusive property of Escalade Sports or its content suppliers (“Escalade Sports Content”). Escalade Sports Content and content provided by users of our Products and Services is protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret and other laws. COPYRIGHT 2026, ESCALADE SPORTS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Escalade Sports owns and retains all rights, title and interest in the Escalade Sports Content.
16. Limited License.
All access to Escalade Sports’ Products and Services is provided subject to a limited, non-exclusive license. Escalade Sports hereby grants to you a limited, revocable, non-sublicensable license to reproduce and display a single copy of the Escalade Sports Content and any third party Content located on or available through our Website or Products and Services (excluding any software code therein) solely for your personal, non-commercial use in connection with viewing our Website as a resource in connection with understanding, purchasing and using the Products and Services. Except for Content posted by you, you may not copy, modify, translate, publish, broadcast, transmit, distribute, perform, display, make available, or sell any Content appearing on or through our Website or Products and Services.
17. Other Sites.
Our Website may contain links to other sites owned by third parties (i.e. advertisers, affiliate partners, strategic partners, or others). We are not responsible for examining or evaluating, and we do not warrant the products or offerings of, any of these businesses or individuals, or the accuracy of the content of their website. Escalade Sports does not assume any responsibility or liability for the actions, product, and content of any such website. Before you use any third party website, you should review the applicable terms of use and policies for such website. The inclusion of a link in any of our Website does not imply Escalade Sports’ endorsement of such third party website. If you decide to access any such linked website, you do so at your own risk.
18. International Use.
Due to the global nature of the Internet, you agree to comply with all local rules regarding online conduct and acceptable Content. Specifically, you agree to comply with all applicable laws regarding the transmission of technical data exported from the United States or the country in which you reside.
19. Privacy Policy.
Escalade Sports respects your privacy and permits you to control certain aspects of the treatment of your personal information as set forth in our Privacy Policy. A complete statement of our current privacy policy can be found in our “Privacy Policy”. The Privacy Policy is expressly incorporated into this Agreement by this reference.
20. Third Party Rights/DMCA Policy.
Escalade Sports respects the rights of third parties. In the event that a third party believes that content used on or with Escalade Sports’ Products and Services violates that party’s copyright or trademark rights, the following policy applies:
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The complaining party should provide a notice to Escalade Sports informing Escalade Sports of the asserted violations. To be effective, a “Notice” must be a written communication to Escalade Sports’s agent which includes the following:
identification of the work or rights alleged to be infringed;
identification of the material claimed to be infringing or which is the subject of the violation and identifying information for the party allegedly committing the violation;
the complaining party’s contact information, including a complete name, address, telephone and e-mail address;
a statement under penalty of perjury that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material is unauthorized, that the information in the Notice is accurate and, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner; and
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a physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the complaining party.
Upon receipt of a sufficient Notice, Escalade Sports will review the Notice, will notify the party allegedly committing the violation and will temporarily remove or disable the allegedly violative material. Escalade Sports reserves the right to terminate the account of repeat offenders.
Escalade Sports will provide the allegedly violating party an opportunity for 10 business days to provide a Counter-Notice defending the allegedly violating material and will forward any Counter-Notice to the complaining party.
Upon receipt of a Counter-Notice, Escalade Sports may at its option restore the removed or disabled material in no less than 10 business days unless the complaining party notifies Escalade Sports that it has sought a court order for injunctive relief.
21. Member Disputes.
You are solely responsible for your interactions with other Members. Escalade Sports reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor disputes between you and other Members.
22. Term and Termination.
This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for so long as it is posted on any of our Website. Escalade Sports reserves the right to terminate your account or your access to our Website immediately, with or without notice to you, and without liability to you, if Escalade Sports believes that you have breached any of the terms of this Agreement, furnished Escalade Sports with false or misleading information, or interfered with use of the Website or the Products and Services by others. The terms of Sections 8, 11, 12, and 18 — 29 shall survive termination of this Agreement and your use of the Products and Services.
23. Disclaimer of Warranties.
You expressly understand and agree that:
Your use of the Website and the Products and Services is at your sole risk. Individual goods sold by Escalade Sports may contain a warranty which applies to those goods for the original purchaser from Escalade Sports or one of its authorized retailers. Except for warranties provided with the sale of goods, the Website and the Products and Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. Escalade Sports and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, employees, agents, partners and licensors expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement, with respect to the service, the website, and any third party website with which they are linked.
Escalade Sports and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, employees, agents, partners and licensors make no warranty that (i) the Website or the Products and Services will meet your requirements; (ii) the Website or Products and Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, error-free, or free of any harmful components (including viruses); (iii) the results that may be obtained from the use of the Website or Products and Services will be accurate or reliable; and (iv) the quality of any Content, products, services, information or other material purchased or obtained by you through the Website or Products and Services will meet your expectations. WE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF DELETION, MISDELIVERY OR FAILURE TO STORE COMMUNICATIONS, PERSONALIZED SETTINGS, OR OTHER DATA.
Any material downloaded or otherwise obtained through the use of our Website or the Products and Services is accessed at your own discretion and risk, and you will be solely responsible for any damage to your computer system or loss of data that results from the download of any such material.
24. Limitation on Liability.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws, in no event will Escalade Sports, its affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, agents, suppliers, or contractors be liable to you or any third party for any indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, special or punitive damages, including lost profit damages arising from or in connection with the use of the service, the Website or any website with which they are linked, even if Escalade Sports has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Escalade Sports’ liability to you for any cause whatsoever and regardless of the form of the action, will at all times be limited to the amount paid, if any, by you to Escalade Sports for the Products and Services within the six (6) months preceding the event giving rise to the claims. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, in which case, the above limitations of liability may not apply to you.
25. Indemnity.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Escalade Sports, its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, consultants, agents, and representatives from any and all third party claims, losses, liability, damages, and/or costs (including reasonable attorney fees and costs) arising from your breach of the terms of this Agreement, your Content, or your infringement, or infringement by any other user of your account, of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity. Escalade Sports will notify you promptly of any such claim, loss, liability, or demand, and will provide you with reasonable assistance, at your expense, in defending any such claim, loss, liability, damage, or cost.
26. Additional Terms.
We may also require you to follow additional rules, guidelines or other conditions (“Additional Terms”) in order to participate in certain promotions or activities available through our Website, to obtain certain premium Content through our Website, or for other reasons. In addition, certain Additional Terms will govern any purchases you make through the online stores located on our various Website. These Additional Terms will be posted on the relevant portions of our Website or on the portions of our Website that describe the specific promotions, Content, or activities. These Additional Terms are part of this Agreement, and you agree to comply with them when you participate in those promotions, purchase items from our online stores, or otherwise engage in activities governed by such Additional Terms.
27. Modification and Discontinuation.
We reserve the right at any time to modify, edit, delete, suspend or discontinue, temporarily or permanently the Products and Services or any of our Website (or any portion thereof) with or without notice. You agree that we will not be liable to you or to any third party for any such modification, editing, deletion, suspension or discontinuance of the Products and Services or our Website.
28. Entire Agreement.
This Agreement, together with any other terms or policies referenced herein (including without limitation the Privacy Policy and Additional Terms), constitutes the entire agreement between you and Escalade Sports and governs your use of the Website and Products and Services, superseding any prior agreements between you and Escalade Sports with respect to the Website and Products and Services.
29. Dispute Resolution.
a) Disputes.
The terms of this Section 29 shall apply to all Disputes between you and Escalade Sports. For the purposes of this Section, “Dispute” shall mean any dispute, claim, controversy or action between you and Escalade Sports arising under or relating to your use of the Products and Services, this Agreement, or any other transaction involving you and Escalade Sports, whether in contract, warranty, misrepresentation, fraud, tort, intentional tort, statute, regulation, ordinance, or any other legal or equitable basis, and shall be interpreted to be given the broadest meaning allowable under law. YOU AND ESCALADE SPORTS AGREE THAT “DISPUTE” AS DEFINED IN THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION (A) BY ESCALADE SPORTS FOR: (1) TRADE SECRET MISAPPROPRIATION; (2) PATENT INFRINGEMENT; (3) COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT OR MISUSE; (4) TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT OR DILUTION; OR (5) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF; AND (B) (1) BY A PARTY SEEKING PUBLIC INJUNCTIVE OR PROVISIONAL RELIEF; OR (2) FOR WHICH ESCALADE SPORTS IS PROHIBITED FROM COMPELLING MANDATORY ARBITRATION UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY UNDER (B) ABOVE, THE EXCLUSION TO THE DISPUTE DEFINITION ONLY APPLIES TO THE PUBLIC INJUNCTIVE RELIEF OR PROVISIONAL RELIEF AND NOT THE UNDERLYING CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION. ALL OTHER ELIGIBLE CLAIMS, ISSUES, AND REQUESTS FOR RELIEF NOT EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED ABOVE, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, DAMAGES, OR RESTITUTION, SHALL BE RESOLVED IN ARBITRATION AS A DISPUTE, EVEN IF PLEADED UNDER THE SAME CAUSE OF ACTION OR BASED ON THE SAME FACTS OR TRANSACTIONS AS A REQUEST FOR PUBLIC INJUNCTIVE OR PROVISIONAL RELIEF.
b) Opt-Out.
You may elect to opt-out (exclude yourself) from the final, binding individual arbitration procedure and waiver of class and representative proceedings specified in this section by sending a written letter to Escalade Sports at the address below within thirty (30) calendar days of your initial agreement to this Agreement (including your first use of the Products and Services) that specifies: (1) your name; (2) your mailing address; (3) and your request to be excluded from the final, binding individual arbitration procedure and waiver of class and representative proceedings specified in this Section. In the event that you opt-out consistent with the procedures set forth above, all other terms of this Agreement shall continue to apply.
c) Dispute Notice.
In the event of a Dispute, you or Escalade Sports must first send to the other party a notice of the Dispute that shall include a written statement that sets forth the name, address, and contact information of the party giving it, the facts giving rise to the Dispute, and the relief requested (the “Dispute Notice”). The Dispute Notice to Escalade Sports must be addressed to: Indian Industries, Inc. d/b/a Escalade Sports, 817 Maxwell Avenue, Evansville, Indiana 47711 (“Escalade Sports Notice Address”). The Dispute Notice to you will be sent by certified mail to the most recent address we have on file or otherwise in our records for you, or via email if we do not have any such address on file. If Escalade Sports and you do not reach an agreement to resolve the Dispute within sixty (60) calendar days after the Dispute Notice is received, you or Escalade Sports may proceed to mediation as articulated in this Section. You and Escalade Sports will work in good faith to schedule the informal conference at a mutually convenient time. If you are represented by counsel, your counsel may participate in the informal dispute resolution conference, but you shall also fully participate in such discussions. The arbitrator may dismiss any arbitration brought without first proceeding through the informal dispute resolution conference.
d) Mediation.
In the event the parties cannot resolve the Dispute via the informal dispute resolution conference, the Dispute must first be submitted to non-binding mediation before a neutral third party before it may proceed to arbitration. Selecting the mediator, the appropriate terms for mediation (including costs), and a date for mediation shall be negotiated in good faith between the parties. The administrative fees associated with mediation shall be negotiated between the parties, but you will not be required to pay any such fees that exceed those fees you would be required to pay if proceeding in a court of law. Such fees also will not include attorneys’ fees and costs, if any, unless awarded during mediation. If the parties cannot agree to appropriate terms concerning mediation, the parties shall be entitled to proceed with an arbitration proceeding pursuant to this Section.
e) Binding Arbitration.
In the event mediation is unsuccessful, you and Escalade Sports agree: (1) to arbitrate all Disputes between you and Escalade Sports pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement; (2) this Agreement memorializes a transaction in interstate commerce; (3) the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. § 1, et seq.) governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Section (notwithstanding the choice-of-law provision contained herein); and (4) this Section shall survive termination of this Agreement.
f) Small Claims Court.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may bring an individual action in the small claims court of your state, municipality, province or territory if the action is within that court’s jurisdiction and is pending only in that court.
g) WAIVER OF CLASS ACTIONS AND CLASS ARBITRATIONS.
YOU AND ESCALADE SPORTS AGREE THAT EACH PARTY MAY BRING DISPUTES AGAINST THE OTHER PARTY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION FEDERAL OR STATE CLASS ACTIONS, OR CLASS ARBITRATIONS. ACCORDINGLY, UNDER THE ARBITRATION PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN THIS SECTION, AN ARBITRATOR SHALL NOT COMBINE OR CONSOLIDATE MORE THAN ONE PARTY’S CLAIMS WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF ALL AFFECTED PARTIES TO AN ARBITRATION PROCEEDING. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, YOU AND ESCALADE SPORTS AGREE THAT NO DISPUTE SHALL PROCEED BY WAY OF CLASS ARBITRATION WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF ALL AFFECTED PARTIES.
h) MASS ACTION WAIVER.
You and Escalade Sports agree that any Dispute between you shall be resolved only in an individual arbitration pursuant to this Section. You and Escalade Sports expressly waive the right to have any dispute, claim, or controversy brought, heard, administered, resolved, or arbitrated as a Mass Action, as defined below, and neither an arbitrator nor an arbitration provider shall have any authority to hear, arbitrate, or administer any Mass Action to award relief to anyone but the individual in arbitration, unless otherwise provided in this Section. “Mass Action” includes instances in which you or Escalade Sports are represented by a law firm or collection of law firms that has filed 25 or more arbitration demands of a substantially similar nature against the other party within 180 days of the arbitration demand filed on you or Escalade Sports’ behalf, and the law firm or collection of law firms seek to simultaneously or collectively administer and/or arbitrate all arbitration demands in the aggregate. Notwithstanding this Section, nothing prevents you or Escalade Sports from participating in a mass settlement of claims.
i) Special Master Appointment.
In the event there is a dispute concerning the Mass Action Waiver, the parties agree to resolve such dispute before a Special Master appointed by the arbitration provider and agreed to between the parties. The Special Master shall have authority to resolve disputes concerning: (i) filing fees owed with respect to any Mass Action; (ii) any dispute regarding whether this arbitration agreement has been followed; (iii) whether claimants are barred from proceeding with a Mass Action; (iv) any dispute relating to the representation of the same claimant by multiple law firms; (v) any dispute regarding discovery common to all claims; and (vi) any disputes regarding legal or factual issues common to all claims. If the Special Master determines you violated the Mass Action Waiver, either party shall have the opportunity to opt-out of arbitration within 30 days of the Special Master’s decision. You may opt-out of arbitration by providing a written notice to Escalade Sports at the Escalade Sports Notice Address. Escalade Sports may opt-out of arbitration by sending written notice of its intention to the arbitration provider and to you or your attorney, agent, or representative. For the avoidance of doubt, the ability to opt-out of arbitration at this stage in the proceedings only applies if the Special Master determines that you have violated the Mass Action Waiver. If the parties proceed with arbitration, the parties agree to the batching procedures below.
j) Batching.
After proceedings before the Special Master have concluded, and to the extent any Mass Actions are permitted to proceed, the parties agree that Mass Actions will be batched into groups of no more than 200 demands per batch by state of residence (with any remaining demands batched into a single group). The parties shall inform the arbitrator of the batches and their composition within 14 calendar days of the conclusion of proceedings before the Special Master. The arbitration provider shall treat each batch of claims as one case, with each case having one demand for arbitration, one appointed arbitrator, and one set of administrative documents and filing fees per batch. The parties shall randomly assign sequential numbers to each batch, and only one batch shall proceed to arbitration at a time in the order of the random sequential numbers. A separate arbitrator will be appointed to, and administrative and filing fees assessed for, each batch as the batch proceeds to arbitration.
k) Arbitration Procedure.
If a party elects to commence arbitration, the arbitration shall be administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and be governed by the applicable AAA rules to the Dispute; except AAA may not administer any multiple claimant or class arbitration, as the parties agree that the arbitration shall be limited to the resolution only of individual claims. If there is a conflict between the AAA rules and the rules set forth in this Agreement, the rules set forth in this Agreement shall govern. All Disputes shall be resolved by a single neutral arbitrator, and both parties shall have a reasonable opportunity to participate in the selection of the arbitrator. The arbitrator is bound by the terms of this Agreement. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, provincial, territorial, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this Agreement is void or voidable. The arbitrator shall be empowered to grant whatever relief would be available in a court under law or in equity. The arbitrator’s award shall be binding on the parties and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
l) Hearing Format.
Unless otherwise agreed, the arbitration shall take place in Evansville, Indiana, but may proceed telephonically in the event the total amount of the claim does not exceed $2,500 U.S. dollars (if the claimant so chooses). In all hearing formats, the arbitrator shall issue a written decision that explains the essential findings and conclusions on which an award, if any, is based. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by Escalade Sports or you shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which you or Escalade Sports is entitled. The discovery or exchange of non-privileged information relevant to the Dispute may be allowed during the arbitration.
m) Arbitration Fees.
The AAA rules will govern payment of filing fees and the AAA’s arbitrator’s fees and expenses. In addition, if the Dispute involves less than $75,000, and before initiating arbitration you complied with all pre-arbitration requirements in this Section 29, then we will promptly reimburse your filing fees and pay the AAA’s and arbitrator’s fees and any reasonable expenses (not including any attorney fees or expert witness fees or related costs that your attorney accrued in connection with your individual arbitration).
n) Amendments to this Section.
Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, you and Escalade Sports agree that if Escalade Sports makes any material amendments to the dispute resolution procedure and class action waiver provisions in this Agreement, Escalade Sports will notify you and you will have thirty (30) calendar days from the date of notice to affirmatively opt-out of any such amendments by sending a written letter to the Escalade Sports Notice Address that specifies: (1) your name; (2) your mailing address; and (3) your request to opt-out of such amendments. If you affirmatively opt-out of any future amendments, you are agreeing that you will arbitrate any Dispute between us in accordance with the language of this Section as stated in this Agreement, without any of the proposed amendments governing. If you do not affirmatively opt-out of any future amendments, you will be deemed to have consented to any such future amendments.
o) Severability.
If any provision in this Section is found to be unenforceable, that provision shall be severed with the remainder of this Agreement remaining in full force and effect. The foregoing shall not apply to the prohibition against class or representative actions; if the prohibition against class or representative actions is found to be unenforceable, this entire Section shall be null and void. The terms of this Section shall otherwise survive any termination of this Agreement.
30. Choice of Law and Forum.
This Agreement, its subject matter, and the relationship between you and Escalade Sports, including Section 28, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Indiana without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Without limiting the requirements under Section 28 above with respect to Disputes, you and Escalade Sports agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Evansville, Indiana.
31. Waiver and Severability of Terms.
The failure of Escalade Sports to exercise or enforce any right or provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of this Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties’ intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of this Agreement remain in full force and effect.
32. California Residents.
Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California users of the Website are entitled to the following specific consumer rights notice: The Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs may be contacted in writing at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite N-112, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at (800) 952-5210 or (916) 445-1254.
33. Questions.
If you have any questions regarding this Agreement, contact us by phone at 1-800-467-1421, or by email at customerservice@escaladesports.com.
