Their less-than-excellent Adrenaline Adventures: activity park closes, customers lose sizable deposits

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This article was published 20/12/2017 (3027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HEADINGLEY — A Headingley-area “outdoor adventure park” suddenly shut down last week and customers were left with worthless reservations they put deposits on.

Father of five Erik Einarsson booked a birthday party for his nine-year-old twins at Adrenaline Adventures — a facility offering summer activities such as wakeboarding and zip-lining and tubing in the winter — that opened in 2010. He put down a deposit of nearly $400.

But last Friday, two days before the party, he received an email from the company.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce effective today, Dec. 15, 2017 the doors have been closed on Adrenaline Adventures,” it said.

The email said Adrenaline wanted to stay open over the weekend, but negotiations with the bank-appointed receiver were not successful. And it said customers with outstanding deposits reserving bookings would get a full refund within six days.

Einarsson called the following day but no one picked up. The line had been disconnected when he made a later attempt. There has been no response to his emails.

“I don’t know how to get a hold of them,” he said, adding he is working with Visa in an attempt to get the money back. “I have pretty low expectations.”

He was able to find another venue for his twins’ party.

Melissa Acosta booked a party for her nieces and nephews before she says goodbye and moves to Spain in January. She paid a deposit of $200 on Dec. 13.

“It’s very shady of them,” she said, suggesting the company likely knew it was about to be shut down, but took her money anyway.

She got an email from Adrenaline on Dec. 18 letting her know the business was closed, but there was no mention of a refund. She replied to the email, but received an automated response and her phone calls went straight to voicemail.

Acosta has contacted her bank to see if there’s any way to get her deposit back.

The Free Press tried to contact the company but the phone was out of service. No one appeared to be inside the business when a reporter visited. A notice on the door said Adrenaline Adventures was placed into receivership under Lazer Grant Inc., a certified public accountant firm.

“Adrenaline did not pay its debts,” Joel Lazer told the Free Press Wednesday, adding customers who made deposits to reserve their bookings at the park should contact his firm.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca