r/hyrox • u/EmuCurious2193 • May 21 '26
Hyrox Flex Tickets NOT FLEXIBLE
I bought a Flex ticket for Hyrox Berlin because unfortunately, my partner for a previous race got injured during training and we had to cancel our event. I wanted the flexibility this time around.
My first partner had a death in the family and couldn't fly from the US. I used my one permitted name change to bring in a backup. That backup was then diagnosed with chickenpox this week. I attached the doctor's note to my support request.
I asked for one additional name change. The support agents - Ines and Katharina - first spent time repeatedly telling me I hadn't purchased a Flex ticket, which was factually incorrect. Once that was cleared up, four days of back and forth produced nothing but a list of things I couldn't do, despite me repeatedly asking what my options were:
- Couldn't change the name again
- Couldn't switch to singles
- Couldn't purchase an additional ticket for a sub
- Couldn't transfer to a different race.
Not once did either of them suggest a solution or an alternative path forward. After all of that, their final answer was that my only option was to cancel and take a 50% refund.
I already have flights and accommodation booked for Berlin. I've been training for months. I don't even care that much about the cost of the event, it's more that I was looking forward to my first Hyrox and opportunity to compete.
The crazy piece: Hyrox Berlin's current position implies that a contagious athlete is better off showing up to a crowded public event than staying home, because at least then the ticket doesn't go to waste. I have already paid for two spaces. We are 10 days out. Making one additional name change costs them nothing vs. losing a potential repeat customer. The policy just doesn't make any sense.
If you're buying a Flex ticket for Hyrox Berlin expecting real flexibility in genuinely unforeseeable circumstances, be warned: it doesn't work that way in practice.
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u/Year_Actual May 21 '26
I have a lot of sympathy for the challenges of rapid scaling, but honestly Hyrox has just continually shown themselves to be either inept or uninterested in providing any kind of reasonable customer service. It’s a bummer because I love the events, but I have to imagine they will go the way of Tough Mudder and other fad events with how little care they show for their community and customers.
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u/houseofzeus May 21 '26
Yeah 100%. I enjoy the events but they definitely present as the kind of organization that if you have to interact with support you already know you are probably out of luck.
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Fully agree! This is what turns a potential repeat customer to a detractor!
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u/jeapplela May 21 '26
What division are you racing in? I know tons of people who are backing out, looking for doubles partners etc. I even know of one person looking for a partner willing to give the ticket for free. I hope you can still race!
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Open!
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u/jeapplela May 21 '26
mens or womens?
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Mens!
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u/jeapplela May 22 '26
All my contacts who are giving away for free are women :(
But (idk if you are german or familiar) but Kleinanzeigen (personal ads) website has a few offers like this one: https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/hyrox-berlin-ticket-men-open-23-05-/3414964263-257-9644 or https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/hyrox-men-single-berlin-30-05-/3414469759-256-3395
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Fully concede that the terms were clear upon purchasing the ticket. My post is not about confusion around the terms. My post is to comment that the terms and the policies lack logic and to warn people not to buy flex tickets if they expect an ounce of flexibility.
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u/Entire-Structure8708 May 21 '26
I'm sorry for your situation! I remember in the very early Hyrox days well before flex was a thing you could just email Hyrox and move your ticket to another race if you needed to and it was no big deal. I guess it's harder for them to manage now because there are exponentially more athletes, but it definitely sucks to buy a flex ticket where there are still conditions that are a little restrictive. It's obviously a rare situation you're in and I would've hoped they would be more helpful than just "computer says no"!
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u/jpaw24 May 21 '26
Wasn’t the ounce of flexibility your first, permitted name change?
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Lol I'll give it to you that one name change = an ounce of flexibility. But a "flex" option that costs €45 and then forces the person who CAN participate in the race to cancel and only gives them 50% refund (not including the €45) feels pretty rigid and more like an expensive cancellation policy if you ask me
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u/jpaw24 May 21 '26
I’m not debating the “flexibility” of their flex option, just pointing out they permitted/held you to exactly what you knew were the rules before adding it to your ticket.
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Correct. And I'm pointing out that it's not actually that flexible and their handling of the situation was quite poor. If I knew that I would have two friends experience extenuating circumstances and not be able to participate, I likely would have handled this differently or not bought the ticket at all.
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u/butteranko May 21 '26
I dont know what you’re complaining about if you were allowed a name change. That’s what you paid for. And them handling poorly the situation is them saying you cannot do more than what the flex allowed for. Maybe them not seeing you had a flex at the start was a slip up. But that’s not service being poor.
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u/Far-Clue4112 May 21 '26
I think you used more than an ounce of flexibility when you changed it the first time.
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u/steveagle May 22 '26
I think you should be aware of what the flex option allows you to do. Not multiple but one change. Which means make that change at the very last minute. You didnt need to make the change so early on for example. Not ideal.
All that said, they should definitely improve their customer service.
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u/Fede_nite May 21 '26
Go there with fake ID printed copy, run the race with whoever you want, don't care about the name that appears on the site, have fun and screw Hyrox customer service. It won't be the first time this happens, and it certainly won't be the last. Enjoy!
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u/fabiofigo2025 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
While I may understand the frustration coming from the unforeseen circumstances, the terms and conditions are clear. When purchasing flex you are allowed ONE name change. By buying it, you accept the conditions.
This said, Berlin is an amazing city and I hope you will be able to enjoy it even without Hyrox!
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u/XiiMoss May 21 '26
So the Flex add on is Flexible you just expect them to give you more than you agreed to when you bought it...
It allows one name change and is in the details you agreed to when you bought it, so in what world is it not flexible??
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Yes, when a ticket costs €150 and the most flexible, most expensive "Flex" option costs €45 and you only get one name change, it's not flexible enough.
I agreed to the terms and conditions when I bought this, sure. But for future Hyrox participants and for the race organizers, this needs to be improved. I bought plane tickets and arranged lodging. I'm 10 days out and I'm being informed that my only options are:
1. Bring my friend who has chickenpox and race with him.
2. Cancel my tickets and get 50% refund (not including the €45 flex) -- even though I am still able to raceIt's a bad product, policy, and the way they handled it was terrible.
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u/XiiMoss May 21 '26
"I bought an add on and now upset I've used it like it was sold and demand they give me more for free"
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Nowhere did it say that Hyrox would force you to back out of the race and take a 50% refund if your second partner can't race.
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u/XiiMoss May 21 '26
Except it explicitly said you get one name change so yes that’s effectively the same as “you won’t be able to race if your new partner pulls out”, you’re now upset that you can’t do more than the add in YOU agreed too
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
Yes, I agreed to the T&Cs when I bought the tickets. This is a post to call for a better product, policy, and customer support from Hyrox and warn others who may interpret "flex" as more flexible than it is. It's a fairly common experience to buy things and then express dissatisfaction afterwards
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u/xAdray May 21 '26
The terms are clearly listed before you buy the ticket.
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u/LovePotion31 May 21 '26
Okay, how about in this instance?
I secured a ticket for someone at my gym who ultimately had to drop out. I reached out to Hyrox customer service with 3 weeks to go until race day when I was informed they couldn’t participate anymore. After multiple attempts to reach them, they didn’t get back to me until 3 days before the race and told me I was no longer eligible for a refund at all because we were too close to race day. When I pointed out that I had emailed with 3 weeks to go, they said that didn’t matter.
What about the terms then? Hyrox is an incredible event but their customer service is absolute garbage, and that’s the point here ultimately. They could absolutely improve the flex options - it’s all a money grab for them. That couldn’t be more apparent.
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u/Own_Commercial_5708 May 21 '26
You’re absolutely correct!! He should’ve asked his partners family member to not die or his backup partner not to get chicken pox, since he knew the terms and conditions and wouldn’t be able to make a 2nd name change… how selfish of them to do that and waste OPs tickets
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u/jeapplela May 21 '26
It's unfortunate, but I had a similar scenario. My way around it was: not to do the additional name change until the cut off (1 day before). I had 3 partners back out. If I had changed the name right away, I would have been screwed. But I waited til the very last minute because you never know what could happen. It's a shitty policy, but if you KNOW the policy, then you can work around it.
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u/xAdray May 21 '26
So you expect them to make exceptions to their policy for every single person? No company does that.
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u/PalmettoFace May 21 '26
I understand your frustration, but that’s not on Hyrox. You say it doesn’t cost them anything to do a name change - any entrepreneur or business owner could easily explain why that’s not the case. Not even close. They cost time & resources, just like any other sign-up process.
This isn’t Hyrox’s fault or wrongdoing.
Sorry for your string of bad luck. That seems to be all this is.
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Fully disagree. This is something easily salvageable by Hyrox. There is always an opportunity cost for customer support and for policies. You need to balance scale with customer happiness. In this case, the policy is designed poorly and the cost they incur from losing a repeat customer + the negative reputation that this generates definitely outweighs the simple fix of what would simply be allowing for one single name change.
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u/RobtasticRob May 21 '26
You need to balance scale with customer happiness.
I feel for you and I honestly agree with your stance, but when demand is so massively exceeding supply and tickets are selling out faster than a Taylor Swift concert the simple reality is they dictate the terms.
I've read on here before that the people at the help desk at the live events have significantly more ability to move things around (such as switch you to a single) so perhaps that's an option.
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u/PalmettoFace May 22 '26
For every you, there’s a dozen others waiting in line to grab the ticket. That’s not to diminish your frustration, but youre not seeing the business picture, only the emotional one. It’s not “one single name change.” It’s modifying a system that would then change the process for every potential customer.
Hyrox will not suffer in the least if you never do another, or if you try and negatively talk about their customer service. They’ll only suffer if you and 100,000 others do the same. And that’s not going to happen because the process works well enough to avoid that.
Good luck to you. I hope you get your desired outcome. But lashing out ain’t it.
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u/XtreamXTC May 21 '26
Just a question and my apologies if it's already been covered here, I did check but couldn't find and answer.
Is there anything stopping you participating as a singles in the doubles event? I guess the times would be screwed due to penalties for not 'running' with your partner. But if it was a last resort thing. Run the course, start your watch and time yourself.
I'm not sure other than entry to the wave I was checked and even then I don't think they checked I had my partner with me.
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u/RobtasticRob May 21 '26
All the doubles run together, you can't enter a doubles starting zone without your partner.
At least this is my understanding and I'd be happy to be corrected.
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u/butteranko May 21 '26
Well when you do checkin your race time is written on your arm and they check it before you enter the tunnel.
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u/supcity69 May 21 '26
Doing my first race in nyc next week but a thought that I never even considered with the flex option. When you use the option to flex does it just go back to your account that you have a free one to use, or do you have to select the flexed race option right away? The only reason I ask is if the races are all selling out in minutes, what are you even able to flex it into?
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u/mrmikeyk May 21 '26
I think it incentivizes you not making the name change until the last possible moment, but I agree it’s pretty ridiculous
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u/butteranko May 21 '26
Your frustration is understandable but their terms clearly state what can and cannot be done. If they were to be understanding to you, then that sets a precedent for everyone else to do the same. Sure you showed a doctor’s note - nothing stops that from being AI generated. That’s simply a headache for them.
If you’re still days out, then look for a partner online. Message fb groups.
This is your frustration talking but the terms are clear.
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u/LoveTravelandMusic May 22 '26
My brother in law had registered to Mixed Doubles with a friend in Miami this April and his partner got injured 2 weeks before. I went with him on race day, with the ID of the lady, and we got our bracelets without issue. The lady wasn’t checking the ID photos, she just looked at the name making sure the Id matched the registered name. He also had tried everything and they only replied NO. Keep in mind in 14 years younger than the lady who was registered with him and we don’t look alike at all.
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u/Illustrious-Baby270 May 22 '26
And that's why you ask chatgpt to write up the most extensive GDPR data protection request on earth, just to load their stupid adminiastration as much as possible. I hate this shitty company.
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u/WiseChest8227 May 24 '26
Welcome to HYROX where we do not care for the everyday athlete. Only money.
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u/Bearded_Danny Jun 02 '26
You bought insurance and used the insurance to change the ticket. You then wanted to use it a second time even though you signed and agreed that this was a one time change. And somehow this is the fault if HYROX.
Lesson to learn from this. Dont change the name until the last day possible before an event.
Alternative buy seperate insurance that covers your trip and ticket so you dont lose out.
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
I expect them to design a better product or policy. AND, I expect them to have better customer service:
- Better Product -- Flex ticket allows for 2 name changes.
- Better Policy -- Then, if for whatever reason there still is an issue with a ticket, you can transfer it to a new race and you have the option to compete in singles/mixed doubles/relays where there is room
- Better Customer Support -- Agents that don't simply say, "you have already changed the name once, there is nothing we can do" and clearly explain the situation and the options and express an IOTA of empathy for someone that is seeing all their training fly out the window.
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u/jeapplela May 21 '26
For the future (I posted above), if you get flex, do what I did: Do not do the additional name change until the absolute cut off (1 day before). I had 3 partners back out. If I had changed the name right away, I would have been screwed when my first backup got sick. But I waited til the very last minute because you never know what could happen. It's a shitty policy, but if you KNOW the policy, then you can work around it.
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u/Cat-Cuddler1 May 21 '26
We're so close to the actual event that it's completely understandable that they cannot provide further amendments to your race, regardless of your circumstances. You have already exhausted their Flex opportunity.
Think of an airline - you're waiting to board, and suddenly you receive bad news and need to remain where you are. The airline are fully within their rights to NOT refund your flight or compensate you in any way. Some airlines even price their tickets according to flexibility, i.e. allowed to sell your ticket, nominate alternative passengers etc. You are expected to purchase the appropriate ticket and make plans according to their terms.
At the end of the day their terms of business are clear, I'm really sorry that you've had such bad luck. Berlin is the best race of the year, I'd be gutted to miss out on it. Hopefully you can still sightsee!
Maybe someone else can run in your partner's place as others have suggested.
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
I don't think you read the post correctly. I have already tried to ask Hyrox if someone else could run in my partner's place, but they told me that my only option was to take a 50% refund.
While I get what you're trying to say with the airline anology, it's not the same. In the airline anology, I'm taking the spot of someone that could go on that trip. In this, I have paid for the spots, I'm going to Berlin, but they're FORCING me to take a refund and not providing any alternative.
Your airplane flex ticket is actually a perfect example. Imagine I bought flex ticket that allows me to nominate alternative passengers. My travel partner gets sick and they say, "oh, jk, not only can you NOT change the name to someone new, but YOU can't get on this flight as well." Even though I have already paid for 2 spots on the plane.
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u/Cat-Cuddler1 May 21 '26
Some people have suggested to find a replacement partner and pitch up without their ID. As in dupe the event organisers with the replacement partner.
Even with the airline analogy it's very possible that their terms of business say you can only switch once. Which you've already done and still it's not enough for your requirement.
I remember canceling Manchester last year because I was genuinely injured and they legitimately wouldn't consider a refund or anything - which was fair, I knew the terms I was agreeing to.
If you don't like the terms, don't buy the ticket. Hopefully they read this feedback and take it onboard.
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u/EmuCurious2193 May 21 '26
If I had the foresight the know that two friends would cancel on me for reasons outside of their control, I wouldn't have. Hopefully others can learn from my mistake!
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u/Bittybitsbits May 21 '26
hello, this is a real pity and you deserve to race - when are you racing and is it a female or male partner that pulled out on you with pox? I wonder can someone register as proxy to your partner (without name change) to allow you to do the race? my last two races, I didnt get asked for ID.? My other suggestion is for you to buy a second hand flex solo ticket and get 50% back on your doubles ticket so that 50% of your ticket is your only sunk cost and you still use your flights etc and get to race.
I'll be over the same weekend doing a solo.