Padel racket testing policy

Choosing a racket is easier when you can feel it on the court yourself. At Tienda Padel Point Mechelen you can use the available PadeLMQ test rackets for this. Because other players rely on the same equipment, the rules below apply to every tester.

1. Testing only within Pachanga

All test rackets are and remain the property of PadeLMQ and may not leave Padel Club Pachanga under any circumstances.

Taking a racket home, to your car, to another club or to any other location is not permitted. Not even “briefly”, after closing time, against payment or with the intention of bringing it back later. The testing fee only grants permission to use the racket on the padel courts of Pachanga during your paid testing session.

2. Booking and paying before testing

To test a racket, book a padel court in advance via the Pachanga website or via the Playtomic app. The court booking and any court rental are separate from the testing fee.

Before you start, pay €10 per person per testing session of up to two hours via the payment QR code on the testing sheet in the shop. A court booking does not guarantee that a specific test racket will be available.

Short tests are also charged

We do not offer free short tests. Even if you only want to play for five minutes to feel whether a racket suits you, a court booking and the full testing fee are required. A shorter testing time does not entitle you to a lower rate or a partial refund.

Test rackets may only be used on the padel courts of Pachanga and may never leave the club. The separate cashback scheme for purchases continues to apply.

Testing fee and refund

Every player who tests pays their own testing fee.

Read this testing policy before you pay and start. Register the rackets you have chosen and follow the instructions given for the start and end of the test. The test must be completed within the accessible opening hours. Without a court booking and a successful payment, you may not use a test racket.

3. Check before the first shot

Check every racket carefully before you play with it, including when you switch rackets during your testing session. Look at both hitting surfaces, the entire edge, the frame, the throat, the grip and the wrist strap.

Do you see cracks, breaks, loose parts, unusual deformation or other damage? Take clear photos, report it immediately via the website chat or info@padelmq.be and do not use the racket as long as there is any doubt about its safety. Also report existing visible damage, so that it can be recorded.

Never use a racket with a damaged wrist strap or a suspected structural defect. Ask for another one. If we cannot offer a suitable alternative before your test begins, the testing fee will be refunded.

A photo before use helps to record the initial condition. The absence of a report does not automatically mean that a hidden or pre-existing defect was caused by you.

4. Careful use

• Use the racket only for normal padel play on the courts of Pachanga.
• Wear the wrist strap correctly around your wrist while playing.
• Do not throw the racket and do not deliberately hit it against the ground, glass, fencing, posts or other rackets.
• Avoid unnecessary risks of collisions and damage. Stop if you notice damage or an unsafe part.
• Do not leave the racket unattended and do not pass it on to anyone who has not been registered as a tester.
• Do not remove any identification markings, serial numbers, weights, protectors or parts. Do not make any modifications without prior permission from PadeLMQ.
• Protect the equipment from unnecessary exposure to water, heat and other improper use.

If you are a minor, the booking and payment for your test are made by a parent or legal representative who enters into the agreement. Liability is assessed in accordance with the statutory rules.

5. Check and return after use

Check every racket you used again immediately after playing. Report new damage, a collision, a break or any other incident straight away, even if you are not sure what caused it. State which racket is involved, when it happened and what you observed. Add photos where possible.

Return all rackets used to the designated testing area no later than the end of your testing session and always before you leave. Follow the instructions for signing out. Do not put a damaged racket back among the usable test rackets without reporting it: report it and follow our instructions for returning it safely within the club.

If we do not respond immediately, the prohibition on leaving the club with the racket still applies. Let us know in writing where within the designated testing zone you put the racket back. Leave a damaged racket there clearly separated and recognisable, so that the next player does not use it unknowingly.

6. Damage and possible compensation

You are responsible for damage that can be attributed to you under the law, for example through careless or prohibited use. PadeLMQ assesses the circumstances, the recorded initial condition, the nature of the damage and the available information. A collision or a break is investigated; the mere fact that a racket breaks during your test does not automatically prove your liability.

In the case of repairable damage, the reasonable cost of repair may be charged. In the case of irreparable damage or loss for which you are liable, a replacement compensation may be charged. This compensation may amount to up to the selling price of the racket concerned, insofar as this corresponds to the demonstrable damage. In doing so, we take into account age, use, condition before the incident, any residual value and compensation already received for the same damage.

We do not automatically charge the full price of a new racket for every defect. Normal wear and tear, demonstrable pre-existing damage and a manufacturing or material defect for which you are not responsible are not charged to you as damage caused by you.

You will receive an explanation and substantiation of any compensation requested, and you can submit your comments or evidence via info@padelmq.be. PadeLMQ does not decide unilaterally and conclusively on your liability. In the event of a dispute, the normal options for dispute resolution remain available.

7. No purchase, transfer of ownership or personal warranty claim

A testing fee or compensation for damage is not a purchase price. Even after compensation for damage has been paid, the racket remains the property of PadeLMQ and must be returned within the club. Only a separate, express sales agreement can change this.

Because you do not buy the test racket, testing it or paying compensation for damage does not give you a buyer's warranty of your own on that racket. You may not submit it for warranty yourself, send it off, have it repaired, destroy it or keep it. Any claim with a supplier or manufacturer is handled exclusively through PadeLMQ as the owner.

This does not mean that a manufacturing defect is automatically at your expense. Any findings by the manufacturer are taken into account when assessing the incident.

8. Unauthorised removal and violations

Taking a racket outside Pachanga is a violation of this policy, not a permitted extension or rental. There is no daily rate by which you can acquire this right. A racket that has nevertheless been taken away must be returned immediately in accordance with PadeLMQ's instructions.

In the event of unauthorised removal, loss or misuse, PadeLMQ may demand its return, stop the test, refuse future tests and, where appropriate, report it to the police. Any claim for damages remains limited to what is legally owed and demonstrable; no automatic daily penalty applies.

9. Inability to test or discontinuation

You change or cancel your court booking via Pachanga or Playtomic, in accordance with their terms. This is separate from the testing fee.

If you have paid the testing fee but PadeLMQ cannot offer you a usable test racket, you can choose between a new testing session and a refund of the testing fee. In the case of an interruption due to an unsafe racket or a cause on our side, we will look for a suitable alternative or a proportionate refund. Statutory rights continue to apply.

10. Questions or reporting damage

Before and during your test: the chat at the bottom right of the website or info@padelmq.be.
Written follow-up of damage: info@padelmq.be.

If in doubt, wait before playing; the absence of a reply does not give permission to continue playing with a possibly unsafe racket.