Bad REI Experience

[buellbrewer]

I've been a member right at 30 years. …I don't know about a hoochee Gucci though.
It used to be the only place(semi local to me) to find decent equipment .. and i have returned items there with no problem(one was a rei brand bag the zipper failed on and over a year old)
I do hate the direction they've taken about inclusion blah blah blah. Its not just them though, SGS, Coke, Cox media you can go on and on. Now that the world wide web is out there its easier to find good stuff and fair prices. Still i go once a year and load up on crappy mountainhouse food and isobutane canisters.
Maybe printout the online ticket and email someone at corp customer service.? It being a new item and defective they should honor the manufacture of it, regardless of being a member or not.

 

[GAGunguy]

Buy a new mat and return the old one for a refund.

winner!

 

[sniper22]

Just thought I'd detail a bad experience I had with REI trying to return or exchange a defective item. I bought the REI backpacking bundle online which is a tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat. I used the mat for the second time this past weekend and had a serious issue with it; the inflation valve, which is only supposed to let air in, was letting air out like a huge whole, making it nearly impossible to inflate the pad. I contacted REI online and they suggested I take it to a store so I could exchange it. I drove 50 minutes to the store in Kennesaw and they wouldn't let me exchange or return it for anything. Their reasons were: they couldn't find me in the system, it was more than 30 days since I purchased it, and I couldn't just return the one item since I had bought it as part of a bundle. I was very disappointed and for sure won't be buying from them again. Their policies don't treat customers well. I think it's a shame and ridiculous that I had something with an obvious defect with REI's logo all over it and the REI store turned me away.

Just curious, but did you have your receipt?

 

[Linachaw]

Just curious, but did you have your receipt?

I deleted the email confirmation back when I got it over a year ago

 

[joeabarno]

Order another set online, pack up the first set with the defect and return it.

 

[BillsCamino]

REI...Rude Experience Inside...

 

[spencer60]

Why would anyone bother with their overpriced stuff when you can get so much better shopping around online?

 

[Burning Love]

I’ve found their shoes and pants to be competitively priced with the same items online. Being able to try things on before I buy them is nice, and I’ve had great experiences with customer service there.

I like nice hiking shoes and shooting in yoga pants.

 

[SpeedyR]

I have bought a lot of stuff there when it's on sale, usually the REI branded stuff. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, they do have a good selection and some of the stuff is the same price everywhere so at least you get your dividend if you are a member.

being a member has a lot of perks, plus it's lifetime. I used to do a lot of rock climbing, caving, backpacking, kayaking, etc and they were the only game in town that would carry decent stuff (high country being the other). if you are buying your outdoor gear at places like Dicks or Academy then you really aren't using it much or hard. I don't mind paying for quality if it's going to last and gets used often.

The joke years ago was REI stood for Return Everything Immediately. Over the years too many people took advantage of the return policy so they had to change things, but overall I've never had any issues at all buying or returning things to the stores. They still tend to bend over backwards for their members, but I'd guess if you contact the online group they might be able to find your info via your email address or something.

 

[Control for Smilers]

I have bought a lot of stuff there when it's on sale, usually the REI branded stuff. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, they do have a good selection and some of the stuff is the same price everywhere so at least you get your dividend if you are a member.

being a member has a lot of perks, plus it's lifetime. I used to do a lot of rock climbing, caving, backpacking, kayaking, etc and they were the only game in town that would carry decent stuff (high country being the other). if you are buying your outdoor gear at places like Dicks or Academy then you really aren't using it much or hard. I don't mind paying for quality if it's going to last and gets used often.

The joke years ago was REI stood for Return Everything Immediately. Over the years too many people took advantage of the return policy so they had to change things, but overall I've never had any issues at all buying or returning things to the stores. They still tend to bend over backwards for their members, but I'd guess if you contact the online group they might be able to find your info via your email address or something.

quarterly sales they have are good. shoe prices are on par with anywhere else. membership is worth it for the return policy...that being said I have been a member since I was 14 in scouts doing a **** ton of kayaking/canoeing/backpacking. the members only sales on REI branded **** are great. if the **** tears up, take it back.