REIReviews 126

350 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA *******

Was looking for something specific in this location. Ended up being followed by multiple employees and not very incognito I might add. Even hung around while I paid and I was there with my family. I didn't stick anything in my pocket I didn't act sketchy in anyway I was looking for the freeze dried neapolitan ice cream sandwich and couldn't find it anywhere so I settled for something else and ended up being followed the entire time. It was incredibly rude and disrespectful and I will not be returning to this establishment.

Disappointed to say the least. 20+ year REI club member and will never shop here again. Always though REI sold quality product and offered great customer service however my most recent experience has left me disillusioned. Recently purchased a pair of Keen sandals from what I thought was a closeout or discontinued display. They looked fine and did not appear to have any damage of any kind. Tried them on and they seemed to fit fine. Took them home wore them for about 20 minutes and they turned out to be the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever owned. Attempted to return them to the store the following day and was informed by the cashier and the manager that they were "Garage Sale Items" and were unreturnable. I politely protested and questioned how was I supposed to know they were unreturnable. Neither the item tag, the receipt, or any signage in the area displayed the return status of this item. In fact when question about the location of the signage stating that the "Garage Sale items were not returnable the manager just said that "its over there somewhere". But wasn't exactly sure where that was. The store manage insisted that they would not offer a refund under any circumstances so told her I have no use for the sandals and that I would never attempt to sell or give them to anyone knowing the issues with them so would she be kind enough to dispose of them for me. Left the shoes on her counter and left the store. Immediately contacted corporate customer service and after 43 minutes and speaking with 3 supervisors and a 1000 apologies the best resolution they could come up with was to offer me a $25 gift card for the $66.83 defective shoes they sold me. Really not a sincere and adequate resolution.

No problem with the no return policy on the "garage sale" items however if you truly pride your reputation on exceptional customer experience, you really should have the items marked as unreturnable and the cashier should acknowledge clearly that the purchase is a "garage sale" purchase that is not refundable. REI you made your problem my problem and were indifferent of my 20+ years of loyalty. My loyalty was worth less than $66.83 and the bitterness will remain indefinitely. Buyer Beware-Hope this saves someone else the inconvenience and the time.

Did not honor the policy on returns I purchased a boot la sportiva They tore at the seam on both boots and I brought it back in seven months they refused to take it back saying that it was my fault because I wore them too much. I wore them three times a week and did 3 miles three times a week over seven months. These are hiking boots. I have worn lowa renegades for many years and had no problem this is the first year I used La Sportiva because the person who sold them to me told me they were good boot.
They were a terrible boot to tear in seven months but the worst is REI would not honor their return policy

Highly recommend another retailer plenty of them out there. They don't really care about you or your health and exposing you and everyone you come in contact with covid. I ordered a jacket online the week of thanksgiving it came and didn't fit right so like most companies called to exchange for the correct size. It would have been easy if I didn't use a gift card but since I used a gift card really didn't have any choices except go to the store and do an exchange to get it before Christmas and not just lose the money on the gift card. You can tell the companies that care about customer this is not one. (No price matching. Spent hours on the phone trying to get the right size, had to call back to get a return label) Never use a gift card unless you want a hassle better off giving your business to retailer that cares and understands we are in a world wide pandemic maybe REI doesn't believe this is real.

The Head Kore 105 is a remarkably light weight ski that crushes the terrain, I ride the 189 cm and I can't tell you how quick and maneuverable they are in all terrain even at high speed. It's able to carve up the groomers but also shred the outer area's. I also ski in the Head Kore 1 boots which are equally as light weight as the ski it's a great set up. There quick to react to big turns or having to $#*! it down. I ski in Alaska and this is a fun set up!

Ordered a pair of snowboard bindings to ship to a store right before COVID hit. The store closed down so the order wasnt available for pickup and the order ended up not being shipped, and by that time they were out of stock on my size. I let them know this and they apologized for the inconvenience, let me know that it might be back in stock again soon, refunded my credit card, refunded the $20 gift card i had used and also gave me another $30 card so I could possibly afford a more expensive pair that was in stock. Less than a week later my original pair of bindings I was looking for came back in stock, so I saved $30 in exchange for a little time wasted. My advice to those ranting against their service is maybe work a little more with them before giving up and just writing a bad review. Might have to call a couple different times, chances are somebody will work with you

I made an order with a gift card I received from someone as a gift and added 30 dollars which Rei cancelled a few hours later without informing me; had I not checked the status of the order on my account. I contacted live support which confirmed the cancellation of my order and assured me that I will get refunded, after 10 days of no contact and receiving, no refund and no email confirmation from them confirming my refund, I sent an email to support, they urged me to call the international support line and the Bankcard Department regarding my refund which I did, or at least tried multiple times to reach out to, they put me on hold on for each of my trials with every disregard to international telephony costs. It's the 8th of july and I still haven't received any refund from YOU. Today I contacted live support and was told that the gift card was fraudulent knowing that the person that gifted this card to me is a client of theirs, the support team told me that there is nothing they can do about my claim and that I should not shop from them. I told them to trace the gift card to the original owner and investigate with him, but I want my money back they proceeded to disconnect. I am trying to contact paypal to solve this issue because any communication with rei is failed. It's by far the worse experience I had with any retail online store and I have received multiple parcels coming from around the world. It just seems like their international services are a scam.

Today is June 17,2020. I ordered trekking poles on May 25 for the sale price of $135. On June 4 I got an odd email note they REI notified USPS to expect my package. What? That was the last note or communication I received. USPS tracking number has no information. Today I decided I had waited long enough. I tried their chatline on their site. Over 30 minutes later when I wasn't staring at it someone answered and quickly gave up on me and disconnected. So, I called their 800 number. After a few minutes of attempting to answer their machine's repeated questions correctly I finally got put on hold. My call wasn't picked up until 48 minutes later. I was informed my order had "slipped through the cracks between REI and the post office". I was assured the trekking poles would be shipped again tomorrow and this time by UPS which increases my chances of actually receiving said item (my opinion and experience).

It's not just about the trekking poles. It's about REI's total disregard for my time and aggravation. I spent over an hour and a half to correct REI's lack of controls and quality assurance. These trekking poles suddenly cost me many multiples of $135.

My experiences in the stores as of the last couple years is equally poor. Everything is locked up in cases now. You need to find a person to unlock it, and they're always busy with another customer. The customer service counter doesn't exist any more. To exchange something just get in a overly long line and wait your turn with paying customers for a cashier. Then go get your product in the right size or whatever and get in the same ridiculously long line.

What company would use USPS instead of UPS except a big conglomerate box store looking to save a nickel at the expense of customer satisfaction?

Now that the "co-op" box store REI has driven out all the smaller competitors their customer service is obviously a very low priority. I have been a member since 1991 which means squat.

Having been a member of the Co-Op for many years, during COVID, I have worked to support them and other companies as I could. Ordered shoes that didn't fit, in addition to waiting over a month. And still waiting on a refund, as I had to buy new shoes again... I had the privilege of waiting on the phone for oftentimes over an hour only to be told to be patient. The stores still closed so you can't return there. For a company that has done such an ex exceptional job over the years, very disappointed with their adjustments based on the situation and their lack of candor in serving their customers. Very disappointed. Figure it out guys and fix the issues!

I purchased a YETI camp chair online and found that it to be too heavy and bulky for light camping. Also, its actual weight exceeded the weight stated on REI's web site. I was not able to return it to my nearest REI store as it was closed due to the corona virus, therefore, I was required to ship it coast to coast to REI Returns in Sumner, WA at a cost of $62.27 (18 lbs via UPS). I have requested reimbursement for the return shipping by writing both to REI Customer Service and to REI management; neither of them have responded. I have been a REI customer for 30 years and have noticed that their customer service and policies have degraded recently and their promised "100% satisfaction" no longer the practice. In view of the fact that they do not provide return shipping on returns when free returns have become an industry standard, I would caution against making an online purchase.

I love how this company stands behind their products. I have bought so many things, and love being able to return them for any reason. Especially with athletic clothes I think you need to wear them a few times before you know if they work for you, and since they are expensive, it's great to know you can get your money back if you need to return them.