REIReviews 126

I found an item online but oversized shipping was $75 so I opted to pick it up at store that was 45 mins from my home. When I arrived they said that not only did they not have the rack but they did not stock it. I told the customer service representative that that it said they had it online and she just shrugged. I called the customer service hotline and they confirmed that it still said the item was in the store and suggested that next time I should probably call ahead. Not helpful at all.

My wife bought a pair of Merrell hiking shoes 2 years ago, didn't wear much, but did this past week on a 4 day backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail in Yosemite. It was the first time she really wore them on a long hike. She got blisters pretty bad, even though they were two years old (and worn in). She returned them today to REI and they gave her a full refund. Wow. I have total confidence buying products from them... they really stand by their stuff.

Product listed as "in-stock" hasn't shipped yet... and the order confirmation arrived a week and a half ago. Correspondence returned in a timely manner... saying that it should be shipped soon, and that cancellation is not possible.

This has all the earmarks of a "middle-man" business where they don't actually inventory product, and instead order from wholesalers when the order from a customer is received. Or they simply lied about the in-stock status. Or their warehouse takes a week to pick and pack a product.

Either way, I'm guessing my ~$100 may be gone for good.

Wow. My son requested a backpack from REI for his birthday. Went to the site, ordered the backpack and made sure to check the estimated arrival date before placing the order. Since the backpack was over $200, I was entitled to "free" 2-day shipping, meaning that the pack would arrive on time. Gave my payment info and submitted the order. Imagine my disgust when my confirmation email indicated that the pack would not arrive until 4 days after the original date. Called immediately to cancel and was told, very rudely, I might add, that the order had already gone to the warehouse and there was nothing that could be done. Never again!

I bought a REI brand backpack from their online Outlet. By the end of two months of using it on a trip, one day at an airport I found out the buckle to the front of waist was missing. The strip was so thin and poorly secured that the buckle just fell off. Most of time during my trip the backpack was sitting inside my mom's house, my friend's house or hotels because I used a smaller bag for day trip. No buckle was ever lost or broken from all my backpacks, including an Adidas that I've used for 10 years. I went to the store in hope to get a replacement, but was told I had to buy one at about $5 plus tax. No sorry for the poor quality of their product or anything like that. Not to mention the nasty customer service. Since a purchase from their outlet can only be returned in 30 days, I cannot return or exchange it. I am amazed that they claim 100% satisfaction guarantee for customers to return used products, but do not stand behind their brand for $5 parts. Luckily I got the buckle at Joann for $2.88 including shipping and tax. How much would have it actually cost REI? Probably $1. So much for 100% satisfaction guarantee. I will not shop there again.

I had ordered $1000 worth of REI gift cards through my employer to buy ski equipment for an upcoming trip. Unfortunately, my gift card order was delayed and I was informed I would not receive them until after the trip. I called REI customer support to asked if I had any options such as putting my purchase on an REI store card and then pay off the store card with the gift cards later. I realize it was a long shot, but I could at least ask. The customer service lady seemed very irritated by the question and talked to me as if I was a child. A simple, "I'm sorry, I would like to help you, but I don't think we can do that" would have sufficed. If she was talked to me as an adult, I would have had no problem paying for everything out of pocket. Instead, I cancelled my $1000 gift card order and will be buying my equipment from Sports Chalet this evening.

Fantastic website! I buy all my hiking, backpacking, cycling and snow shoeing clothes and gear here as well as a lot of my casual clothes and Jazzercise clothes. Their customer service is fantastic with being very helpful and responsive. They ship quickly and it's free if they ship to the REI closest to you. Returns are free too as you can just take any items ordered off of REI.com back to the store for a full refund. If you join the coop, you get a dividend at the end of the year which is always great! Great selection, great quality, great customer service! I would recommend this website to everyone!