REIReviews of rei.com

I bought a Nemo tensor all season, long wide sleeping mat from there used gear selection in store about a week ago and I got home and was very exited to try it out and test it. So I pumped it up and just made sure it worked fine and was comfortable. I pumped it up and it didn’t hold air after about five minutes and I went to return it and they said that they don’t take returns on their garage sale items even though my item was defective and nonfunctional they really screwed me out of 160 dollars. I can’t believe they didn’t check the items to make sure they worked before putting them on that return shelf.

Received excellent service buying equipment withonly a short amount of time to shop. A store employee made expert recommendations that were a big help. We purchased a tent, sleeping bags and pads, and all turned out to be of high quality.

REI you used to great. I've been a member for 20+ years and would happily pay a premium price for your items in exchange for the privilege to be able to return it if I wasn't satisfied. Now your return policy is 1 year or less (used to be lifetime), which is understandable, however I showed up with some swimming goggles I'd picked up and used once one day after my "window was closed" and you were rude and send me away after I drove 20 minutes and stood 15 minutes in line. ONE DAY! I actually called before I went to ask if policy was firm and the person on the phone said "it depends on who helps you" which is so lame! This has been my experience since their policy change, with some people being super nice and accommodating and others denying the ability to return items... I went with the hopes that if the window closed yesterday and the system will indeed allow you to do it, the employee would be kind enough to give me grace. Nah. I'll be taking my business to Sports basement from now on. You lost a good client and got yourself a few bad reviews because of a $30 item and you ambiguity when it comes to returns.

I was very disappointed with my treatment at your Timonium bicycle department today. In the past (many) visits, I have received courteous, prompt fairly priced service from the crew. Today was an exception. When I picked up my Novara Hickory rear wheel I was told it would be $64. My service request was to adjust the axle bearings that had slight play. When I was told this price, I asked that the REI work code be reviewed since what I asked for was clearly not what got coded. In looking at the receipt I see code “900000355 Hub brrg repl-rr”. The technician would not make any review so I asked to speak to a manager. I repeated my request for review of the code. Surely there is a code for simple bearing adjustment as opposed to replacement. She refused to look at the codes – might not have been a department where she has expertise. She held the book, but didn’t look at any codes and pointed out that when I signed the monitor, I was accepting the “estimate” for work. Since I have had a consistent run of satisfactory work/pricing at REI, I did not review the pricing before signing the screen. She repeated, asking me several time “did you sign?” - putting aside my request for review of the code – and any possible correction. Of course she reminded me that if I didn’t pay, REI would keep my wheel. I really needed to hear that. My reasonable request was set aside. I paid and promised her to take my future business elsewhere. That is where things stand. I was not treated with either courtesy, or a businesslike response to my request to review the code – tough luck for you Mr. Customer. I’ll guess any reasonable retail service manager would know better than to ask a customer the same question several times – as though, you signed – you own any problem. I took this as a mockery. To the extent this treatment is REI policy, then yours is not a business I can support.

I have been a member for over 25 years but REI’s customer service has really gone downhill. Last year I purchased a tent (NEMO) for $465 and the front zipper broke after light use. NEMO offers a limited lifetime warranty but after three weeks has not responded to my warranty claim or follow up inquiry. I sent a message to REI’s customer service about the issue and all I was offered was a 20% discount towards the purchase of a new tent. They were also going to charge me extra for expedited shipping as I have an upcoming trip and I need a tent. There was no offer to get involved with a warranty issue for a product I purchased from REI. They obviously will not stand behind the products they sell. I previously would purchase most of my outdoor related items from REI because I felt good about the company and wanted them to continue operations. No more – I will likely continue to purchase some items when necessary but ONLY if their price is the lowest compared to other vendors.

I have made online purchases without any problems. Great selection. Highly recommend.

If I could give zero stars, I would. I placed an order on REI.com using my fully verified PayPal account with verified billing and shipping addresses. Shortly after, I received a confirmation email stating they were preparing my order for shipment. Perfect, right? Wrong. Three full days later, I received a automated email stating my order was canceled. No explanation. No context. Zero accountability. When I tried to reply to the cancellation email to ask why my order was killed, it bounced back immediately—because apparently, REI is too big and important to handle incoming email support. Their bounce-back message instructed me to call their customer service line instead. I am not spending my precious time sitting on hold to solve a mystery created by their own incompetent inventory and billing systems. Wasting three days of a customer's time without so much as a basic courtesy explanation is complete amateur hour. This isn't the "customer-first" cooperative they pretend to be in their marketing—it’s an unreliable, scammy operation that ties up your funds and leaves you in the dark. Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere.

REI is a great store. I have been a member since 2006 and never regretted it. I buy clothing online and in their stores and have never had any problems. Plus, they always have free shipping!!!!