REIReviews of rei.com

I'm a long distance hiker, 1,000s of miles plus and have been an REI customer for the past five years, always excited to use my yearly dividends. At one time, REI was a pretty decent company with some really great quality products, and most importantly, customer service. Fast forward to today, they have the worst inexperienced customer service reps and the products are now waaaay overpriced. For instance, many customer service reps at the new Tampa, Florida store, seemed to have no hiking experience. They could not answer basic questions about updated new hiking gear, food, water filtration systems or clothing, etc., regarding comparable past items. Many could only tell me about the sale prices on the products they had, and three reps never even heard of "Point6" hiking socks, which I ultimately found out, REI no longer stocks. Hikers know product brands, so you would think a customer service rep would as well. Not the case here. Many products are now waaay overpriced and can be found and purchased on Amazon, Cabela's, Bass Pro, Backcountry, etc., for less cost. For instance, a pair of red Black Diamond cork handled hiking poles at REI, $150+. Amazon, same exact poles, $65. Regular REI logo pullover shirts used to be $15, now $30 and far inferior in quality. I purchased their REI Flash Sleeping Pad for $119, which flattened the first night out, due to a leak at the seams (unfortunately, I read the reviews later and saw this was not a good quality sleeping pad,) with similar complaints of seam leakage. Being on the trail, I eventually made it to an outfitter store, not REI, and purchased a Klymit Summit sleeping pad for $50. Far superior in quality, cost less and has yet to leak, or go flat in the last three years. I still use it today. The word on the hiking trails is that REI no longer provides the customer service, or exceptional quality products that they used to. I finally used my dividends, but I will no longer be a returning Co-op member.

My sister bought a backpack for me. I don´t live in the US at the moment, so it was supposed to be an international shipping for which I had to wait for 3 weeks. After 4 weeks and no backpack or any kind of contact from the REI team, I contacted REI´s Customer Service. They are polite but it´s so hard to get a straight forward answer from them. I´m not even sure if they actually did ship my backpack or if it never left their warehouse. They offered to issue a "free replacement order" stating it would take 4 weeks or more to arrive (when placing the original order a 3-week delivery was announced). It is beyond me why the shipping would take longer the second time around... maybe because this time they will actually ship the backpack? In any case, I don´t have the backpack I was supposed to receive last week and the aftertaste from my chat with Customer Service is very disappointing.

They promised to have a product ready for pickup twice. Failed both times. It showed up 8 days late. Offered free shipping on next order. There won't be one.

I want to preface this by stating that I fully support mask wearing and all other required COVID restrictions. I have shopped in many places during the pandemic where the staff has both taken necessary precautions and provided excellent service. This was not the case when we visited the downtown Denver REI a couple of months ago. The overall experience was very poor. The staff was way more interested in enforcing every element of COVID policy than they were in providing any service. The men's dressing room attendant spent great effort to educate us on how long it was going to take for him to clean and basically told us to go somewhere else. A separate clerk was more interested in the way my wife wore her mask than the fact that the sun glasses she was showing us had permanent scratches in the lenses. In the shoe department, the person we went to for help actually backed away from us as we approached, as if we were a bio-hazard. To top it off I went into a dressing room, labeled "dressing room" and was interrupted by a banging on the door and a sales person loudly announcing that I couldn't use that room and had to find another. Her attitude was that she had caught me committing some horrendous crime. The checkout guy was the exception; he was amazingly good with a great attitude. However, I'll shop for my overpriced outdoor gear somewhere else in the future.

You have to wait in a line to look.at shoes. After you wait in line for 15 minutes.you notice people getting let in have a Pager. You ask an employee how you gey one. And why it's not on the sign to get or ask for a Pager that staes please wait in line. They claim its too crowded for people in shoe section however there are several other locations in the store where there are just ad many or more people than at the shoes section. What a joke. I will never come back during any covid restrictions even though every other store dies not have a restriction. I would not be surprised to learn the rei is run and controlled by the Cdc. What a joke and an embarrassment. I have never seen such ridiculous restrictions. If this is whst we have to look forward to, I can't wait to leave this country and it's no wonder so many other countries despise the United States If there is crowd issues why not restrict the amount of people coming into the store, not one section of the store.

Won't ever do business with them since they have 1. multiple defective products sent to me 2. incredibly rude customer service agents 3. unreasonable return policy

I was just kicked out of the Bloomington, MN for not wearing a mask. I explained to them I am a disabled Veteran and will have a severe reaction if I put one on, and that they can allow to not wear a mask for person's with specific disabilities, per MN guidance. Train your employees. Stop the harrasment. I will not spend another dime at your store.

Horrible experience from the manager at West Hartford, CT. I always had great experience with their customer service, employees knowledge on their products and their policies for last ten years. But now after going to REI recently on my purchases I encountered a rude personality manager, Amber. I bought the headlamp at full price and after couple of days I realized I should have used the 20% off coupon. So within a week I took it to the store all packed in the box to offer me the discount. This was within the expiry dates. I encountered this manager at the cash register, I apologized for missing the discount and requested for it as it wasn't expired either. Then she gave me a lecture on as this is applied at the time of purchase which I understood. I told her I can return the product and buy again with discount. She made strange faces with laughs of sarcasm and gave the discount. This was rude. Now the second time, yesterday I ordered the bike and went to pickup from the store as it was ready. I went and in the bicycle section one employee was working and busy with customer. So I waited in line and after 15 minutes I asked the manager as she walked pass by me if she can help me with this pickup. She said no the bicycle salesperson can only help. I told her that I have been standing here so long, her reply was "keep waiting until he is done with other customer". I told her I completely understand but can you please send someone else from floor and she replied no just wait. This was rude and unexpected from REI as per my past experiences. It was frustrating to spend half an hour to pickup the bicycle. Certainly this manager is not helping but just pissing off loyal customers.