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REI returns...

Rob M · · Shangri-LA · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 20

I've scored stuff at the REI gearsale I would have been ashamed to return myself. I'm wearing a pair of climbing oants right now taht said "customer lost weight" on the return tag.

The returned it because they LOST WEIGHT?! Are you f¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ kidding me? I paid 15 bucks, and the previous owner forgot 4 bucks in the pocket.

It was being abused. REI also gives you a percentage back. Please people, quit complaining. Jezus.

David Rivers · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 20

Thank you to the shameless comedian who returned the barely used 45.5 solutions to the Boulder store complaining of the "little hole" in the tongue. I scored your castoffs for $75!

adamx · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 15

1 year is still supppppper generous. Closest brick and mortar store I can think of would be walmart, at 3 months. I can think of one major chain that lowered theirs to 7 DAYS...

Ellenore Zimmerman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2013 · Points: 75

I stopped shopping at REI because they pissed me off at first in relations to their former return policy. I remember a fat kid ath the counter who claimed to be a "climber" saying how he suspects we were abusing their return policy and he "knows how it is". Then I just stopped going there because of my taste for higher quality gear and more knowledgeable and friendly staff at the local gear shop. Now that I have most of my gear, I prefer to shop for specific things I need only at the local gear shops.
I do shop at Walmart. Totally enjoy staying overnight on their conveniently lit up parking lots on climbing/beach hopping trips, as I shop there for necessary foods, toiletries etc.

APBT1976 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 55

Walmart is evil....

Have not shopped there since i friend turned me in to exactly why other than the obvious. Imop non of us should be shopping at Walmart.

Rei? But for the most part they do not have my business mostly cuz the store sucks and when you do return something you get stink eye and a tude from 90% of the employees.

Ellenore Zimmerman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2013 · Points: 75

When mom /pop stores can let me park on their well lit camera'd up parking lots overnight....I will still shop at Walmart. I would rather spend grocery and skin soap money on premium gear and gasoline.

chuffnugget · · Bolder, CO · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 0

Is 'skin soap' a significant portion of your budget?

... hole in tongue of Solutions, that's hilarious!

chuffnugget · · Bolder, CO · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 0

Non-believers, open your hearts to REI to receive her love, and be showered with her as-now one year return policy. Hallelujah!

Ellenore Zimmerman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2013 · Points: 75
David Sahalie wrote:Is 'skin soap' a significant portion of your budget? ... hole in tongue of Solutions, that's hilarious!
by "skin soap" I mean toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toilet paper etc. etc. items that carry little or no significance in life or death situations, opposite of climbing gear.
heck, if I pay full price for a piece of gear I want it to have no holes either, tounge or no tounge.
Tits McGee · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 260

On the bright side of things...Maybe it was the 100%, no questions asked return policy of REI and so many others that drove manufacturing quality down. Without a limitless return policy people may actually want quality gear that outlasts a limited return timeframe. Thus forcing companies to make more durable, better made products (again).

Rob M · · Shangri-LA · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 20

I've got REI stuff I've abiused and it lasted. And it was way cheaper than "name brands."

dano-colorado · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 15

Maybe the change in the return policy has nothing to do with climbers. It would be interesting to see what percentage of their total sales is climbing equipment. Self centered?

clay meier · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 350

I abused the shit out of that return policy. Heck I returned things that I did not even buy there. Why? Because Rei said I could return anything. I would never do this at a locally owned shop but I would be psyched if Rei went under. Rei has no compassion for me the consumer (and why should they? It's a business. It's for making money not friends) and I have no compassion for rei

Ian Stewart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 155

Another reason to hate REI: they ship orders using UPS, and require a signature at time of delivery. I ordered something during the sale a couple weeks back and they tried to deliver it Thursday, Friday, and now Monday between 2-6pm. Yeah, because I can really be home between 2-6pm willy-nilly during the week... You have the option to "change delivery" with UPS, but my only free option was to have them hold it at a UPS facility 15 minutes from my house (even though there are plenty of UPS stores within minutes of me). They charge $5 to give you the option to deliver on a different date. After the 3rd failed delivery attempt, they return to sender. FedEx (which is awesome), USPS, or not requiring a signature at the time of delivery would solve all of these problems. UPS is the worst.

So, REI is getting another return from me and I never even had the item in the first place.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

+1 on the below:

"Yet you still shop at Home Depot, right?

Getting quite tired of this comparison. REI is what it is... Which anymore is a pseudo-fashion store looking to lighten the wallets of ex-urban yuppies and Gen-Xers. They used to have a great selection of climbing gear (even made their own, including the 1993-vintage REI brand climbing harness I spent the bulk of the week wearing), but no longer. Need some cord or biners quick and they're down the road? Sure. Anything more esoteric and you're out of luck.

Which I guess proves the comparison, and begs the question as to why anyone expects anything different in this day and age?

Perhaps we can start complaining about how Home Depot has driven all the Mom and Pop lumberyards out of business? Or are we ok with the cheap plywood and T-nuts to build our basement bouldering caves? After all, that's not really climbing...

Oh! Maybe we can complain about Ikea next!"

David Peterson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 130

Backcountry's return policy changed?

backcountry.com/sc/returngu…

Swear this is different from when I looked at it three weeks ago.

Edit: read "We do accept used gear – as long as it is received within 90 days...."

Jake D. · · Northeast · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 365
Ian Stewart wrote:Another reason to hate REI: they ship orders using UPS, and require a signature at time of delivery. I ordered something during the sale a couple weeks back and they tried to deliver it Thursday, Friday, and now Monday between 2-6pm. Yeah, because I can really be home between 2-6pm willy-nilly during the week... You have the option to "change delivery" with UPS, but my only free option was to have them hold it at a UPS facility 15 minutes from my house (even though there are plenty of UPS stores within minutes of me). They charge $5 to give you the option to deliver on a different date. After the 3rd failed delivery attempt, they return to sender. FedEx (which is awesome), USPS, or not requiring a signature at the time of delivery would solve all of these problems. UPS is the worst. So, REI is getting another return from me and I never even had the item in the first place.
You should talk to the UPS driver and see why it needed a signature. I worked for them this winter for the holiday rush and if it is a normal resident drop off there shouldn't be a signature requirement. we only had signatures at businesses and alcohol(needs an over21 signature). Have you had a package stolen or something?

the time when they drop off is based on the route the computer comes up with for the load that day. see the # on the small label with 1000-9000 on it.. that is the route order.. lower numbers. early in the day.. large numbers end of the day.
Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65
cragmantoo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2015 · Points: 175
Marc801 C wrote:

New LL Bean return policy: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/510624?lndrNbr=510618&nav=leftnav-cust

Well, it never made a lot of sense that one can buy something, wear it out and then get a refund. I don't shop at LL Bean but do shop at REI and have always felt their return policy is more than generous. Personally, I would not return anything I had used , especially if it is well worn, and ask for my money back

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276
cragmantoo wrote:

Well, it never made a lot of sense that one can buy something, wear it out and then get a refund. I don't shop at LL Bean but do shop at REI and have always felt their return policy is more than generous. Personally, I would not return anything I had used , especially if it is well worn, and ask for my money back

Yeah, but that's only because you have integrity and a sense of right and wrong. :)

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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