REI co·op - Reviews and experiences

apparently I’m blocked from returns as of November 2024. They said I’d been notified by email and post. I never got anything. That felt off and a bit unfair.
I tried the polite email route for three weeks with no reply, then called. The person I spoke to sounded sympathetic but said the team that handles it doesn’t take calls — they’d forward my message and hope it gets priority. That rubbed me the wrong way. On the bright side, the items themselves are solid; the backpack is perfect for weekend trips and the cooler keeps stuff cold longer than I expected. So my doubts about the product quality basically vanished, but the doubts about customer support? Still there.
I’m left a bit conflicted: I really like what I bought, and the in-store folks were courteous, but the lack of clear communication and an actual resolution is frustrating. Hoping this gets sorted — I want to keep shopping there, just want the service to match the products.

Just picked up these fancy shorts, and I was so excited to wear them. But when I tried them on, they were way too small. I had to go away for work, so I couldn't return them right away. When I got back, I went to the store to return them, but they said no even though I had only worn them once. The customer service was terrible, and it seemed like they weren't sticking to their return policy.

I bought some pants for my dad and they were so pricey, but I ended up finding them way cheaper on a different rack. It was like a total bummer, I could've saved my allowance. So, I had to go back and get a refund because they didn't fit my dad properly. And to top it off, they didn't even give me my tax back. Remember folks, always double-check your bill!

I just bought a new pair of hiking boots from this store, but they didn't quite fit right. When I tried to return them, I was kinda shocked to learn that REI charges a fee for return shipping on items that don't fit. I mean, fitting shoes can be tricky, right? It would've been really nice if they offered free exchanges for the same style or at least one free return to make things easier for customers.

I just had to return something to this company, and honestly, it was a pretty disappointing experience. The whole return process was way more complicated and expensive than what I've dealt with at other stores. I got hit with a $5.99 charge for the return, and it took almost 2 weeks for the refund to finally show up in my account. Meanwhile, places like Amazon give you free returns and refund your money within hours of getting the item back. Plus, having to go all the way to the post office to send it back, instead of using those convenient drop-off spots other stores offer, was just a hassle.

I recently bought some outdoor gear at this co-op. My in-store experience was awesome thanks to the friendly and knowledgeable staff who helped me find just what I needed for my outdoor adventures. But when I tried to order online, it was a pain and took forever. And don't even get me started on the hassle of returning items by mail. The whole process was way too complicated and took way too long, thanks to the third-party shipping manager causing major delays in getting my refund. And to top it off, they could only send the refund by mail check, which took over a month to arrive. Totally not cool in this day and age.

I got these snow pants for my wife and I was so pumped because she's a big fan of skiing. But when we finally hit the slopes on our ski trip, we noticed there was an issue with the zipper. We brought it back to the store and they told us it was faulty, but wouldn't exchange it because we weren't members. I mean, seriously?