REI Reviews

I’m going to add my story to other long time members who felt the customer service, and indeed the whole co-op is going downhill fast.
I’ve had multiple orders not fulfilled, only got the cancellation days later claiming “inventory issue”. Finally, one of the employee (verified by his manager later) confirmed REI doesn’t have a real time order-inventory match. So if there’s 5 items showing, 6 orders may have already existed. And 1 unlucky customer will wait days before being informed there’s no inventory!
In this day and age of internet commerce, not having a real time order-inventory match is sooo last century. I’m afraid this is another sign REI is probably on the way down like other long time outdoor stores such as EMS. Their price is on the expensive side. They have reduced their guarantee time frame. With this new understanding of their shaky order fulfillment ability, I would put them on the bottom of the list when choosing whom to order from.

I give two stars because the staff is nice and friendly. I am here to write a review on the corporate overhead, regarding recent changes to the bike shop services.
On Monday, March 30th, 2021, I walked into rei, just as I have for years before, with my brother to get his ebike tuned up. We walked up, and they asked what we needed, so we told them his bike needed a basic bicycle tune up, and all of a sudden the 3 employees just gave me this grim stare, and told me "sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but we won't work on your bike." I asked them why, and they said it was a new "corporate overhead policy, which says that from now on the bike shop is reserved only for ebikes that were purchased directly from REI".
(Keep in mind, without power this is just a normal ordinary bike, nothing special. I didn't mention anything about the electrical system, as this needed no help.)
I asked if they would just give it a tune up on the bike parts that they could tune, and they still completely refused. I asked them to show me the policy change and their response was "I know it was recently, let me try to find it" and they proceeded to look on the computer for 10 minutes, unable to find any policy change documentation whatsoever. They showed me an older document, which very clearly stated that our bike fit the necessary requirements to be serviced at rei. Still they refused to help.

So later on, we decided to test something. We took off the wheels of the same bike and walked back in with just our wheels and ask them to service them, and sure enough they did it without question... for some reason they could service the wheels, but not the bike?
Oh and the best part, after they trued the wheels, as we were walking out, the employee at the front sending us off asked "I think you're missing the rest of your bike"... yeah how ironic that was.

I'm very disappointed and as a loyal rei co op member, I've grown to love the bike shop and come regularly for advice and parts. Unfortunately it looks like they're about to lose the first of I'm sure many loyal customers with this undocumented corporate overhead change of policy that doesn't make any sense. I will be patient for a little while as I have reached out to rei corporate to see if they can straighten this out, but otherwise, expect me to never go to rei for bike maintenance EVER again.

We have came to the REI 4 times drive 3 and a half hrs with our dog each time no issues now today we come back and the decide not to let our dog in cause people are allergic but they will allow service dogs or dogs getting for for a harness we walked and and will NEVER FO BACK terrible service here in Milwaukee Wisconsin! And they shoved a phone in my face totally rude as we saw on their website dogs ARE ALLOWED

I tried shopping there for a Ski Jacket in NYC. I tried to enter through the lafayette side and I was immediately reprimanded and told to go around the block. This occurred about 2 weeks ago when we were experiencing the frigid temperatures. I complied and went through the front entrance afterwards- I get inside an you have a customer service rep on the floor. She saw me looking at the jackets and didn't even bother to inquire what I was looking for, or if i needed assistance. I finally waved her down and asked for help. She told me whatever is out there is all they have, and walked away. There was absolutely noone on the floor that she was helping. Not sure why I was treated that way-I felt discriminated and humiliated. They are so adamant about reprimanding about me coming into an empty store through the exit buy could care less about selling a ski jacket!! I went too Burton afterwards and had a MUCH better experience- The gentleman there, Peter helped me select a jacket then he realized that he did not have it in stock so he went out of his way to look for it in another store and have it overnighted to me. That's what I consider customer service and actually caring about your job and customers...

Actually
Actually, I give them ZERO STARS FOR THE PRODUCT
I waited 2 months for my order after I had paid. The clothes finally arrived and were nothing like I had ordered. The picture for one dress was midi length linen dress and jacket - what did I get - mini-mini that doesn't even cover made from a thin poly blend - YUCK! They use photos of quality European clothing and make a very cheap and different version.I asked to return no response then I went on the social media and i found this helpful info ???????????????????????????????????????? seven6eight four zero one one I FINALLY SENT BACK THE WHOLE CHEAP LOOKING
DRESS BACK did receive a bomber, except it is NOTHING LIKE WHAT WAS SHOWN. What the hell? Who does this?
, THE PRODUCT IS GARBAGE, THE WAIT TIME TO GET IT'S 2 MONTHS AND MORE.GETTING

Awful costumer service. Shop anywhere else for your sporting good needs! You’ll thank me.

Ordered a pair of snowboarding pants for a trip we were going to take on 2/15. Order was placed on 2/10 and I paid extra for next day shipping. My item was showing on the UPS tracking as in my city as of Thursday 2/11. Didn't actually receive it until 2/15. On Friday 2/12 I called REI and UPS, both said there was nothing they could and there would be no weekend deliveries. They blamed the weather, a minimal amount of freezing rain on Thursday/Friday for the delay and said it was not their fault. However Monday got several inches of snow throughout the day and shut down businesses and roads all over and they had no problem delivering then. I had to buy separate winter items for the trip locally that didn't fit and didn't meet my needs but were the only options available. No desire to order online from REI again and UPS will be my last choice for delivery. Amazon does a better job getting items out than they do.

Recently returning some items given to me for my birthday I had the misfortune of going to our local REI. Dutifully donning a mask ( something I completely disagree with) I entered the store and approached the counter. Because of breathing issues I had the mask just below my nose, even though the the guy at the register was behind plexi glass he asked me to pull the mask up. I explained my challenge and much to his credit he proceeded to do the return and hand me a gift card for the store.

As I started to walk deeper into the store an employee suggested to me that I needed to pull my mask all the way over my nose or leave. No problem I turned toward the exit and walked away. On the way out I stopped (mask still on and more than six feet away form anyone) turned to the customer rep standing by the door and suggested that the store policy was not appropriate. She said it was company policy I acknowledge and told her I was just voicing my disappointment which hoped she would relay to management. It was at this moment things went bad in a big way.

At least five 20 somethings who worked for the store gathered about me, I most certainly felt threatened. A woman stepped very close to me and demanded I stop yelling at the other employee. I was not yelling in any way shape of form and suggested that to her. She then demanded in a harsh tone that I step away from the other person to create a 6ft gap. I was already more than 6ft away and told her so, reiterating that I was only expressing my concern for the store policy. It was very tense, I felt as If I was being threatened by multiple employees and thought I was going to have to defend my self physically. The woman making the demands most certainly escalated the situation.

Fortunately, Ryan the store manager inserted himself into the situation just in time. Stepping forward he addressed me in a manner that showed he wanted to help not hinder and was able to diffuse what his coworker escalated. He assured me that he saw how the other employee had escalated and would be coached. He is the only reason this review gets two stars and not just one.

The end result of this challenge is that neither me or the person that spent the $250 on the gift items will ever shop at REI again. Additionally I will be telling of the experience and how I felt threatened to all who will listen.

There are other outdoor outfitters, priced better with just as good of equipment. It would behoove senior leadership to rethink their policies and how they are implemented. It may be that once this ends so may of your customers have been alienated that no one will want to shop there even if masks are not required.

Have had awful experiences with LaserShip, so when I discovered REI had used LaserShip to send my Christmas purchase (I could tell it had been on the Lasership delivery truck for two weeks), I called REI customer service. Got a fast answer to my phone call! . . . 2 weeks before Christmas! They contacted LaserShip within an hour and my torn, opened, yet undamaged, gift was delivered 4 days later.

One of my favorite stores. They have amazing bikes and camping gear and GoPros and other cool stuff. The clothes and shoes for outdoor sports are amazing.
The only problem is they’re always out of stock. They have very limited sizing options and never buy the trail running shoes I want in my size. I don’t get why this is so hard to just carry the normal sizes. Jeez I just want to give you my hard earned money.

Highly recommend another retailer plenty of them out there. They don't really care about you or your health and exposing you and everyone you come in contact with covid. I ordered a jacket online the week of thanksgiving it came and didn't fit right so like most companies called to exchange for the correct size. It would have been easy if I didn't use a gift card but since I used a gift card really didn't have any choices except go to the store and do an exchange to get it before Christmas and not just lose the money on the gift card. You can tell the companies that care about customer this is not one. (No price matching. Spent hours on the phone trying to get the right size, had to call back to get a return label) Never use a gift card unless you want a hassle better off giving your business to retailer that cares and understands we are in a world wide pandemic maybe REI doesn't believe this is real.

They have so much unique camping tools, climbing equipment, bikes, and other outdoor stuff. I love browsing their store for hours just finding new equipment. It's really cool.