"Great product, fast shipping, and moderately priced"
"having grown up in the pacific northwest i was fortunate to discover REI in the '70 and have been a faithful customer since then. Good quality equipment, their return policy is borderline insane, and the prices fair. "
"Free postage, and great quality merchandise"
"REI Cancelled my order and spoiled my plans:
Unfortunately, the following item(s) you ordered is(are) unavailable. REI is sold out of this product, and we are unable to obtain additional quantities from the vendor or manufacturer."
"Went in to get my chain fixed really quick (around 7pm)--thought a 5 minute repair would be simple enough to pass by--NOPE.
#1. Got completely snubbed when I asked if the bike mechanic would come by and give me a second opinion on how to unhinge my stuck chain--the answer I got to that was "sorry man, the lady working on bikes is super swamped, here's the tools--good luck"
#2 Asked for a pair of gloves as to not blacken my hands with chain grease--the reply I got was, "pfft, everyone gets their hands dirty here, just roll with it" ...turns out they had a stack of gloves near the hand washing sink in repair shop.
...so the power link on my chain bent, and the thing wouldn't connect 100%. If the mechanic had helped me for literally 45 seconds of her time, then I would have had some concise instructions to follow.
Instead, I attempted to futz with my chain to get some sort of a result as 2-3 shop employees stood idly by and watched to make sure I wouldn't steal the tools they lent me.
Chain wouldn't link, and I had to ride home (all bike shops closed at this point)...so I couldn't just give up and save it for another day.
Yanked hard on the chain with a tool, and ended up slicing my finger--chain grease, blood and all! JOY!
I rushed back to the shop sink to wash out my cut, when I looked up and saw the LARGE boxed stacks of mostly un-used plastic shop gloves that's seen at ANY bike shop across planet Earth.
Had to call out the BS at this point, let the dude know how I was feeling at that precise moment, and walked out with a busted chain.
...all the while, the 'swamped' bikesmith in the back was at the mouth of the shop door watching intently at my exchange with the desk employee--looks like she didn't have 45 seconds for my chain, but had spare minutes for what I had to say to the front desk goon.
Thanks for reading my negative experience at REI--I hope you decide on a more local spot to buy your gear from such as 'The Pros closet', 'Boulder sports recyclers' or the 'Boulder Army store'! These people back the gear they sell, ENOUGH SAID
...as for the bike shop aspect of REI, ya gotta be joking with yourself if you think REI would do a better job then an actual store FOCUSED on bicycles. Deal with people that know what they sell--not some goon crew who's scraping by to pay off college loans"
"I found great bargains at REI.com for casual and outdoor wear. The PrAna Lindsey shorts and Edie bucket hat are just the ticket for my winter kayak trips in Florida. Customer service was great and helped explain my shipping options.The products arrived quickly and in perfect shape...Thanks REI!"
"Returning customer to REI.
Online purchases arrive as described.
Shipping speed is fast, in store pickup is very fast.
I prefer to purchase online, because items have been in mint condition (not touched like in store).
In store returns are very easy.
Highly recommended."
"SCAM ALERT! Most negative and disgusting experience I ever had! These guys are OUTRAGEOUS! I was attracted by price and stock availability. Placed an order on 03/29/2011 on 4 units of 60CSX at $219.95 each plus $100 shipping, had no response. Contacted by phone, said wait 72 hours, they also said they will readjust the shipping price, as this is just a default price which will be lowered after the order is processed. It was just a fake promise, as soon they send me e-mail asking to select my shipping option: $100 USPS or $100 Fedex. Unbelievable! After 72 hours called them back, they said they need to verify my AMEX CC. Finally got an e-mail asking me to call my bank and get an approval code. Did that, called them back with this code, but this time they requested photocopy of my CC front and back along with my driver license. Did that. They asked me why do I want to buy 4 units??! I said: one for myself, one my wife, brother and son. They said - can not sell 4 units, only can sell ONE and the charge for shipping remains the same: $100! What a SCAM!!!
Lost my time and money! STAY AWAY FROM THEM!"
"This first purchase via the REI website yielded solid results. I normally get things in-store, however, the sales pricing + plethora of helpful reviews swayed me this time around. Instead of paying for shipping, I had the order delivered to a nearby brick and mortar store for pickup.
Though placing the order was simple, clean, and fast, it should be noted that they don't accept Paypal. (It would be even *faster* with Paypal, but whatever, they are trustworthy.) You don't get spammed by REI, or have to jump through "additional deal" hoops during and post-finalization, so there's little left to do but wait for shipping and confirmation emails, or get the electronic greenlight and collect your stuff.
A week passed before said stuff arrived at chosen locale.
The schweet, surprising part was finding that it came in its own shipping-stickered, sealed box. (Liberated from the backroom and handed over the counter in mere seconds, unopened; awesome.) The cashier wasn't even sure what I had bought--weird, yes, and perhaps an isolated incident; she looked genuinely bemused and inquired aloud, instead of reading the entire, succinct, printed confirmation email (with full details) in her hand. Either she avoided looking too closely out of politeness, or was on autopilot and thus, checked corresponding numbers and little else. (Maybe intrinsic gregariousness that seems to be part and parcel of most every employee I've encountered at REI.) Anyway, a nondescript relaying of the contents prompted a sudden suggestion to open the exterior box then and there. No further explanations. (I mention this because most REI employees I've conversed with are forced to do too-long item checks whenever I inquire about x, y, and z. Or they have to physically handle/demonstrate items, at length, then wax about the obvious points of interest or item virtues, at length, due to some quasi-company-imposed, "uberhelpful sales person" mandate when all I do is ask where I can find _____.) Nevertheless, I was in favor of examining the contents *away* from the store and bypassed the spontaneous bid.
Fortunately, all was in perfect condition.
They went the extra mile of making sure the contents were well-padded--although it's somewhat unfortunate since the box was oversized, the filler was environmentally friendly, and... I couldn't find a recycling bin later, DOH!, so I'm guessing that shipping to home would result in the same excellent packaging. But with better green options.
While it can be handy in avoiding any in-person awkwardness/hassle, paying for shipping has its downside by negating certain online sales. Even if REI's prices aren't the lowest, they usually have a number of specials and discounts, so it's up to the customer to determine what purchasing/S&H method is most convenient.
This post will be updated if a ship-to-home option is optimal.
Recommended."
"Purchased a pair of Salomon Impact 10 Ski Boots from REI on 10/17/10. The boots were delivered to my door on 10/19/10 as promised and in perfect condition.
I also know REI will stand behind every product they sell and fortunately, this experience is the rule for REI and not the exception.
REI gets a top rating in my book."
"Princeton Tec EOS. Great headlight. Light enough (get it, haha) on your head so you don't feel you are weightlifting, yet a very versital and powerful light. AAA batteries last a good while, 60 lumens, multi-modes. I like the low, medium, high beam capability. Whether I'm only in need of low light to see where my feet are or if I need to see ahead, this fits the bill. I bought a 2009 and paid much less than full price. Princeton Tec makes a good light."
"These guys are great! i've probably spent 1k+ on their website over the years and i've not had one bad deal yet! A+ in my books"
"I have been a member of REI for years, and have never been disappointed with their service. Occasionally they do make mistakes, but they are quick to refund, replace, or do what is reasonably appropriate to resolve any issues.
Ordered bear pepper spray, and asked for in store pickup to save on shipping costs. They were very accommodating even though I was sending someone else to do the pickup.
Their prices tend to be higher - but for that I know I am getting genuine products of the highest quality.
Will recommend them to everyone."
"I love this store.
The website has lots of product information, though they may be a bit modest about the quality of some products. Placing an order was very easy.
This was my first order, though I shopped in a 'brick & mortar' REI store year ago. I ordered 6 items for a trip. They arrived in plenty of time for my travel and had been carefully packed.
I was particularly struck that two of the items were much nicer than I had expected, and I did not pick the most expensive.
The mosquito net came in a good quality stuff sack - much nicer than some very-high-end ones come in. Plus, it packed even smaller than stated on the website!
The water bottle that I purchased is just as nice as a much more expensive one I bought elsewhere as a gift. Not only is it of equal quality, but it's design is more unique and meant I didn't have difficulty keeping track of it."
"The boots I ordered dropped in price and when I asked for a price adjustment I was told to return the boots at my expense and then reorder the boots at the new lower price. I would've lost $17.15 just to get the boots for $4.40 less. Why didn't they just credit me the $4.40. They did not value me as a customer. I'll never buy from REI again."