Can we talk about the return policy at REI? I found out something wild

I was returning a tent at the REI in Denver last weekend, and the cashier told me they've actually been tightening up their 100% satisfaction guarantee over the last few years. She said people were returning gear after using it for entire seasons, like 8 month old hiking boots with worn soles. I didn't realize how much abuse the old policy took. Has anyone else noticed them being stricter lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver_anderson14d ago

Whoa, I actually had the exact opposite opinion on this until recently. I used to think REI's return policy was basically a sacred trust, you know, like they should honor it no matter what. But then I saw a guy at my local REI trying to return a pair of trail runners with literal holes worn through the mesh. He was upfront that he'd run about 500 miles in them over 10 months. That really changed my mind. I get the lifetime guarantee for actual defects, but using a product until its basically destroyed and then returning it is just exploiting the system. It makes sense they had to crack down.

abbychen13d ago

That's the thing nobody talks about. The tight policy actually helps the employees too. My friend works at an REI in Portland and she said people would scream at them for denying returns on stuff that was clearly just worn out. So REI put in those 1 year limits and it actually protects the workers from having to make those calls. Plus it keeps prices lower for everyone else. Win-win if you ask me.