Returning severly worn boots to REI

[Sarcasm the elf]

Just for fun, someone should try to resupply their thru hike by buying a dozen Mountain House meals from REI and then constantly demanding that the company exchange the empty packages for new ones...

[jburgasser]

a few people that want to take advantage of the system... I was going to post what I really think of people that abuse return policies

The abuse of return policies is what my original post is about. I really like REI (and LL Bean) and I just don't like to see this happen to good companies like these two.

Ickybod

[silverscuba22]

Just for fun, someone should try to resupply their thru hike by buying a dozen Mountain House meals from REI and then constantly demanding that the company exchange the empty packages for new ones...

LOL dont give them ideas Sarcasm !!!!

[-SEEKER-]

Interesting thread. I wouldn't have the balls to do that. We just had an REI open in our neighborhood. They are having a grand opening this weekend where the first 200 people in the door each day get a free Camelback water bottle. Now I might do that. I'm wondering if people will camp outside the store to get one!?

[malowitz]

I think a return in the case of 1,000 miles traveled is very disingenous. I returned 1 pair of my Merrell Moab Ventilators during my hike because they clearly had a mnaufacturing defect and tore along a stiched seam in less than 2 miles of use.

Darn Tough socks have a lifetime warranty. After I wore through the heals of one pair, I could have returned them. I didn't becuase I felt they'd already lasted a lifetime and I was quite satisfied.

[Lone Wolf]

you gotta be a low-life scumbag to do that

[peakbagger]

LL Bean reportedly has done the anlysis frequently on the cost versus loss of offering a lifetime warranty, they keep doing it as it ends up that the PR is apparently worth more than the cost. At one point they did keep track of people who returned large volumes of merchandise. There are folks who frequent yard sales and anytime they find a LLbeans tag on old clothes, they buy it and then return it to get store credit.

I have heard that much of the gear that is returned gets charged back to the original manfacturer. The manufacturer eats it as they want to keep doing business with beans.

The lifetime guarantee apparently is one of the reasons you wont find the latest and greatest ultra lightweight gear at Beans and other retailers with the same guarantee.

[FlyPaper]

. Baloney. This is just a prime example of the thru hiker gimmee mentality that has erupted on the trail and observed first hand. It's sad how the trail culture is now hikers with hands extended, looking for freebies, just because they are on a hike. Sort of what's going on in our nation now.

I stayed at the same shelter as a thru-hiker who boasted about his plan to do just that: return his worn out boots for new ones as often as needed to finish his hike. There was an awkward silence, but to my shame I said nothing. Next time I'm going to say something.

[thetentman]

Oh yes they are taking advantage of REI. The policy is there for customers who actually have defective products but weasels are weasels and always will be. It speaks to their character and perhaps their poor upbringing.

[Nutbrown]

Just for fun, someone should try to resupply their thru hike by buying a dozen Mountain House meals from REI and then constantly demanding that the company exchange the empty packages for new ones...

The belly ache would be punishment enough for that!

[atraildreamer]

... but you might actually find an auto supply store that takes back motor oil. i would not be the least bit surprised.

Auto Zone will take used motor oil and recycle it. My mechanic uses it to heat his shop. Neither will pay you anything for it!

But seriously, a lot of the outdoor equipment and footwear is made overseas and doesn't cost that much to manufacture. I read somewhere that a pair of sneakers costs about $3-4 to manufacture. Check out what they charge for them. Many people, especially impressionable teens, equate high price with quality and/or "coolness", and want the pricier stuff as a status symbol (Try to get a teen to wear a pair of Payless shoes and watch the reaction! ). Many sellers are happy to charge whatever the market will bear. (I am not accusing REI of this!) If a store gets, for example, $150 for a pair of $4 footwear, what's the big deal to them if they have to replace them? Their profit drops from $146 to $142. Not too shabby!

[SassyWindsor]

. Baloney. This is just a prime example of the thru hiker gimmee mentality that has erupted on the trail and observed first hand. It's sad how the trail culture is now hikers with hands extended, looking for freebies, just because they are on a hike. Sort of what's going on in our nation now.

Correct, I agree totally

[Driver8]

I think a return in the case of 1,000 miles traveled is very disingenous. I returned 1 pair of my Merrell Moab Ventilators during my hike because they clearly had a mnaufacturing defect and tore along a stiched seam in less than 2 miles of use.

Darn Tough socks have a lifetime warranty. After I wore through the heals of one pair, I could have returned them. I didn't becuase I felt they'd already lasted a lifetime and I was quite satisfied.

I've returned two things to REI b/c of dissatisfaction, one other unused b/c I didn't need it. The first return was a pair of Microspikes which broke on my second hike with them. When I returned them - April of last year, right after an early spring hike that had late monorail on a north-facing slope - there were none in stock to trade out. Took the money at the time, went back and bought new spikes for this past winter season - came in handy on a couple of hikes. I also had a TP snap awfully easy when caught in between two rocks on a local trail, about 50-100 miles after purchase. Replaced with no questions asked. The current replacements have several hundred miles on them, and one of them was severely bent on the Lion Head trail on Washington this past July. A pic of it follows. No way I'm trading that guy back in - I've gotten great usage from the two of them and consider them combat vets. Gotta honor that.

Lafayette Summit Photo, September 9, 2012.jpg

The one thing I returned unopened and unused was a water filter. I imagine that made its way right back onto the shelf.

[Don H]

I met a hiker who bragged about returning all his winter gear to REI and exchanging it for summer gear. He quit in VA but I bet he took all his gear back, not because it was defective but because he was done with it.

[Starchild]

When I bought my first set of hiking boots I was told get a good pair and I will have them for the rest of my life. This is me is the standard - buy something good and it should last. And for that first pair I still have them 20 yrs later, though I rarely wear them. I would not consider returning them 20 yrs later, they served me well and I could still use them.

That said the thru hike is a interesting and unique thing on its own and also does challenged the basic warrantee. Many shoe manufactures will warrantee there shoes with a 1 year or other time sensitive standard, if this is the standard they use, yes they should take it back through REI or whoever as they have set the standards - this one is a no brainer. But for the rest, does using their stuff daily in a thru hike qualify for replacement...

I really need to leave that up to the person and where they are in life. If they feel they didn't get the duration they expected I am not to judge. What about people taking advantage, I feel we all do, it may not be REI but perhaps a friend who can get us a discount or relative that can get us out of a ticket - that is part of being human as well as when we decide that even though we can get a discount we forgo it.

As for REI I buy stuff from them because I need it to be right, and will return stuff to them if it is not. It is because if their policy to allow this that they are the one's I go to even if they have a higher price. I for one am very glad that they allow people to return shoes they have worn out.

[Drybones]

I think a return in the case of 1,000 miles traveled is very disingenous. I returned 1 pair of my Merrell Moab Ventilators during my hike because they clearly had a mnaufacturing defect and tore along a stiched seam in less than 2 miles of use.

Darn Tough socks have a lifetime warranty. After I wore through the heals of one pair, I could have returned them. I didn't becuase I felt they'd already lasted a lifetime and I was quite satisfied.

To me there is difference between Darn Tough and REI. REI is a return policy, Darn Tough is a guarantee. I'd have problems returning the socks. Most manufacturers know thier product will not last a lifetime but it will sell enough product to compensate for the few that do get returned. Bought a grill with a brass burner, burner had a 75 year warranty, lasted about 8 years, company was then out of business.

[Drybones]

I met a hiker who bragged about returning all his winter gear to REI and exchanging it for summer gear. He quit in VA but I bet he took all his gear back, not because it was defective but because he was done with it.

"Ill gotten gain takes away the life of its possessor".

[bfayer]

"Ill gotten gain takes away the life of its possessor".

So true. Like my Grandfather would say "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should"

[StubbleJumper]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I returned two pairs of Montrails this year and I sleep quite well at night because they did not meet my expectations of 500 miles for a pair of trail runners. A seam on the first pair tore after about 100 miles, so I exchanged them. The soles delaminated on the second pair after about 200 miles, so I returned them. I ended up getting 300 miles of hiking for free, but I'm quite okay with that because I'd be seriously unhappy about spending $109 and getting only 300 miles use.

If I had gotten something closer to my 500 mile expectation, I would have just paid for a new pair out of pocket.

[canoe]

I agree its wrong to expect a full refund for gear that was fully used. But ...
1. I read that we are paying a higher price because of what they are doing. NOT REI is no higher that any other priceing.
2. On most products there is a 100% mark up. So they are not losing all that much money
3. The guarantee is a marketing technique that draws many more customers into the store to buy. Way to more honest customers than low lifes. So REI is not suffering because of a hand full of peckerwoods.
4 REI is a company of integrity. They keep there word. Therefore they will keep my business.