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Drz
08-07-2012, 12:43
So I've been back and forth on a few packs for a while, and I'm about to finally take the plunge. I have found a few deals where the packs are cheaper on other websites then at a place like REI. I've heard great things about them replacing packs and such. My question is, if my pack wares out after a tru-hike or just general usage do they replace it even after extended periods of time? Or is it only within the first few months that they will take them back?

Ktaadn
08-07-2012, 13:14
REI will take anything back at anytime for a full refund.

Rasty
08-07-2012, 13:15
REI will take anything back at anytime for a full refund.

I bought a Perception Dancer kayak in 1987. I wonder?:)

PapaGarrettP
08-07-2012, 14:18
I bought a Golite from REI six months ago and have been on the trail a total of about about six weeks since then (4 trips). The shoulder straps are separating a bit from the waist band (design flaw). I am planning to send back and expect a full refund, as usual.

Feral Bill
08-07-2012, 16:20
So I've been back and forth on a few packs for a while, and I'm about to finally take the plunge. I have found a few deals where the packs are cheaper on other websites then at a place like REI. I've heard great things about them replacing packs and such. My question is, if my pack wares out after a tru-hike or just general usage do they replace it even after extended periods of time? Or is it only within the first few months that they will take them back? They (we, it is a co-op) would probably take it back. Asking them to take back worn out gear is, however, not reasonable. The policy is in place to deal with problems, be they fit, function, or defect. It's not there to give you free gear for life. The cost of doing so comes right out of the pockets of REI's members and other customers.

LostinAK
08-07-2012, 16:54
... Asking them to take back worn out gear is, however, not reasonable. The policy is in place to deal with problems, be they fit, function, or defect. It's not there to give you free gear for life. The cost of doing so comes right out of the pockets of REI's members and other customers.

Good point!

Only if you're a member. Then yes, you can return anything at anytime if you bought it new/on sale. Some REI's have "Gear Attics" where they re-sell the returned stuff, that stuff you can't return, even if you're a member.

I bought a pair of Salomon trail shoes, used them an entire summer, even ran a couple trail marathons in them- by the end of the summer the laces were blowing out. I personally felt the lacing system should have lasted more than a summer, so I took them back and got another pair. This is the only time I have done such a thing with used gear. Every other return was for an item non-functioning properly. The main reason I returned them was because I had friends with similar shoes that lasted years. Had they not been Salomon's I would have bought a cheap pair of laces for fifty cents, since Salomon has the unique lacing system, I opted to have the entire shoe replaced.

I would say this is more of an personal ethical question. What do you consider general wear and tear, and what do you consider a defect that should be taken back. Buying a pack is taking a plunge, but if it doesn't fit and isn't comfortable REI will take it back, if you shop around enough, trying on a variety of packs, loading them to trail weight in the shop, maybe even spend an hour walking around the store browsing with the pack on, you might make the right purchase.

Sidewinder
08-07-2012, 16:57
So I've been back and forth on a few packs for a while, and I'm about to finally take the plunge. I have found a few deals where the packs are cheaper on other websites then at a place like REI. I've heard great things about them replacing packs and such. My question is, if my pack wares out after a tru-hike or just general usage do they replace it even after extended periods of time? Or is it only within the first few months that they will take them back?

IF you complete a thru-hike on any of the big trails AT/CDT/PCT you got your moneys worth from the pack, don't abuse REI or any other


REI will take anything back at anytime for a full refund.

Management can make a judgement call, the refund is not required

Rasty
08-07-2012, 20:19
I would never get rid of my first kayak it's a classic. I would just like to see the face of the sales person when I ask and they look up the purchase. I wonder what is the oldest item ever returned at REI?

Drybones
08-07-2012, 20:23
So I've been back and forth on a few packs for a while, and I'm about to finally take the plunge. I have found a few deals where the packs are cheaper on other websites then at a place like REI. I've heard great things about them replacing packs and such. My question is, if my pack wares out after a tru-hike or just general usage do they replace it even after extended periods of time? Or is it only within the first few months that they will take them back?

Do what's right! I hope you're not planning to buy stuff, wear it out, and then return it.

yellowsirocco
08-07-2012, 20:28
They (we, it is a co-op) would probably take it back. Asking them to take back worn out gear is, however, not reasonable. The policy is in place to deal with problems, be they fit, function, or defect. It's not there to give you free gear for life. The cost of doing so comes right out of the pockets of REI's members and other customers.

Everything is sold at MSRP, the manufacturer sets the MSRP
Every year you get %10 back, gone are the days of variable dividends.
If the manufacturer sets the price and the board has permenantly set the dividend then the money isn't being lost by the customers directly

Where does the money lost from returns come from? Maybe management bonuses? Some might come from outreach programs as well? It doesnt' raise prices though.

Kryptonite
08-07-2012, 21:16
Everything is sold at MSRP, the manufacturer sets the MSRP
Every year you get %10 back, gone are the days of variable dividends.
If the manufacturer sets the price and the board has permenantly set the dividend then the money isn't being lost by the customers directly

Where does the money lost from returns come from? Maybe management bonuses? Some might come from outreach programs as well? It doesnt' raise prices though.

I don't care if REI Management is making obscene amounts of bonuses or if prices never change at all. To return worn out gear after thoroughly using it "because you can" or because there is a loophole is just ethically wrong. I place a higher value on my character than a piece of gear.

RedBeerd
08-08-2012, 10:01
Ive spent so much money at REI I dont feel bad returning anything even it is "unethical" by some peoples standards. Im sure its this way for a lot of people. They have that warranty for a reason. REI employees have even told me to return things i normally never would have.

Rain Man
08-08-2012, 10:13
... Asking them to take back worn out gear is, however, not reasonable. The policy is in place to deal with problems, be they fit, function, or defect. It's not there to give you free gear for life. The cost of doing so comes right out of the pockets of REI's members and other customers.

I agree with Feral Bill.

As far as packs go, I returned a pack just this summer. Had had it for about 3 years with light-to-moderate use. On the first day of sectioning the AT through Maryland this May, on the canal path, all the stitching holding the pack to the waist belt came completely loose. I did the hike with mostly my shoulder straps. Yuck.

REI gave me no problem whatsoever when I took the pack back to them. I've been a customer since 1976 and my '04 AT hike daughter has worked at three REIs. In my opinion, REI has a true "lifetime warranty," unlike so many unscrupulous American businesses.

Rain:sunMan

.

Kryptonite
08-08-2012, 10:29
Ive spent so much money at REI I dont feel bad returning anything even it is "unethical" by some peoples standards. Im sure its this way for a lot of people. They have that warranty for a reason. REI employees have even told me to return things i normally never would have.

The warranty is in place because if a product doesn't perform the way it should or hold up as long as it should, REI wants to satisfy it's customers. I don't think it's wrong at all to return items based on that scenario. And while I have spent thousands at REI over the past 20 years this policy should be the same for those who spend $10 at REI.

But for hikers who are hiking 1000 miles in shoes and then returning them (and situations like this) - these cases are what I call unethical. I don't care if salespeople encourage returns like this or not. It's wrong.

There will always be people (rich and poor) who try these scams (and that is exactly what it is) and feel there is nothing wrong with it. I'm opinionated; I'm outspoken. But I wouldn't want to be that type of person for anything. Yet the truth is that nothing posted here is ever going to change someone's mind. You either believe that it's wrong or you justify it in your own mind.

pheldozer
08-08-2012, 16:36
If you want to see something funny, mill around the cash registers at REI...wait for someone to return something under the premise of the warranty. Then watch the cashier check to see if REI ever carried that product, or that product in the color of the item attempting to be returned. The back pedaling from the busted returnee is almost as humorous as their walk of shame out of the store with a pair of 15 year old shoes they bought elsewhere.

Nutbrown
08-08-2012, 18:06
I saw a guy return hiking boots worn to the nubs. He said that the teeny bit of rust on a grommet was unacceptable. They looked at him weird, but did give him the return. They asked him what he thought would be a fair return price though, they didn't give him the full price back.

Iron Owl
08-08-2012, 20:03
REI & EMS basically rely on the fact that most people are "reasonable"; kind of like those "pay what you can" Panera Bread locations (which make about the same as locations that are not "pay what you can").

To me it's worth paying a little more to them for most stuff because it's like getting a little bit of insurance if something fails prematurely or just doesn't work for me (some places have horrendous return policies).

SassyWindsor
08-08-2012, 20:26
REI is a great company(co-op). I've had gear drop shipped to me while out hiking, just like a mail drop from home. Local in the states delivery is pretty predictable, international shipments are really risky unless the delivery service and destination of delivery is really dependable/trustworthy.

Don H
08-08-2012, 21:29
So a thru-hiker returning his winter gear so he can buy summer gear is wrong?
I met a guy last year bragging that he was going to do this.

Stuff like that tells a lot about a person.

I like REI, been a member since the mid seventies.

SassyWindsor
08-08-2012, 23:46
The last time I attended an REI "Scratch & Dent" sale I it seemed, by the amount of gear returned, that some have to be taking advantage of their generous return policy.

chelko
08-09-2012, 08:35
I like many of you have spent thousands at REI over the years not only outfitting myself but my wife and 3 kids. My wife had a Mmarmot Precip Rain Jacket that started to de-laminate at the back of the collar after two years. We assumed like most of our gear we had purchased it at REI. She took it to the store to return it and found out that we did not in fact purchase it there. They were more than graciuous and told her since we were members and had a long history of shopping there they would exchange it no problem. They did not have another Marmot jacket in the color she wanted (color seems to be important to women) so they let her have a North Face rain jacket of similar design instead. This is why I will always look to REI first for any gear purchases I make in the future.

bwburgin1015
08-09-2012, 10:26
They will take back Anything at Any Time for Any reason...just check out the garage sales and you'll see boots that were worn hundreds of miles. But that's taking advantage of the system. Just remember as with most privlages, if you abuse them, you usually lose them. If its a design flaw or defect, I wouldn't have a problem returning stuff even after having it a long time.

bwburgin1015
08-09-2012, 10:28
The best thing about their policy is if you use the pack and decide you don't like it, they'll take it back and you can get something else...worth the extra cost IMHO.

hobby
08-09-2012, 11:52
I have taken a few things back to REI (a steripen that did not work properly is the only thing that I remember) and they replaced it with no problem.
I brought in a tent pole that was missing a tip (Sierra Designs) hoping to get it repaired. I had used this tent for several years and was happy with it, just needed to repair this pole. I was told that they did not do repairs and offered to exchange the tent. I know that this was their policy, but did not think that they needed to replace the tent for such a minor problem after so much usage. So I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a replacement tip that I glued back in the pole and all is fine!
I think being a small business owner, I may have a different mind-set than some other folks, but I did not want to abuse their policy.....I might really need it later!