Kyndhal S.
Yelp
I love REI, but I have had several negative experiences in the store.
When I had a good time, it was great. The sales people are very knowledgeable and helpful. One helped me find a great place to go camping for spring break. Another woman helped me find a backpack that was the perfect fit.
Other times I have been treated with suspicion and given a hard time. I'm not sure if that's because I'm a black woman? I was returning some items, and the manager proceeded to ask me a lot of questions that seemed excessive and unnecessary. I've been shopping at REI for five years and have never had an issue returning things before coming to the store. She just seemed very nice-nasty. I was not a fan.
They also gave me an issue with returning an item that had rusted because it had been sitting for several months. I had attempted to return the product, but the store was closed due to COVID-19. Then, things got busy with my life and I sort of forgot about it. However, I attempted to return it three times before. I don't think I should be penalized for that. Also, if something rusts that's an environmental cause. Not a user error. I ended up being able to return the product, but it was just so much hassle.
I will continue to patronize REI, but I will probably just shop online.