REI

Horrible experience with "manager" Paul. Grateful I was able to get a refund on my membership. I was interested on a butane grill in the resale portion of the store. The issue stated was a cosmetic defect. I was told that once I purchased this product that I could not return it for any reason, so I reasonably requested that I could take it outside to test it with my butane. He declined and said that the burden falls on the customer. This is not only a lazy answer but an answer that lacks integrity. He would give me any policies that state differently, and it certainly wasn't a safety hazard.

Went in tonight to buy a pair of running shoes. Me and my family showed up around 7:30 with an upset newborn which is obviously the fault of no one. My wife did her best to keep her calm while we patiently waited behind a father and son who were getting helped by the one person in the department. They seemed to chitchat for a few minutes after they were done which is completely understandable as I also work in the customer service business. When it finally came to our turn she quickly got the two sizes of the shoe I liked to try but didn’t stick around to see how they fit. She went on to the next person and seemed to help them for about 15 minutes before acknowledging me again (all the while our baby is still unfortunately upset.). When she finally came back she brought another pair to try and again vanished for quite awhile. Again after 5-10 minutes she came back and was going to bring another shoe since the previous pairs did not fit. She was on time with that but after she brought that pair she was nowhere to be found. The store was closing in 5 minutes so we decided to leave as it appeared that no one was there to help us. I’m giving two stars because the other people seemed to be given amazing service and they have a great selection available, unfortunately, we just didn’t seem to get the same thing. Very frustrating experience.

REI is more than a store that has the best selection and quality gear. I just took part in this stores first campout at First Landing State Park and I had such a blast. What stood out the most was definitely the REI team. Kaitlyn, Kate, and Stephen were beyond exceptional. So friendly, welcoming, prepared, organized, and inclusive. I drove from Jacksonville, NC almost 4hrs away and I would do it again because the 3 of them worked so hard to make it such a great experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first because I’ve never done one of these events. They had an absolute toy store of camping gear already set up when we got there. Hammocks, games, lanterns, glow sticks, string lights, community fire, chairs and blankets, charcoal for the grill, A1 s’mores stuff, coffee and snacks for the morning, and even a gift bag with a stainless steel cup. Be prepared to get the camping gear fever seeing all the gear in action. I ended up going by the store and spending $200 on a whim (no regrets). A lot of thought and effort went into putting an event like this together and it just showed how great a job REI does of assembling their team because every employee I met from that store doesn’t seem like they are working. It seems like they’re doing what they love. I enjoyed it so much I will definitely do another on and I think I’m going to have to consider booking an REI adventure sometime. Thanks again to Kaitlyn, Kate, and Stephen for making the weekend so great. People like you help me forget work and focus back in on some of the simpler joys in life like a relaxing weekend with like minded people.