REI Customer Service
Rated 1.88 of 5 Stars
Based on 8 Complaints

Contact REI Corporate

Toll free phone number: 253-891-2500

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REI Contact Information

Report complaints to corporate and get satisfaction

  • REI headquarters address

    • 6750 S. 228th Street
    • Kent
    • WA 98032
    • United States
  • Company website

  • 1-800 phone number

    253-891-2500
  • Better Business Bureau rating

    A+

  • Customer service hours

    24 hours a day

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Top REI Complaints

Browse more than 8 reviews submitted so far

20

I am going to do the Camino 05/08. I began preparation for this on 4/05, by going to the REI in Friendswood, TX. I looked for an Osprey Talon 44 backpack. It was not available at the store, so the cashier ordered it for me. He requested payment to be able to place the order. I submitted a $100 REI gift card and a $25 Visa Gift card. Payment went through, he took my email address an Member #, and told me that it would be in the following week. At that time I went ahead and bought shoes and made an appointment for an outfitting so that it would coincide with the arrival of my backpack.

I returned the following week 04/10 for my outfitting with Derek Lucas. My bag hadn't arrived. He looked in his device and said that my backpack was in transit and that it should be arriving anytime. Derek spent several hours with me assisting me to select various clothing and miscellaneous articles. He said that it was important to have the backpack, because he needed to know if everything that I purchased was going to fit. So after I purchased an additional $1200 in goods, Derek said that I should make one more appointment the following week to gage the size of the backpack.

I called the store today 04/13 to make a 2nd outfitting appointment and to check the status of the backpack. Chelsea made the appointment for 04/16 at 130 with Derek, and checked on the Backpack. She saw that the order had been cancelled last week because the credit card had been declined. I was very upset at this because I received no notification that this had happened. She said that all that she could do was to place the order again. She also checked if there were any store that had it, and found it in the Galleria. I asked her if the Galleria could send it to her store and she said that it would take just as long as if she had ordered it (5-7 business days). So I decided to take the 20 mile drive from my house to a very congested area that I never go to, to acquire the backpack because I wanted to be ahead of the game.I didn't want to receive any more surprises from REI. Needless to say, the voyage took 3 hours of my time. When I arrived to the REI on Westheimer, the bag was waiting for me. The cashier asked me how I was doing and I told her that I was very upset at having to come all the way out there because somebody had dropped the ball with communication. She went into my account to see what had happened and found out that the cashier that took my order had misspelled the name on my email to afred, instead of Alfred and that is why I received no notification. She said that I should make a formal complaint when she heard that I drove so far to get it.

The logistics and time constraint of doing a trek like this is very stress full. Little surprises like this can make the difference of not being able to make the trip, specially if you are not preparing with ample time.
I would like to know if my $100 Gift Card was charged at the time that I ordered the backpack, because there are still more items that I need to Purchase. Derek has been very helpful with the outfitting and Chelsea did her best to resolve my problem.

Sincerely,
Alfred Sheridan

20

It’s my 2nd winter to shop for ski jackets, shells, and there are not enough larger sizes for women,

20

The manager at the Ft.Collins location was rude,dismissive, not helpful, and would not abide by the company return policy.

20

I have been an REI member for many years. This is to complain about poor customer service at the REI store in Rockville, Md. On Nov. 2, 2018, I went there to pick up a product that I had ordered on line. As I approached the counter, the female REI employee there rudely shouted at me that she was not going to wait on me because she already had a customer. A young man came over and was just as rude. He was curt, not at all friendly or courteous. He gave me the product that I had ordered, but refused to explain how to use it. He told me to "step aside." In other words, "go away! I give these two employees a failing grade of "F" for customer service. Their behavior was inexcusable under any circumstances. Plus the store was almost empty; there was no line at the counter.

60

I have spent a large majority of my outdoor recreation funds at REI, and the liberal return policy is one reason. For 37 years I bought stuff and returns a light and a pair of boots among the hundreds, perhaps thousands of items. I can find everything cheaper, but the one stop in person shopping and the return policy keeps me coming back.

Today I attempted to return a sleeping pad that was not used but 6 nights, due to health reasons I just got back into backpacking. So the pad I bought only received 2 nights camping use before the year was up. 4 more nights backpacking has proven this item will not work for me. People abusing the return policy prompted REI into changing their return policy. I recognize that. By not looking at my return history, and lumping me in with any customer just lost them a long time and loyal customer. I know I can find everything at a cheaper price, and will no longer worry about returns. That is the reality to REI with their inflexible return policy. This is a co-op, but it no longer feels that way.

20

Not happy with my last (and probably last) REI online experience (3/23/18). I placed a clearance item (Keen men's sandal) in my "CART" to purchase and then continued shopping on the site to purchase more items in order to qualify for "free shipping" ($50+). Without notice or warning to purchase the item or lose it, the Keen sandals were removed from "MY CART" with the message that "the item is no longer available". This online shopping experience is THE OPPOSITE OF USER FRIENDLY and only leads to upset customers.

60

I called the REI customer service number at 1-800-426-4840 to report a problem with my order. It is not so much a help hotline as a catch all for everything REI. Took a few minutes to get to a human, but ultimately had my problem solved.

80

It was my daughters birthday and I purchased as Diamondback Mini Impression 16" Girls Bike from REI. Within 2 days from the time of ordering this, I received the bike. Fast shipping, great prices. The return back policy if any is unbelievable. During my purchase I spoke to couple of customer care executives at REI and I must say "very impressive". Their knowledge about the product sold on REI is commendable. Good Job done by them. I appreciate them and REI for being very professional in their work to keep a customer happy. Highly recommended website for anyone looking to purchase sporting stuff.

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