I recently had a nice REI experience.
Monday I buy a bivy sack. The salesdude tells me I can apply my dividend to it and get 20% off. I'm stoked. I get to the cashier bitch who acts like I'm wasting her time by buying something. I ask if I can apply my dividend to the purchase. She impatiently tells me that unless I have the dividend IN MY HAND, I can't use it. I'm in a hurry, I need the bivy that evening, I plunk down the dough.
After hearing from several sources that I AM allowed to use my dividend even though I don't have the paper copy, I got back to the store on Friday. I tell the customer service guy what happened, and ask if he can get me my 20% back. He claims that without a reciept, he can't do anything (I forgot it in my room). I get pissed, wait ten minutes until the other CS dude is free, hand him the bivy and tell him "I'd like to return this". I don't need a reciept or anything, he refunds me the money, I walk upstairs, grab the SAME EXACT bivy, pay for it using the dividend and walk out the door.
I don't abuse their return policy as I feel it's unethical, but when I give them a reasonable offer and they refuse, I didn't mind taking advantage of them. So if anyone finds a new OR Basic Bivy at the Scratch and Dent sale, buy it, it's been on one snow bivy. New.
That said, I like my dividend, I'll keep shopping there.