MATT_B Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 I have not tryed to return anything to REI in a while. Last time I checked (long time ago) they stand behind anything they sell for the life of the product. In the past I have had mixed results taking things back. I have had old beat to S#@% stoves replaced and I have also had them refuse to repair a blown out seam on a slightly worn backpack. I have a pare of OR gaitors and OR overmitts that the velcro is coming unraveled to the point that the material is coming apart around the stiching. They are 8 to 10 years old but but not at all overly beet up (too much time rock climbing, too little time in the mountains). I could fix them my self but 1. screw that I'm lazy and 2. REI charges too much anyway. I am going to try and take them back and get them fixed (no real need for new ones). Anyone have winning stratagies to win over the idiot behind the service desk? (I know, they are not all idiots but . . . . . . ) PS Do they all play cheesy mall music like the one in portland? Quote
Jeff_Savoie Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Maybe the reason REI's prices are high is because LAZY people like you just let REI, a place in which you are probably a member, replace or repair your admittedly worn out old gear. And then you have the NERVE to infer that because the guy/girl (probably my friend) has doubts about the validity of your claim they are idiots, no I think you are an IDIOT for abusing the spirit of the return policy. When my gear legitamately wears out I, being the one who wore it out, go out and earn the money to replace it, instead of making the other members and myself pay for it little by little. Personally I'm tired of buying guys like you new gear, with a surcharge on what I purchase. My divedend would be alot larger without these kind of abuses to the system!!! Jeff Quote
allthumbs Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 I agree with you Jeff. I'm not flying REIs flag, but this idea that you can buy their shit, wear it out or trash it, then take it back for a refund is fucking bullshit. Any wankin chode that pulls that shit is just a drain on society. Get a job and pay your way like the rest of us! [ 02-25-2002: Message edited by: trask ] Quote
nolanr Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 I saw some yuppie chicks trying to return some Tevas that were probably 10 years old and totally worn out, expecting to get a brand new pair for free. Wouldn't hardly take no for answer. Quote
payaso Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Where did you Boy Scouts come from? Back when I was in college, you basically just used REI as a bank account. When the old boots wore out, you returned them, and picked out another pair. These days I don't do it as much, but some things are worth buying there solely for the return policy. I blew through 4 pairs of Glacier glasses last year mostly due to manufacturers flaws, and no other store would take that kind of stuff back. They have gotten stricter with the return policy these days however. Now with everything computerized they pretty much instantly know everything about you so you have to save the receipt. If you have the receipt they still have the same old policy, they may just try to intimidate you a little bit. All you need is the receipt and the magic words "I was not entirely satisfied with this product," and you've got some bucks! But seriously, this policy is a great business move on their part because everyone considers this when you make a big purchase. "Do I order something online for a competitive price, or do I pay full retail plus tax at REI knowing that I can bring whatever it is back?" Don't feel guilty about doing it because they've probably built these losses into their business model already. REI, return everything indefinately!!!!!!!! Quote
Lambone Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Jeff Savoie: Maybe the reason REI's prices are high is because LAZY people like you just let REI, a place in which you are probably a member, replace or repair your admittedly worn out old gear. And then you have the NERVE to infer that because the guy/girl (probably my friend) has doubts about the validity of your claim they are idiots, no I think you are an IDIOT for abusing the spirit of the return policy. When my gear legitamately wears out I, being the one who wore it out, go out and earn the money to replace it, instead of making the other members and myself pay for it little by little. Personally I'm tired of buying guys like you new gear, with a surcharge on what I purchase. My divedend would be alot larger without these kind of abuses to the system!!!Jeff Oh whatever...listen to this guy, "the spirit of the return policy" gimme a fuckin break. Not only are you a dumb ass, but you're also an asshole. First, REI's prices are not higher than anyone elses prices, usualy lower because they buy gear from vendors in such large quantities. No one charges more than a brands specified suggested retail price that you will find in the catologue. Second, if REI's prices may be high, its cause of the ease in which little punks can walk right out the front door with gear stuffed down their pants. I'd love to know how much merchandise is lost from that store each year. You're dividends would be even higher if they'd hire people to watch the many exits that place has. But we all know that they won't even spend the money on keeping the place staffed with knowledgable salespeople. And finnaly, poor MATTB whom you so blatently slammed from out of nowhere has a ligitamite quality control issue here. Any stiching defects will be covered under most respectable outdoor brand's warranty policy. Although OR's policy sucks, but then why would anyone want new OR mits anyway... I've worked retail for over ten years, good brands and shops back up the life of their products, especialy stitching issues. As for you, why don't you just crawl back in your hole and attack people on some other web site...freakin REI lovin'lurker. As for the yuppies who return a gor-tex coat because the color has gone out of style...they can suck it. They probably poor radiator fluid down the gutter, and spray tons of chemicals all over their lawns as well. [ 02-25-2002: Message edited by: Lambone ] Quote
CodyICE Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 I never knew returning gear was such a conroversial subject. Quote
Scott_J Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 What a pile of shit Matt B. I don't agree with the Boner very much but on this issue I have to agree with him about 85%(not 100% that would be bad). The part where I disagree is where Matt B tells us his gear is 8 or 10 years old! And he has the balls to return the items and actually think he needs a replacement! Give me a fucking break, fix the shit yourself you lazy fucking ass hole. That is what I have done for years and many of my friends have done also. As for you payaso you are in the same boat if you still practice using and returning stuff that is OLD and WORN. Retail is not rental. Every retail business has to meet a bottom line and if customers AND employees take advantage of that by abusing the system then that business can't function at a level to provide the best possible services for their customers. Now if what you bought is defective then return it, but after 8 years I doubt its defective. I stopped in at REI in Utah in 96 on a road trip to get a bike rack. I was installing it in their parking lot. While doing so an employee came out to see if I was having any trouble. While there he looked at my Yakama box and told me to take it off and bring it in for a replacement as it was defective. This blew me away because as far as I knew it was OK. I asked him if he was sure. He looked at some production numbers and said, "Yep, take it off and I'll get you a new box." No need to rip off the system when it functions like that. Quote
Lambone Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 quote: Originally posted by sisu suomi: Give me a fucking break, fix the shit yourself you lazy fucking ass hole. I stopped in at REI in Utah in 96 on a road trip to get a bike rack. I was installing it in their parking lot. While doing so an employee came out to see if I was having any trouble. While there he looked at my Yakama box and told me to take it off and bring it in for a replacement as it was defective. This blew me away because as far as I knew it was OK. I asked him if he was sure. He looked at some production numbers and said, "Yep, take it off and I'll get you a new box." No need to rip off the system when it functions like that. Harsh dude, take it easy there... Yakima most likely did a recall on you box. I'm not sure what it was, but it could have been some kind of public saftey issue. As in they don't want your box to fly off the top of the car, or open up at 70 miles an hour dumping your shit all over the highway. Either way I'm sure the box was sent back to yakima and they most likely reused the materials, it ain't like REI just chucked it in the dumpster. Ever look at the tags on the stuff you buy? Notice the little fine print that says LIFETIME WARRANTY on materials and craftsmanship an so on and so forth...??? Companies do not normally cover normal wear and tear, and REI shouldn't either, but LIFETIME means for the lifetime of the owner, not the lifetime of the product. It shouldn't matter if the product is 10 years old, or forty years old. I think the difference that we are arguing over here is that if you send an old pair of gloves back to the company with blown out stitching, they will most likely repair them for free and send them back and make you pay for shipping, (depending on the warranty departments assesment of the item). REI seems to just give you a new one no questions asked. Since I try not to buy shit there anyway, I don't mind scaming their system, fuck 'em, it ain't like they are going out of buisness any time soon. Quote
Figger_Eight Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Hey Director of Lameness - Lifetime Warranty means the lifetime of the PRODUCT not the owner...this is straight from the mouth of one of OR's quality control managers while we were drinking beers in Ballard. I used to work retail myself and would simply laugh at some jack ass who would try to bring in a fifteen year old coat that was falling apart. Blown stitching can be attributed to wear and tear, but most companies will fix it simply because they want the reputation of having good customer service. [ 02-25-2002: Message edited by: Figger Eight ] Quote
Jeff_Savoie Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 First, Lamebone, I didn't say REI's prices were high Matt did! REI could however possibly have lower prices if it were not for the extra cost of doing business with guys like you and Matt. Not to mention thievery. You infer that because some even more immoral people than you steal it's O.K. for you return items you already got your money's worth out of. That's like saying because someone dumped a truckload of garbage in your yard it's O.K. for me to throw my hamburger wrappers there too! How are you any different than those people you call "yuppies", as if wearing something out and returning it puts you on some higher moral ground than them, in my opinion, your just as wrong. As you said yourself "good brands and shops back up the LIFE OF THEY'RE PRODUCTS", not they're customers. I can see by the number of post you have made,and the ones I've read, you do your own share of slamming on this website. Do you kiss your mother with that dirty mouth? Do you recognize me from some other site? 'Cause I call B.S. there when I see it too!! As for "poor MATTB" didn't he ask for people's opinion on the subject, and what are you his big brother or something? If he had a problem with me that's his business. Disgruntled Former REI Employee (I hate the place, but I'm not going to take anything from there that I don't deserve)Jeff (not afraid to use my own name) Savoie Quote
johnny Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Whoa there you guys, whats all the fuss about?? It's only a retail store; they are in busuness to make money not friends. It's only gear; it is meant to be used, worn out and retired. Anything else is welfare. Lambone, I disagree with the lifetime thing. It is meant for the life-expectancy of the product, not the owner. Be real, how can I expect a pair of Chacos to last for the remaining 40 or 50 years of life I figure I have left in me??? REI might seem expensive, but they do not decide the upper pricing limit on an item, the manufacturer does, with input from the public and what they are willing to pay. What has changed at REI is that they are not a small gear store where you can get to know the employees and work a deal, be aware of good deals or when a sale will pop up. They are a huge company now and us consumers are merely numbers in some demographic report. The employees cannot make arbitrary decisions concerning the price of an item. On a side note, I have gained a new perspective on the "idiots" we encounter at a gear store now that I work at one. I have a bachelors degree in biology and have worked professionally with salmon and the habitat they utilize In Washington State for the last 7 years. I moved out of state last fall and am working at a retail store while I regain a handle on my life. Most of the people I work with are in a similar state of transition, or they are just plain young and still in school. Why else would you work for 8-10 dollars an hour, organise stock like it really matters in the grand scheme of things and take shit from selfish yuppie fucks who couldn't work the zipper on their new TNF jacket, got it stuck, ripped teeth out of it and now are angry at the shop for not bending over backwards to fix their own problem??? OK, so I have issues.....Thing is I have been climbing, hiking, kayaking, fishing, skiing, etc. for most of my 35 years. I know how to use gear and what I want from it. I never knew the difference between a Q9 and a Q10 clip for a Yakima rack, the square footage of a Mountain Hardware Skyview tent, or why Patagonia's Synchilla is really cool because it is made from recycled plastic. Who cares???? Everyone knows something and just because the person in front of you in the store does not know exactly what you want to know they are not stupid....you are for not taking responsibility for your own education. Does your mother still wipe your ass for you? Read, go online, learn for yourself. Have nice conversations with the gear store people and glean from them what you need or ask someone else if they do not know. I learn from the people I talk to at the shop all the time. If you are not willing to take time to learn what you need, don't expect someone else to for 10 bucks an hour. OK, now I am done ranting, besides, I am late for an appointment with my therapist Quote
Bug Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 When it gets old and worn out I eat it. Then it really turns to shit. Quote
tomtom Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 quote: Originally posted by johnny: Whoa there you guys, whats all the fuss about?? It's only a retail store; they are in busuness to make money not friends. No. REI is a coop, which is owned by the membership (including me). Profits are returned each year in the form of a dividend to the membership (including me). When someone steals from the store or exchanges worn out equipment for new, they are taking money out of my pocket. Some of REI's prices ARE above MSRP, including that silly Bibler tent that I really, really want. Quote
allthumbs Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Lambone:[QB] but LIFETIME means for the lifetime of the owner, not the lifetime of the product. QB] you're wrong bone. Lifetime on the product, not you. Geez, and you're in retail? [ 02-26-2002: Message edited by: trask ] Quote
erik Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 okay okay i refuse to shop at r,e&i and completly disagree with the direction they are taking their company...the co-op thing was a good angle back in the 80's and earlier but now we are in the 00's and things change..... so the people that use r,e&i to exchange equipment when it does not meet their expectations, etc. are crooks... i will publicly humiliate you if i ever hear that you take stuff back to get new stuff, i don't care if you are a legend or just some schmuck like myself..... bone, calm down dude...!!sometimes i wonder....kidz...sheesh!! Quote
nobody Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Lambone: It is the lifetime of the product, not the owner. You may have inadvertently inverted that one. Mattb: I would try taking them back to OR to have the seams repaired. They have repaired multiple products for me at no cost. I assume you live in the Seattle area? Good luck... Quote
johnny Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Hey TomTom: ever heard of the internet? never looked myself but I would bet money that you could order that Bibler tent from Bibler and leave REI out of the loop, AT retail or a bit under no less Yeah REI is a coop, but they are probably the first "coop" to get as big as they are. Do the same rules really apply?? I wasn't trying to defend REI, I have bought two things from them in the last 12 years: a crashpad and a clif bar in teh Federtal Way store (chocolate almond fudge if you must know) both in the same day as I was headed to Mt. Eire with the new short routes guidebook in hand and money in my pocket. I bought the guidebook from Amazon......I really don't care one way or another, I just used to live in Tacoma, not Seattle and if I did not mail-order it, I bought it where it was the most convenient or cheapest: Bacpackers Supply (Tacoma) or Second Bounce/Ascent if I wanted to drive for a deal. Fuck REI, Fuck Retail in general. Everything should just be free for the taking. What are you guys, a bunch of Pinko-commy's or what. This is America DAMMIT!!! Quote
Lambone Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Jeff Savoie: Do you kiss your mother with that dirty mouth? As for "poor MATTB" didn't he ask for people's opinion on the subject, and what are you his big brother or something? You started with the trash talkin, I just picked up where you left off. No we ain't brothers, but us Matt's gotta stick together. personaly I could careless about REI and their return policy. Be careful Jeff, once Caveman knows who you are he'll be hunting you down soon enough. Some companies, good ones, claim that their warranty if for the lifetime of the owner, not the product. The North Face used to when I worked for them in the early 90's. Quote
Lambone Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 quote: Originally posted by johnny: Hey TomTom: ever heard of the internet? never looked myself but I would bet money that you could order that Bibler tent from Bibler and leave REI out of the loop, AT retail or a bit under no less From Black Diamond. Quote
MATT_B Posted February 26, 2002 Author Posted February 26, 2002 I seem to have lit some flames. It seems that many of you got the impression that my gear is 10 years old beat to shit and I just want new ones. Not quite true. If it were I would go buy new ones. Yes it is ten year old. It is used but far far from beet to shit. The problem is that the edges of the velcro were not sealed correctly so they are coming unraveled. This started from day one with the gloves. I dont think OR even uses velcro on their overmits any more (wondery why) I should have taken then back at the first sign of a problem but I didn't. Finaly I don't want them replaced, that would be a waste. I just want them fixed. If I take them in and they say no, so be it. Although some make it sound like a capitol offence for trying. As for lifetime of product is it measured in quality and condition or number of years? Quote
Dru Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 I lyk al the speling missteaks. Mohr pleas. Quote
CleeshterFeeshter Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Is the "Hammering Man" whom is dressed all in black, in front of the Seattle Art Museum, an Amerikan Taliban? Just Wondering Quote
nobody Posted February 26, 2002 Posted February 26, 2002 Matt: Usually they look at what is wrong, for instance if a seam blows, that is workmanship and it should be repaired. I would seriously go to OR. I have never had a problem with them fixing this type of problem. Quote
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