The hard line at Return Every Item

[Alpine_Tom]

Seems like it's a regular topic here about how egregiously people abuse the REI return policy. Well, they may be changing their policy. Last weekend I went on an overnight climb on Mt. Hood and it was quite windy. (I was with a 12-year-old, and it was his first big mountain, so we were taking it easy.) Well, we got down from the summit to discover that three of the tent poles on our Sierra Designs Tirus tent had been broken from the wind. (This is the same weekend that bad weather socked in Lambone and his harem on Glacier Peak.)

The tent came from REI, and it’s marketed as a four-season tent, and Fred, the kid’s father, who’s tent it is, took it to REI for a warranty replacement of the poles. And they said… nope! This isn’t a mountaineering tent, it’s a four-season tent. It’s not intended for mountains. Not under warranty. (It’s about a year old, I think.)

The funny thing is, on REI’s website, this tent is sold as a winter/high-altitude tent.

Does anyone have any reason why we SHOULDN’T get ugly about having them cover it under warranty? If it was on the upper slopes of Everest or someplace dire like that, I’d have a hard time arguing with them, but this is Mt. Hood, in summer. Sure it was windy, but the weather was moderate enough that Michael, who’s small for his age, was able to summit, so we’re not talking 80mph winds here.

The tent was pitched properly, with the pegs in (and rocks on the pegs)

[erik]

tom,

 

by pass rei and go to the manufacture. also when you do report rei to the manufacture of their porr service and ill knowledge of the products they are selling. dealer knowledge is extremly important to manufactures. how are they able to sell the 'right' equipment to people is they are unfamiliar with the product. also if you can note the rei employee name and or number for reference. also write a scathing but professional letter to rei home office. being a co-op owned by the people for whom it is setup for you would think that they might repect said owners. but then again when profit margins and not customer service is the goal....the co-op owner/patron should be righted.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Try either taking it to a different REI store or calling REI's customer service department. A Sierra Designs Tiros should not have the tent poles be snappin'. That is fully bunk.

[erik]

hahahaha

 

i just looked on the rei website and the bibler i-tent is listed as a backpacking/hiking tent.

 

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?storeId=8000&seq=61&query=*&cat=4500029

 

no wonder bone epiced!!!

[erik]

even more so the rei website lists the tiros as a winter/mountainerring.backpakcing tent.

 

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=9307089&parent_category_rn=4500458

[allthumbs]

Yep, none of the Biblers are listed for mountaineering. Damn, now what?

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

quote:

---

Originally posted by erik:

hahahaha

 

i just looked on the rei website and the bibler i-tent is listed as a backpacking/hiking tent.

 

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?storeId=8000&seq=61&query=*&cat=4500029

 

no wonder bone epiced!!!

---

Oh, yeah, the Bibler I-Tent is a classic hiking tent. With only two poles and a single skimpy layer of fabric between you and oblivion, one would never, ever want to go into the mountains with one.

[Alpine_Tom]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing:

Try either taking it to a different REI store or calling REI's customer service department. A Sierra Designs Tiros should not have the tent poles be snappin'. That is fully bunk.

---

Actually, he took it to the Lynnwood store first, and they said "yeah, it's a warranty job, take it the the downtown store and they'll take care of it." It was at the "Flagship" store that he ran into the hardass.

He's checking with Sierra Designs (they have an 800 number for customer service) and I expect they'll be more realistic.

[payaso]

Take those bozos to the cleaners! That tent is well within your legitimate rights to get some new poles! I think they have some real boy scout types working back there that get tired of seeing all the shit come back. Never mind the fact that the loose return policy is why most people buy that stuff there to begin with. A couple years back I had some fleece pants go split on me and I took them up there. I got the boy scout type and they asked what I had done with them. I said I wore them while snowboarding. She instantly huffed some crap about these not being designed for snowboarding or whatever. Like I'm supposed to have different fleece pants for boarding, skiing, x country skiing, driving back from ski area, sitting at base camp, approaching base camp, climbing from base camp, walking to work on snowy day, etc. They'd love that wouldn't they. I can't wait to see the look on their face when I return my NW Forest pass next year after it stops working.

[Alpine_Tom]

quote:

---

Originally posted by trask:

Yep, none of the Biblers are listed for mountaineering. Damn, now what?

---

The product description for the Bibler I-Tent Standard says:

 

"This two-person, single wall, extreme mountain tent is lightweight, super strong, waterproof and easy to set up

 

Ideal in all high-altitude conditions, this tent can be pitched on ledges that are no larger than your sofa! "

 

So SOMEONE at REI thinks it's a mountaineering tent. I wonder whether the web hackers at REI are in the same time zone as the marketing copywriters.

 

Or (it just occurred to me) maybe the customer service guy will claim that it's for use in living rooms, not outdoors!

 

[ 08-07-2002, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Alpine Tom ]

[David_Parker]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alpine Tom:

If it was on the upper slopes of Everest or someplace dire like that, I’d have a hard time arguing with them, but this is Mt. Hood, in summer.

---

[David_Parker]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alpine Tom:

If it was on the upper slopes of Everest or someplace dire like that, I’d have a hard time arguing with them, but this is Mt. Hood, in summer.

---

Wind is wind anywhere in the world, so even if you were on Everest or Mt. Washington in N.H., it's a 4 season tent. Get Ugly with them....

 

or consult the lovely Jules and ask for her assistance. I'll bet she can help set things right!

[Crackbolter]

Tom,

 

I would be happy to help you out. It is all too easy to pull the REI managment strings. They express in providing the best Customer Service as possible. The only requirement is a receipt and the deed is done. Give me a call or email me and I will tell you what your next step is. If you broke the pole accidentally, different story.

206-292-6292

crackbolter@yahoo.com

[bobinc]

For over 20 years, the level of knowledge/service of the average REI employee has consistently degraded as they have taken the Costco approach to promoting and selling outdoor gear. That being said, it is always possible to find helpful, knowledgeable people there, especially in the repair dept. Too bad there is so much confusion one must normally wade through to get something simple done. That is why, for the most part, many of us have stopped going there (for anything other than very basic gear such as Lexan water bottles, topo maps, etc.)

[Peter_Puget]

http://supertopos.com/climbing/thread.html?m=5502&f=0&b=0

[chucK]

I'm confused here .

 

Doesn't REI still have their "satisfaction guaranteed" policy?

 

Once the customer-service puke started stonewalling, couldn't you have just said, "And also, besides the obvious defects, I'm not satisfied with this product"???

[rodeo]

Check this,

 

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=9307089&parent_category_rn=4500458

 

Have them print this out and take it in with them. (Scroll down towards the bottom and take a look at the "Specs".) That should shut them up quickly enough.

 

(--Climb on,,,

Rodeo

[Crackbolter]

quote:

---

Originally posted by chucK:

I'm confused here

.

 

Doesn't REI still have their "satisfaction guaranteed" policy?

 

Once the customer-service puke started stonewalling, couldn't you have just said, "And also, besides the obvious defects,

I'm not satisfied

with this product"???

---

You got it Chuck!

This is the saving phrase.

[jon]

Just go back to the store later when a different person is working the counter. If you are still getting a hard time ask if you can talk to a manager. If that doesn't work tell them you will contact the manufacturer directly and reporting the incident to the Better Business Bureau. Don't be an ass because I'm sure the they see plenty of winey gapers complaining because their new Makalus hurt their feet, but you'd be surprised how my previous statement will get somebodies attention really quickly.

 

[allthumbs]

Just hand them MattP's business card.

[Greg_W]

Reading through the info on the Tiros (see above link), it touts their new AST technology to "better withstand high winds." REI's response is typical large corporation brush off tactics. They don't care about your satisfaction because they have another hundred BMW-driving Bellevue-ite lemmings trotting through the door to buy overpriced trailmix and socks.

 

Unleash the fury of Winger:

 

Greg W

[jules]

For goodness sakes, people, I go on vacation and look how bent out of shape ya'll are about a return at my store.

 

Tom, has your situation been resolved? You will get that tent returned or replaced, I promise. PM me, David Parker is right: I will drop some names or offer other assistance. You did not get appropriate results.

 

You are also right to assume that the webmasters and copywriters for rei.com are not necessarily end-users (at least, that's the thought I gleaned from your post). So I am not surprised, although I am chagrined, to learn of the category to which those tents are assigned. Thanks, I think I can easily remedy that (damn, another preposition-ending sentence...).

And to everyone, because I respect each & every one of you, or at least you probably crack me up on a regular basis: caveat emptor. Do not assume that what is printed in the media or on a stupid website or in religious documents (unless they have to do with banning the devil from your Florida hometown ) is the absolute truth.