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So I'm trying to abuse the REI return poicy.....


Blake

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Ok, so i have a black Mtn Hardwear jacket, and REI down "generator" jacket bought on sale at the PDX REI last year. Now they are both a tad small, but they didn't have mediums when I bought these last june. I worn them each a handfull of times, but not very much, and I see that the B-ham REI has the same items in medium, the PDX one stopped carrying them. How can I take back/exchange a small jacket for the identical model in medium, if they now cost roughly $30 more each since they aren't on sale?

 

P.S. I'm a member, but would be willing to "forget" that if it'd help my cause. wink.gif

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So Cracked: Are you also thinking I can't return my slightly used outdoor underware which is starting to prematurally wear through after 2 years?

 

They were never made brown in, although they may have had some slight skid-marks on occasion. confused.gif

 

Don't they just toss them back on the pile and resell them?

 

How about my 5 year old rope? I don't feel comfortable leading on it any more: don't they want me to be happy?

 

 

 

 

Oh, Blake, since you got a great price, maybe you can buy the Medium and - or either A) lose weight or B) sell the jacket to Lynn Hill via internet transaction like on this site in the gear for sale threads?

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Don't they just toss them back on the pile and resell them?

 

The PDX REI does, which is the only thing that sucks more than abusing a return policy. When a store knowingly resells used items as new. Especially when you returned that new item because it was missing parts. Like a bike fender w/o mounts. Or ski bindings w/o screws madgo_ron.gifmadgo_ron.gif

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Option # 1: Lose weight.

 

Option # 2: Make the items defective. This can be accomplished in any number of ways but it needs to be something that faults the manufacture and not you or this will not work.

 

A few possibilities… stitching on zipper comes out (only cut in one place and then unthread from there), if it is a three layer jacket you can generally find corners and peel back the inner liner exposing the goretex. Finally spraying hair spray on a goretex jacket will cause the glue to delaminate from the outer fabric. DISCLAIMER: if you are unsuccessful (i.e. do not convince them to return it) you are stuck with it

 

Option # 3: Claim the unsatisfied with product. Technically REI’s warranty covers this but customer service is trained to only reward/honor this with members that have a strong purchase history… if only shop the sales and buy a few items a year they are less likely to honor the promise. This might be the best choice as you don’t get stuck with items that you made defective.

 

Option # 4: Karma is a harsh mistress. Sell the items and use this as a learning experience to ensure that next time you spend some cash on a jacket you make sure it fits. I would encourage this option and/or option 1.

 

Finally: some further discussion on REI scamming

 

And to all you who blasted Blake; how about blasting REI for basing employees’ annual raises (for already shitty wages) on how many memberships they sell per month. If the membership is such a good thing why does REI have to force their employees to push it on people? Shouldn't it sell itself? Just my 2 cents.

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Option # 2: Make the items defective. This can be accomplished in any number of ways but it needs to be something that faults the manufacture and not you or this will not work.

 

A few possibilities… stitching on zipper comes out (only cut in one place and then unthread from there), if it is a three layer jacket you can generally find corners and peel back the inner liner exposing the goretex. Finally spraying hair spray on a goretex jacket will cause the glue to delaminate from the outer fabric. DISCLAIMER: if you are unsuccessful (i.e. do not convince them to return it) you are stuck with it

 

Option # 3: Claim the unsatisfied with product. Technically REI’s warranty covers this but customer service is trained to only reward/honor this with members that have a strong purchase history… if only shop the sales and buy a few items a year they are less likely to honor the promise. This might be the best choice as you don’t get stuck with items that you made defective.

 

Option # 4: Karma is a harsh mistress. Sell the items and use this as a learning experience to ensure that next time you spend some cash on a jacket you make sure it fits. I would encourage this option and/or option 1.

 

What the hell's the matter with you? You say you encourage option #1 (lose weight) or be careful in your buying (#4), while at the same time providing detailed instructions on how to be fraudulent.

And the link you provided on REI scamming includes such advice as:

One other trick is to buy something at REI with the credit that another store carries (the bigger the better i.e. GI Joes). Take it there and return it after you check out there return policy in advance. I know both GI Joes and REI carry North Face, you could buy a jacket that both have and then return it at Joes assuming you remove all evidence of REI (tags and such) and prior to returning the jacket, cruise into Joes and get there price tags of the jacket and bring those with you. You need to some how convince them you bought it there.

 

It's called THEFT. Being "clever" doesn't make it any less dishonest. Again, what the hell is the matter with you????

thumbs_down.gifthumbs_down.gifthumbs_down.gif

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I smell management...

 

I have no problem taking shots at a company that fired 400+ employees (you guys eliminated the entire Seattle based THAW production staff in the late 90s… THAW is code name for REI brand for those of you who don't know) to move there jobs to mexico after NAFTA passed.

 

Being clever doesn't make it any less dishonest.

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What the hell's the matter with you? You say you encourage option #1 (lose weight) or be careful in your buying (#4), while at the same time providing detailed instructions on how to be fraudulent.

 

If you have a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee I'm well within my rights to return the item because I want a bigger size, don't like the color, or I just want a new one. I may be abusing the spirit, but not the letter. If you don't like this nasty secret, change your stupid policy. And watch me never buy from you again. Because it is exactly this policy that makes up for the crappy service, bad pricing, stupid merchandising, and megalith stores.

 

Returning something you didn't buy is theft.

 

Chemical Physics - you didn't want to be a premed and weren't smart enough to be a Physicist?

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Oooooh! American University! Now there is the creme de la creme. shocked.gif Just because you can do really hard math doesn't mean you have a freaking clue what goes on in a business. Truth of the matter is that the people who pay for the return policy abuses are the layed off employees and the customers. True it is not the only reason, but you are not screwing the man over with that at all. Hell, they are probably profiting off the returns policy somehow. No matter how clever you think you are NOLsey, the man is smarter then you.

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Dude, by the time you finish that master's some guy named Punjab Rangool will be doing the job you thought you would get, in India, for $8k a year. You'll spend a couple of years post grad working throwaway part time jobs and climbing while looking for that career spot. Then one day you'll see it's a losing proposition and go to massage school, where like Polish Bob, you make your money by giving the "happy finish" to balding middle aged men.

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