kevbone Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Why I shop at REI: Dividend and return policy. I big huge sorry goes out to the little guy shops……but I just bought a new pair if $130 pair of Muir climbing shoes. After my gift card of $40, after my dividend of $29.00 and after the one time 20% off for using my dividend….I paid about $45.00. I love climb axe but they just cannot provide that kind of discount year after year. I certainly do not go to REI to browse. I only go there to buy what I need and leave. Also the return policy just cant be beat……. I will continue to shop there. Sorry little guys….. bone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Why tell us this? Just to wiggle the knife a little bit in the side of the "little guys", eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Why tell us this? Why post in spray ever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Why tell us this? Just to wiggle the knife a little bit in the side of the "little guys", eh? Several years ago I wanted a new pack. Something smaller than a 5000 cu in megapack. REI had a sale going on - 20% off coupon, etc. I went in to the flagship store. It was packed. I had to wait in line just to talk with the salesman. He was totally rude. I wanted to try 2-4 packs on with simulated weight, run up and down the stairs, etc, and get feedback from him. He looked more annoyed. I said "fuck it" and walked over to Feathered Friends. It was almost empty in there. A guy was very helpful. He didn't pressure me or bother me. I tried on 3-4 packs, and left without buying anything. I went to Marmot Mountain Works. They didn't have anything different/better than FF's selection. Next day, I went back to FF and bought one of the packs I had tried. It was 20% more expensive than REI. That was my middle finger to REI and thumbs up to FF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 I have had similar experiences at REI and other stores during sales…..my advice….don’t go during a sale. I hate what REI turned into but can not deny the dividend I get back every year and the return policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grtmtnchic Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Why I shop at REI: Dividend and return policy. I big huge sorry goes out to the little guy shopsbut I just bought a new pair if $130 pair of Muir climbing shoes. After my gift card of $40, after my dividend of $29.00 and after the one time 20% off for using my dividend.I paid about $45.00. I love climb axe but they just cannot provide that kind of discount year after year. I certainly do not go to REI to browse. I only go there to buy what I need and leave. Also the return policy just cant be beat. I will continue to shop there. Sorry little guys.. bone Ditto: Bought $120 Mythos shoes less 20% member coupon less $80 dividend = $16 + tax....I mean seriously, who can beat that?! I loved the old local shop in Yakima (Hyper Spud) because of the awesome recommendations from the owner - great selection in a tiny store too. But that is a rarity...tough business to be in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marylou Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 The new REI brand spring line has a diaper bag in it. The last piece of gear I bought was at Second Ascent. Something as simple as a ti cookpot, in a size REI doesn't bother carrying. It was less expensive (new) than a smaller similar cookpot sold at REI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I bought my first shoes/harness from Hyper Spud in Moscow. REI can kiss my ass. I went there to get a comfortable big wall harness. I'd already done research and knew pretty much what I wanted to try on. So I go to the climbing counter and tell the guy I want to try on the MM Cadillac. He looks totally blank. He says he's not sure they carry them. I inform him that indeed they do as I'd looked it up online before coming in. But I needed to try the thing on for size. So we locate the caddys and the guy grabs a med for me. It was way too big. He gets me a small. I put it on and cinch it down and go over to the rope to hang in it. There is about a five inch gap between my stomach and the harness. The guy, seeing that there is no XS in stock, tries to convince me that the fit was correct and I would be fine. I wanted to pull his left eyeball out with a nut tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Oh, and then, when I tell him that I obviously need the XS, he says I can contact MM and order it online from them. I ask him, "Can't I just place an order with you and you get it in". Answer: "Um, yeah, I think we can do that". Fucking putz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Oh, and then, when I tell him that I obviously need the XS, he says I can contact MM and order it online from them. I ask him, "Can't I just place an order with you and you get it in". Answer: "Um, yeah, I think we can do that". Fucking putz. I bought my Marmot Helium at REI with a 20% coupon and dividend. I still remember the salesman trying to tell me I needed a 0 degree bag for 3-season mountaineering, and I should get a 6'6" length "to keep a warm bottle by my feet" (I am 5'10"). Finally I couldn't take it anymore and asked him: "do you climb... or backpack". Err, well, actually no. Fucking putz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I was at Devil's tower several years ago and there was a pimple faced kid with braces and a ranger uiform givig a talk on "How to Climb". Meanwhile, the guy who had put up most of the hard routes there at the time was emptying the garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hafilax Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 We're lucky to have MEC in Canada. I swear it's the cheapest place to get climbing gear in the world for retail price. Kind of like REI with a conscience. The help you get from MEC can be pretty random. Sometimes they know what they're talking about, sometimes not. I got $100 back from MEC this year kind of like the REI dividend. I still try to support the little(er) guys like Valhalla Pure but sometimes the pocket book dictates. I read everything I can find before I make a purchase and generally know what I'm looking for ahead of time though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recycled Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Is it really time already for another REI bitch thread? I'm just waiting for the CDN$ to go down again so I can go to MEC in Hongcouver to replace all my old tattered crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Is it really time already for another REI bitch thread? If you read my first post....I was giving REI the thumbs up.....not bitching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheamclimber Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Is it really time already for another REI bitch thread? I'm just waiting for the CDN$ to go down again so I can go to MEC in Hongcouver to replace all my old tattered crap. haha, I know eh! Im so damn tall whenever I go there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 We're lucky to have MEC in Canada. I swear it's the cheapest place to get climbing gear in the world for retail price. Kind of like REI with a conscience. The help you get from MEC can be pretty random. Sometimes they know what they're talking about, sometimes not. I got $100 back from MEC this year kind of like the REI dividend. Sounds about the same to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 My bitch with REI lately (last 10 years or so) is that their stock is usually very limited. This was proven to an even greater extent last Saturday. I found out that the birthday party I took my daughter to was ok with dropping her off and coming back later. So I decided to head to the Southcenter REI to look at some new boots. They don't carry Mountaineering boots at that REI!!! Why not just put them in the freakin' mall and call it the Life is Good Store??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 My bitch with REI lately (last 10 years or so) is that their stock is usually very limited. Yes….I agree…..they used to be “a climbing store with some clothes in it”…..now is “a clothing store with some climbing in it”! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 My bitch with REI lately (last 10 years or so) is that their stock is usually very limited. This was proven to an even greater extent last Saturday. I found out that the birthday party I took my daughter to was ok with dropping her off and coming back later. So I decided to head to the Southcenter REI to look at some new boots. They don't carry Mountaineering boots at that REI!!! Why not just put them in the freakin' mall and call it the Life is Good Store??? The flagship store is better than the other stores, that is for sure. I never take a chance anymore going to Redmond or Issaquah if I am going to buy some climbing gear. I go to Seattle. More recently I have bought biking and skiing stuff at REI, not climbing gear, and I order for in-store delivery. I got my kids' skiing boots cheap in off-season sales. And you are right the selection in general sucks and is limited. Before a big purchase, I always check out Marmot and FF because they care different brands and models of stuff. I also search for sales online, but don't order stuff I have to try on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Marmot also has a pretty good sale rack, same as the basement at the old Capitol Hill REI. I like FF as well. It's just that it's difficult to comprehend any REI not carrying mountaioneering boots! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Marmot also has a pretty good sale rack, same as the basement at the old Capitol Hill REI. I like FF as well. It's just that it's difficult to comprehend any REI not carrying mountaioneering boots! When I bought my boots back in '04 REI (flagship) had like 15 pairs of different $400 technical ice climbing boots, and only about 3-4 types of mountaineering boots. A total WTF... Now I think they've just got a very small selection of climbing boots. Cascade Crags used to be a cool place to check out to (in Everett). They don't sell all the climbing stuff that they used to now that they were bought by VW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 I suppose the best part about REI in my life is I met my wife there about 5 years ago. She was a costumer and I worked there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 There are a lot of things that REI doesn't carry....true....but there are certain things that REI does carry, and the return policy is very nice, especially when you are buying something like moutaineering boots...no telling what they are going to do to your feet until you wear them. I save my 20% off for a big ticket item...this year it was Nepal EVO GTXs....with my coupon, dividend Xmas GCs, they cost my $37. And if they don't end up fitting right, I can take them back for a full refund. Yes, they are a big box retailer, but let's not forget they are a co-op, and not quite the big corporations that we like to hate. Another thing to consider, from a purely economic standpoint is the REI visa card. For purchases at REI I get my full dividend, plus an additional 5% dividend if I use the card, so everything I buy there is automatically 15% off - most importantly, my wife has no audit rights on anything bought with my dividend, because "it was free" Also, IMO the fact that they rely on other lines (other than climing) for their profits don't focus on climbing gear, is a benefit to knowledgeable consumers. Reason being is they turn their inventory very seasonally, and have little patience for aging goods sitting in the store. What that means to us, is they have very little clue what the market is willing to pay for climbing gear and often liquidate at fire sale prices since they have standard clearance policies - i.e. "take an additional 50% off clearance items with a price ending in 0.83". Pretty nice to get a top-of-the-line $350 softshell for $125. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I still remember the salesman trying to tell me I needed a 0 degree bag for 3-season mountaineering, and I should get a 6'6" length "to keep a warm bottle by my feet" (I am 5'10"). Finally I couldn't take it anymore and asked him: "do you climb... or backpack". Err, well, actually no. Fucking putz. i remember an rei guy trying to convince me i needed a 6'6" bag too, but that was probably b/c i'm 6'7" - i like the shortbag though, more incentive to snuggle my fetchign tent-mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I suppose the best part about REI in my life is I met my wife there about 5 years ago. Remember, if that doesn't work out for ya, REI has a great return policy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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