REI Sucks

[redlude97]

 

The REI credit card is awesome. You get something like 10% back on every purchase as a member, plus another 5% when you buy with the card at REI. 3% back on gasoline, and 1% on other purchases,approx. Anyway, I got a $400 dividend last year, based mostly on card purchases away from REI, like my power bill.

 

 

It is actually 5% on rei purchases and 1% on everything else (minus a few exceptions). That is actually not that great of a card if you are not planning to buy tons of stuff at rei. There are tons of cards out there that will give 1% for everything and something more (3%) for specifics, like gas, which we spend a lot more on.

 

plus it looks like you have to wait to the end of the year to get your "rebates" and it must be used at rei. Really, this is a lame credit card. (as is most credit cards)

Well you still get your 10% with an additional 5%, and the rebate does not have to be used at REI, if you don't use your dividend they mail you a check

[Lucky Larry]

REI's standard does not, nor has it ever, included returning items you did not buy from them. That's not only robbery, it's fraud. Do I think it's a big deal? No, because REI can suck my balls. But don't try to say it's NOT fraud, and dishonest theft.

 

 

If he'd returned the jacket to Mountain Hardwear that'd be a different issue.[/qu

Friend of mine from Edgeworks buys a completely beat up, worn out Mountain Hardware expedition puffy off a fellow dirtbag for a pittance. Takes it to REI, no receipt: "Uh, excuse me, but this jacket didn't last as long as it should have." They give him a brand new $600 puffy. He was so proud of his cleverness.

 

To me that's robbery. I'm sick of dirtbags basically stealing from society to live their irresponsible party lives. True, we all do it when we are young and stupid..."screw the man", and all that. But to keep working that angle for years on end when you know better, it's just wrong. If you believe in Karma...what goes around, comes around. I used to like the Smith crowd, Bivy Joel and all, but now they make me wonder. They seem like they are stuck in a time warp, and would benefit from getting on with their lives, even if it's a job at Starbucks.

 

The REI credit card is awesome. You get something like 10% back on every purchase as a member, plus another 5% when you buy with the card at REI. 3% back on gasoline, and 1% on other purchases,approx. Anyway, I got a $400 dividend last year, based mostly on card purchases away from REI, like my power bill.

 

Marmot in Bellevue is awesome. They have everything, hope they survive.

Friend of mine from Edgeworks buys a completely beat up, worn out Mountain Hardware expedition puffy off a fellow dirtbag for a pittance. Takes it to REI, no receipt: "Uh, excuse me, but this jacket didn't last as long as it should have." They give him a brand new $600 puffy. He was so proud of his cleverness.

 

To me that's robbery. I'm sick of dirtbags basically stealing from society to live their irresponsible party lives. True, we all do it when we are young and stupid..."screw the man", and all that. But to keep working that angle for years on end when you know better, it's just wrong. If you believe in Karma...what goes around, comes around. I used to like the Smith crowd, Bivy Joel and all, but now they make me wonder. They seem like they are stuck in a time warp, and would benefit from getting on with their lives, even if it's a job at Starbucks.

 

The REI credit card is awesome. You get something like 10% back on every purchase as a member, plus another 5% when you buy with the card at REI. 3% back on gasoline, and 1% on other purchases,approx. Anyway, I got a $400 dividend last year, based mostly on card purchases away from REI, like my power bill.

 

Marmot in Bellevue is awesome. They have everything, hope they survive.

 

A scam is a scam. Is it ethical or justifiable if you do it to a corporation that won't feel the pain as much as a small shop?

 

If you really can't pay for food, clothing, medicine etc then I would say it might be philosophically justified to scam it; the lesser of two evils ie being hungry or not hungry.

 

Does it hurt anyone if you scam free food 4 the hungry and justify it by saying to yourself that they are just going to throw it out anyway? I can't answer that but it would make me feel weird to do it now myself. Especially when I consider how little it actually costs to eat low on the food chain eg potatoes, eggs.

 

All of us justify our actions in one way or another. Forget using morality as a guide. The only guide you need is whether you would like it done to you. And then maybe consider the circumstances.

 

One of my biggest regrets is voting for the death penalty. It is unethical to take an eye for an eye. It only illustrates our desire to inflict pain and suffering on others that have inflicted pain; what's so righteous about that? It doesn't right a wrong.

 

Forget Religion. Mankind's social progress is not marked by its' revenge but only by the its' ability to forgive itself and others for their(its') own human nature: vice, desire, passions, failings. And maybe by helping someone in need: charity.

 

There are two statues in front of the State Justice building here in Salem, OR and they are both missing their heads but not their mouths; and I'm not joking.

 

Edited January 9, 2011 by Lucky Larry

[Lucky Larry]

Well now I just got a call from the bureau of labor asking me about how they handled REI's automatic denial of my CoBRA health plan application two years ago. I really spaced out about the CoBRA thing or I would have already posted it. Funny how the mind just blacks it out.

 

I think the bureau's rating survey thing kinda sucked because it was like most surveys-- ambiguous wording; however,I felt the bureau's people deserved high marks and they got REI to reverse their initial denial of my CoBRA rights. And the survey only allowed me to make one comment; so I made one about how REI's automatic denial of my CoBRA plan sucked.

 

After more than a couple calls, forms, letters and months I finally got the Cobra. However, the discount/month rate had already elapsed, six months I think, and I would now have to pay for those months and start paying the new higher monthly rate.

 

I really wanted to pay up just to force REI to pay into the Cobra plan but I did not. Money talks and bullshit walks. And REI's lawyers got to keep the money.

 

I pursued the issue through the system because I felt an automatic denial by REI was outlandish. I should have asked the bureau of labor if there is a legitimate reason of denial.

 

Am I still angry. No, because I had forgotten about it until the bureau of labor called me. But I can imagine someone that was really really sick being denied CoBRA getting upset.

Edited January 26, 2011 by Lucky Larry

[yeoman]

REI has kind of passed it's apex of usefulness for me. I can't get very specific gear there anymore. Still great for gear for the gf, shot blocks, some books and outdoors staples.

I've come to accept that they aren't employing people who have nearly as much interest in gear as I do, evidenced by the genius who recently told me you're not supposed to use ANY flick lock pole for any type of skiing. I decided to bite my tongue rather than try to explain that 90% of the type of skiing I do is basically hiking on snow.

Better tell all those people you see in the backcountry with BD flicklocks they are using the wrong poles

 

I'm okay with old women supporting my hardware habits. I won't return a worn out pair of gloves or shoes, but a busted gps or other high ticket item, you bet.

[DPS]

 

because the title of corporation definitely means the company must be evil...asshat.

 

Maybe Juan or MattP can chime in with some actual facts but from my understanding companies incorporate to indemnify the coroprate officers from legal liability.

 

For example, if corporation X makes a product that kills hundreds of thousands of consumers the corporate officers won't be held criminally liable. How many big tobacco folks are in prison now?

 

I'm sure there are many other benefits and protections afforded under incroporation laws, but I would bet a dollar none of these are extended to the consumers.

 

Evil? Mostly not but the laws don't exactly encourage the orporation to not be either.

Edited January 28, 2011 by DPS