Hey Buck (and other REI folks)

“Buck (or anybody else that works @ REI), I need some suggestions. I bought an REI Travel Down 45 last year when I was doing one of my "gear weight reduction" things which I seem to want to do periodically. Anyway, I used it once, & decided that (to me, at least) it was no where near a 45 degree bag, so I never took it out again. It's been sitting under my bed since. I was initially thinking maybe I could cut it up & make a pair of down sleeping pants or down shirt, but I'm not a good home-maker type so nixed that idea!

So I just read a post by someone else who is "unhappy" w the temp rating of their REI Travel Down & was going to return it.

So, there's nothing, technically "wrong" with it, it's just that I don't honestly think it should be rated at 45 degerees (and I sleep hot)! I boughta Mountain Hardware Phantom 32 bag (also from REI) which I use as my 3 season bag.

Can I / should I return the Travel Down bag & ask for a credit??”

“hell yeah take it back! I don't work there but you can bet they'll take it back and give you credit. they mean it when they say 100% guarantee.

I took back a 3/4ths thermarest after using it on my first trip. One rep politely asked me why I was returning it and I was honest:

I thought I would be fine with a 3/4 but I was wrong and want a full. The rest wasn't all that clean either.

I've had one rep give a little attitude and I gave attitude back.
last edited: 1/21/05 4:34:12 PM”

“Hi wanderer! Totally completely no problemo. Just bring it back for a full refund. Of course I do not officially speak for REI, but I know that's our policy. Our return policy is more liberal than the pinko commie party. If you wet the bed while using this bag, that would be good info to know. Not that it would matter with the refund, but we'd just throw it into a different pile. I think those travel bags were designed for use in hostels.”

“I just can't imagine Bearmagnet giving an attitude back to someone. I'm flabbergasted. :Þ”

“I like my travel down 45, but I did get cold in it once at about 42F. It's a summer bag for me.”

“If people didn't return stuff, others wouldn't get cheap gear at the REI garage sales!

But yeah, seriously if it doesn't work for you, take it back. It's people who use stuff all year and decide they don't want it anymore and there is nothing wrong with it that have to worry about their karma. But even then REI will take it back!”

“Take it back...they'll be happy to replace it with something you can use...by the way, you're not alone finding the rating a bit off:
http://forums.backpacker.com/thread.jspa?threadID=56019&tstart=0”

“I'm not a lightweight hiker, but I use the REI Sub Kilo for my summer hiking. It's just a few more ounces and it's rated at 20 degrees, although I'd put it more at 25-30.

P.S. If you give us REI employees a "tude", we are trained to still smile while you're there being all rudey tudey and stuff, but in the breakroom we laugh at you. Really hard. :^D”

“I'm always nice to the REI folks, actually I've found most to be at least somewhat knowledgeable, but all very willing to find something / get something for me. (I don't mean that as a negative Buck - but we both know retail sales turnover is horrendous).

There's one guy in particular who used to work at the original store on Sunrise before they moved it out near Cal Expo... he worked there for awhile, then I also ran into him when they were opening the Galleria store and the Folsom store. This guy would see me coming & ask "What Can I do for you today Mr. L?". Last time I had misplaced (actually, LOST!) my large baskets for my Leki poles, so I went to buy some more. There were none on the floor, he went into the back, took him 20 minutes, came out with a pair in a baggie & gave them to me! Great guy!

A couple of my old Eagle Scouts work at REI's here in Sac. it's kinda funny when they see me come in - since I taught them they can't try to sell me CR@#!”

“ha ha! My jesty "tude" stuff was for Bearmagent. As for the Roseville staff, we've had pretty much the same people working there for the last couple of years. If you see different faces each time it's probably because there's like 15 of us in on the camping dept. staff and most of us just work one or two evenings a week. REI is unique in retail in that they usually get people who actually participate in what they do, know what they're talking about (some more than others) and the turnover is low. We actually like working there. We can't believe we get actually get paid, even as little as it is, to talk about backpacking and paddling and cycling and climbing and stuff. But mostly us part-timers work there for the massive prodeal discounts, and also because the bathrooms are nice.”

“Buck or Wanderer

Could you please give me the address of REI in Roseville? And is that the only one in the Sacto area? Is there one is Reno?

Thanks!”

“If people didn't return stuff, others wouldn't get cheap gear at the REI garage sales!

Amen to that!

If you don't have the receipt, they'll give you a store credit. It's usually pretty no-hassle, at least that's been my experience.”

“There are 3 REI\'s in Sac area. I go to Reno often on biz, never have seen an REI there, but there is a really good outdoors store there that I\'ve been to a number of times. I can drive there, but don\'t know the name or address!!

Buck works at Roseville REI, there\'s a new one off Rte 50 at the Bidwell Rd exit in Folsom, and the original is over by Cal Expo.

I don\'t have the addresses for any of them, I am totally useless there! You can do a search at the REI site & get the addresses of any store you want, pretty cool. Here \'tis for California: http://clients.mapquest.com/rei/mqinterconnect?business=CA&closestn=50&closestprox=1&miles=900&link=find”

“I followed my own link & got the Roseville address for you...PLEASE don't tell anyone I was this lame, this is embarrasing.

Roseville, CA
1148 Galleria Blvd
Roseville, CA 95678
(916) 724-6750 Hours, directions, events and more.”

“in Birmingham :(

I'll spend money there...I promise I will :)”

“Hey madeintahoe®, there are three REI's in the Sacramento area... Folsom, Roseville, and Sacramento. And yes, there's one in Reno as well. We are taking over the wild world of sports fans. Soon we will have REI-Express shops connected to gas stations as well as your favorite fast food outlets. Look for an REI hostile takeover of Microsoft Corp. We are moving our membership computer center to Brussels, Belgium. It won't be long until the NPS will require your REI membership number to be coded on the back of your hand or on your forehead to enter the wilderness. I'm not sure I'm supposed to be discussing this right now. Uh oh, there goes my shoe phone again. Gotta run. *poof*”

“Sorry, looks like I was late to the game. wanderer nailed it.”

“LOL Buck. It was the way he said "why" after I explained to the rep I was dealing with "why". He came in after our conversation was done. I felt like saying:

"Because I feel like it, buttwipe."

And he wasn't smiling much. Before or after.
last edited: 1/21/05 6:43:47 PM”

“BM, part of the problem may be that you're on the East (ass-wipe) coast, whereas WE are on the West (kick-ass) coast!!!

LOLOLOLOLOL

Couldn't resist dude!”

“Y'all can kick about as much ass as an Opium fiend. I mean, y'all are never in a hurry to get anything done. ;)”

“I have only had to return two items in three or more years and was so happy I got what I really needed when I did. I shop there exclusively for the mutual loyalty. (And there are some really cute guys that work at the one here in TN) Try returning a used bag at "FishPro" without a receipt and see how far that gets you. REI membership carries CLOUT!”

“from a retail/karma perspective, thou shalt not expectd a cash refund after waiting a year to decide that the bag didn't perform”

“BM, from a business perspective, California Rocks: we are the "new" engine for the U.S.!

Ever heard of Silicon Valley?

In the last century, business was based upon factories, assembly lines, etc., what we now refer to as "the rust belt".

Study up, dude.

And PLEASE, let's not let this thread degenerate into a fuego political BS thread... let's talk BACKPACKIN!!!!”

“LOL wanderer! Fuego? seems like harmless fun to me, no? "My coast vs. your coast"? C'mon!

I'll end with this. Yes, I heard of Silicon Valley, in the 80s-90s. I live in a Biotech & computer Megalopolis. Study up on Research Triangle in North Carolina, Northern Virginia and Montgommery County, MD.

I work in the Biotech corridor of I-270. where do you think the Human Genome was determined? I can spit on the Institute for Genomic Research, Human Genome Sciences, MedImmune, BioReliance, Gene Logic, Digene, Igen International, InforMax, Celera Genomics.

What about govt tech? NIH, USAMRIID, Goddard, USDA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Bison can fill you in on N.Va computer tech if you want. :)

Your idea of a rust belt is old and applies to the North East. This is the Mid-Atlantic and our economy isn't based on factory/assembly lines, either.

I suggest you study up yourself.

Peace!”

“I hate my traveldown. I freeze my arse off everytime I use it (of course it's summertime but I live in northern climes). It was a poor choice on my part. I'm stuck with it until I start making or inherit some money.

I just emailed a shoe company to ask them if the wear on one my shoes is normal, if they can repair it or if I should return them to REI. I'm hoping the company comes through and REI doesn't have to take the hit. It's obviously defective. If the shoe company doesn't take care of it I'll never buy their products again.”

“Thanks Wanderer and Buck for the locations!
the one off of 50 by folsom would be the closet to me from Tahoe...Have not been to a REI for years. I had heard there was one in Reno....but I much rather give my money to CA if I can then NV.
thanks again”

“So Buck and evereryone else that knows...

I returned a sleeping bag to REI about 4 month ago, now I am not happy with my Big Agnes tent (neting already showing tinny holes). U think that will be a problem to return?

I hate returning things, but lately everything I buy just isn't what I tought it would be.
Also still have boots from REI that give me blisters.

I can't return all of this stuff...even I would exchange it for other things, can I?

I think I would feel a little strange doing that though too...”

“I have always had positive experiences with REI and I am picky, really picky.

Last Sept, I bought $200 Lowas from backcountry.com because they were on sale for $129. I had a long discussion about what if there is a problem and was assured that I could return them. Now the stitching is worn out completely on the heel, so I called the store and they referred me to Lowa, saying it is a manufacturer's defect or it might be wear-and-tear. I tried calling the number they gave me, but it would ring, then beep a few times, then disconnect. I called backcountry back and said I don't want to deal with this and they agreed to take the shoes back, commenting that they would lose money sending me a full-price replacement pair. I said I didn't want a replacement pair and would make any further purchases from REI. It's just not worth the hassle buying anywhere else. Backcountry has been nice in the past, but I don't like being referred to the manufacturer for a problem. I'll see how it goes actually getting the refund and what it costs for shipping.

Look at my thread on Marmot Mountain customer service for an example of exemplary customer service.”

“to REI. one time immediately following a backpacking trip, I had developed a zipper problem in the pocket of my rei pants, I walked into the store wearing the pants and showed them, they said go upstairs get a new pair and bring the dirty smelly ones downstairs to the counter. I did just that and they never blinked. REI rocks! I took a damaged thermarest back to them 1 year after I purchased it and they took it back. They even took back a tent that I purchased at a garage sale and those sales are final. No, REI is a class act...on a similiar note...Sierra Trading post is too.”

“I haven't been particularly impressed by the service at backcountry. They're great until you have a problem (or they make a mistake) and then they suddenly become completely clueless. And to me that's the real test of customer service.”

“"Look for an REI hostile takeover..."-Buck


On my first skim of this sentence, I read it to be 'Look for an REI hostel takeover.'

Wouldn't that be nice?”

“corporate hostels suck

i stayed at an AYH hostel in harpers ferry and the owners were sort of rude and the place was full of silly rules”

“After reading this thread I was inspired to take my 2-year-old Marmot Precip back to the Sacramento REI today. The white lining was wearing off and delaminating around the neck/base of the hood - I know it is not brand new, but I hadn't used it that much and I expect my gear to last a little longer than than this! The result - no offer of replacement or credit; they will send my jacket back to the factory and "I should hear in about a month"! I feel gypped compared to everyone else's experience.”

“Gem, you can take those back. But next time when the boots start to give you a hard time, don't wait take em back!

It's the people that wear/use something for a year and it works fine but something new and better comes out and they want that instead. They could still technically return it, but it would be kinda wrong karmically. I mean, REI does do rentals, but I don't think they mean like that!!!”

“Thanks Pixie. I didn't wear them but twice though. The second time I got huge blisters so I never wore 'em again. They can see that it's barely used. I don't do that sort of stuff. I feel bad enough with the tent, but the neting looks really bad and tinny bugs do come through already.

well...maybe 3 times...I can't really remember, but not more. I wore them around the house (not on a trail)
last edited: 1/24/05 7:00:14 PM”

“Buck is an REI folk?

I never knew.”

“hmm...i wore them 2 or 3 times on the trail, the rest around the house. Damn, hate when I do that.

Okay...NOW I got it. I think!”

“Hey Foamer, if you aren't satisfied with the solution of having your jacket mailed back to Marmot for repairs, let REI know, perhaps a manager if need be. REI wants you to be happy with your purchase, no buyers remorse or feeling like you're getting screwed.

Sometimes people come in with, well, let's say a Therm-a-Rest that they said they bought two years ago and it's leaking. This just happened to me the other night. I know my Therm-a-Rest's and this was not 2 years old. It was about 7 years old. It's an old orange model they haven't made for eons, but the dude says he bought it new from us a couple years ago. I'm not gonna argue with him even though it's obvious the age of the Therm-a-Rest. We checked on the computer and the trade in value for it was less than $1.00. The guy wanted a brand spankin' new ProLite 4 Therm-a-Rest in return. I told him we can send it off to Cascade Designs and have it repaired or replaced with a similar (or better) used (but like-new) Therm-a-Rest. No, this guy was in a hurry, had a trip comin' up in a couple days, and wanted to give us his really old used leaking Therm-a-Rest for a brand spankin' new high-tech ProLite 4. I gave him a couple more options... he can fix it instantly with a patch (heck, I do it all the time with mine, it's cheap and easy), or we could give him a credit of $45.00 towards a brand new one. He didn't want to fix the leak and he didn't want the credit, he wanted a brand new one straight up. The actual credit in the computer showed less than $1.00 but we were willing to eat it big time and give him $45. We gave him three good very reasonable options yet he wanted a new one. We have a very liberal return policy but REI would go broke if people could simply turn in all their old used stuff for brand new stuff.

But REI does go out of the way to make the customer happy, especially if you're a co-op member. An employee might be a jerk so you can always politely ask for a manager, who obviously has more at stake with providing good customer service. The other day some guy bought a brand new Garmin Vista GPS and he dropped it at home and cracked the screen and brought it back for a return. It was not a defect, it was busted by the customer. But we replaced it for free. He had just bought it. But if you return really old stuff, like well over a year or two, it's usually pro-rated if you want to return it, or sent off for repairs to the manufacturer for free if you so desire. I think that's pretty reasonable. If it takes a "month" to get it back, like your jacket, that's usually out of REI's hands because REI is at the mercy of the manufacturers policy for turnaround time. REI wants you to get it repaired and back to you ASAP and feel like you're satisfied.

P.S. Disclaimer: I don't officially speak for REI, I just work there part-time. Void where prohibited. See fine print for details. Subject to change without notice. No purchase necessary. Some assembly required. As seen on TV. Keep away from children. Objects may appear closer than they are. No shoes, no shirt, no service. Open to residents of the 50 United States. Surgeon General Warning: Cigar Smoking Can Cause Cancers of the Mouth and Throat, Even if You Do Not Inhale. This video has been formatted to fit your screen. Eating at McDonald's will make you fat. Studies indicate blondes do have more fun. GOSH.”

“Gemini, it would be no problem taking your boots back, unless you only wore them twice over the last 4 years. At one of our used gear sales I read the "reason for return" tag on a pair of boots and it said, "I tripped in these boots so I want to return them". Ooookay. We don't want people to wear boots that they actually tripped in. It must've been a manufacturer defect to create such a boot. "Hi. I farted in these long-johns, so I'd like to return them. Thank you." We take 'em back though and give you full price, UNLESS IT'S BEEN A LONG LONG TIME! If it's been a long time, be reasonable. Even then sometimes we still give you full price, but you better bring donuts with your return. But anyway, Gemini, I'd return your boots asap if you're not happy with them, it's okay. I think REI would rather eat the loss of a pair of boots and make you happy so you'll buy many more boots there over your lifetime and make up for it. We're only nice to you because we want more of your money. MewhahahaHAHAHAHahahahaaaa...aaaa... aa... ahem. Just keeding. I think. Heck, I'm not management, I don't know what goes on beyond the big secret green doors. We do have nice restrooms though.”

“Gosh, those were long responses. Sorry, I type fast. If you prefer, I can read this on cassette tape and you can listen to my answer in your car while you drive to work. I'll put it to dramatic music and split it into many segments for you listening pleasure. Just let me know.”

“I hate to leave. It's been fun. I hate goodbyes. Bye. There, I said it. That wasn't as tough as I thought it would be. *poof*”

“Seriously... see ya.”

“Thanks Buck! Almost didnt' see this thread!”

“If you read every other tenth sentence you'll be fine. You're welcome.”

“i bought them not even a year ago. Maybe 6 month ago or so. :) same as the tent, not even 6 month ago. I do have both receipts, so I should be fine.

I also have a therm-a-rest that is leaking air. New also (bought everything about the same time), but not returning the therma. I am aware that it was prolly my fault that it's leaking.


oh! you didn't know I am chinese??”

“Gemini do you need help again, you're not Chinese, geez, you're Polish :)”

“bison, so are ya gonna hike with us in the smokies?? chingchangchong”

“Hmmmmm... Hike with you in the Smokies, When? didn't know you we're hiking in the Smokies...”

“That's because you only read my grammar and wording errors. LOL

The Mt.Cammerer thread.”

“Nah, I doubt she wants me hornin' in on that trip.”