New REI Return Policy
Just received this from REI (withholding editorial comments....for now):
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Since 1938, getting you outfitted with the right gear to enjoy your
outdoor adventures has been our number one goal. We have earned
a well-deserved reputation for our friendly expertise, and our 100%
guarantee means that we stand behind everything we sell.
outdoor adventures has been our number one goal. We have earned
a well-deserved reputation for our friendly expertise, and our 100%
guarantee means that we stand behind everything we sell.
REI has one of the best return policies in retail, and we remain committed
to your satisfaction with everything you buy at REI. We also have a
small, but growing, number of customers who stretch our policy beyond
its intended purpose. To ensure that we can continue to offer our 100%
Satisfaction Guarantee, we're updating our policy: You have one year
from purchase to return or exchange any item you're not satisfied with,
except items purchased from REI-OUTLET, which must be returned
within 30 days of purchase. If you want to learn more, please click here.
These updates enable us to maintain our robust policy and, as always,
stand behind all purchases made at REI and REI-OUTLET.
to your satisfaction with everything you buy at REI. We also have a
small, but growing, number of customers who stretch our policy beyond
its intended purpose. To ensure that we can continue to offer our 100%
Satisfaction Guarantee, we're updating our policy: You have one year
from purchase to return or exchange any item you're not satisfied with,
except items purchased from REI-OUTLET, which must be returned
within 30 days of purchase. If you want to learn more, please click here.
These updates enable us to maintain our robust policy and, as always,
stand behind all purchases made at REI and REI-OUTLET.
We are committed to getting you into the very best gear and apparel for
your outdoor adventures. This means offering you great service and
standing behind the products we sell. That was the case in 1938, and it
remains true today. I thank you for your support and patronage of REI
and wish you a season of unforgettable outdoor experiences.
your outdoor adventures. This means offering you great service and
standing behind the products we sell. That was the case in 1938, and it
remains true today. I thank you for your support and patronage of REI
and wish you a season of unforgettable outdoor experiences.
Tim Spangler
Senior Vice President, Retail
Senior Vice President, Retail
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Comments
I'm a big REI customer/fan and I somehow missed that memo. Thanks for posting. I must admit, it had me a little concerned until I clicked on the link and reviewed the Return Policy in detail. They still have the lifetime warranty on defects in place- and that's the part of their return policy that I personally have leveraged many times before.
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If your item has a manufacturing defect in its materials or workmanship, you can return it at any time. See our limited warranty.
"I used to work at REI and I am happy for this change. I will never forget the woman who returned her 5 year old hiking boots. The reason for the return is she had kids and her foot size changed. When she bought the boots no one had told her that if she had children that her foot size might change and therefore we needed to accept the return. There was nothing in the policy that would allow me to not return the hiking boots.
--Larry
One thing to remember, REI is a consumer governed cooperative, chartered as a non-profit corporation in the state of WA. Back in the 30's and 40's, the Capitol Hill area of Seattle was a hotbed of cooperatives some of which still exist today, including two which do over $2 billion in revenue each year, REI and the one I work for, Group Health Cooperative. There are no shareholders or other owners, and if the company were to go out of business, its assets would be returned to the community for use in the purposes for which the co-op was originally founded.
The return policy came out of that governance model, where the "owners" are also the customers. The yearly dividend check (the "profits", or margin in non-profit speak) should remind those who abuse the return policy that they are only screwing themselves.
This is like trying to tell people who cheat on their income taxes that they are only screwing themselves... the truth is that it's still in their self-interest to cheat (if you factor out belief in community, personal responsibility, self respect, etc., and focus only on bank balance).
I'm fine with the change; my experience is that REI is managed by reasonable and well-intentioned people, and I suspect that if you had a legitimate problem with a product older than a year, they'd handle it reasonably...