I used to like REI, but they've fallen a long way ...

I used to like REI, but they've fallen a long way in the past few years. They've become so concerned with loss prevention that they've refused to honor their warranty at times. Even worse, they shortened their "lifetime" guarantee to just one year! The main draw of REI, despite their vastly inflated prices, was the knowledge that if your gear failed they would cover it. Now, if it doesn't fail in its first season you're out of luck. No longer worth the $$$, for any reason. I'll be canceling my membership to show my dissatisfaction.

On my last visit, I returned a pair of pants that had pockets rip out after less then a year of actual useage. After repairing them twice myself the seams started ripping, so I brought it in for replacement. They tried to tell me it was normal wear & tear -- Right, not falling for that one guys. They did refund them, but not without numerous condescending remarks and implying that I don't know how to take care of equipment. I'm an ultralight backpacker, I KNOW how to handle lightweight gear. And it's rather telling that this is the only piece of gear I've had trouble with. Also, I was given this treatment despite buying over $100 of new gear at the same time. Needless to say, I won't be returning to REI for any future sales.

Some of the floor personnel are helpful & knowledgeable, but with all the changes it's just not worth it. Go to the store to get some advice and try out gear if you like, but go somewhere else for the actual purchase - you'll save a lot of money and won't lose out on much at all.

Lloyd Anderson would be ashamed to see what his company has become.