I have bought a fair bit of equipment from this st...

I have bought a fair bit of equipment from this store. I was always a bit irked by their equipment and slight lack of variety in their products and product types, however, what convinced me to never shop there again and to warn others away from this store is their salesmanship and their return policy.

I purchased a pair of shoes from Bent Gate a little while back. I stated what I needed from a shoe, and after a while, I was given a pair of shoes that I was told would stretch to fit right. I was concerned that they were expensive shoes and that I was uncertain about buying a product that didn't fit right out of the box, and was told that I could return the shoes within 60 days if they didn't fit.

Well, within sixty days, I came back with the shoes stating that they didn't fit and that I wanted an exchange. Not a refund, just an exchange. I want shoes that fit, like promised, and want the return, like promised. The young guy at the front counter said blithely that he couldn't take them, that they needed to be in new condition for resale for them to take the return.

How in the world was I expected to see if these shoes fit without wearing them? How can I know if they work without using them? Better yet, why didn't the sales representative tell me that they needed to be in new condition? If he had said that, I would have walked right out the door and gone to REI, where at least there is a real guarantee for my money. I was told that I could return these shoes, and they manipulated me, and now they are blowing me off like it is my fault that they gave me shoes that make my toenails turn black and my feet hurt for days on end after a half day of climbing. They took my money and screwed me, plainly put.

I climb a lot with the CMC, and not only will I tell people to not shop at Bent Gate, but I will make a point of telling them how awful of an experience I had, and how they will not care for your needs as a climber. If they like climbing, they should show it. All I saw was a love for money and a tendency towards manipulation of the customer.