Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Review

The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful in assisting me with my snowshoe gear.

Impeccable service, the staff are so helpful and the selection is amazing.

If you don't mind the grey area they get they're products from. Used to be cheaper but they seem to be running with the high end shops now. Join the mec cult

Good inventory, pleasant staff, kinda expensive, but the service (and return policy) make it worth it.

Great prices, customer support and return policies.

Get the membership and try not to empty your wallet.

Best outdoors shop in area, maybe in all of Vancouver. Good selection of gear, friendly staff, reasonable prices and good return policies.

My wife and I purchased a bunch of gear for a trekking trip in South America and the staff helped a lot. From help picking and fitting hiking boots to choosing a waterproof shell to finding a good day pack.

It's a fun place just to look around as well. It inspires you to get outdoors and enjoy the surrounding nature!

Large location, good selection and knowledgeable staff.

I went in to pick up an online order, provided the order number, and they had me wait 25 minutes while they rummaged through boxes before telling me it was not actually ready for pickup. They should have just told me right away that the order wasn't ready for pickup! I saw the same things I ordered on the shelf and asked if I could just take them. They said no, and that I had to line up again and pay for them, but that they d cancel my online order and I d be reimbursed. I have still not been reimbursed.

Great selection, store was well stocked and fairly clean and organized, lineups were pretty short for a Saturday.

Tried to call to see if they had a product and sure enough i was stuck in a phone loop for well over 30 minutes.. no one will answer your calls so dont bother. Went online and found it elsewhere, dont waste your time people!

I got my brakes flushed there and they spilled oil over my brake pads and had to replace them. Of course they charge me for their mistake

Very nice store but limited selection.
Good service but many items not priced so had to ask cost.
Would be nice if Amex was accepted.

This place is a total mess. Sparse or empty shelves for technical gear. Boxes everywhere. Went in and left empty handed. Ever since they hired a new CEO they've been making terrible decisions. Old location was just fine. Total misuse of funds and resources.

Update: July 31, had to go back just for bars and a freeze dried meal. Absolutely nothing on the shelves. What happened to this place? So poorly run and stocked now.

Great place to go for good deals on quality outdoor and active lifestyle gear. Not always the cheapest prices, but most products are better quality and often ethically sourced. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Here about a month or two ago to buy climbing shoes, terrible service, not knowledgeable, or helpful, and I watched the guy on staff ignore myself and another customer who asked for help. I got better help by eavesdropping on another customer who clearly knew of this and brought a knowledgeable friend to help select theirs. Very slow grabbing sizes and grabbed me an entirely different shoe than I asked.

Very short sighted . I will no longer spend any of my money at any of your stores . I also cancelled my membership. You guys will be Canada s Gander mountain

I love this store. Unfortunately all the freeze dried food was sold out today. I'll have to find it elsewhere.

The staff is friendly, though at times hard to find but the store is great. Only weird that a lot of what they have to sell doesn't have a price tag so it's hard to actually see how much you're spending.

Massive store with great selection. There is lots of staff working but not enough as this store is busy. I had to go looking for someone to help me. All in all I got what I needed at a good price.

MEC always has excellent quality gear. With coronavirus measures however, the wait to enter can be long, and it seems like they've understocked -- many of the shelves are empty. This is probably transient however, and I expect these measures are temporary.

This is most definitely one of my favourite stores. They've got pretty much anything you can think of related to outdoor activities. For those who are into the outdoors and also into gear, you'll be like a kid in a candy store here!

MEC has both all the stuff you need and all the stuff you didn't know you needed.

The customer service is excellent. Much better than expected.

Great company, but they never seem to have anything in stock, or in decent sizes.

Went here a few weeks ago to see if I could get a frayed pocket in my rain jacket mended under the warranty. Best case I figured they could patch it, though given the size of the hole I thought I would end up having to buy a new jacket. Spoke with Dan and sure enough the hole was not repairable. He was nice enough to grant the warranty of the jacket and reimbursed me with a gift receipt! Ended up getting the exact same model jacket because it has treated me so well over the years keeping me dry from the rain. Really great customer service!

Shopped here quite a bit. Sucks you have to have a membership but the selection is great.

Very good quality and a broad selection. It's our main stop for outdoor gear. They a fantastic return policy on equipment and provide great support. Only negative can be the checkout lineups sometimes and the quality means it's not always the lowest price.

Been here twice - once for climbing shoes and a second for hiking boots; both times retail staff were very helpful and nice; had not so pleasant checkouts with the same cashier both times as he didn t provide much customer service

COVID UPDATE: Not allowing customers to try on any clothes/shoes before purchasing. So if you are waiting in the long lines outside right now (sometimes can take an hour to get in), just a heads up!
*MEC is now having staff come out to the lines to notify people of the no try-on rules.

Iconic Canadian outdoor store with friendly and generally knowledgeable staff along with a reasonable return policy. The MEC products are a more affordable alternative that can compete with branded options in terms of quality. Limited gear rental is available.

No bags. Very little Canadian made goods. Prices higher than Amazon for the imported items (most of their stock). Membership required. Ok on a sale if you don't mind rooting through their piles of garbage bags to pack your stuff home. Staff hit or miss. Some very friendly, some obviously dislike their jobs.

Great place, but is it me or is it getting more and more expensive ? :)

This review is for 2 specific staff members at the Vancouver store, Andrew and Jeff in the bike dept. These 2 guys are incredible!!!!!!!! (Did you see how many exclamation points i added there??) They took the time to help me get a better fit on my new saddle, tweak some few loose parts, get my new chain installed, plus answer all my questions while they worked away on my bike. Andrew and Jeff truly went over and above in helping me this weekend and I can't thank them enough. I've had mixed experiences with the bike dept at MEC Vancouver in all the years I have been going, but you guys just renewed my faith. If you want TOP NOTCH service, ask for these 2 by name. Not only are they the nicest guys ever, but they are incredibly knowledgeable and trustworthy. 5******* all the way! Thanks again, guys. :)

For such a beautiful new location, this store is an absolute mess. It's incredibly hard to find anything and it's disorganized. I'm not sure if they're short-staffed or they just aren't able to keep up, but they really need to clean things up. Pretty disappointing for a flagship location.

Great store who really cares about what they are doing. Great service at all time and really fast at answering feedback if something negative happen. Love the place =) great for anyone who is interested doing anything outdoor or any sport.

Forget the rentals, the new online system is broken and MEC is trying to have the customer self-help on rental details etc. Very poor handling.

Don't know why I bothered with MEC. Impossible to get intouch with anyone. Covid or not, changes are needed. Learn from how other stores are safety and efficiency running. Even online orders are a complete waste of time.

Always great prices on bike stuff and Mark in the bike department went out of his way to be a big help.

Jag was very helpful in helping me choose a sleeping bag to help me and my son keep warm for our trip towards Banff and Jasper.

The most terrible customer service experience. My wife and I ordered a tent which was supposed to be delivered within 10 days. We waited over 2 weeks and didn't even get a confirmation email. When I called the service line, they told us that there was a glitch in their system and they didn't have any of the tents in stock so they would have to give us a refund and it would take a week or more to get processed. I asked the manager (Jeremiah) to at least figure out a way so that we can get a refund quicker into our credit card, and it felt like I was talking to a machine that kept giving same black and white answers. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our camping trip thanks to MEC!! It's even more frustrating that we didn't even get a call or email that they are out of stock and I had to call myself to find out. So disappointing!

Don't bother walking in off the street to buy anything.
Member's only club. They look at you cockeyed when you refuse to shell out $5 bucks for the honor of buying a bike helmet.

Disappointed. Understaffed and understocked.

Went to grab a helmet and phone mount, unfortunately their stock was abysmal and there was no one around to help. 80% of the helmet boxes on the shelf didn t actually have helmets in them. Ended up asking someone at the service desk and all they just said what you say there is our stock, try west point cycles. (I did, and they were FANTASTIC).

They tried hard to help me but were unable to solve my problem. They eventually directed me to somewhere else. I appreciate their efforts.

i went there because my gf had gotten me the wrong size in kayak booties and the whole process was flawless. great staff and great service all around. clean and knowledgeable. have been a member for years and that s why!!

I have to agree with the person below who said that MEC is a candy store for outdoor enthusiasts.
Great variety of merchandise for so many sports, and the staff are always cheerful, helpful and knowledgeable.

In my experience MEC is very inconsistent. I've had a 1 star and a 5 star experience so I split the difference.
5 stars because someone bent over backwards to find me the book I was looking for. He searched every corner of the store to figure out where it was and was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
1 star because I got sent on a wild goose chase around the store. No one could tell me where to go to update the firmware on my Mammut beacon so I got sent to three different desks and they still couldn't help me. I ended up going to Valhalla Pure next door where they were extremely helpful.

Was helped by a very knowledgeable staff member named Erik in the climbing section! Great advice and very patient! Great work!

I like the place, but not enough staff on the floor ...at least not on this Sunday visit. Overall staff are helpful and friendly.

Still one of the best outdoor stores around, I find it so much Superior to REI. first week of February and they have a clearance sale on in the Vancouver store check it out you get some good buys.

Ordered panniers on-line. Waited two weeks for notification that the order was available. Checked the status everyday for a week. It was shipped via Uniexpress. One delivery attempt, yesterday, then back to their warehouse in Burnaby. Need to wait four business days to pick it up. Poor, poor service. Not happy. Bought panniers elsewhere in the meantime. Boo.

Exceptional customer service, high quality products, and no questions asked return policy. I would do all my shopping here if I could!

I love this place more than a fat kid loves a candy store. Seriously, I always spend way more here than I was planning on spending on the way in. (Not because it's expensive, but because I always find something I like). Only downside is how hard it is to find an employee to help you sometimes. I'm pretty sure they only have one person per department, and it's never enough.

Dan just gave me excellent service advising me about camping stoves, hiking poles etc.

Great products at a great price. When you get house branded stuff you know you're getting quality. Couple that with a very liberal return and exchange policy and you have a winner.

I'm an avid hiker and camper and buy most of my gear here. I still have my MEC camping backpack going on 10 years. It survived road trips across the country, backwoods treks through BC rainforests, badlands camping in the prairies, and too many flights to count.

Very knowledgeable staff and conveniently close to the Broadway skytrain station.

What happens to MEC store.. Shelves are half empty, half of the price tags are missing. I am probably not going back again.

Very helpful staff, large range of products, the MEC branded clothes I've purchased have lasted through countless hikes and are super comfortable.

This place is fun to visit. So many sports specific items for camping for rafting, rock climbing, cycling and packaged meals. Clothing is not super stylish but is durable and does ifs purpose. Lots of backpacks go choose from and a wall of sleeping bags.

Stove fuel that was 5$ 2 years ago is now 11$ for the exact same thing with a differnt label. This is not what MEC started like many years ago. The store is now empty. Not a single customer in sight in the middle of the afternoon. I hope whatever replaces MEC here dosnt follow the same path....

Half the size half the stuff really disappointed, and I will no longer be shopping at a MEC store. They had absolutely no stock no jackets just a joke. The old store on Broadway was times better just a shame. I predict MEC will disappear in a few years, because of there over priced made in china junk.

Great place to shop. High quality stuff, you pay more but it last forever. The MEC brand stuff is great.

MEC like most MECs. Lots of good stuff but a bit disorganized and many items don't have prices.

New store terribly stocked, less stuff than old store. Virtually no camping food, sunglasses in early summer. 30-40% of stuff has no prices on it. Checkout line 15 people. Line up to get in took 15 minutes and then stock lousy.

I find this place super expensive but they have probably everything you need for outdoor and more

Love the place, but gear is so pricey in Canada comparing to US and Europe, it's crazy. That's not the reason to give Mec less than 5 stars, tho. They are still cheaper than the rest (mostly). The selection is awesome and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Love the no plastic bags policy. Bring your own backpack or a bag to store your purchase in, or you'll end up carrying it in your hands.

Not to bad they have a lot of outdoor products. Just the prices are to high compared to other shops. The staff is very helpful.

I bought a tent from these guys 15 years ago and I recently broke one of the poles when I stepped on it while setting the tent up. This model tent has not been sold for at least 10 years but the MEC staff still replaced the pole for me for FREE! This store should serve as a universal model for excellent customer service and quality products.

I LOVE YOU MEC
But you need a better rental system srsly

MEC just recently moved to its new location on W 2nd Ave in Vancouver and they seem to be still in that process. This is probably the reason why the store seemed to be stuck in that transition, with half-empty shelves and cardboard boxes taking part of the main floor. Stock-wise, at this point, far from what we were used to seeing at their previous location on Broadway St. Of course, the pandemic probably affects the flow of product coming from the US, with the border closed and what not. This is a store that we would like to see flourishing, and hopefully this impression will change over time.

Membership in MEC supports conservation efforts across Canada. Good selection of outdoor gear. You can rent gear. Offers workshops and community activities.

Always have a great experience here with the products and staff, except for the upstairs parking, avoid it if you can!

Always good at MEC, can never go wrong with any of their products. Sometimes it can be a bit pricey though

Excellent facility! Has an enormous range of sports swag. Worth your time.

What is this, a club with long line ups but 5 people actually inside? Just go to Bass Pro in Delta. Will be faster to drive down there and have no line up than to wait in MECs unnecessarily long line.

Vancouver MEC is the only place to go for outdoor gear. Friendly helpful staff and great customer service!

My first stop for all outdoor gear and clothing. Best value, Largest selection.

Good selection, but service picks and chooses who they will deal with and who they won't. Was the first person in line for a online purchase pick up while another person was being helped on the return side. There was a person near the till on the pick up side but was sorting what looked like return items. The staff dealing with the return customer finishes and goes in the back(since I'm new I figure all she does is returns so no big deal) during this time 2 staff members pass by me looked at me and either went past or went into the back room. The staff member who was doing the sorting sees other staff passing by then says to me that she will be with me in a minute. I get to the till and show her the email I received that says that the item is ready for pick up. She says it's a small order and then goes looking for it(these are not happy people)while there, a guy comes through the pick up order area and amazingly one of the staff members that had passed me earlier rushes over to help him and also amazingly he's not picking anything up he is returning something that he had used for a week and said didn't feel right which the staff member replied with a I know what you mean and proceeded to treat this guy like he was doing her a favour. Got my product got a grunt and left thinking what the hell just happened here then it dawned on me I was the only oriental going through that particular line up and the only ethnic in all the transactions at that line up be it staff or customer. I saw one other oriental at the main till and I hope he got better treatment than me..

Honestly never been in the store.....But I want to comment on that they are not buying certain bands, after the school shooting in the States. WHY TO GO....Nice to see someone has the intelligence to realize...enough already....How many kids need to get killed.... As for all these hunters etc who are whining about it....I wonder how THEY WOULD FEEL, IF IT HAPPENED TO ONE OF THEIR KIDS...

My one stop shop for all kinds of outdoor gear. The staff are always helpful, knowledgeable and friendly.

What really sets them apart from other stores is how well they handle warranties and returns. I never have to second guess my purchases as they will take them back if they do not work for me or fail prematurely. They won't make you deal with the manufacturer as many other stores will.

A better selection of healthier freeze dried or dehydrated meals would be on my wish list. I also wish that they carried more brands that make casual looking clothes out of high performance materials like goretex and dridown.

Terrible customer service as usual, I have no idea why I tried then out again. There are a number of stores in the neighborhood which offer better products and have much more knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Also a heads up the gurantee they offer is available direct from the manufacturers

One of the best stores for outdoor gear. They have a great guarantee, you can return anything for any reason. Good selection of cycling accessories.

Service was great and store seemed to have everything outdoors related!

BE SO CAREFUL RENTING FROM MEC! We rented a kayak in Vancouver for a 5 day touring trip well in advance (two months) of our trip. I called two days before our trip to see if I could pick up early only to realize the kayak was not booked properly! I had paid for the whole thing in advance and had a confirmation order!!! A supervisor did manage to find a staff kayak that I ended up borrowing, which saved our trip. We had a lot riding on this trip! We had travelled from Alberta, purchased a tonne of equipment and used two of my three weeks of vacation! The staff at the call centre were unorganized and unprofessional. I was told they were going 'above and beyond' when THEY were responsible for mis-handling the reservation!! A plus is they offered to reimburse me for the rental ( I was using old equipment) ... but when I didn't see any reimbursement weeks later I decided to call and check in on this offer and encountered one of the only helpful people along this journey!!! Thank you Joesph who was super helpful and quick in responding (no questions asked)!! Also thanks to Andrew in Victoria (and those folks) who helped me arrange the pick up and drop off. Besides these good few people this whole process was super frustrating and fraught with complications - BE SURE YOUR RESERVATION IS RESERVED!!!