REIReviews 126

Over the past several years, REI's continued promotion of its 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed policy and its Limited Warranty under which if "your item has a manufacturing defect in its materials or workmanship, you can return it at any time." has been a sham.

The 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed policy is still generous compared to that of other retailers. However, 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed means within 1 year as compared to being able to return an item without a time limit under the previous policy. No big deal.

The Limited Warranty, however, doesn't seem to mean much any more. For most premium outdoor brands, a lifetime warranty means that an item is repaired or replaced if the materials or construction is defective within a reasonable product lifetime. REI's private label product purport to be a better value as the higher priced, but one thing you should know is that REI is now much more restrictive in what they accept under the REI product warranty than the warranty provided by most premium outdoor brands. You need to both show proof of purchase and be able to prove the defect is due to materials or construction to have any chance of claiming under the warranty for REI brand products. The burden is on you, as the customer, to provide that something is not right with REI products. I have a REI brand blow-up sleeping pad which was given to me as a gift. I've used it for about 12-15 nights total. On my last trip, I woke up two nights in a row finding my sleeping pad halfway deflated and me lying on the ground. REI refused to warranty the product claiming that they could not find a record of a member purchase of the sleeping pad. Clearly, there was something wrong with the product.

I'll buy name brand products from REI, but no more REI branded products for me. Honestly, if REI considers their own branded products to be disposable, I need to rethink where I buy value-priced outdoor products. Decent outdoor gear is no longer only available at the high-priced outdoor stores. I got some great carbon fiber hiking poles from Costco. They aren't as slick as the pricy carbon poles at REI and don't have a lifetime warranty, but at 2 for $30, I'm willing to take a chance on an unproven product for a usage that is not mission-critical if the poles happen to break while on a trip. I will also add that Costco has a great return policy and has taken away $thousands of our spending away from grocery stores/Target/Wal-Mart since it is just a no-hassle place to shop with great prices if you are willing to buy higher volumes.