# REI bike return experience



## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

Does anybody have any experience returning an REI bike? I bought my wife a mtb there about 6 months ago. She rode it two times and hated it. I have heard that you can return them for any reason within a year. Is this true? They sell Electra tool around bikes there. My wife would rather have that instead. She would at least ride it. I would love to take the mtb back and buy the other one.
Do you think that they will take it back? It seems unreasonable to take it back but if they will, I would be quite pleased. I know that Performance would accept it but I do not have much experience with REI.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

REI Help Center - Return Policy


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

Jay Strongbow said:


> REI Help Center - Return Policy


Jay, Thanks. I have read that. Returns do not always go as expected though which is why I was looking for those with experience in doing this type of return. I would not expect a store to take this return back and I would think that they are reasonable as it is 6 months later. The bike has zero scratches and nothing is wrong with it but it is still a generous policy and I wanted to see if any others had a problem with using it.
If they take the bike back, I will really be a fan of theirs. If they do not, I would not have a problem with it as it is used at this point. It is worth the try though and either way it will net them another bike sale.


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## Adim_X (Mar 7, 2011)

OP, Does this feel right and good internally to you?


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I think they will do as they say. Like you, I would feel guilty about this. The best thing to do is to be honest, and tell them why. It is also important to emphasize its near-new condition (assuming it is). I shop at REI and pay higher prices for "right of return" even though in 30 years I haven't taken much advantage of it. So if it makes you feel better, I already paid for your return.


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## SPlKE (Sep 10, 2007)

My local REI has big sales of slightly used stuff a couple times a year.

You can barely even get in the door for those sales.

I suspect the returned bike will be featured in a sale like this, and everyone will be happy, including REI.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Shuffleman said:


> Jay, Thanks. I have read that. Returns do not always go as expected though which is why I was looking for those with experience in doing this type of return. I would not expect a store to take this return back and I would think that they are reasonable as it is 6 months later. The bike has zero scratches and nothing is wrong with it but it is still a generous policy and I wanted to see if any others had a problem with using it.
> If they take the bike back, I will really be a fan of theirs. If they do not, I would not have a problem with it as it is used at this point. It is worth the try though and either way it will net them another bike sale.


Unless something has changed you can interpret the policy literally. There's no catch or exceptions.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Adim_X said:


> OP, Does this feel right and good internally to you?


Oh please ... if the first sentences of their return policy is:

We stand behind everything we sell. If you are not satisfied with your REI purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund within one year of purchase.

then REI obviously feels right about it. Exchanging it for something your wife will use seems more than fair to me.


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## Adim_X (Mar 7, 2011)

pmf said:


> Oh please ... if the first sentences of their return policy is:
> 
> We stand behind everything we sell. If you are not satisfied with your REI purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund within one year of purchase.
> 
> then REI obviously feels right about it. Exchanging it for something your wife will use seems more than fair to me.


Seems unethical. But it's their policy. I would also expect store credit and not cash back.


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

wgscott said:


> I think they will do as they say. Like you, I would feel guilty about this. The best thing to do is to be honest, and tell them why. It is also important to emphasize its near-new condition (assuming it is). I shop at REI and pay higher prices for "right of return" even though in 30 years I haven't taken much advantage of it. So if it makes you feel better, I already paid for your return.


Thanks for letting me _ride_ your coat tails on this return.


pmf said:


> Oh please ... if the first sentences of their return policy is:
> 
> We stand behind everything we sell. If you are not satisfied with your REI purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund within one year of purchase.
> then REI obviously feels right about it. Exchanging it for something your wife will use seems more than fair to me.


True. Remember when Sears used to offer a lifetime warranty on their Craftsman tools? You could bring it back for any reason and get a new one. If the ax handle broke after 20 years of heavy use, you could take it back and they would give you a new one.


Adim_X said:


> Seems unethical. But it's their policy. I would also expect store credit and not cash back.


If that is their policy, than how is it unethical? I suspect that is part of their sales pitch and have that built into their model. I do find it too good to be true which is why I inquired as to the experience of others. I would never approach it from the perspective of dishonesty. I will simply tell them that my wife does not like the bike. If they say, ok we will take it back. I will say great, lets ring up that Electra bike right after you refund me the money. I know that she will like and ride that as I was getting ready to buy that exact one from a lbs for her. However, my lbs owner told me about the REI return policy and said to take hers back there and trade it out. I would never have even thought of that if it were not for him telling me that they would do it. I know that Performance is like that, I just did not know that REI was. Either way, I will post what happens when I try to return it. And yes, I will blow the dust off of it first.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Adim_X said:


> OP, Does this feel right and good internally to you?


At least OP bought the bike from REI.

It's not like he bought a bikesdirect bike, and now attempting to force REI to take the bike and give him money (ie google "Leif Karlstrom REI")


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

Back when I lived in Alaska, I was at the REI store there and someone returned a bike and they took it back even ALL MUDDY (of course this was with their old policy)! I actually didn't believe someone would be a douchebag and do that but someone did. In my experience REI has one of the best return policies of any store I shop at.


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## turbomatic73 (Jan 22, 2004)

REI is not cheap. They carry quality merchandise, but you can always find it cheaper somewhere else. You pay a premium for their return policy. Therefore I never feel bad about returning anything to REI. If it didn't make financial sense for them to offer the policy, they'd retract it. 

If the bike has been barely used as you say, I assume they'd take it back and be cool about it. They will re-sell it at one of their tent sales, and people will trample one another to buy your returned bike. Those tent sales have gotten insane lately.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I think if you bought two bikes simultaneously, with the intent to only keep one, and to return the other, that would be unethical. If you bought it in good faith, and are telling them why you are returning it (wife is dissatisfied), then you are still acting in good faith, especially if you are getting something else there.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

I wouldn't feel too guilty about exchanging it for the bike your wife wants. As others have said, if REI had a problem with it, they wouldn't offer such a policy. I would have a problem offering such a return policy, so I don't. I offer one month exchange, and exchange only, no refund. As a small shop, I can't afford to offer as lenient a return policy as REI. But if owned a bigger outfit, I would probably offer a more lenient return policy. (I do offer refund on accessories, just not bikes.)


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

return it. don't even think about it


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

I just got back from REI and they were awesome. They asked only one question and that was "Is there anything wrong with the bike". I said no, and that my wife simply hated mtb riding and used it only once. They said no problem. They did ask a second question and that was if I would like the money returned to me Amex. I said no, just put it on a gift card and then I will buy this other bike. They rang the other bike up and ordered it for me. Easy transaction.
He said that it was flawless so it may go back on the floor but more than likely it would go during their used and returned product sale.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Good. Now you can keep getting the latest bike every six months or so!


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

Adim_X said:


> Seems unethical. But it's their policy. I would also expect store credit and not cash back.


I see nothing wrong with returning it. It's their policy after all. I would return it for something that my wife would actually use with no guild at all.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

A friend of mine returned a couple bikes there after quite a long period of time. He bought a CAAD10, rode it for a bit, returned it for a Synapse, rode that for a long time, then got a Super Six Evo. Each time he returned it, they gave him full price of the original bike towards the next one. I'm pretty sure he had the Synapse for at least 6 months and put hundreds, maybe thousands of miles on it.


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

Jwiffle said:


> I wouldn't feel too guilty about exchanging it for the bike your wife wants. As others have said, if REI had a problem with it, they wouldn't offer such a policy. I would have a problem offering such a return policy, so I don't. I offer one month exchange, and exchange only, no refund. As a small shop, I can't afford to offer as lenient a return policy as REI. But if owned a bigger outfit, I would probably offer a more lenient return policy. (I do offer refund on accessories, just not bikes.)


I think that your return policy is fine. REI is on a different scale and a different business model all together. As I said before, I was surprised that they took it back. Pleased, but surprised.
LBS should not try to compete with the REI's of the world. It is a completely different buying experience. My LBS is awesome but I do not buy clothes from him. He does not stock them and if he did, he would not be competitive. They are just completely different animals and there is nothing wrong with either one of them.


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## doctormike (Oct 13, 2015)

I have been wondering how REI would affect LBS. I noticed that my local REI now carries the Supersix EVO. I would never consider returning a Supersix Evo to my LBS because I didn't ride it. Small businesses have a harder time covering a policy such as REI, who has nationwide stores to help make a profit. I would even feel guilty returning it to Jwiffle' shop within a month. I wish I would have bought my wife's bike at REI. She rode it twice and decided that she would rather do Zumba than ride a bike. I bought it at a LBS so now I am holding it for when my son grows into it, then once he outgrows it I will probably put it on ebay/craigslist. I would be wiling to pay a little more to have that return policy. It is one of the reasons I shop at Costco often times.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

doctormike said:


> I have been wondering how REI would affect LBS. I noticed that my local REI now carries the Supersix EVO. I would never consider returning a Supersix Evo to my LBS because I didn't ride it. Small businesses have a harder time covering a policy such as REI, who has nationwide stores to help make a profit. I would even feel guilty returning it to Jwiffle' shop within a month. I wish I would have bought my wife's bike at REI. She rode it twice and decided that she would rather do Zumba than ride a bike. I bought it at a LBS so now I am holding it for when my son grows into it, then once he outgrows it I will probably put it on ebay/craigslist. I would be wiling to pay a little more to have that return policy. It is one of the reasons I shop at Costco often times.


depends on the LBS. Here's my local LBS' policy:
Marty's Reliable Cycle 30 Day Guarantee - Marty's Reliable Cycle


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## Upnorth (Jul 4, 2013)

My small LBS will give you exactly what you paid for it on a trade in as long as you are upgrading, up to one year from purchase date. I think REI is hoping for people not to abuse policy but use it for upgrading to higher $$$$ bike.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Upnorth said:


> My small LBS will give you exactly what you paid for it on a trade in as long as you are upgrading, up to one year from purchase date. I think REI is hoping for people not to abuse policy but use it for upgrading to higher $$$$ bike.


REI used to have a lifetime guarantee, until more boneheads were abusing it, then brag about it publically.

another example:


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## doctormike (Oct 13, 2015)

That is a pretty reasonable policy. Do you know what they consider new? There was an LBS here that decided an item was not new if it had been installed. Made it hard to return anything. I like that they will just deduct if there is damage instead of not accepting the return.


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## whateveronfire (Sep 27, 2005)

I bought a mtb from REI and returned it about six months later. I had ridden it twice. I also had upgraded it (better fork). 

I had purchased it on sale. They were super nice about it. I checked back and they sold it for more than I paid at the "garage sale."

I've bought a lot at REI over the years. I did feel bad beforehand and wouldn't do it again, but that was all internal stuff.


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