REI

Friendly & knowledgeable staff to help me with my new snowboard boots. Lots of items to choose from. Highly recommended. Thank you «REI»

I can’t believe I haven’t yet written a review about this store! Maybe it’s because I am constantly getting annoyingly excellent service every time I come here.
Every. Single. Time.
Where I used to live, Adventure16 was more convenient — this is back when the store actually existed in Orange County — so I didn’t go to the inaccessible REI store when it was located off the 55 freeway.
The first time I went to REI was after their move to the current Tustin Marketplace location. I was looking for a man purse to lug around my ridiculously oversized Macbook Pro. I just couldn’t find a simple laptop bag that wasn’t uncomfortable.
The size of the store and the amount of stuff in it was simply overwhelming. This store has everything an outdoor enthusiast could ever want! Seriously. EVERYTHING! One of the guys in the green vest did find me, and — acting as my sherpa — guided my safely to the backpack section, where I ended up with a bright orange Patagonia half mass messenger bag. It was the right size, it held everything, and it was very unlikely that I could ever lose it anywhere. I liked the bag so much that I’m on my second one (I got a new laptop, so … new purchase, right?).
The customer service was so great, that I started shopping for everything there. I wasn’t ‘outdoorsy’ so much as I was a weekend warrior who would hike or kayak whenever I could. Now I can hike, camp, climb, bike, and travel anywhere outdoors with the utmost confident in my gear — almost all of which I picked up at REI.
The staff is excellent. The clothing I’ve purchased has always been exactly what I needed for where I was going. The shoes — mostly Keen, Merrel, Timberland, and the occasional Danner — are spectacular, and last forever.
Unless they don’t; in which case I’ve had to return them. REI used to have a lifetime return policy, which even I could see was something that the unscrupulous could have exploited. When they changed the policy I was a bit apprehensive. The gear is expensive. If it fails after a year, you’re SOL as far as returns go. Then again, I’ve only had a single pair of shoes fail outside the one-​year warranty, so the merchandise that REI carries is top-​shelf. I’ve seen reviews here from people who have been hassled for their returns, and I think that maybe they’re just doing it wrong. I haven’t been hassled. Ever.
The worst thing about REI is that the damned company has made me healthier and far more robust. I’ve hiked more and done more adventuring now than I ever did when I way younger and in better shape (it ain’t the age, it’s the mileage, right?). I’ve hiked Mount Whitney. I’ve done the Six Pack of Peaks. I’ve hike parts of the JMT. I’m a PCT section hiker– before REI I wouldn’t have even KNOWN what «PCT» meant without using Google. I’ve gone camping in places I never would have gone before I became a card-​carrying member of REI.
I’m even volunteering in state parks, helping out with search and rescue, and attending more outdoor events than off-​roading events nowadays (I’m big into Jeeps…).
The staff has never steered me wrong. They have always been helpful, knowledgable, and know what they’re doing. I’ve been to classes taught at REI and see the same staffers leading the classes. It’s a good feeling to know that they guys you’re buying from are guys that actually go out and USE the stuff.
Every experience I’ve had at REI has been terrific. I highly recommend this store for all of your outdoor needs.

This REI location is located in The Market Place (on the same side as Best Buy and Total Wine & More).
Who doesn’t love REI? My husband and I decided to just come in here after we were at Best Buy to browse. On the day of our visit (this past Saturday), the whole store was having a winter clearance throughout the store. Unfortunately the jacket that my husband really liked was not in the right size, so we ended up buying anything and leaving empty handed.
I do want to mention that all of the employees we saw in the store had something hanging from the back of their green vests. Some of those things we saw included a cute little stuffed animal and carabiners (those things used by rock climbers… often times people have something similar on their key chains to hold their keys). I thought that was kind of interesting to see what each person had as we walked throughout the store (so be sure to look out for that the next time you come).

I love the store 95% of the time. The five % I don’t love it for is the sale day that I brought my dog and in. I brought my dog every single time I’ve ever been to that store with no problems at all, I put her in the cart and it’s all good with everyone… That said, I came in there on a sale day and a manager immediately came up and said I couldn’t bring her in. It was a hot summer day and I needed to pick up a couple things for an upcoming camping trip. What did he expect me to do? Leave her in a baking hot car to die? I would’ve not brought her in if it was ever not OK, but it always had been in the past (I even asked for and got permission!) I later called the corporate number and they told me that the manager was correct in not letting her come in on a sale day! What terrible customer service, you can’t change your policy out of greed to make more sales on a given day. Long story longer, I got everything I needed on Amazon instead of giving my money to REI. Terrible customer service that day, I won’t soon forget it and I’m still completely annoyed and got zero apologies for the unexpectedly rude behavior. Sure if I’ll be back or not. Maybe not.

Everyone here is so unbelievably helpful and nice. I came to try on some hiking boots that I had planned on just buying on Amazon for slightly cheaper but ended up just buying them in the store solely because of the great customer service. I even joined the membership program. Everyone who walked past the shoe area stopped and asked which shoes I was enjoying most and asked where I was taking them and they were all genuinely excited for my trip and interested and wanting to help
Wayne was wonderful over in the shoes. He spent a long time helping me out and brought me tons of different shoes before I chose the perfect pair for me. He went to great lengths to help me get the best pair and let me know that they could easily send a different size to a new destination on my trip if it was needed. He even showed me a different way to tie my boots in order to secure my heel down properly so I don’t get blisters!

What happened to REI? They charge premium prices but always had a great return policy. As you may already know, they overhauled that policy. Now, if they have the slightest hint that you will return something if you don’t like it, they will lecture and belittle you about how you are abusing the policy. They are just ridiculous. The lady at the front who seemed to be the head cashier or manager was beyond rude. I was disgusted with their behavior, as were other customers around me.
So the great return policy is gone, even though satisfaction is supposed to still be guaranteed. However, they still charge premium prices. What’s the point? I used to accept the expensive prices because of the great customer service and policies. Both are gone. What a shame.
Try backcountry, zappos, sierratradingpost

I went into REI to look for some nice, warm clothing for winter. I’ve never been into an REI before, so I was taken aback by how expensive most of their clothing is, but to be fair they are selling to outdoor enthusiasts who are going to be skiing, rafting, hiking, mountain climbing, etc, and need high-​quality gear.
There are clothing sections all over the store that don’t seem to be organized in any specific manner. It took a while to find what I was interested in, which was warm and lightweight jackets.
I was trying on a particular jacket that I liked in different sizes to see what fit me best. In trying on the different sizes, I found one that was mistagged (labelled as «Slim» fit but correctly identified as «Loose» fit in the collar) and also had threads coming out in the sleeves.
I pointed out the mislabeled and defective jacket to an employee, who took it into the back. I was still looking at other jackets in the same area when the employee came back out and put the same jacket back on the rack, still mislabeled. He explained to me that management had told him that all jackets of that type were «Loose» fit and that the jacket was tagged incorrectly by the manufacturer.
It takes some seriously bad management to just throw defective and mislabeled merchandise back on the shelves instead of returning it to the manufacturer. Why should the customer be the one to suffer for the manufacturer’s mistakes? I left, and don’t think I’ll be risking shopping here again.

The staff is so helpful and knowledgeable. They take the time to walk you through options that meet your needs.
The selection is good and the brands are high quality. I have bought some pretty specialized outdoor items and pleased that I can see first hand the items I need.
The prices are rock solid and they have a fair number of items on sale both in store and on their website.
I haven’t taken any of their classes and wonder if the price value on the classes is good or not.
Don’t know what other bricks and mortar retailer I would go to if REI went away.

I’ve been to this particular store a number of times already. They have alot of great outdoor stuff. However if you’re looking for climbing gear or climbing shoes, I would check out the Gear Coop or other online websites. For shoes I’d go to the Evolv store (or wait for their annual parking lot sale) or the 5.10 store.
The stuff at REI is great, but often not at the most competitive prices. The annual dividend, parking lot sale, and member discount sales are a great time to pick up those much desired items.
Pretty much if you’re an outdoor enthusiast, when you walk into an REI (any REI) you want to buy everything (even stuff you don’t need). Yeah I could use a camp chair, dehydrated beef noodles — check!, portable toilet system — GIVEME!, –4C sleeping bag — why not?, Thule bike rack — I’d be foolish not to pick up two! (just gotta figure out how to strap them to my motorcycle).
You get the picture.

Claire (with the police badge sticker on her vest) is the best. She helped me find some super obscure products that I gave a terrible description of, and didn’t give up until I had them. She also proactively gave me a bag when she noticed I was carrying all kinds of stuff around the store in my hands. Give her a raise!

The people are so nice and helpful. I’ve found that they are extremely knowledgeable about anything outdoorsy. Came here to exchange my hiking boot and Wes explained all the details about what you should look for in a shoe.
Every time I go to REI I am inspired to go outdoors, hike and be one with nature. There are so many cool things in the store. you can spend all day browsing.
The people at the register are also extremely happy and nice. They’ll tell you about their $ 20 membership, which doesn’t seem like a bad deal. REI also offers survival outdoor classes and other random classes at their many locations. They sound useful and kind of pricey, but cool too.

This place has everything you need to do anything outdoors. From land to sea to mountain to rock and maybe even the zombie apocalypse it’s all here.
I like to keep my feet on solid land so when I come to this store I like to look around.
The service here is on point. I got asked if I needed help in almost every section I went to. The staff was friendly and even checked other stores when they didn’t have the item you wanted in stock.
When you are a REI member the perks are awesome. You earn 10% back on most purchases and they even have different outdoors type classes they offer at their store.

Just returned 2 items and got a big lecture about my reruns. The lady held up the line to literally give me grief for returning items and went over my return history while others waited. I did not appreciate this.
I’m a member and purchase here because not all gear works. Especially when rock climbing or running you don’t know if something is comfortable until you doing it. Which is why I thought they have such a solid return policy, because they understand there customers gear can either make or break a race or a climb.
So bummed on this experience. I might as well order from rock/​creek or other online retailers since they are usually cheaper.

This place is great if you’re an outdoor enthusiast! They have everything from camping gear to yoga props, bikes, climbing stuff, and more. Prices are pretty competitive and they have some great sales.
We were looking for a specific type of backpack for an upcoming trip. Though the staff was super friendly, they didn’t have the ones we were looking for. We appreciated the help and their expertise on all things travel gear. You’d think a bag would be a simple purchase, but there’s a lot that goes into to choosing the right one.
The store is really easy to navigate as they sort it all by activity. If you’re in the market for workout clothes, they have a lot of the top name brands as well as some of the super niche ones for your choosing. I liked the variety. I also really liked that they offered complimentary wifi while in the store to check things out online. Nice touch.
Though I didn’t buy at this particular time, I’ll come back for other things later on down the line! Because it’s in the Tustin Marketplace, parking is not an issues since it shares a huge parking lot with the rest of the center.

This is the first time I have been to this REI. The staff was helpful. The store was clean and organized. They had a LARGE selection of clearance ski/​snowboard merchandise. The selection of all merchandise was impressive. I bought a pair of ate a flip flops for $ 11.93. I am satisfied.

+ Large selection of pretty much every type of sporting equipment
+ Knowledgeable staff
+ Love the tent/​garage sales every few months
— Not many sales unless you wait for the tent/​garage sales
— Winter sporting equipment goes away too quickly (skiis, snowboards, etc)
I’m a fan of sporting good stores that are stocked with higher end equipment. Coming from New Jersey where we only had Dicks, I was very happy when I found REI. They had everything from ski/​snowboarding equipment to indoor rock climbing gear, and everything in between. You generally don’t find that stuff at Sports Authority or Sports Chalet.
Every few months, REI holds what they call their «garage sale». Apparently you can return just about anything at any point in time at this store. During these garage sales, they sell merchandise at HEAVILY discounted rates. Sometimes the merchandise is obviously pretty heavily used, and other times they are brand new with the tag. Make sure you sign up for their email list and get there early when the garage sale is happening.
You can find things at 90% off sometimes. Two years ago, I picked up a brand new North Face jacket, North Face snow pants, and North Face gloves for $ 85. All brand new with the tag. There are tons of merchandise. Just have to be quick.
Definitely one of my favorite stores.

This is an REI. It stocks a lot of outdoor gear. However, unlike other REI stores, the staff here is pretty horrible. The customer service is sub-​par. Recently, I went there to buy a pair of hiking boots.
The pair of boots I always get wasn’t in stock, and they don’t carry it anymore. I had to special order the boots. That’s fine, but, I should have just gone online at this point.
A sales associate from footwear took me to the customer service desk and had me fill out some paperwork, verified that Merrell had the boots, and had me pay with my dividend. Fine.
Fast-​forward two weeks later. I got a call about my boots, I returned the call, expecting them to be ready to pick up. 2 weeks is about how long it takes to get something these days. Nope. The REI employee was calling to inform me that they hadn’t ordered them yet because I hadn’t paid. Apparently, the original associate hadn’t calculated the price correctly and had under-​charged me. I gave her my credit card info, and they charged me the $ 1.42 difference. Less than 2 bucks held up my order for 2 weeks. No, not processing my order for 2 weeks held up my order for 2 weeks. The miscalculation came from the original employee not adding shipping. So, buy from REI, get charged shipping, buy from anyone else ever, shipping is free.
About a month later, I finally get the call to pick up my shoes. At this point, it has taken 45 days to get a pair of shoes. This is horrible.
I go in to pick up the shoes and walk up to the «Customer Service» counter where an employee is standing doing something else. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence. After a few moments of silence, I tell him I’m there to pick up a pair of shoes. He says, «Ok, I can’t help you right now, I have to finish this.» I’m sorry, I didn’t know I had walked up to the re-​tagging merchandise counter, I thought this was the customer service counter.
I worked in retail for a time, and on day one they told me that I should engage customers. They didn’t let me dick around at the registers fixing merchandise, that stuff happened in the back. If I was on the floor, or at a damn register, my job was to help customers. Apparently, the management at REI Tustin hasn’t told their employees about that little gem of customer service basics.

FIRST TIME=FOREVER CUSTOMER
First time at this location. ITS HUGE! (That’s what she said… hopefully) Came in for a new duffel bag, yoga mat, bike shorts with the butt pad, and wireless gym headphones. I was not disappointed. ROBYN helped me out a ton, walking around the store as I asked a bunch of questions. When interrupted by another customer she paged another helper so we would both be taken care of. THUMBS UP ROBYN :)
EDD, now what can I say about this guy. Well, he’s funny and knowledgable.
I was checked out by SAMMI and she got me all jazzed up about the membership card. It’s only $ 20 bucks and you’re a member for life! With what I was spend it basically paid for itself. I suggest everyone go online and check out the benefits. There’s a 1 year warranty on all items with or without the original packaging. Plus they host a «garage sale» of returned items that cannot be sold on the sales floor so they’re marked down 50%-80%!!!
I’m not sure if this location is feeding its employees happy pills but they kick butt!

Why so large a cost, having so short a lease, does thou upon your fading mansion spend? — Shakespeare
Another icon fades in to history. See my first review for my long time history with REI. Now they deny me an extension of my $ 20.00 member credit because it expired yesterday. Believe in the bearded, funky, tattooed, craft beer drinking hippie aesthetic REI is trying to sell but in reality its an overpriced outdoor gear store whose quality and customer service have slipped from its halcyon days back in the 90’s. The service and quality no longer warrant the fare charged especially when there are so many more less expensive options to choose from.
I will get my dividend in a few weeks and then make a final purchase and cancel my membership with REI. Not really worth it anymore.

I love coming to this place, the staff makes me think of living in Colorado. Today I ran into Scott, he was soooo flippn helpful. This does not happen often at most places I visit here in California.
I came here to look for new ear buds, apparently all the cheap crappy ones I always buy die because they aren’t sweat proof.
I asked for assistance to find the ear buds since they seemed to move the store around for the seasons. One guy was kind enough to take me to the ear buds. I then ran into Scott, who was very friendly and helpful. I knew I wanted YURBUDS because every time I go to a marathon exhibit they advertise and I always feel like kicking myself for not buying a pair lol.
Anyways if you’re familiar with them, they have five or six different kinds. He was willing to stay there and explain the differences and give me his advise and tell me why I should get the ones I picked.
Just absolute awesome service. Never really have a bad experiance here at all. Also you should get their membership. It’s one time payment and you get special perks for having it.