REI

Reviews

• CL

  Cynthia Limas

  1 day ago
  5.0
  Sadie helped fit my pack and was patient and informative about all the packs I wanted to try, and shared some inside information about some local camping spots! Great experience!
• CG

  Christopher Gray

  Dec 22, 2025
  4.0
  On my first visit, they offered me the membership for $30 saying it's practically free as they have a $30 gift card with it. What they didn't say is the $30 gift card had to be spent within 2 weeks which is very misleading. Didn't really appreciate that. The store was nice, and the workers helped me find what I needed.
• TR

  Thomas Rumsey

  Dec 16, 2025
  5.0
  My new favorite store! This place is literally a traveler's dream come true. It has everything you could ever want or need, from backpacks to hiking & camping gear, personal locator beacons & freeze dried survival food. Kevin was extremely helpful with aiding me in finding a backpack for my upcoming trip to Thailand. I'll definitely be looking for a reason to come back. Thanks guys!
• DB

  Deborah Bennett

  Dec 16, 2025
  1.0
  I’ve since read in the news that over the past few years REI has been having financial difficulties. I’ve read that they are losing millions of dollars per year and are closing their flagship stores in NYC and Boston as a way to improve their bottom line. This may explain the hard line being drawn in regards to returns at the Santa Barbara store, and why I was questioned at length and the merchandise scrutinized in hopes, I guess, that they would find a reason to deny a valid return and not lose money on it. I’ve been an REI member for many, many years, and over those years I’ve spent a lot of money at their stores. One thing I always greatly appreciated about REI was their 100% satisfaction guarantee and that exchanges or returns were graciously honored. But, very unfortunately, that was then and this is now. I will keep this in mind from now on.
• DB

  Deborah Bennett

  Dec 12, 2025
  1.0
  Be forewarned that if you purchase something at this store and need to exchange or return it, even for a totally valid reason, they interrogate you as though you’re a felon. I purchased a $100 pair of VUORI pants less than one month ago, washed them once, before I wore them the first time, and the metal tip of the drawstring came off and the string frayed. When I told the person at the front counter that they were defective and I wanted to exchange them for another pair, I was questioned at great length for several minutes.Did you wash them inside out? Yes. Did it get caught on something inside the washing machine? No. How many times did you say you washed them? Once!!! The sales clerk examined the pants as though they were evidence in a crime scene investigation, checking the material down the entire front of the legs, checking the material under the waistband, turning the cuff inside out and checking there.. At long last I was finally granted the exchange. Guess what happened when I washed the new pair before wearing them for the first time? The metal tip on the drawstring came off and the string frayed, this time worse than the previous time. I had a pair of these same pants in a larger size before I lost weight and bought this smaller-size, and I washed them numerous times and never had a problem with them. From now on I will drive the 45 minutes down to the Ventura store — which has a much better selection as well as polite, considerate front counter people — and I will never shop at this Santa Barbara store ever again because this isn’t the first time I’ve been treated rudely and disrespectfully by their front counter personnel, but it will most definitely be the last.

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