REI

Reviews

• KK

  ken

  Jan 24, 2026
  5.0
  Debunking negative reviews: A lot of people who leave bad reviews, not all, are like the news media. They only report ½ of the facts. REI does not offer a ‘warranty’ on products. They used to have a life time ‘satisfaction guarantee’. This policy was severely abused. Now it is a 1 year satisfaction guarantee, also sometimes severely abused. Some people return shoes that are well past their ‘satisfaction use’ even if it is within a year. Some gear is well past ‘normal use’ or was broken by neglect. It has obviously been used satisfactorily in most cases. Some people just want a free new piece of gear. If your return was denied, you probably had something that you got plenty of satisfaction from. The REI membership is quite valuable if you are an outdoorsy person. One benefit is the 1 year satisfaction guarantee. I have had huge discounts or got free product from the accumulation of rewards. There are many other benefits. REI, like most companies, has a ‘service animal only’ policy posted at the entrance. However, pets were generally allowed in the store unless they began barking or otherwise misbehaving. If you were asked to leave with a pet, this was probably the case. REI is closed on Black Friday’s. You can shop elsewhere on the ‘biggest shopping day of the year’ if you want to. I was enjoying the great outdoors away from the chaos. How is having a non-gender specific rest room a political decision? It’s just a bathroom. Men who pee on a toilet seat are just inconsiderate. In some cases women can be just as un-sanitary. REI has no control over a customer peeing on a toilet seat. Inconsiderate people can be found in many other public bathrooms. The REI in Pigeon Forge has more foot traffic than almost every other store in the chain due to its location in a hugely popular tourist destination. I was happy to help and glad to educate a customer on gear whether they bought it or not but honestly, when 9 out of 10 people are ‘just looking’ it gets frustrating offering my services to every single person who passes me by. Admittedly there are times when you find associates chatting and not paying attention to customers. What retailer doesn’t? Yes, REI merchandise is pricey. On the other hand it is very high quality. I own both REI brand and non-REI brand gear that has lasted for years....well beyond the 1 year satisfaction guarantee period. I would never consider bringing back something 11 months later just to replace it with a new one. In addition to that, many of REI’s manufacturers do offer longer warranties which I have been able to take advantage of a few times. I have worked in retail quite a while. The staff at the Pigeon Forge store is the best one I have ever worked with. If you found a rude associate there, most likely you were the one having a bad day or were being unreasonable in some way. To be fair, yes, occasionally an associate is having a bad day too. They haven’t picked out any particular customer to be rude to…it just happened to be you. Enjoy your visit!
• TS

  Tannar Smith

  Dec 27, 2025
  1.0
  My husband and I have shopped here many times due to the warranty they offer on the shoes of 1 year. My husband purchased a pair Solomon shoes. He took them to return today and he was told that the shoes could not be warrantied due to him not bringing them immediately to the store we live about 100 miles away. I believe that they would have came up with any not to warranty the shoes. If they are not going to warranty items they need to not advertise it.
• JL

  Julia Lyell

  Nov 15, 2025
  5.0
  Came here because I forgot my hiking boots for a weekend full of hiking (of course!). Lilly assisted us in finding a new pair of hiking shoes and we had a great experience! I have two different size feet so it was a bit of a journey trying to find the right shoes that would fit comfortably, not slide, and be comfortable to wear as soon as possible. Thank you, Lilly for all your help!
• LW

  Lee William

  Oct 30, 2025
  5.0
  Taylor is a wonderful girl, she helped me to find what I wanted and helped me to place order which would arrive in time for me to pick up. How nice!! You made my day, Taylor. Compare to year 2023, the Smartwool all season women Tshirt went up from $60 to $80, and REI Activator pant went up from $70 to $100, that are 30 % and 40% inflation in two years, How crazy!!! How could Americans stand for that?
• TW

  thomas wall

  Oct 27, 2025
  5.0
  Greatest shopping experience ever. Didn’t go in to buy, just to get an idea of price point. Thank you Mo for your knowledge and wisdom on backpacking. She took the time to explain sizing and differences in the packs without ever pushing a sale. She gave recommendations on different hikes in the area. Mo was amazing. She truly deserves a raise in pay for her customer care and expertise.

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