NPR Reports: REI vs L.L. Bean Return Policy

But hyperbole is often the easiest way to make a point. And I believe everyone understood the point, right? I guess I misunderstood Godwin's law. I thought we could still bring up the holocaust from a historical perspective without invoking Godwin's law, since obviously I wasn't using it to attack anyone here or to call someone a Nazi. And I was quite specific about that, despite Eric's attempt to say I brought Nazi's into the conversation. Next time I'll pick some equally extreme hyperbolic example that everyone will understand just as well, just so as not to offend Eric.

Cheers, everyone.

Nm

You won't get any argument from me. Should definitely be in chaff.

I guess I did mix you, Dean, and Dena up.

You do manage to chose words and tones that are quite condescending if not downright rude.

Edited to add that I jumped in here with my own snappiness, so I ought to expect it back. All good here.

Although fairly new to BPL and backpacking, I love both. Most BPL members are trying to help each other and share their experiences. Just a reminder to remember that spirit when posting. Peace out.

So this is what is going on in the real world? I'm going back to gear swap . . . wonder if Jacob found any cuben chaps yet?

Seriously though, when does the REI dividend check get mailed and can I use it to get one of Katharina's cool, comfy hats? And if so, am I morally justified in doing so?

I tried returning one of their coupons once for face value because I was no longer satisfied with it. They wouldn't take it but did give me a Luna bar just to leave the store. And I'm not even a woman. How moral is that?

When I read Eric's posts, I wonder if that's what other people see when they read my posts…

Glad to see you guys didn't slack off while I was out getting a cuppa.

This Thread Is Dead

Maybe someone said this already; I didn't read page 2 through 7 of squabbling.

One thing the return policy did was lure people away from shopping at competitors, because they could get their money back at REI if things broke or they bought something they couldn't afford. I say either shop locally / cottage / surplus / whatever or Return Every Item. This was the deal they made with customers to acheive dominance.

When Walmart sells milk at a loss to get you into the store, you aren't sinning when you buy that milk or abusing walmart, you're playing along with their strategy. They bet their loss on milk will translate to a gain on the rest of your one stop shopping cart. Likewise, REI said, "return any thing you want because in the end we will come out ahead." And they have. I will continue honoring that agreement. However, whenever possible, I also try to patronize local and cottage retailers, and to buy as much of my gear used as possible and keep it repaired. REI is a relatively new phenomenon. People got along fine without; their nominally changed policy isn't the end of the world.

Careful Will… somewhere between pages 2 and 7 of squabbling, the idea that using the policy because it exists came up, and that's the main reason there's page 2-7. It's a life and death struggle between "It's theft!" and "It's allowed!" that leaves no major sociological theory of the past century untouched.

I am a bit less liberal with my interpretation. I can understand using it because it exists, but that even trips my alarm bells. I can only use it to aggressively bind to manufacturer's speccs. If it doesn't meet expectations through a failure, it's returned. 700-mile-shoe-guy is on thin ice, I think.

Max,
Thanks; I'll revisit the middle pages.

> The point, he said, was to let go of the extremes of emotion. Live on neither end of the spectrum. Be content, and quietly neutral, and observe everything that happens to you with thoughtfulness. A true monk is never elated, or thrilled, or depressed, or angry. He is content. Edited by mdilthey on 09/26/2013 10:13:40 MDT.

Max, have you ever read Brave New World? Another round of soma for the monks, please.

Fascinating posts in this thread. They harken back to college dorm days and associated endless and doubtless profound discussions.

Look at REI's history. The outfit began in a garage (not even a cottage, for heaven's sake) and has grown basically because they have provided good value and service to their members. Example: In 1962, we were planning a climbing trip to the Mexican volcanoes and needed crampons for a petite lady. Time was of the essence. We phoned REI, ordered the crampons and mailed the check. They mailed the crampons, which probably did a do-si-do with the check somewhere over the Grand Canyon. Our trip was a success due to REI's outstanding service.

I checked recently, and I qualified for my first divident om Jan 1, 1964. Over the years I have spent just short of $14,000 at REI. I was surprised because I thought the total would have been greater. REI has consistently provided good, not necessarily great or cutting edge gear, at a decent price and they have stood behind their products. I appreciate that they support environmental projects and evidently are conscious of their social responsibilities,paying attention to the conditions under which their gear is made.

I would like to think that I am a rational consumer. I do pay attention to prices and I have bought lots of gear from other sources (including LLB) over the years, but I am definitely a satisfied REI patron, based on many,many transactions. Some years ago, I did have a problem with an order – I can't recall the precise details – but the issue was quickly resolved.

I never really thought about the REI or how people abused it until I joined BPL. In my tiny twisted mind, I figured REI was a convenient way to return something if it failed during the manufacturer's warranty period. Never used it, other than to return gifts that were the wrong size.

Regarding Briggs and Riley… I have several of their pieces and yes the warranty is fantastic, but the products are not cheap. After 11 years and around 1 million air miles I returned a large suitcase for repairs. It was a discontinued model and I figured they would replace it with a new model. To my surprise, they rebuilt it from the inside out. Must have cost more to fix it than it cost to build it originally. And that is why I only use Briggs and Riley luggage.