We've been visiting Rebel Sports almost every year since 2016, and one of the main reasons we keep…read morecoming back is because they're the only place that carries the adorable trike that our kids absolutely love riding.
Unfortunately, this year's experience was extremely disappointing.
From the moment we walked in, the customer service was lacking. There was only one person at the desk, and the interactions felt dry, impersonal, and unwelcoming. We were initially told the trike was not available to rent. Later, another employee outside said it actually was. After explaining that we've rented the same trike nearly every year, they finally agreed to let us rent it.
About 30 minutes into our ride, the trike's brake suddenly snapped open on its own. There was no collision, no crash, no impact--nothing that would reasonably explain a mechanical failure. Because the brake no longer worked, my 12-year-old daughter had to manually roll the trike back for nearly two hours, completely ruining what was supposed to be a fun family bike day.
What disappointed us even more was how the situation was handled when we returned. Instead of showing any empathy, apologizing for the equipment failure, or offering a discount or credit for the ruined rental, we were immediately blamed for damaging the brake.
Any reasonable person would ask: how is a rider responsible for a brake mechanically coming apart without any accident or impact? Rather than standing behind their equipment, Rebel Sports chose to argue over a brake issue that appeared to require nothing more than a pair of pliers and a few seconds to reconnect. We had traveled all the way from Texas and were parked far away--otherwise, we likely could have fixed it ourselves.
Eventually, I realized it simply wasn't worth continuing the argument. I was prepared to pay $10, $20, $50, $100--or even buy the trike outright--just to end the discussion and move on. The cost was never the issue. What bothered me was the principle. A minor mechanical problem exposed what felt like an unfair, unprofessional, and unethical approach to customer service. Rather than treating a loyal customer with understanding and goodwill, the focus was on assigning blame over what appeared to be an obvious equipment failure.
We've always believed in supporting local, family-owned businesses, and that's exactly why we've continued coming back for nearly a decade. But supporting small businesses should never come at the expense of fairness, accountability, honesty, and respect for customers.
This experience left us genuinely disappointed, and unless customer service and accountability improve, we'll have to reconsider returning after so many years of making Rebel Sports part of our family trips.
