Love me some REI! Yes, it's expensive but all name brand. The staff is always so helpful and upbeat in the store. I love the positive vibes when you walk around. Plenty of team member to help you almost annoying but i'll take that over other stores lack of customer service. I can easily spend hundreds here but my items always last. read more

I Gave them one star because I can't give them any less this place has a famous customer service ethic but no ethics ... I brought in a product I was told by the manufacturer to return to them ... and REI told me since I wasn't a member and did not have a receipt they couldn't do anything for me I will be shopping at Adventure 16 as they give Stiller and ethical service and they know the products better than any one in the business adventure 16 is located on Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach ... the product is a Hydro Flask coffee thermos it was a gift so why would I have the receipt it was phenomenal till the other day when it quit keeping things hot! read more

REI - Bikes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Peter, the employee standing outside letting people in would not allow me to enter the building while wearing a filtered mask. His manager Blake would also not allowing me to entered with a perfectly filtered mask. Additionally when I asked to do a return outside of the building they refused claiming that I had to wear one of their masks in order to get my money back. REI has also screwed all "co-op" members by not giving them the full refund for products purchased the year before. REI is a joke of a store and I will no longer support this business or any companies associated with them. This is the mask that I was wearing: https://store.helmetfitting.com/product/active-mask/ read more

Came here for NorthFace sweatshirt. The ppl there were super helpful despite the fact that I showed up 5 minutes before closing. Definitely coming back to this location!! read more

Awesome place. Awesome people. Awesome products. Always quality when you shop here. Yes you do pay a little more but the quality is worth it. Employees are very customer focused, knowledgeable and friendly. read more

REI - Upstairs...downstairs! - Bikes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This place is wonderful. When you walk in the door, there's at least one person waiting there to greet you and help you find what you're looking for. Since I had no idea where to look for what I had came for, that was especially helpful! They have a great supply of supplements/resources for athletes. An athlete I am not, but I actually have to take a salt supplement (yes, I'm supposed to go heavy on the salt, doctor's orders) and much to my surprise they carried what I was looking for! I'd been scavenging drugstores and grocery stores, and this was the only place that carried a salt supplement (it also has potassium, calcium, and other stuff, it's not pure salt). Apparently that's useful to athletes as well? Either way, I got exactly why I came for. The service was very friendly, from the helpful gentlemen at the door to the friendly cashier. They seemed to be in stock of most/all items. I will definitely be coming here in the future! read more

I had some time to kill so ended up window shopping in here. Almost wish I hadn't because it truly was a candy store for grown up sports fans. Something for every sport and such great variety. Wonderful selection of bikes and bike gear. Not to mention cups galore in every color under the rainbow. Plenty of clothing for every Sport, whether skiing or biking or running. Too many items to list. Just a fabulous store. read more

The shoe associate ignored me for 15 minutes and helped everyone else even if they had only been there for two minutes. Most of the shoes had no prices displayed. I love being given the middle finger and treated like I don't exist. read more

This review is only for the used gear sale. In case you don't know, REI has a policy of 100% refund for any product you're not satisfied with, ever. So you can own a pair of hiking boots, a tent, a sleeping bag, a backpack, whatever, for three or four or ten seasons, and if you're not happy with it and you kept your receipt, you can return it for a full refund. -Keep your receipt. -Don't abuse this! Seriously, please, only return items that are actually defective. If you're going to return things you just don't like, do it early and in good condition. One of the side effects of this policy, is that REI collects all the old stuff, and now and then they have a parking lot sale to get rid of it all. Whenever someone returns something, they write down the reason, and tag the item. "Didn't fit" "Gave me blisters" "Poles broke" "Not warm enough" "Too warm" "Doesn't work even with new batteries" "Doesn't fit in my pack" "Front forks collapsed on downhill" and so on. One major difference, is that you cannot return items from this sale. (There's actually a psychological theory that people tend to be happier with purchases they can't return, and at least in my case this has been true!) -Don't miss it. I usually get email announcements. Watch for the sign outside the store. -Get there early. The sale starts when the store opens, and there's usually a line of people "camping out" - if you REALLY want a good deal, get there early and wait. -Know what you're looking for. Do you need a sleeping bag? Shoes? A bike? A particular kind of roof rack? Know ahead of time. You're going to need to move fast to get the good stuff before someone else takes it, and the staff, while helpful, can only help so much on a day like this. Know your size. -Examine your purchase carefully. In the case of tents or other complicated gear, you're probably going to want to open it, lay it out, count the poles, set it up. Check all the seams; check the parts list; make sure all the zippers work and so forth. -Read the tags, if only for the amusement value. -The worse something is broken, the better a deal it is. If you're like me, you love broken stuff, as long as it's cheap; I've repaired clothes, watches, and flashlights, I've lived with stained pants, shoes, packs. Often people return things early and they're like-new. Who wants to wear someone else's shoes? I do, if they're cheap enough! I'm wearing a fine, like-new pair of Keen sneakers right now! read more

Horrible customer service. Couldn't get anybody to help get climbing cord cut and finally when I was able to stop a manager he said it wasn't his job. Never went to get someone to help. At the checkout the marked price wasn't honored. read more

After several more visits, I have to bump to 5-stars. The staff here are incredibly helpful and went above and beyond for both me and my partner on various occasions. Their return policy is extremely generous. Their sales are where it's at. Keep up to date on their email list and take full advantage of them. read more

REI is the big boss of the retail mafia. I am SICK of going here and being put in a headlock to sign up for a membership. In top of that, the sales assassins in the store prodded me and my girlfriend with questions asking us to reveal how much money we had and then they controlled information by telling us that we would need to spend at least $75 to get a "good product" and the recommended ones were $500, so $75 is a "deal". Then the product worked like shit and we found their "$500" one online for $20, all while being bullied multiple times by multiple reps into a membership. Fuck this company. read more

This review is based pretty much solely on size and selection. The employees were nice enough. This is a small REI that thinks it is a bike shop. 60% of the store is dedicated to bikes, 30% to clothing, and the piddling rest to actual useful gear that people go to REI to get. Their camping/backpacking selection is PATHETIC. As in, 100 square feet pathetic. Don't bother coming here unless you need a camp chair. Do not waste your time coming to this REI if you need backpacking gear. Look. I get that if you live in the SD you must really, really need a bike, because the drivers are the worst on the planet and the traffic engineering (ever hear of MFing timed lights, you sadistic assholes?) could all be fired and replaced by dead goats and things could only improve, but, get this: THERE ARE ACTUAL STORES, LIKE 1000s OF THEM, ALREADY DEDICATED TO BIKES. Using your precious postage stamp floor space as a bike showroom is like using a precision laser cutting device as a hammer: wasteful, unecessary, ineffective and stupid. I go to REI to get high quality stuff for the backcountry that you can't get anywhere else. Screw your pretend bike store and stock some useful gear, ok? read more

I love REI! This one is right next to a Walmart and Island's. Convenient because right after REI I ate at Island's, and ran errands at Walmart lol. I'm getting ready for some big hiking/camping adventures (Whitney and Half Dome) and the REI employees have been very helpful and informative about the gear needed. I also had bought a pair of Keen's hiking boots 6 months ago, and were able to return them because I've had a lot of aches and pains with my feet since I got them. Got a pair of Vasques, hopefully they don't hurt my feet! But the lady who helped me recommended them and she seemed like an avid hiker, so I'm not too worried. read more

If you're not a member, please don't come to this place, they have horrible customer service to anyone who does not sign up to be a member of their membership. After waiting 20 minutes, they wouldn't help us to put in an order due to "too many people in line" when they all arrived after we had waited. They truly don't give a fuck, save your time. read more

I've been trying to put together a backcountry setup for a ski trip to Colorado. I called the Encinitas location, because the San Diego one had a limited supply of bindings. The guy that answered the phone was immediately rude and unhelpful. Obviously, I won't be going to this location in person... ever. Obviously, this guy shouldn't be working there. read more

Got hiking shoes. Was in and out. Everyone was nice. Hopefully they will take down the plastic barriers soon and foot markers. Makes the place look un organized. Would go back. read more

I went to this location this weekend, getting ready for a trip to sequoia, so I was looking for some gear to keep me warm in the snow and was weather resistant. Everyone that helped me was so nice, and I spent a lot of time talking to Sean and Sky. Sean was so knowledgeable on layering properly and kept checking in to see if I needed anything else. Sky was also informative and so sweet while she was helping me find hiking boots. There were other nice people that helped me, but I didn't get their name. I got a lot of nice stuff, but my favorites are the smartwool socks and smartwool base layer top and bottom. The store is very big too, love this location! read more

I visited this location today to purchase a new pair of sunglasses with my special needs brother Jeremy. Everyone was nice and helpful from the get go especially Karen. However in all of my years through personal experience in retail, I have NEVER come across anyone as rude as Cate. When we asked her for assistance she started calling my brother names such as "baby" and "wimp" due to his mask being under his nose for a brief second. Please do better Cate. read more

I drove down from Murrieta to vista to take a friend to the doctor, decided since I was down there might as well hit up REI for the new Chaco Chillo slides . I called to make sure they had them, and the woman that answered the phone seriously went out of her way to find them for me. Unfortunately they were the low downs not the chillo. Comfy sandals but meh. I wasn't a fan of how they handled the shoe shopping, it wasn't comfortable and honestly very frustrating . I'm coming from riv county where we are a bit more chill about the COVID issue , so I was pleasantly surprised when they had masks , sanitizer and were being cautious about how many people were inside at once . It sucked for sure coming from our more relaxed situation up north lol but it was worthy of a thumbs up for sure on the planning. All the staff were super helpful, a bit pushy tho I'm assuming to get people out and more in from the line, the store was cleaned, very well stocked from most of the items I was looking at purchasing. I don't really shop that location as I prefer the one down in San Diego. It was nice stopping in tho read more

We always wait until August to get cash back for our credit card because that's what you have to do if you want cash back instead of store credit. We went to do that last weekend and found out that they are only doing store credit this year. So not only did we not get cash back but we didn't get a chance to use our coupon. Now we have to figure out how to spend over 500 at rei when there's nothing we need but do need (and were counting on) the cash. At no point were we notified of this change. We will be canceling our credit card and never shopping here again. I understand that COVID was hard on all businesses but it was also hard on individuals. Changing policies with no notification is a rotten thing to do to your customers. read more

Awful experience here today. REI is a great company, but we will not be returning to this location. My wife and I came in the store about 12pm today with the intention of buying two sleeping bags, and a solid amount of supplies for our camping trip. When we were approached by the employee in the sleeping bag/backpack section (goatee, mid 30s, Rick and Morty hat on), he asked if we needed any assistance. I let him know we had looked at the sleeping bags and would like to purchase a specific one, and he immediately recommended against that selection based on only the price point, since I had selected a cheaper Kelty bag. I let him know that I would be sleeping in an area where it only got down to about 60°F at night, so I wouldn't need a high-end bag rated for extreme cold, and was comfortable with my selection. Instead of accepting that, he rudely made a passive aggressive comment, saying "yeah, I've only been doing this 20 years, don't listen to me or anything!" And stomped off in a huff to go get the bag. During our interaction with him, he had a bad attitude and was treating us disrespectfully. We told him never mind, forget it, and left the store after mentioning this incident to the checkout employee. I have been an REI member and customer for over a decade and will not let one bad experience tarnish my opinion of an entire company, as I have had nothing but good experiences with REIs all over the country otherwise. However, this behavior from one employee is absolutely unacceptable and I am hoping that this review will reach a manager and encourage proper changes/assessments to be made. We were also told by the employee at the registers that this was not the first negative feedback he had heard regarding the other employee, with people previously describing him as "aggressive", "pushy", and "know it all". Because of this particular employee, the company lost a few hundred dollars worth of business today. read more

BIKE SHOP REVIEW Encinitas REI is one of the best bike shops for service in North County. They are Bosch Electric bike certified and what they don't know yet, they figure out. It felt more like getting my Lexus serviced than an Emotion Electric bike. IN PARTICULAR "RYAN" is a star and an asset to our biking community. 5-Stars all the way. They did some rewiring, re-gearing, re-tuning, re-truing, re-configuring, order some German parts, software up-dating, and a yearly tune-up. I can't say enough! Excellent Experience. read more

This place is awesome! First time ever going to an REI and was super impressed with the store layout and the selection of everything from camping gear to clothing. Went and picked myself up a sweet Patagonia jacket and a hydroflask. I will definitely be going back for some last minute Christmas gifts! They have every size and color for popular clothing so you don't have to hunt multiple stores for exactly what you want. Huge props to all the workers going above and beyond to offer excellent customer service! read more

REI Encinitas customer service leaves much to be desired, and REI coupons are in general are very difficult to use with all their restrictions. There are better place to shop online than REI...cheaper too. read more

I wish employee have a name tag. Some of them are real As...ho...! I dont know if that's because im asian and not pretty! And thank goodness some of them are very friendly and helpful! P.s other ethnicity/beautiful/classy are getting good help and attention. read more

We recently relocated from the Denver area where the REI mother ship is parked. I love that store - it is the happiest place on earth. But this REI was a pleasant surprise. Of all my visits so far, they have had exactly everything I have been looking for. Including my size in clothing (large, the new average for men). The mother ship could not boast always having my size in stock, so I am very pleased with this location. read more

I am updating my previous review from 3 to 4 stars. I received a phone call from a manager at this store who then apologized for the treatment I got from their store. Turns out I was wrong in thinking I purchased the article 2 years ago. It was more like 4-1/2 years ago. The manager looked up my record (presumably) from my membership number and found that I actually purchased 2 jackets back in 2012 at the Manhattan Beach store. It took me awhile to realize that he was correct. Now I am embarrassed. I never would have tried to get any credit for something that old. Sorry REI. Anyway, I am still not giving 5 stars because I think the first thing the sales associate should have done when I presented my jacket and story would have been to check my membership record. He would have seen that I am not a chronic item returner. Also, a less accusatory tone would have been nice. The store manager did offer a discount for the next time I come in. So I will probably give this store another try. read more

I love this REI. The staff here is always so friendly and I love being able to walk around and not knowing really want I am looking for but just being able to look around. When I know what I want, I usually go and grab someone who is an expert in that department and ask them what do they think and tell them what I'm using this item for. Normally they say I've made a good pick, or they refer me to something else that I end up liking and will make that my purchase. The team here is great and I'm happy that I live by an REI that's super helpful and friendly inside. read more

Great place with very good staff I love the layout and selection is great! Only thing I do not like is that the person helping constantly walked away and I'll get switched with someone new.... obviously they do not sell on commission. Also Love the gear they have but a lot if it is overpriced...$40 for a Beenie(typical nothing special and not even that Comfy) Other than that I do like the selection!! read more

Nice visit to REI. Planned to buy socks...Zoe was amazing, she immediately came to greet us as we were checking out the selection. Zoe had great product knowledge and we found the perfect pair for our hike. Store was tidy and easy to navigate. Warren was pleasant as we checked out. read more

What a terrible experience at the bike service center. Long story short I would recommend wholeheartedly not to bring your bicycle here for service. There are a lot of bicycle shops nearby that can do the job much better and in a better time frame. They were unable to do the job I asked for, kept my bike 10 days, (which is a pretty long time I think), and returned it in much worse shape than I brought it in. I think they put on a chain that was about 4 inches too short so the gears don't work and the derailleur can't work properly. Anyway I got my bike to a regular bike shop and I feel much better. read more

I never thought I would really need to shop at an REI... until I took up hiking and hyperextended my right ankle by wearing rubber shoes (doh!). As I hate being in pain and the fear of seriously injuring myself, I researched hiking shoes and it took me to REI. Before visiting the store, I already thought I had picked out the shoes I wanted. I am very thankful for the gentleman that helped me out. He really knew a lot about injury prevention. Because of him I learned a few things during my visit: -wool socks are better than cotton. -the majority of people wear shoes that are too small -he showed me the correct way of tying up the laces on my hiking boots. - if you purchase shoes at REI and are not satisfied... you can return it at anytime, in any condition. They stand behind their shoes. My shoes were about $125. If after breaking them in and I find something wrong with them, I can return it... no hassle. Now, that is awesome. Thank you, REI guy, for caring! read more

I would shop here often except they don't allow dogs, and my dog goes everywhere with me. It is also illegal to leave him (pets) inside the car. Too bad, I guess I'll be getting my outdoors shopping fix indoors on amazon. Lame. read more

Yesterday I walked into the store to do a return with 2 t shirts which both had tags on them, the clerks name was Tyler he was not willing to help me out at all, these T shirts were given to me as a birthday gift and I did not have the receipt and they were never warn. He basically said they will not take them back or give me store credit, I should have asked for the store manager, my bad I didn't I told him I will never shop in this store again and he replied to me problem ... next in line sir ... He did not care at all about helping me out I will Never ever shop their again and I will make sure to tell all my friends family neighbors and co workers to shop else where, this store definitely does not care about there customers especially Tyler. Am sure whatever your looking for you can buy online and return it with no problem at a better price. This place is really over rated ! read more

I get the allure of REI. If you're into getting your "wild on" on the weekends, then REI is definitely a place to get geeked up. But the prices, jeez... Is that for real? This was my first time at an REI in California. I grew up in New Jersey, and we have an REI that's been around since I was in high school. But that store seemed more focused on kayaks and canoes, cold weather camping and tons of winter gear. The Encinitas location is focused on outdoor recreation for SoCal. So don't go here expecting to find sub-zero sleeping bags. But the biggest problem I've had with REI is pricing. For me, no one is more gangster when it comes to braving the elements than a sherpa. A sherpa could not afford to shop at REI. Sherpas have conquered the Himalayas. REI just conquers wallets... read more

My only complaint is that I can't have my job direct deposit to REI instead of my bank.

:-) I love this store.. and I'm a long time member (of sorts.) But I can't say I'm here all the time.. Products are well constructed, or you can return them for a refund or exchange no questions asked. But the products aren't cheap by any means... If you're smart.. come during a sale day/weekend. You can get top notch well constructed brand items for rock bottom prices... But you have to come at the right time. Who knew camping, and hiking could be so expensive? But I love it.. and live it. 4 woofs.. I'm always here for stuff I need... not this particular store.. but the others.. (this store is tiny in comparison) Which works, cause sometimes you get the best deals here, and aren't sold out like the bigger more popular REI's. read more

I'm writing this review after having a horrible experience at a completely different store. Bad experiences happen and we could be just like today's angry keyboard warriors. Positive experiences are rarely highlighted never giving recognition to the truly good people that we encounter. This Saturday I swung by REI. My wife wanted to get a fitness watch she has been debating on for a while now. The lady who helped us was awesome! She juggled helping my wife navigate her decision on top of helping several other customers around us. Her expertise and patience were the best we have experienced at any REI. It made us feel like we were in a small town outfitter which is surprising because it's California. Guess we stereotyped this place wrong. Not to shadow the good experience, but please, someone please tell the cashiers to stop pressuring us into buying a membership. Some of those kids should learn from the other employees to help ensure people leave happy. A few of the boys at the checkout tried to aggressively push memberships for our kids. Even after I said that is a good idea, but we are good for now, they persisted selling something we weren't interested in buying. Remedial training is needed for some of those young adults handling the cash register. The lady who helped us decide on a fitness watch didn't sell us something that was already sold. She helped us make a decision that was best for our needs which is what we're after when we buy anything, especially gear. read more

Surf racks at surf shops are surprisingly crappy. They sent me to REI and boy am I glad they did! With fins off, I can stack 4 surfboards plus towels & wetsuits! Daniel did a phenomenal job helping me pick everything out and Ryan did a fantastic job with the installation. Tip Top Magoo from start to finish. REI is TremendouSSS... Get here! read more