Customer service line is like traffic in LA, slow and very inefficient. The REI rep just kept chatting and wasting time. There's clearly a line formed and the transaction was already done, but they just kept trying to sell power bars and slowly explains to the older lady about how she can buy 10 power bars and get 10% off... seriously? Power bars?! read more

This review is for Michael or Matthew in the bike shoes section. He is awesome! I'm bad at names, so ill just call him "M". M is why brick is mortal retail should still exist. He has expert advice, was prompt, not pushy and you could tell that he was stoked about cycling and his job. M is the model for what retail sales associates should be. No longer can you setup a big box with random stuff and have clueless blue shirted driods walking around repeatedly asking "can I help you". If you want to compete with the internet, you need to offer something that the internet cannot do, offer personalized service from a person. You need to be like M. I love my 5.10 freeriders. Thanks, man. read more

I went into REI to look for some nice, warm clothing for winter. I've never been into an REI before, so I was taken aback by how expensive most of their clothing is, but to be fair they are selling to outdoor enthusiasts who are going to be skiing, rafting, hiking, mountain climbing, etc, and need high-quality gear. There are clothing sections all over the store that don't seem to be organized in any specific manner. It took a while to find what I was interested in, which was warm and lightweight jackets. I was trying on a particular jacket that I liked in different sizes to see what fit me best. In trying on the different sizes, I found one that was mistagged (labelled as "Slim" fit but correctly identified as "Loose" fit in the collar) and also had threads coming out in the sleeves. I pointed out the mislabeled and defective jacket to an employee, who took it into the back. I was still looking at other jackets in the same area when the employee came back out and put the same jacket back on the rack, still mislabeled. He explained to me that management had told him that all jackets of that type were "Loose" fit and that the jacket was tagged incorrectly by the manufacturer. It takes some seriously bad management to just throw defective and mislabeled merchandise back on the shelves instead of returning it to the manufacturer. Why should the customer be the one to suffer for the manufacturer's mistakes? I left, and don't think I'll be risking shopping here again. read more

love this place. Latest and greatest gear. good service

Great store to find ski apparel, outdoor gear, tents, footwear and electronics. The staff is friendly and helpful. The inventory is huge. Plenty of parking read more

Was here looking for some running gear. They have a good selection and the staff on the floor were very helpful. It was busy and they did a great job of moving people through the lines at the register. Lots of parking available and other good stores nearby read more

It makes me really sad to write this review as I have been an REI loyalist for more than 20 years. It saddens me to say this store has gone so downhill that I don't want to come back. The last 5 or so times I have been in the store the store has been extremely crowded, with the check out line winding around the store, taking an hour or more to check out. There is no more dedicated return line, meaning I had to wait in that same line today to return a hat that I bought a week ago that ripped on the first use (quality of products has also gone down). Employees are not nearly as knowledgeable about gear as they used to be. I waited an hour to be helped in shoes and still the employee had to come back 15 minutes later asking me what my size was again before she came back with any shoes. I have always appreciated the service and attention to detail that REI has provided, but after giving them the benefit of the doubt now numerous times I can confidently say that unfortunately these new problems appear to be here to stay. I am so sad to lose what used to be a great local resource. read more

My son took their "How to ride a bike for kids class". We have had a very difficult time teaching him to ride a bike. After 30 minutes with the REI Outdoor School instructors, he was riding his bike on his own! The class consisted of 6 children and 2 instructors at Centennial Park in Santa Ana today. All 6 children were riding their bikes on their own by the end of the class. The 2 instructors were awesome! Very patient and encouraging. I would highly recommend this class. I am a non REI member, so the fee was $65. But worth every penny! read more

Osprey rolling backpack with detachable day pack = AMAZING!!!

Five stars all the way!! Everyone who works here is super knowledgable and very nice. Got everything I needed for a trip and a bunch of advice that was invaluable. Great selection and well priced. Couldn't even find things cheaper on the internet. Highly recommended for all your outdoor needs. I went to Sport Chalet first and it was not even close for what I needed. read more

A HUGE shout out to Jim (store manager who worked yesterday (05/15/15) for finding my on-line purchase cause I lost my receipt when the sales associates who answered my call said there was nothing I could do without my receipt! And cheers to Sean the store lead (today) who was able to look it up and let me do my exchange for my new fancy schmancy camping chair that is gonna be perfect for the summer!!! Thanks REI!!! read more

Ryan (Action Sports Manager) installed our Thule Sonic Cargo Box (XL) on 10/10/13 and did an amazing job doing so - spending the extra time to get the install just right. He even helped fix my Thule T2 bike rack, which I purchased from another shop online. Their customer service definitely deserves 5 stars while their 100% satisfaction guarantee is just icing on the cake! read more

Will from the shoe department provided amazing service! He took the time to make sure I was completely satisfied with my new hiking shoes while explaining the features and benefits of each one. He was smart to help others while I walked around and he remembered where we left off. Overall everyone is very nice and I recommend this store...it's better than the Rancho store. read more

Awesome place..... I've had issues with my Garmin watches in the past and they never hesitate to try to fix or give me the FULL credit of my old watch toward a new one. Recently, my HR strap stopped working and they replaced with a new one. Thanks for the great costumer service. read more

Friendly & knowledgeable staff to help me with my new snowboard boots. Lots of items to choose from. Highly recommended. Thank you "REI"

We were so thankful that your sales associate Jim Baldwin so helpfully went above and beyond to find a missing piece for my son's camping gear the day before his departure for a world travel expedition! He was wonderful!! MANY MANY THANKS! read more

Love this store. It's like a big toy store for meeh. Workers are very friendly and helpful.

The best place for getting everything in order for a last minute climbing or camping trip. Good selection of gears for outdoor activities, I was able to find a great set of rock climbing shoes after I tested them on the climbing wall! read more

I went in to REI to look at mountain bikes and found out they have a very knowledgeable staff when it comes to the bikes and equipment. I spent a long time going over different options and went home to do even more research. I finally went back to make my purchase and get all my gear. Thanks a bunch! read more

The Customer Service is outstanding! The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, and are happy to be at work.

I know their prices are usually higher than most places, and that they changed their return policy form lifetime to one year, but REI still is the best place to go for all of your outdoor needs. I opened a REI Visa, they sent me a $100 gift card! I frequent their outlet website as well, you can usually swoop on some great deals there. Staff is fairly knowledgable mostly, and usually friendly. Cant wait for REI credit to come in a few months! read more

Love this store, I could get lost for ours. Evan, one of the associates, was helping me and my fiancé. Very knowledgable and helpful. Also very active himself! Mentioned he climbed mountains so we all had a lot to talk about and we knew we wasn't just trying to "sell" us but helping us find what he had best experiences with. read more

These guys know their stuff! Every time I've come here I've received sound advice on what I should be buying. They ask detailed questions to make sure they know what I'm looking for and what I'll be using it for. This time around it was hiking boots. Thanks for the great service and making me try on one other pair after I said I liked the first pair, just to make sure I KNEW those were the ones I should be getting. This is definitely my go to store whenever I need anything for the outdoors! I will be a member for life! read more

I came in there for a mini sawyer 64oz pouch. I talked to one employee and i said i didnt need help and moved on to looking for the item. I bought it and left. 5 stars. read more

Friendly helpful staff!! Whenever I need some out door gear this is my first stop! All their equipment is high quality and backed with a solid return policy.. read more

I came in today because I recently fell in love with spin, and I wanted to get some new shoes. I know NOTHING about cycling shoes or clips and Austin was super helpful in helping me figure out which shoes would work for me. He answered all my dumb questions without judging me for knowing nothing about my new hobby, and patiently answered every question. He happily climbed up a ladder and got me every pair of shoes they had for me to try on. When they didn't have my size in stock on the one that I wanted, he took extra time out to help me figure out if we could have a pair shipped. I was really happy with the customer service today and will be coming back again soon! read more

Im a 36 year old life long customer and member at rei went in after my summer backpacking trip. Only to be acccused of theft by an employee. I dont steal and made a purchase of a pocket knife, hart first aid kit, windproof lighter and carabeeneer. After that I have decided to never visit another rei store online or brick and morter location. So from now on I'm buying direct from the manufactuer. No Thanks REI. read more

My family and I have been shopping here for years and we used to be able to count on getting helpful service. This store has really gone downhill. Finding an associate to help you especially in the shoe department is nearly impossible. When you do find one they ask your size, throw a pair of shoes at you and disappear. When I'm spending $150 or more on shoes I should get more than 10 seconds of help. read more

I researched a tent and then went to purchase it at REI. I ordered it on line and found it backordered. After some time talking with a customer service rep, I was transferred to the Tustin store and spoke with Hope. She researched the ordering process directly from the manufacturer. She confirmed all information first and called me within 24 hours and ordered the tent for me. She assured me through the entire process that she would help me get the ordered secured, including calling the manufacturer and verifying dates of shipping. What an amazing team of customer service reps. I couldn't be more happy and relieved that all was taken care on in a timely manner. I am looking forward to the tent and will definitely stay a loyal customer to REI. read more

Frank in the ski department is one cool dude. He wasn't trying to sell me anything. Genuine care for a customer. What I love about REI.

A gentleman by the name of James helped my friend and I out. Not only was he knowledgeable when it came to all the different products and how to optimize their usage, but he also shared his own experiences regarding many of these products. In addition, James knows A TON of information about the outdoors/science/camping/surviving. He's been pretty much all over the world, and for every question we asked he had an amazing answer. This guy is the real deal and the reason i'll be coming back to REI over and over again. read more

I love this place. The employees are so genuinely friendly here and helpful. This new store is nice and huge!!!! Great selection.

Very disappointed today, yes it was the last day for dividend payoff so I would have thought extra personnel would have been scheduled. At 11:30 am, I ( along with many others) waited at least 20 minutes in the shoe department for someone to just get us a pair of hiking boots to try on. Three of us simply walked out! Totally understaffed and poorly managed! Store manager should have been on the floor MANAGING and NOT sitting in an office drinking herbed tea! read more

I bought a bike from the REI store in Berkeley, CA and had it shipped here. Well, the yahoos in Berkeley didn't even wrap the bike in padding then shipped it down. As can be expected, the bike had some superficial damage; fortunately I paid for shipping insurance. Of course, I didn't want the bike, especially since I paid $2,100.00 for it! Adam from the Bike Shop took care of me very professionally. I received a full refund and special-ordered another one from him. It's the best customer service I've seen from a retailer in a while. Thanks everyone at Tustin REI! read more

My husband and I just got kicked out with our two small puppies. I thought this was a place of outdoor activities and we wanted to look for hiking booties for our dogs. This store location just lost two regular customers. read more

Whenever my wife and I head out to Tustin Market Place, I go into this store. This is actually one of my favorite REI locations--the staff is nice and helpful, the store is nicely air conditioned, and the store is well stocked. There are plenty of parking spots (though the parking lot can be a zoo on the weekends). I took a star off because recently when I went to return a rash guard, the lady behind the counter gave me a guilt trip. Hopefully this isn't a trend. read more

I went into REI looking for a multi-tool for a gift...I was immediately approached by an employee and lectured about their $20 membership for several minutes. While looking at the tools I was approached two more times by employees who were less interested I helping me make an informed decision and more interested in pushing the membership. Once I decided on the item I wanted I approached the cashier who, again, lectured me about the membership program. I had to politely decline several times and I started feeling like I was at some high pressured sales used car lot. When I finally made it clear I was not going to buy the membership, the cashier became very curt and just handed me my bag without a thank you. I don't shop at REI very often so I'm not really interested in their membership tax. After this visit I don't really plan on returning, I'd prefer to do my shopping at places that aren't constantly trying to up sell me while I'm making a small purchase. read more

The staff was very helpful and when I wanted to browse without the pressure of a store associate selling me on things I was left alone. That is big to me as I don't like to be pressured to purchase things. The only draw back was indeed the prices, but I guess you pay for what you get! read more

This place is AMAZING! Every single employee I've come in contact with has been friendly, helpful, knowledgable and gone out of their way to assist me or follow up afterwards and make sure I was satisfied. They let me use coupons early when I'll be out adventuring during their scheduled use time and always have the very best products available at great prices. I'm a new member and am kicking myself for waiting so long to join.. Better late than never I suppose. read more

I was thrilled when REI opened up here. When I lived in Northern California I often went. This store has a good selection of various items. I just returned from Peru and bought lots of supplies here before I left. I bought clothes for hiking in hot and humid weather, I bought a bat with SPF built in, bug spray, etc. The staff is beyond helpful, just mention what area of the world you are going to and they will suggest items for you. read more