I have been going to REI since before i was a climber. Since I was a wee youngling backpacking around in Boy Scouts. Always, I was in need of some new sort of equipment for the outdoor world.
Then I began climbing. Since then, my needs at REI have become a bit more focused. New pro, slings, helmet, shoes,etc. Well I bought a pair of the La Sportiva Miura's almost 3 years ago and have had them resoled as needed. Well I went into REI with my diviend and 3 year old shoes and returned them to exchange with the same pair. I blew out the bottom just behind the toes through the plastic and the resolers couldn't fix it.
Well with REI's exchange policy that shouldn't be a problem. EXCEPT, when REI fails. They no longer even carry the La Sportiva Miura's. As I see it now, REI simply carries the worst shoes from the best companies. IT irks me to no end that their shoe selction has become a giant pile of choss. Not to mention having to wait almost 20 minutes in the climbing area with no help before I just start opening their shoe cabinets myself to find the product I'm looking for.
At least, their saving grace, the fact that they let me order my shoes through La Sportiva and still use my store credit to purchase them. Thank whatever higher spirit decided to give REI such an ungodly return policy. I'm still very angry that the climbing selection has become so terrible.
I feel better after ranting, but I feel something needs to be done at the Colorado REI's. I went to the Denver one a couple of weeks ago and was blown away at how bad their climbing section is. OOOOOOOOHHHHH they have a crap wall you can test your shoes on, I get it. Too bad if you have no good shoes to choose from, what's the point. I guess noobs and gumby's don't know that. I should take solice in the fact that I'm at least still able to procure the La Sportiva Miura lace-ups. But im curious as to why REI has decided to get rid of all their good shoes. Anyone who works at REI have any imput? And for the Record most of this happened at the Boulder REI.

With REI's horrendous return policy i think, UR GONNA DIEEEEEE!!!!!!

This is a case of abuse, plain and simple. It is because of things like this that companies are starting to cut back on their generous return policies.

REI has always sucked. Their return policy is the only reason real climbers buy anything there. It appears they also dropped Five Ten entirely... climbers are simply not their biggest market. Support Neptune, or buy online... or search for a bro deal if you're real cool

Yeah, something needs to be done. They need to ban idiots like you from their stores permanently.

You're a serious douche for returning three year old resoled shoes. I hope when you finally go after something in life that people take advantage of you the way you are taking advantage of a retailer that goes above and beyond what they should be expected to do.

You sound like an idiot. You deserve nothing. You abuse a return policy and still manage to get the product you want and you're still whining...
Grow up or try to get back in the boyscouts.
PS: rei is not a climbing store. It's a outdoor retailer. Try a local gear shop. Oh snap! They won't take back your dank fungal old clogs.

you think maybe they downgraded their shoe selection because people do exactly what you tried to do?

and really, the selection isnt that bad. TC, muira VS, ponta 2s, kintaros to name a few. Yeah it isnt a massive selection, but they have alot more to carry than just climbing crap. If you wanted to look at more models you could have taken your entitled self across the street to wildyX. but then again you couldnt have returned your 3 year old blown up shoes there.

They carry shoes that people who come into their store to buy. They stopped carrying laced miuras but carry the velcro's now because that is what people want. They carry the solutions and mythos which are some of LS's most popular shoes. I don't know where you came to that conclusion based on a single shoe that they stopped carrying

3 years, resole, really? Wow thats pushing it but power to you for trying. They have the Miura velcro's...great shoe but not the same I know (I have both)

@OP - You are 3 days late on this post. Still awesome though.

Any company that has a return policy like theirs, gives you money back, and holds good yearly sales is alright in my book. People are usually friendly there too. Do they carry everything we climbers would like them to? No, but they carry a lot more than any other national chain. Don't be an elitist.

So...you got the shoes you wanted, returned 3 year old resoled pieces of garbage FOR THE PRICE YOU PAID, and you aren't 100% satisfied?

Wow.

On top of that, you are complaining about your selection? You live in Colorado. There are TONS of local stores with fantastic and ridiculous selections.

This is brilliant trolling right here...very well composed, believable too. I almost fell for it, too!

So many great posts, don't really need to respond! I do agree they do not have the best shoe selection or cams. But everything else is pretty damn good. I returned my Five Finger shoes after almost a year of trail running on them as I busted both my little toes. They took them back minus the DIVIDEND I already received. Traded them for some other stuff. I spoke to them last week as I returned a fleece jacket my son wore once-- they took that back to!-- They want their customers to be satisfied with the product they bought. 3 yrs and a resole, come on you've got nothing to complain about.

As a side note, I really needed new shoes a month ago, but didn't have any money for some (not even enough to drive to the 5.10 factory and buy them wholesale). I went to REI. They didn't have 5.10s like I like, but they did have a pair of Pontas on close out for a pretty decent price. They were a half size too big and not what I wanted exactly, but they work.

REI let me return a two year old headlamp still in its original packaging with no receipt or proof of purchase. I also had some gift cards from people who would never know where to buy me a climbing related gift card if it wasn't for REI.

Buy the time all was said and done, I got new shoes for 8 bucks. Thanks REI for being cool.

For the record, one, they didn't complain once or make a single fuss about the returned shoes and were stoked that I was returning them. Therefore, I dont feel that I have abused their return policy in any way shape or form. AND, I had to pay full price. There was no return money involved. I bought those shoes for full price and had to pay full price to special order them. And for those that think I'm a tool for returning old shoes instead of buying brand new ones every time, then you need to get out of your trustafarian little bubble sometime. I'd say 3 years and 3 resoles is a DAMN good use of rock shoes, If I had it my way, they would have been resoled and I never would've returned them to REI.

Just because people follow the common steps of:

1. Getting a job
2. Working at said job
3. Getting paid for #2
4. Purchasing non-durable goods with their earnings

...does not imply that they should be lumped in under the trustafarian label.

You seem to feel that you're entitled to free climbing gear for life now that you've paid for it once. That's not how it works.