Outdoor gear is expensive and you want to get it right when you invest in that new tent, sleeping bag or pair of hiking boots. That's why so many outdoor brands have generous exchange policies. Pay just $30 for a lifetime membership at REI for example and you can return almost any item within a year of purchase for a refund or replacement. The Washington-based brand, however, has started rolling back that offer after discovering some customers have committed what it calls "past abuse" of the policy.
In an October 30 email published by Denver's 9News, REI informs customer Lindsay Powell that she will no longer be allowed to exchange or return items at the store as of November 6, despite being a member. The article reports that Powell is one of "a very small subset of members" totaling less than 0.02% of the brand's 24 million subscribers "who demonstrated a clear abuse" of the company's return policy.
