MonkeySports Superstore - Irvine — Attraction in Irvine

I live in Palm Desert, CA, and have been planning to go to monkeysports for months. Finally, the opportunity came and I drove to Irvine to be fitted for skates and to buy other gear including a helmet. Never should have had expectations, like and employee seeing a customer just walked in the store, or shortly afterwards, or after walking around for fifteen minutes looking at skates, hockey sticks, etc. Anyone could have walked out of the store carrying as much merchandise as possible, and no one would have noticed. After spotting the employees gathered around a short distance away, I walked over and asked for help. Nate, reluctantly spoke up and said he'd meet me in the back of the store. I knew at that moment I was not going to be receiving any help, especially expert help/advice. We stood in front of the skates. Nate barely mumbled a few words as a response to my questions. It was an effort for him to think, speak, move, walk. LOL. I've never seen anything like it in retail. After prying the microscopic amount of info about skates from Nate's electronic-device-saturated-brain, I asked about helmets. He looked across the store and replied, "yah, they're over there"...that's when I decided to leave.

That concluded my trip to a much anticipated visit to monkeysports, less than five minutes, I walked out of the store, no purchase, I didn't try on skates, I didn't learn about the differences in skates, helmets, or anything, and no, I didn't shoplift to prove a point.

Dear Manager Dave, I anticipated the help of an expert, an employee to talk to me, ASK ME QUESTIONS as well as answer mine, to educate me on what would be best for a beginning hockey skater. I was planning to purchase skates and a helmet, at the least. I was prepared to pay $500-1000. Not a soul in your store gave two-pieces of crap that I, or anyone, came in.

Before leaving, Nate did help me finally, I asked if there was another Hockey Store, he said: "Pure Hockey", in Anaheim and Laguna Hills. It was the most ambitious...

I went to Monkey Sports to buy new ice skates. The salesman who helped me was very friendly and accommodating. I tried on several pairs of skates before settling on the Vapor X7.0. I asked the salesman if Monkey Sports offered free skate sharpening for the life of the skates if I bought the skates there (Hockey Giant offers this service). He said yes, so I got the skates baked, I paid and left.

I came back about a week later to get the skates sharpened and was asked to pay $6 at the counter. I questioned the cashier's reason for charging me and explained that the salesman promised me free skate sharpening. She said, "No, we only sharpen them once when you first buy the skates."

The employee who sold me the skates happened to be working that day. I explained to him that I was being charged for skate sharpening. He offered to go speak with the manager about my situation. He returned a few minutes later only to confirm what the cashier had told me: basically, "sorry dude. Buyer beware." I left the store quite frustrated.

About a month after my purchase, I wrote a polite letter to Monkey Sports management explaining what happened. After a few weeks of no response, I sent an email to the address on their website. They never replied to the letter or the email.

I have since replaced the Vapors with Supreme NXGs purchased at Hockey Giant. The skates even came with a little HG sticker on the bottom of the boot that gives me free skate sharpening at Giant for the life of the skates.

Monkey Sports, you have made me a Hockey Giant...

Gavin seriously saved the day! I was searching for a specific lacrosse head, in a specific color, and couldn't find it in San Diego where we live, nor could I ship something in time for my son's birthday.

I called MonkeySports in Irvine because I saw online they had it in stock, and I spoke to Gavin. I needed something strung in time for my son's birthday a few days later, and after speaking with him on the phone, he not only answered all the questions I had, but gave me some suggestions based on what I told him about my son's style of play. Without being pushy or dismissing the one I thought I wanted, he suggested another head and gave me concrete reasons it might be a better option.It was a genuine suggestion based on his personal experience. I drove up to MonkeySports, massive store with great lacrosse stock, and walked out with a new stick and the most beautiful string job ever!

My son absolutely LOVES it! He's played with it for a month and it's his favorite ever. He said, it's "a beautiful string job, absolutely perfect pocket, shoots amazing, and has just the right amount of hold." Aesthetically, it looks awesome with the Dragonfly he suggested too. We've literally always had to adjust the pocket at other lacrosse stores, but NOT this time (although he would have adjusted it on the spot if we had needed it)!

Gavin is a lacrosse genius. Well worth the trip. Go see him, and your season is definitely...