REI — Attraction in Paramus

The bike section of this store is pure garbage. I bought 2 bikes here and I had my cousin purchase a bike as well and all 3 of them had problems. Let me explain:

1st Bike: My sons bike. I pick it up from REI after they receive the bike from the warehouse and needed 2 days to put it together and “check everything out”. My son goes for his 1st ride and the seat gets loose..ok no problem I’ll just tighten it no big deal

2nd Bike: My cousins mountain bike. Same scenario, we pick it up from REI after they have it inside the store for 2 days to “check everything out.” We go out for the 1st ride in the park. He pedals like 2 times when all of a sudden the pedal flys out of the pedal holder piece, causing damage to the pedal and pedal holder piece. This happened because they never tighten these parts on the bike. We bring it back immediately to the store and they say no problem we’ll take care of it all under warranty. We pick the bike up 3 days later and my cousin had to point out to them that they installed the damaged pedal and the pedal holder piece that was from a different brand and slightly different design. They didn’t even bother stating this until we pointed it out to them. Then they tell us that the pedal was still functional and they couldn’t get the exact pedal piece holder. So my cousin obviously didn’t want the damage pedal and instead of giving him a new pedal on the house as a customer service they instead make him buy a new pedal set for 50% off the price. That’s absolutely horrible customer service.

3rd Bike: I pick up my bike. Start riding it and notice that there is a clicking sound coming from the crank, bike is not shifting that smoothly, air seems a little low on the tires. I thought maybe the clicking will go away etc. Anyway I’m ride the bike and suddenly I get a flat a few days after picking up the bike from the store. I decided to take my bike to a local bike store to get the flat fixed because at this point I didn’t trust REI. Long and behold the bike tech reveals the faults on my bike due to REI’s negligence. Apparent I got the flat because I didn’t have enough air on the tire. But wait it gets better. The bike tech also notices that the handle bar is not adjusted correctly and that clicking sound and the fact that the bike wasn’t shifting correctly was because the whole crank wasn’t tightened. Now I had to leave my brand new $730 bike at a bike store so they can do a full tune up to clean up the mess that REI NEVER DID AND ITS GOING TO COST ME $85!!! That was the last straw.

All these bikes where brand new purchased at the REI in Paramus NJ and non of them were right. These people take your bike for a 2-3 day “Check up” where their suppose to tighten parts, fill up the air on the tires, check on suspension, chains, shifter etc and they don’t do absolutely anything. It looks to me like they just receive the bike, do a terrible job of putting together and then give it to the customer so the customer can discover the horrible and lazy workmanship.

I’M WARNING PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT BUYING A BICYCLE DO NOT GO TO THE REI IN PARAMUS NJ. YOU WILL END UP PAYING MORE MONEY AND MORE AGGRAVATION. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GO TO A...

I came here to get hiking boots - a simple need, but truth be told I don't know about hiking and I've only ever been once. I had never been to REI so I wasn't sure what sort of help to expect in choosing the right shoe. I was a little frustrated since there didn't seem to be anyone to help... but KENNY turned my experience right around and was able to help me get exactly the right shoe for me and provided PHENOMENAL assistance, showing great knowledge in the products. He's a super respectful and fantastic sales associate - even sold me on the REI Co-op. I came back the next day to use my store credit towards a purchase of socks and a pair of pants. I feel that the prices are reasonable, they're on-par (at least in regards to shoes) with what I'd get at any other speciality retailer. I think the advantage you get at REI at the start - learning what equipment is right for you, helped by recommendations from knowledge staff - is worth it to shop here at least once; I saw other reviews purporting you can buy cheaper on Amazon, but that's literally the point of Amazon. Once you find what works for you, feel free to hunt down a product for a lower price elsewhere... While I didn't buy a used item, I also admire REI's approach to sustainability selling lightly used items returned by their members at a discount. I also especially appreciate their return policy where you have plenty of time to determine if your gear is right for you (not sure if this applies to every type of item). I will say, I was only here two days in a row, but both days the store really seemed to be lacking in staff. I hate to get frustrated when I know everyone is trying their best, as I know how it feels to be in that same position. I'm not sure the reason for the staff shortage, but it's a complaint I saw in other reviews, so I hope management can make some adjustments to help get more staff on the floor. The number of people I saw working this store is the same number of people I've seen at stores 1/10 this size - and for the vast selection of items present here, that's simply not enough. The staff are willing to help customers and are friendly to boot but you can't provide a good enough customer experience without the employees to provide it! Again, I'd like to thank Kenny for his help and hopefully I will be back soon (but not TOO soon) for another pair of...

I visited your store in Paramus, NJ with the intention of purchasing a bike. Initially, I was informed that it would be ready at a later time, so I returned a few hours later with my wife and our two young children. However, upon our arrival, we were met by a different bike employee who displayed a dismissive and disrespectful attitude towards us. Despite patiently waiting and making the payment for the bike, my request for adjustments to be made for my daughter was completely ignored, without any follow-up or assistance.

When I dared to inquire about the situation, this employee dismissively responded, "You can go!" Shocked by his disrespectful behavior, I demanded to speak with a manager. In response, he arrogantly retorted, "You get her yourself," in a threatening manner. He even went further, provoking and intimidating me by asking, "What are you going to do about it?" This confrontation occurred while I was with my family, including my young children, putting us in a highly uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation.

To address this appalling incident, I immediately sought out the store manager and requested a review of the video camera footage. However, it has now been almost a week, and I am still awaiting a response from REI regarding this distressing encounter.

I want to stress that the behavior exhibited by this employee is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any professional setting, especially in a customer-oriented environment. As a loyal customer, I am deeply disappointed by the lack of timely action and communication from REI.

I urge you to thoroughly investigate this matter, take appropriate disciplinary action against the employee involved, and provide a prompt and comprehensive response to address the concerns I have raised. It is crucial that REI upholds its commitment to exceptional customer service and ensures the safety and well-being of its customers.

I sincerely hope that this incident is treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. I look forward to hearing from you soon and receiving reassurance that this matter is being handled...