Sports Basement San Ramon — Local services in San Ramon

---NEW UPDATE MAY 2025: I forgot to update this review. After the event with the shoes, Sports Basement San Ramon resolved it for me.

So when I started snowboarding, I started my snowboarding journey here. That little gesture of good will and good business made me trust the brand.

I HIGHLY recommend visiting Sports Basement for all your sports needs. I won't even go anywhere else now - what's the point?

I copied this from my Yelp review.

"FROM YELP" Absolutely amazing experience shopping for my snowboarding gear. Everyone was super kind, friendly and helpful.

This is a follow-up to my previous review of sports basement.

I previously had a bad experience over a pair of shoes earlier this year. The business reached out to me quickly and they immediately rectified and resolved the situation.

I was so happy with the service and how they demonstrated that they do value their customers, that I decided to shop for my snowboard gear at the store.

From the beginning, Jason over at the snow boots area got me into some Burton BOA boots along with Burton step on bindings. He got me a great deal on a snowboard. Then I went on to buy jackets, bibs gloves, helmets, and goggles here. I also bought gear for my niece who is starting skiing.

Every single person I interacted with was super helpful and generous with their time and knowledge with snowboarding and skiing.

For some reference and comparison, I did go to REI on two occasions. Mainly to compare helmets and goggles. They had a poor selection of jackets, bibs, and gloves. The prices were higher. And I couldn't find anybody to help me in REI. At the Dublin location.

It's safe to say Sportsbasement is the best place to shop for sports oriented people. It's also safe to assume that my negative experience in the past was a one-off situation which is not the standard that this company operates in or how they strive to be as a company.

I already went snowboarding 3 times. All the gear I bought performed at 10 out of 10, and I stayed super comfortable and dry all day long. Yes I did spend a bit because I purchased higher end equipment. But when you start a new sport like snowboarding at the age of 40+, Equipment does matter.

I wish I wrote down the names of all the people who help me in picking out all this gear, mainly because I had a lot of questions since I am new to the sport so I was surprised with how helpful everyone was.

----NEW UPDATE END-----

UPDATE - I was contacted by other management. I was assured this is not the experience they hold as standard. They corrected the problem, they briefed other managers so I wouldn’t have to deal with Mark. I will definitely continue shopping at Sports Basement.

Mark was an absolute jerk.

Horrific experience. I was yelled at, cut off, interrupted, argued with, and shot down for any type of service.

I went in because a pair of $180 Asics shoes have started falling apart after 5 months. The cashier was polite, kind and caring. She had to call her manager, Mark.

From the beginning, he was a jerk. Rude, hostile look, and abrasive demeanor. Everybody knows that running shoes are built to take a beating. I told Mark I only had the shoes for 3-6 months. And cut me off to tell me that's normal. That is a 100% LIE.

Everybody know the life of a show depends on use not just age. He argued that it's normal because I ran in them. I told him I did not run in these shoes. I told him I owned 6 pair of Asics and they all lasted 5 years, so good I even donated most of them. Thank God I kept one pair which is in the pictures below.

When I tied to explain that I wear these for day to day stuff like going to work, he started raising his voice and yelling at me that shoes only last 3-6 months. EVERYBODY knows that is not true. Then when I explain I could bring my other shoes to show him, he ONCE AGAIN cut me off in a loud voice in front of other customers, and said "it doesn't matter Im still not going to return them".

It was so bad even other customers started turning their heads at the counter to see what...

I have been going to Sports Basement for a while and usually have a good experience... however my experience this weekend was very poor. First they check your temperature when you come in-very haphazardly... one guy checks your forehead and another your wrist... and no one looks at the temperature... so why do it?? Once your in the store... I had an attendant follow me into the women's clothes area to tell me to adjust my mask higher... when no one was around me for miles. After feeling stalked.. I found a pullover that I liked that was marked down- and I liked it so much- I wanted to buy it in both colors. However unfortunate for me.. the new colored one did not have tags on it- and it was the last one of its kind. Regardless I took it up to the counter to buy it... only to feel interrogated about was there another- no!... Then- but-these are the same but different colors... did I know that?? Really... epiphany! But he walked over and checked anyway..., and then told me that the pants were marked down but not the pullovers. But- the pullover I had listed the mark-down price on the tag... With that after 20 minutes waiting in line... he told me he would honor the one pullover- which clearly listed the marked down price- but not the other with no price... He made me feel like I had down something wrong- because one item had no tags and was not marked, and apparently- They! marked the other wrong... It was a rude, terrible buying experience- by a bunch of callous guys- who should not be in customer service. It will be a long time before I go back to Sports...

Do not come here for ski rentals unless you know what you’re looking for.

Got a multi-day ski rental here for my family (new skiers) during peak season Christmas holiday, Dec 22-26. I am an avid skier and own my skis and boots and was helping my family. Maybe it’s because it’s close to the holidays, and they are busy, but this is by far one of the worst experiences with a rental shop I’ve ever had. The backend got my billing information mixed up with another guest, my order confirmation number that I got from email linked to a different order and name, and the rental fitting staff were extremely unhelpful and wasted our time. The cashiers were quite knowledgeable, helpful, and kind, but the fitters gave my brother boots MANY sizes too large, multiple times, and ignored the fact that we had a reservation and prepaid to reserve our gear. I don’t know who was responsible for us, but that fitter had an extremely bad attitude, brushing us off and even leaving us halfway through the process once I started to ask them specifics on the boot sizing (mondopoint size) since it looked it was too big for my brother. IMO just pay the premium to go to a local ski shop instead of a chain store like this, you won’t get an...