Great customer service! They always give good advice on camping gear and even helped me fix my Yeti water bottle when I dropped it.

Outstanding customer service. I just came in for mosquito repellent for my trip to Indonesia. The staff was very helpful and gave me info on the various types and advised me on what's best for my trip. One salesperson even gave me advice on how to survive my long plane ride lol. read more

I was very disappointed earlier in the morning I place and order for pick up I was blind side by Miss Sam a soon entering the store she stop me like a was doing something wrong unfortunately I did notice the signal the say one way she yelled at me like I was her child I feel very disappointed because when I ask her why she acting like I was doing something wrong she answer me you was wrong. Very ruth and very bad actitud. read more

Staffed by people who are into outdoor recreation and into what they are selling. This is a coop; this is not a commissioned based box store. This is a store selling high end quality equipment. Recently bought boots; the information online was very helpful. The staff was patient. They had a nice rock think to try the boots out on. Was very pleased. Also bought bike gear for a big trip. After picking out a bunch of stuff, the staff helped me out and told me that I had the wrong stuff and showed me the right stuff. The shop also has geocaching gear which is pretty cool. If there is one weakness, I am not thrilled with the clothes. It's not terrible - two sweaters I bought were great; some pants I bought were lousy. Yes the parking lot is TERRIBLE. But park to the north past the dance studio and walk a little - and you will have no trouble. And no, dont shop during the sale unless you like crowds. Very good store. Very good staff. Cash back at the end of the year. Very solid. read more

looking for a kayak I called the guy on the other line was telling me that they are limited. when I told him it was for my pool he said look at a pool shop. that it was too expensive. how do you know how much money I have? read more

I spend way too much time (and money) in this store, but for good reason. The staff is always super helpful in answering my questions. I went into this location probably 3 times and spent an hour each time to pick out a backpack. The same guy helped me all 3 times and he was very nice and informative without being at all pushy (a pushy sales person is the surest way to lose my business). Another time I was looking for a way to get my 65 lb kayak on top of my Jeep Wrangler by myself (not an easy task as it turns out). I bought one Thule system but it did not work so I brought it back and was looking for another option. The sales lady helped me so much and actually went out to my jeep to look at the current set up and then made recommendations. I ended up taking her advise, reworking the whole system, and now it works great! She also even opened a box to the system I was looking to buy to see if it would fit my current non-Thule crossbars. I really thought she went above and beyond. So, the point is that this location has a great staff. It is a smaller store and sure you could buy the same things off Amazon, but the truth is that the wonderful customer service and the excellent return policy out weigh the convenience and sometimes minor cost savings of other retailers. read more

I wanted to buy something, but no one would help me... nor smile at me... nor look in my direction to attempt to answer my questions. I went home and bought my things from another store online. read more

Stopped in and purchased a small item and everyone here was very nice and helpful. They have a wide selection of outdoor gear and clothes and and also kayaks. read more

I can get to this REI in Bailey's in like 20 minutes from my place in foggy bottom. There's tons of parking. There's a lot of good gear. Returns are easy- I bought a bunch of stuff for a trip to eastern europe and returned some the things I didn't need. On the cons side, some of the REI branded stuff is cheap junk made in china. I bought a luggage combo lock with a neat retractable wire, which refused to open on my 1st week on my trip. I had to bend, pull, and cut at the wire remove it so I could get to my things. You just have to make a judgement call on some items. The people here are also great and will take time to explain everything about gear to you, or call someone over who knows. If you're a member and you buy stuff here you get REI points or whatveer they call them, but it translates to dollars. I went last week for this first time in a while and didn't use any cash or my credit cards! When I was done I still had like $16 on my REI membership - they told me I could cash out it I wanted to. "Like an REI ATM?" I asked? Yup. So that's kind of cool. On the downside sometimes as you walk through the store, you'll get asked multiple times if you're an REI member. I usually like to be left alone when shopping until I ask for help, and this repeated question gets irritating pretty quickly. read more

Have lived in the NOVA area for several years, and frequent the Bailey's Crossroads REI almost monthly. Although we do the majority of our REI purchases online, this local REI store is well stocked, the customer service has always been outstanding and we've gotten great advice when seeking help or hints on gear. We are half way between the Bailey's Crossroads REI and the Woodbridge location, but push into Bailey's Crossroads rather than trying to fight traffic heading south out of DC. We have over sized items shipped here, and if we need to exchange something for a different size or color, we've had only positive experiences. Hard to go wrong with REIs product lines (Patagonia, Osprey, Big Agnes, The North Face, Merrell, Keen, Darn Tough, etc), customer service or how they stand behind what they sell. Their activism in protecting public lands and conservation furthers our commitment to being loyal customers to this CO-OP. read more

I truly love this place. It would have received five stars if they weren't so expensive. The best thing you can do is to get a membership because it just pays for itself in the end. This is the only place I go to buy shoes. I wear hikers at work and they have the best ones. Once again, the membership helps because if you aren't satisfied with the shoes, you can return them. I love it. read more

REI is an awesome store and its great being a member. The staff at this location is very helpful and knowledgeable, as they are in all locations I have been too. If you have any questions, make sure you ask the people on the floor, they can help you tremendously. If you not a member, its well worth the $20 one time fee. I believe you need to spend at least $10 a year to maintain the membership, which is nothing. REI can definitely be expensive sometiems, but you get what you pay for. Their return policy is tremendous and you can find some great sales too. Their REI products are great quality too. This location does have one of the worse parking situations I have seen, that is my only draw back. Not worth losing a star over though. read more

Love this store. Wide variety of products esp women's clothing. Parking can be a bit of an issue at times.

They used to have a great return policy. They wouldn't let me return a jacket that I purchased 2 weeks ago, unworn, with receipt. So much for 100% satisfaction. I'm never shopping rei again. Lots of other options read more

I usually love REI, but LATELY, they have been failing in customer service. So, Im there looking for shoes. And, to be quite honest, I am ignored. I am right next to an older caucasian woman, who is getting all the help in the world. When I ask for a shoe, the rep says ok, then continues having a conversation about what she prefers, or what he recommends. Didnt ask me any of that, just gave me my shoes and left. It was so obvious. So, apparently, I really do think if I was another demographic I would have been treated better. And, when leaving the store, they glanced at me, but said "have a great night" to another couple ahead of me. Its not nice being ignored. I dont like it, I should have the same level of courtesy, respect, and attention at what you feel your more "affluent" appearing customers have. This was terrible. I may call management and let them know how blatant it was. In this day and age, I think they should know better. To anyone else, good luck. This ruined my night though :-( read more

This REI makes me very sad :-(. The selection was abysmally small, and things were not organized well. The people are nice, which is always the case in REI's. Coming from the west coast, I've never seen such a little, tiny REI. I will probably gear up back in California and lug it here if I need anything. The clerk explained that they just don't have the customer base here to have much selection. read more

I recently purchased a bike from Rei. I'm very impressed that they allow free test drives, as long as you fill out a waiver, and provide some sort of ID. That test run sold me. However, the customer service was poor. I was walking around the whole bike section, and was never approached by an employee. I had to go to the front desk to find help. Even then, the guy that was "helping" me came off kind of arrogant. He was not very helpful, and didn't explain anything to me. If I didn't do my research prior to showing up, I probably would not have purchased anything. I say do your research ahead of time or go to another location. read more

I've been a loyal REI member for almost 20 years. In that time I've visited many locations and spent untold amounts of money. So I was extremely surprised and disappointed when I visited this REI. My girlfriend and I are in the market for new road bikes. Our budget was 1-1.2K per bike, plus accessories, including two Yakima racks for the car. Our first trip was a 1.5-2 hr visit last Sunday. We spent the vast majority of that time being passed around to three different sale people. While all had some knowledge of the bikes they were selling, there was clearly no corporate knowledge. Yes, I understand if I want in depth knowledge I should go to a specialty store, but as I said, I'm a loyal REI customer. So after the last 30 minutes, dealing with an awkward associate, we decided to leave and do more research since we were't comfortable enough to spend upwards of $2500. After thinking about it, we went back this evening, Tuesday, to purchase the bikes. This is where my two star rating comes from. We walked in, stood in the bike section holding the bikes near the counter for ten minutes before I walked to the front counter and asked to talk with an associate. A few minutes later we were greeted in the bike section with a "Can I get you something"? Now, I'm not perfect but a nice hello, how can I help you would be nice. We then told the associate about our visit on Sunday and asked if we could take the bikes out for a test ride. We were flat told no because it was beginning to get dark. The time was ~630; sunset was at 7:17 that night. Sunny.....no, but plenty of light to take a 5 minute ride. We were then told that if we liked the bike so much to just buy it and if we didn't like it later we could bring it back for a full refund. While that may be the case, that is not the right message to send. I'm not spending that type of money in a store where I can't try the merchandise. Needless to say, we both left and we will not be returning to that REI again. Additionally, I will not be purchasing bikes from any REI, at any cost. Too bad because I was loyal customer. read more

One of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. My mother purchased a gym bag for me on their online site that I believed didn't suit my needs, so I went to return the item at the Bailey's Crossroads store. On their website, their official return policy states, "We stand behind everything we sell. If you are not satisfied with your REI purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund within one year of purchase.......You can return or exchange purchases from REI or REI-OUTLET by mail or at any of our retail locations, regardless of whether you made your purchase online, by phone or in an REI store.....You must have a proof of purchase (store receipt, gift receipt, shipping invoice, or member purchase history) for all returns and exchanges". I took the gym bag in its original packaging (unused, with the original tags still attached to the item and with the original invoice) to the aforementioned store for a refund within days of receiving the item in the mail. The customer service rep didn't know the return policy and asked the manager if they could accept my return. The manager bluntly told me that because I was not an REI member, I could not return the item - a complete contradiction to their officially stated policy. Since this experience, I've never purchased another item from REI and I never will. read more

REI has an attic sale every few months, and I thought I'd stop by this one to see what they had. I was told on the phone a few days earlier, that people line up at 8am and the doors open at 10am. It was rainy and nasty, so I took my sweet time showing up, and umbrella in hand, marched through the parking lot to take my place after about 50 people. This was a 9:30am. Once the doors opened, it was mass chaos. People flooded in with no control, packing in and grabbing as much as possible. Most people took things out of the back area to look them over, and try them on. The whole experience made me feel pretty dirty. I won't be coming back here for an Attic Sale again, but I do like their stuff. read more

I went in looking for a mountain bike. The bike sales clerk did not know anything about fitting a bike and I wanted to try a smaller frame size. He said he had it in stock but it was not built. I asked him about other sizes and he seemed like he didn't want to check. He finally checked with all the surrounding stores to see if they had a smaller size built. He came back and said no one had a smaller size. I finally had to drag it out of him to agree to build the smaller bike so I could make sure it was a right fit. For the amount of money I wanted to spend, they sure do seem to not know anything about bikes or offer customer service without having to drag it out. I am an avid REI guy from Seattle that moved to the area and this has got to be one of the worst REI's I have been to. read more

First time here and I feel like I'm ready for camping! The staff is exceptional! Helpful and patient -- esp for a non camper as myself. Happy I stopped here today! read more

I am kind of ambivalent about REI. I love the store and have been a member for years. They sell higher end gear for hiking, camping, climbing, kayaking, and biking for the masses. Well, I have an older bike that was in a shed for 5 years (my parents) and not ridden during that time. It was a Trek, so I thought I could get a tune-up and be good to go and not have to buy a new bike. I went in that basically told that to the technician. He says he'll bring it back to the shop, take a look, and tell me whether a tune up is necessary. Cool, I say and say I'll be shopping while they do that. I ended up shopping right near the door to the shop and I can hear the technicians mocking me. Like mocking my voice and saying how I think I need a tune-up when I don't know anything about bikes. These guys then start ripping on other customers, making fun of their looks and other stuff. I was very insulted. After about 20 minutes, he comes out of the shop and says that my bike IS A GOOD CANDIDATE for a tune-up. Sheesh. What was up with all the attitude and disrespect for customers? Is this is bike shop culture thing? I didn't know, but I just paid and left, but it really bothered me for a while. I just started this Yelp account, so now I venting. read more

I found four items, all without any tags and/or pricing information, that I wanted to purchase. Had to go to Customer Service. The staffperson removed one clothing item from its case looking for anything to ID it. She then rolled it in a ball and stuffed it into its case. I asked her if she would like to get a gift that looked like it had been used. She then humored me and sloppily folded it and stuffed it into the case. Staffperson also told me one of the four items was on Clearance, but when I checked out in the front the staffperson told me that it wasn't. I also had a bag with a recent purchase stolen in the store (carried it in to match colors). read more

Yum, because this place definitely filled my appetite for more gear (and broke the bank at the same time). As with all REI's, the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. It's a little hard to find, you have to head down Carlin Springs a little bit and it seems like it's at the back of the shopping center. read more

I have been in here 3 or 4 times in the last 6 months, typically earlier in the day close to when they open. I always have a hard time finding someone to help me locate the specific item I am looking for. I wonder around the store and find it myself. The staff at checkout is always pleasant. Went in to purchase the flip flops I always buy at the start of the spring season, good selection of colors and sizes. While trying them on the clerk in the shoe department looked over at me and shrugged and walked away. NO hello or do you need anything. Customer service at the location is fair and overall for most of the REI stores in the area going down hill. Sad I used to shop at the REI in Fairfax once a month until they got a new manager and the staff went downhill. I am going to purchase things from Amazon from now on. read more

This my first yelp review. I've never been upset enough to write one. This was my first time inside REI. All I needed was some chalk. I was given the run around for 45 minutes and no one was able to help me. I spoke to 3 employees and they all said they didn't know about chalk but would find me someone who did. Yet none of them ever came back and no one ever helped me. The customer service wasn't terrible they asked me for help but weren't knowledgeable about the product and didn't follow up with me. I never got my question answered and the cashier was rude too. She said they were too busy to help me. I guess some clients take priority over others. I won't be shopping here again. read more

All the gear you need and all the gear you THINK you need. The staff is friendly and readily available for any questions. The return policy is simple and everything is guaranteed. I've never been disatisfied. read more

REI is a fine outdoor clothing store. I recently purchased a new pair of ski pants that were REI brand. I say with some degree of confidence that in addition to them being significantly less expensive than Mountain Hard Ware, they are a superior product. The wait staff is helpful. REI has a rather generous membership bonus program as well. Highly recommended for ski wear. read more

Sales staff are very friendly and nice and know there stuff. High pressure sales at the bike shop, my tune up and front derailer replacement somehow turned into replacing all the cables, both derailers, adjustments, crank and chain and paying for cleaning. The quote was for 240. Performance did what was requested for 80 down the street. I suspect rei operates on commission. read more

I love REI, but as far as individual stores go, this one isn't the best. Parking can be difficult and the store is generally smaller with less selection than some other REI stores as the other reviews mention, but I can handle that. Product knowledge and service seems to depend on the department and who you get that day, but it's generally good. What I did not like is watching an employee get reprimanded by who I learned was the general manager of the store for taking the time to answer my questions and reassure me of my purchase. Admittedly, the lines were long (attic sale), but they were still moving plenty fast on account of the sheer number of cashiers. Shame on him! Don't think that customers don't notice these things! read more

Extremely low quality service at the ski shop. Sales person sold me skis that is wrong for my height and ability, and have contributed to a major knee injury. Ski sales person failed to help me thru the purchasing of high end expensive skis package and started helping someone else...I had to flight for attention of someone just to ring up of my package. Then they got the prices all wrong, and didn't want to make a correction until I pointed out it is wrong from what was indicated on the price tag. Then when I finally took my new skis to the slopes, it is too long for my height and has contributed to a terrible knee sprain that required emergency crew to take me down, and has put me off the slopes for seasons and hopefully not forever. I have confirmed the feeling I had at the shop, the sales person was just hungry to make a sale. He failed to see thru my transaction due to helping someone else, and have sold me something while neglecting safety. I strongly advice shoppers against making the mistake of shopping for skis at REI. The wrong skis they sell you could cause you a injury that you'll have to deal with the rest of your life like what happened here. It is a very high price to pay for unprofessional service. read more

I love this store, virtually all the employees are terrific, except those in the bike department. After my third ridiculous experience with these arrogant and unhelpful clowns I had to write a review. Thanks guys, everything else about the store is 5 stars, you guys get at best, 1 star. If you must buy bike items at rei (I had dividend to spend) go to the tysons store. The bike guys there are actually interested in your business. read more

Its a long set up but its a good story if you read my reviews you know you get these sometimes enjoy or skip it to the review enjoy the read yall Hello guys( this also refers to you ladies as well) doing my review on REI. I been to a lot of outdoors stores growing up in Texas. In Texas we have Academy, Dicks(sometimes you get a good deal) and what I deem the best outdoor store Bass Pro Shop. The best one I been to is in San Antonio Tx (1604 area??) So naturally I would go to these type of stores since that's all I knew. I was at work and its my first snow storm I freaked out driving in the snow is the worse yall DMV people just drive like it's sunny outside. I tried to call out cause of the snow my boss said to me. "so your just going to be running late" I said. "No sir, I have no road.. like the snow is that deep" he laughs at me and says. "Oh I forgot you just moved up here. Listen son this is what I do for you.. are you listening." I smile in my head and say. "yes Sir I'm listening" he says this. "Son I let you.. and I don't do this for just anybody. This is your first snow storm, Son I'm going to let you come into work today. I'll see you in an hour bye Derek" hangs up the phone. I finally get to work and Its just "D" there by himself during our morning rush.(you government workers have no patience especially when it's one person doing all the cooking) anyways I see "D" there he still has his coat and snow boots on. He got me up on speed, I'm getting ready to cook now. he goes in the back to change. I'm looking at all the customers and everyone has on North Face coat. long story short I get home and do my research and type in north face seen a store called Garner Mountain that had them but was to far. I seen this other store called REI which was closer to me I decided to go here just cause it was new and wanted to see what it had in it. My Review thank you for reading or hello stranger! Oh okay I give this place five stars cause its amazing place I been to so far as far as outdoor stores. I tried the other stores and even brought their products due to it being cheaper than REI.(I don't know bout you but I cant leave it lowercase I have to use the caps when I type REI) I was going camping and went here to buy a tent, and gear for hiking( went to Shenandoah National Park review coming soon) I will never cheat on REI ever again the sleeping bags I got from I wont say the name but "GM" they were not as great as the ones at REI were. Oh the service was great the guy I talked to helped and even said some of their items could be brought else where( is that right? where were ware). I didn't buy the sleeping bags here but I wish I did. the quality of this brand is fantastic. I like how everything looks and feel. everyone was helpful and knew a lot about the outdoors each store is different. my next thing I'm planning to get is skis and rock climbing gear. its pricey but worth the money trust me my sleeping bag didn't do nothing for me I was cold the whole night read more

Are there better outdoor store? Of course, but REI provides great selection, (generally) knowledgable staff, and (sometimes) good sales. Yes, the parking lot can be crazy at this location, and yes, the place can be a complete mad-house on weekends, but REI has all the products to allow posers to dress like they just got off the Appalachian Trail! read more

Very helpful and nice staff! Brought in my snowboarding boots bought elsewhere and they molded them for me.

We had a really good experience ordering two kayaks here. We shipped to this store through an online purchase. I am writing this review mainly to compliment the associate who helped us getting these items into our car. REI seems to mostly be universally good with customer service but she went above her duty to make sure we were taken care of. I don't think I could have gotten our sweet new boats home safely without her assistance and because of that I thank you! Great job and I know we will be back in the future. read more

This is a large space filled with loads of gear for all types of outdoor activities. The prices are a bit high in general, but there're relatively frequent sales and becoming a member (which isn't expensive) gets you additional discounts and coupons. The staff is very friendly and usually very knowledgeable about the area of the store where they work -- and if they don't know something, they'll immediately track down someone who does. read more

This is our go-to REI location. We shop both her and at LL Bean pretty equally and I don't really find I have a preference. This store is a little on the small size compared to other locations I've been to, but service is always friendly and helpful and they rarely don't have what we're looking for. Parking can be a little tight with the gym next store, but that's no fault of the store or employees. read more

This is not the best REI I have been too, nor is it the worst. It is just A-OK.