That REI employee who told me to 'just buy a better tent' when I asked about fixing my zipper

Guy at the Portland store literally shrugged and pointed to a $600 tent when I showed him my 3 year old model with a stuck zipper. Has anyone actually had luck getting a zipper repaired instead of replacing the whole thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_taylor6423h ago

and that employee definitely missed their calling as a professional shrugger because it sounds like they've been practicing for years. same thing happened to me at the Denver store, brought in a tent with a perfectly good zipper that just needed some lube and a little tlc and the guy was basically like "just buy a new one, this one's toast." i called around to a few local gear shops and found a dude who fixed it for $15 with a new zipper pull and some silicone spray, took him like 10 minutes. REI just wants you to drop cash on the latest model, they don't want to deal with the actual fixing part because it's not gonna make them money.

wade_young8623h ago

just buy a new one, this one's toast" - honestly that guy was right. Three years of use in rain and dirt and you're surprised the zipper is stuck? Zippers are the first thing to go on a tent. Paying $15 for a bandaid fix is just delaying the inevitable. Next trip that zipper blows out at 2am in a storm and you're sleeping wet. REI sees people come in with trashed gear all the time trying to get it fixed for pocket change. A $600 tent will last you ten years and actually seal.

blair_davis5023h ago

Patch it yourself then. Zipper pull is a ten minute fix with basic tools. @xena_taylor64 found the right guy, REI hires kids who don't know WD-40 from seam sealer.