People still enthuse about REI's return policy, not realizing that it has changed.

Obviously, "normal wear and tear" now means one year, regardless of the item.

If you bought a brand name item at REI, you can of course seek satisfaction directly from the manufacturer rather than REI. MSR/Cascade Designs, for example, have wonderful customer service. That of course won't work for REI house brands.

Of course a lot of places have always had a one month return period, so I guess one year is still better than that. On the other hand, there are a few places that still have the same unlimited return policy that REI used to have.
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey