If I’d have known I’d have flown to the US, couple of nights in the Waldorf Astoria, spot of shopping, and then back home. Same again some years later to return everything. And still be in pocket. At first I thought I’d misunderstood, firmly adhering to the view that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Except in this case.
Charles was keen to get me to sign up. Gave me a slip of paper to hand to the cashier. I assured him I was sold on the idea, others having already convinced me of the merits of joining REI, a cooperative chain of outdoor shops. Twenty bucks for life gets you an annual dividend of around ten percent on every purchase you make.
But, much more importantly, and with just a few exceptions, you can return used kit, even years later, and get a full refund, no questions asked. Struck me as an unusual business model, but REI’s been around for a while so suppose it must work.
