Eastern Mountain Sports Reviews

I ordered a Long backpack and they sent me a Regular length. They have no customer service phone number, no chat, and no way of initiating a return on their website.

I have a few EMS clothing and footwear purchase 20 years ago when they were still in Grand Rapids MI. Since they moved to the east coast, I haven't purchased much online. Unfortunately, EMS has really gotten terrible with customer service over the years. I don't think they understand that they are competing with companies like REI and LLBean. First, they have eliminated customer reviews in their website of items they sell. Customer like myself always check customer reviews to help us decide on the product. Without them it leaves doubt and make us wonder why they are not available. What is EMS hiding? The other is return policies. You have 28 days to return. Granted that maybe sufficient time to try an item, but just check REI and LLBean. REI is literally one year and LLBean is more generous. Plus they do not cover return shipping. I have looked at a few items on their website that I considered purchasing but hesitated because of these reasons. And talking to an agent to give them feedback is like talking to a wall. No assurance if feedback will get anywhere. They are losing me as a customer for these reasons.

After ordering online, received package via UPS containing items for a different customer. Contacted EMS to find out when my order would arrive and was told my order (which I'd paid for with credit card) would not be shipped until the wrong items were received at the EMS Warehouse. So, despite their shipping department's incompetence, EMS is demanding I drive 25 minutes to the UPS store to drop off their package, but won't even accept the UPS receipt as proof that I returned the package. In addition to calling EMS twice, I also sent them an email, asking for a prepaid shipping label, so I won't have to pay to return the other customer's order to EMS. 24 hours later, still haven't heard from them. I contacted the customer whose order I'd received, and she confirmed that she received my order and was told also she would not receive her order until EMS had proof that my order had arrived at the EMS Warehouse. EMS was once a terrific store with great customer service & products; however, since they've been acquired by Sports Direct, customer service is non-existent and they don't seem to care that it is their contractual obligation to provide the goods a customer has already paid for when ordering online.

ems.com has been closed but without any advance notice to customers. i need to make an exchange of an item I received and have been emailing and submitting requests through the website for over a week. Not one response. Phones were disconnected. Customers are stuck with their merchandise. Without any employees left, no one can process an exchange. The site remains up to receive payments but there is no customer service. It's disreputable. Started out as a reputable business and deteriorated until it was closed. I worked over a week sending messages. no one responds. then finally Neesha responded. I explained in detail the exchange I sought and new purchase. She asked for the order number of the item I need to exchange. Then no response and a new person without any knowledge of the communication took the email response and I have already sent 5 more emails to try to reach Neesha. This is sheer chaos. They want to know customer phone number but disconnected their phones. EMS.COM: GET OFF THE INTERNET WITH YOUR FAKE BUSINESS. NO COMMUNICATION IS POSSIBLE. IF AFTER A WEEK AND HOURS OF MESSAGES YOU GET A RESPONSE, WHEN YOU ANSWER A QUESTION, DAYS LATER SOMEONE NEW WILL THINK YOU'RE EMAILING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISSUE AND NOT EVEN BOTHER TO REACH THE PRIOR EMAIL EXCHANGE. A VICKI IS ONEWHO DOES THIS. YOU WILL MAKE YOURSELF SICK IF DEALING WITH THIS FAILING BUSINESS AND IT IS CLOSING STORES AND FAILING FOR GOOD REASON.

I have been an EMS customer since they arrived in NH despite higher prices and limited sizes/selections (recent changes, tbh). However, they are in the rear view mirror and there they will stay. Further, our young adult children will be actively discouraged from patronizing them for their outdoor needs here in New England. The lack of a rational return policy is anti-purchase for consumers and is blatantly a money grab. C’mon-how out of tune to only offer store credit…especially as the inventory & choices diminish weekly. Hopefully you will not be around much longer; you suck.

EMS joined up with scam operator freeshipping.com. EMS used to be a quality retailer. Sad that scam has become part of their operation. This is my last purchase from them.

Lousy return policy and customer service. I purchased a backpack online that was $160 and went to return it for another one, the day I got it in the mail. I paid for shipping and it was delayed getting to me. To get my money back, EMS advised me I needed to pay for shipping, again, and send it back. Although if they didn’t receive it in the next few days, I would only receive store credit. At the store they could only give me store credit so I accepted that, however the tax I paid was not given back to me. I went online to make another purchase, since the items in store are limited, and it states online, EMS gift cards are not able to be used at this time. If they refunded me my money, I could have made another purchase.
It’s 2021, why isn’t shipping free over $100? Why can’t I return an item within 1-2 weeks in store for a refund? And if it’s necessary to ship it back for a refund, why doesn’t EMS send a return label? EMS doesn’t even offer buy online, ship to store. So now I have a gift card that I can only use in store, when the merchandise I want is not available in store. Beyond frustrated…

DANGER this company is doing Bait and Switch and getting away with it
I ordered New Balance 1080v11 tennis shoes. This is the new version and was the one advertised by EMS on their order page. They sent 1080v10, big difference! They made me pay for return shipping for their mistake and they did not refund the original shipping. They baited with Version 11 and switched it to Version 10. Their customer service was abhorrent and I will never do business with them again. What they did is against the law and they found a way to get away with it. They have the shoes back to bait and switch again, and I'm out $25 in shipping cost.

Crappy Return Policy Crappy Prices
"I was traveling and purchased a pair of shoes with cash. Later that even I walked around the hotel room and decided they weren't comfortable. So less than 24 hours later I returned them on my way out of town. They wouldn't refund my cash. Only a gift card. I don't have an EMS anywhere near me. I have Bob's Stores, but even though Bob's carries EMS merchandise I was told I can't use it there. Why the **** not it's the same day chain!? So now I have to order online and incur shipping charges to use it which given the other complaints using a gift card is impossible online. I emailed them asking about trading it for a Bob's Store credit instead no response. Had I had been told about this stupid return policy I would have gone elsewhere. Instead they just had a sign above eye level nearly impossible to see. Basically EMS has stolen $58 from me and I intend to contact the State Of Connecticut Attorney General and file a complaint. Shop elsewhere. Trust me."

I got shoes from a major brand at a better price than anywhere else I could find. About a week later, they showed up at my door, looking great! I'm happy.