Eastern Mountain Sports20 reviews
This score is based on 20 genuine reviews submitted via US-Reviews since 2019.
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Find companies you have experience with and write reviews about them! Your reviews contribute to a more transparent market and improve the reliability of companies.Not worth the runaround
the product itself might be fine, but dealing with returns and customer support made the whole thing not worth it. A friend sent me the link and I ordered a $160 backpack online — saw it on their site, thought it was exactly what I wanted, but when it arrived I decided to switch to a different model the same day. That’s where the headache started. I paid to ship it back because delivery was slow getting to me in the first place, and the rep said if they didn’t get it within a few days I’d only get store credit. At the store they could only give me store credit (fine, I accepted), but they wouldn’t refund the sales tax I’d paid — which felt wrong. Then I tried to use that credit online and found their gift cards aren’t valid for online purchases right now. So I’m stuck with in-store credit for items the local shop barely stocks. Also: why still charging customers for returns in 2021? Why no free shipping over $100? Why no return label emailed? And no buy-online-pickup-in-store option either. There were a few helpful people, but policy-wise it’s clunky and short-sighted. I’m a little annoyed, a little bummed, and I would have ordered again if they’d refunded me properly. Small product wins, big process fails.
Back-and-forth return mess
no return label, no free returns over $100, no buy-online-pickup or ship-to-store option. Those small conveniences would’ve removed all my doubts before buying. Now I’m left juggling a return, extra shipping costs, and limited inventory. It’s workable, but annoying. I still use the pack daily — it does the job — but the after-sales experience left me frustrated and less likely to buy from them again.
Package swap and a 25-minute mystery drive
nothing moves until their warehouse shows the returned item. The worst part? That absurd demand to drive across town for their screw-up — felt like being punished for their logistics problem. I used to like this place; they were solid before the takeover. Right now I’m frustrated and a little resigned, because I need the brace and now I’m juggling refunds, returns, and a sore back. Won’t recommend until they fix customer care.
Finally a turnaround, sort of
an agent emailed a prepaid return label and confirmed they’d start processing my order as soon as the return hit their warehouse. I was relieved — really relieved — mostly because I didn’t have to drive back and forth or eat the cost. It’s not perfect; it took too long, the info was inconsistent, and I had to coordinate with the other customer myself. But once they finally owned the mistake and handled the return shipping, my confidence came back a little. If you end up in the same boat: insist on a prepaid label, save your receipts and screenshots, and don’t be shy about escalating. EMS could be better, but when they fix it properly, it actually works.
Finally got the refund — took a while
store gave me a gift card only, wouldn’t do a cash refund, and their sign about returns was tucked way up high so I hadn’t seen it. I could have walked away mad and left it at that, but the moment I knew this would end well was when an email appeared from a VP at the company after I reached out to the Connecticut Attorney General’s office (yes, I actually did that). The VP explained what had happened and arranged the cash refund I’d asked for. Not instant, not pretty, but it got fixed — and I was honestly relieved and grateful (didn’t expect to have to escalate, but hey). The whole thing could’ve been avoided with clearer in-store info and better staff guidance, but the outcome mattered: cash back, problem closed, I could put the trip behind me. So, dry takeaway — annoying process, but effective resolution once it reached the right person. If you’re short on time or patience, beware; if not, it can be resolved.
The moment it finally clicked
You know that weird half-second when you try on shoes and your feet say nope? That was me in a hotel room, pacing around and thinking, huh, these aren’t it. I bought them with cash and planned to be out the next morning. I went back to the store within hours. At first I felt stuck. They wouldn’t give cash back — only a store card. And the card wouldn’t work where I usually shop, which felt petty. I was like, seriously? That’s annoying. I almost wrote it off as a loss. I use shoes every day — commute, walking the dog, quick errands — so comfort matters. I mulled it over, grumbled a bit, and then decided to push. I reached out and asked for a different option. It took some effort. Then someone actually stepped in from outside the store and suddenly there was movement. A higher-up emailed me and offered a fix that actually worked for my situation. That’s the exact moment I went from skeptical to relieved. It wasn’t instant or perfect, but they made it right. Now the shoes I ended up with get used all the time. Could prices be better? Sure. Could signage be clearer? Yep. But the final outcome left me satisfied — not ecstatic, but genuinely glad I stuck with it. I’d shop there again, just with a little more caution.
Boots and gloves
Be aware that when dealing online with this company there is zero customer service. There are no replies to online messaging or chats, and no one answers there phone so you will be onhold forever.
Shoe purchase with cash
I bought some shoes at the store with cash, but they ended up being uncomfortable, so I brought them back within a day. Unfortunately, they only gave me a gift card in return, and I can't use it at the Bob's Stores nearby even though they sell the same stuff. It's been really annoying, especially when I tried using the gift card online.
My order was supposed to be a magic hiking pack but it's missing all the cool features.
I asked my mom to get me this really cool hiking pack for my birthday, but when it arrived, it didn't have all the cool pockets and straps I saw online. Also, it turned out to be way too small for all my gear.
Backpack purchase
I bought a backpack online from this outdoor store, and I'm super bummed out about their return policy and customer service. I realized right away that the backpack I got was the wrong size, so I tried to return it on that same day. But then I found out that I had to pay for the return shipping, even though I had just paid for shipping to get it in the first place. And if the backpack didn't get back to the store within a few days, I would only get store credit instead of my money back. When I tried to return the backpack at the actual store, they only offered me store credit and didn't refund me the tax I paid on it.
New tent and hiking boots
I recently bought a new tent and hiking boots from this store and I was really excited to test them out on my upcoming camping trip. But then I discovered that they teamed up with a sketchy website named freeshipping.com, and that's just not right. I used to be a big fan of this store, but now I have doubts about their trustworthiness. It's disappointing to see a once great store take a turn for the worse. I'm not planning on shopping there again.
Outdoor gear
Hey there! I've been a big fan of this store ever since they first opened up shop in New Hampshire. Even though the prices were a bit steep at the beginning and the sizes and selections were limited, I stuck with them. But lately, I gotta say I'm feeling pretty let down and frustrated. Their return policy just doesn't make sense to me. Only giving store credit for returns isn't very friendly to us customers - seems more like they just want to keep our money. And on top of that, it feels like they're running out of stock more and more each week, making it way harder for me to find what I'm looking for. So, I've decided I won't be shopping there anymore, and I'll be telling my kids to steer clear too. It's really sad to see a store I used to adore go downhill like this in terms of quality and customer service.
Unfulfilled order issue
I had a pretty crappy experience trying to order stuff online from this store. I placed my order, but when the package came, it had a bunch of stuff meant for a different person. So, I reached out to customer service to see what was up with my order. They told me they weren't gonna ship out my stuff until they got the wrong items back. I tried getting in touch with EMS a bunch of times to fix things, but they were no help at all. The lack of communication and taking responsibility from EMS left me feeling super frustrated and let down.
Outdoor shoes at a great price
I love hiking, so I'm always searching for good gear that doesn't break the bank. I just got me some new outdoor shoes from this store, and I gotta say, I'm thrilled with my choice. Not only did I snag the best deal around, but ordering was a breeze. The website was super user-friendly, and I found everything I was looking for without any trouble.
Recent outdoor gear purchase
I recently bought some outdoor gear and man, I was really let down by the customer service. It feels like they're not keeping up with other outdoor stores like REI and LLBean. For one thing, they took down customer reviews from their site, which is a big red flag for me. I rely on those reviews to make smart choices about what to buy, you know? Without them, I can't help but wonder what they're trying to hide. Plus, their return policy is weak compared to other stores. Only 28 days to return stuff and no help with the shipping? No wonder I've been iffy about buying from them. And when I tried to give feedback to their customer service team, it was like talking to a wall. I'm not sure if they even care about my concerns. All in all, I'm not happy with their service at all and it's making me think twice about shopping with them again.
Inner tube purchase
I just bought an inner tube for my bike from this store, but man, it was a total letdown. I aired it up, went for a ride, and when I got back, bam - flat tire. Come to find out, the tube was torn. So, I go back to the store, tell 'em what happened, and they straight up refuse to give me a refund or store credit because I used it one time. I don't know about you, but I think that's just not right. Left me feeling pretty bummed about the whole thing.
Tennis shoes bait and switch
I ordered some tennis shoes from this company, but they totally messed up! I was expecting the latest version, but instead, they sent me an older model from the previous year. They even made me pay for the return shipping and didn't refund the original shipping cost. Their customer service was the worst, so I'm definitely not buying from them again. Something needs to be done about this!
Jacket
I ordered this jacket from the store, and man, it feels like it's taking forever to get here! And on top of that, I'm still waiting for my refund! Seriously, shouldn't it be easier to either ship out my order or just give me my money back already?
Still waiting
I ordered a product online. They sent someone else's order (complete with this stranger's name and info on an inside packing slip). When I told them about the mistake, they told me that I had to return this other person's package before they'd do anything. They then told me that the product I actually ordered was now no longer available. But STILL, they would not issue a refund until I corrected their error. So I complained, but eventually caved in and mailed them back this other person's order (a t-shirt -- nothing of much value). A week after they actually received my return package (I had to reach back out to confirm they received it, of course), STILL no refund. They need to "process it," first, they tell me. So they've held on to my $ for over a month, now, even though they have no intention nor admittedly even the ability to actually send me the product I bought. That's called theft, isn't it?
I once loved this brand. Now I can't wait to watch their demise. Amazon wins, again. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. At least they seem to care about making their customers happy instead of incensed.I completely agree that their customer service is really bad. This company is going down and it's too bad as we used to shop here all the time
Perfect place to buy camping stuff
I and my friends recently decided to go for camping in New Zealand. We were planning to do lot of stuff, like hiking and other sports stuff. However, our priorites was more on camping and hiking.
A friend in our ground, Eric is like travel vlogger, he do lot of mountain climing and trekking stuff. so he knew of this online store Eastern Mounstain Sports. We need to to good amount of shopping before we head to this camping. few of us actually never been to such expedition. So we collected money and started buying all the necesary items for the group. First our plans were to buy in a store but with all cyber deals going on. there were 70% of stuff which was awesome. We recently bought hydration backpacks, sleeping bags, and more importnatly a big tent. We also bought some backpackings as some of us haven't already. Just a day ago, we got all the stuff. Considering the top-notch brands, the quality is impeccable. On can see and tell, how premium these stuff are. Apparently everybody loved great reasonable experience on buying stuff here.
I totally love their website. I checked other stuff they have, like for all kind of sports, outdoor or traveling activities. I am definetely going to shop more from here.
About Eastern Mountain Sports
Eastern Mountain Sports, commonly known as EMS, is an American outdoor clothing and equipment retailer. It specializes in selling gear and apparel for outdoor enthusiasts, including items for activities such as camping, hiking, climbing, skiing, and cycling. Founded in 1967 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, by two rock climbers, Alan McDonough and Roger Furst, the company has grown from a single store to a network of locations across the Northeastern United States. In addition to physical stores, EMS also has a significant online presence. Over the years, EMS has established itself as a reputable source for high-quality outdoor gear and expert advice, catering to both amateur and professional adventurers.
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Categories Eastern Mountain Sports
Online Shop | Sport & Outdoor | Electronics
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Last update: February 2026
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Review with most votes
Perfect place to buy camping s
I and my friends recently decided to go for camping in New Zealand. We were planning to do lot of stuff, like hiking and other sports stuff. However, our priorites was more on c... Read onBy: Ben McKenzie