Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Mountain Equipment Company's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Mountain Equipment Company

  101 887 Great Northern Way Vancouver, BC V5T 4T5

• 

  Mountain Equipment Company

  100 1876 Cooper Rd Kelowna, BC V1Y 9N6

• 

  Mountain Equipment Company

  111 E 2 Ave Vancouver, BC V5T 1B4

• 

  Mountain Equipment Company

  1450 Government St Victoria, BC V8W 1Z2

• 

  Mountain Equipment Company

  366 Richmond Road Ottawa, ON K2A 0E8

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:28/03/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  MEC (MOUNTAIN EQUITMENT COMPANY) REFUSES TO REFUND NOR SHIP 5 OF MY ONLINE ORDERS. FULL LIST ATTACHED AS PDF AND EMAIL RESPONSE ATTACHED AS WELL. WE HAVE TRIED ONLINE CHAT AND NO RESPONSE REGARDING THE ORDERS, ONLY TOLD US TO CALL IN. IN THE CALL THEY TOLD ME ALL MY PAYMENTS WERE DEEMED FRAUDULENT SO THEY DECIDED TO JUST EAT MY MONEY, NOT PROCESSING ANY OF MY REQUESTS, KEPT ON TRANSFERING ME AND MAKING ME WAIT ON THE LINE, IN THE END TELLS ME NOTHING THEY WILL DO TO SOLVE MY ISSUE. THEY SIMPLY TOOK $1910.6 OF ONLINE ORDERS AND TELLS ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SINCE IT'S BEEN DEEMED FRAUDULENT(YES, EVEN GIFTCARDS THEY USED TO REFUND ME, MEC HAS DECIDED THOSE ARE FRAUD AS WELL). THIS IS DAYLIGHT ROBBERY BY MEC CAN'T BELIEVE THEY CAN SIGNLE-HANDEDLY DO THAT. IF THEY THINK MY PAYMENTS WERE FRAUDULENT, THEY SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED ALL OF MY ITEMS, NOT SOME. THIS IS FRAUD DONE BY MEC.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:17/01/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Complaint: 22824784
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Canada Posts tracking status only states that the package was delivered to a mailbox but does not specify whether it was delivered to my mailbox or provide any confirmation that I actually received it.
  
  
  As soon as the tracking was marked as delivered, I immediately contacted your team to report that the package was missing. The first representative assured me that an investigation would be conducted and told me to rest assured that you would get to the bottom of this. However, during my second phone call, I was informed that no investigation was ever even attempted. Instead of following through with the process you initially outlined, you have simply chosen to deny any responsibility.
  
  
  What happened to the investigation you said would take place? Why was it never done? Instead of properly looking into the matter, youre now using Canada Posts generic tracking update to contradict my claimdespite the fact that I contacted you immediately when it was marked as delivered. If you truly intended to resolve this, you would have conducted the investigation you initially promised, rather than dismissing the issue and putting the burden on me.
  
  
  I would like to request access to the recorded conversations I had with both agents, as well as all live chat correspondences, so I can provide them to ****** and share them on social media. The way this situation has been handled is not only negligent but a clear demonstration of your unwillingness to assist customers in good faith.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ***** Later, I received an email suggesting I dispute the charge with my bank instead of providing assistance.This handling of the situation is unacceptable. Promising a refund, only to reverse course and refuse further assistance, demonstrates a lack of accountability and effort. The long wait times and dismissive attitudes during my calls, where I spent more time waiting than being helped, are highly concerning. MEC has failed to take responsibility for resolving this matter and has provided no clear path forward. This situation has not only wasted my time but also left me feeling unheard and frustrated.MECs failure to follow through on their promises and their refusal to offer any meaningful assistance is unacceptable, and I am left with no choice but to escalate the matter to the Better Business Bureau for further attention.

  Business Response

  Date: 24/01/2025

  Dear *****, 
  
  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We apologize for the frustration and inconvenience you experienced and appreciate the opportunity to address this matter.
  
  Package Delivery Status
  ****** Posts tracking confirms your package was delivered to your community mailbox. In such cases, MEC cannot issue a refund or replacement. However, since your purchase was made through ******, we recommend reviewing Buyer Protection program. 
  
  Our Commitment
  We are reviewing your feedback regarding communication delays and will work to improve our processes. While MECs responsibility is limited in this case, we remain committed to assisting you. If you require any documentation to support your conversation with ******, please let us know, and we will be happy to provide it.
  
  Thank you for your understanding, and we value your membership with MEC.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ******r waiting on the phone for 20 minutes, I hung up.MEC currently owes me $33.62 for charges to my credit card that should never have been made. It's terribly disappointing that this is what has become of MEC.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/01/2025

  Hi *********,
  
  I apologize for you recent experiences with MEC ************** I'll explain the charges related to your order and issue the refund for the amount owing.
  
  - When an order is placed, a preauthorization is placed on your credit card.
  - When an item is shipped, MEC makes the final charge/capture to your credit card.
  - If an item is cancelled, the preauthorization for that item is reversed - no final charge/capture is made to your credit card.
  - When item number ******** was cancelled from order number SO-********* the preauthorization was reversed.
  - There is no amount owing for the cancelled line.
  - Unfortunately, when that line was cancelled, a $30 + tax freight fee was mistakenly added to the order due to a system error.
  - This freight fee was split into multiple charges. One charge for $5.95 and another charge of $27.66.
  - The $27.66 was included with the charge for item number ******, for a total value of $51.98.
  

  I have attached invoices for each shipment related to the order, and a full summary of charges associated with this order as well. 
  
  I have refunded the erroneous freight charge on return order SO-*********. The total refund value is $33.60 ($30 freight + $3.60 taxes).
  
  I apologize for the inconvenience and the confusion.
  
  Thank you,
  
  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

  Business Response

  Date: 08/12/2024

  Hello ******,

  Order #: SO-007802592

  We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this recent order. I have refunded the order on return order # SO-007966026. You will receive an email confirmation for this order shortly. Please allow 5-7 business days for the refund to be reflected on your card statement.

  Kind regards,

  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  Hi *****,

  We apologize for the delay in your price protection refund. MEC issued the refund on return order SO-********* back to the original method of payment used on your order SO-*********. This was a **** card ending in 7974. 

  The refund was processed on March 23, 2024. I have attached an transaction record for this refund to this complaint for reference. 

  Please reach out if you have further questions or concerns.

  Kind regards

  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Order a product from their website. they advertised they were using alternate shipping during the Canada Post strike. After placing my order, I received confirmation that my item will be shipped via *****************. I have tried numerous time to contact customer service through online chat and calling the ***** number and no one is answering or returning my call.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  Hi ***-***,

  We have refunded your order on return order SO-*********. The refund is processed back to **** card ending in 8037. Please allow up to 7-10 business days for this refund to be visible on your card statement. 

  I apologize for any inconvenience caused by this and the lack of transparency about current shipping methods during the Canada Post strike. 

  Kind regards,

  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I expect the business to honour their advertisement. They can sell me the product as advertised provided I meet their eligability criteria they identified in the advertisement. They can sell me the e bike for $400 provided I purchase $1200 worth of items. I was first in line at the till the day of the sale and they put the items on hold for other people, contrary to what they had advertised. 

  If they are not willing to do this the BBB can hold them accountable for bait and switch tactics, false and misleading advertising and unjust business practices.

  aced with a different deal. The second is that they handed out vouchers for available bikes to people before the store even opened, essentially putting a hold on the item contrary to their own advertisement. They also never advertised that this is the process the store would use to take advantage of this offer. By handing out vouchers they also never ensured that those people were spending $1200 in store, or were not using the voucher for other purposes ie) selling the vochure, or giving it to a friend. As I was at a till at 9am right when they opened, and was ready to make $1200 in purchases in addition to the e-bike, the store should have sold me the goods at the price advertised as no one else had made any purchases before I arrived at the till and no one else would have spent $1200 dollars to qualify for that offer before I made mine. I have one witness that can collaborate this.The advertisement was false, misleading and a clear unfair business practice.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 22621470
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The response never addressed the substitute offer ($6000 e-bike for $4000) made to me at 9AM at the cashier right when the store opened. However in the final statement provided by the business they admit to engaging in bait and switch tactics by offering an ecard rather than the bike. Bait and switch is a fraudulent sales tactic where a seller advertises a product at a low price to lure a customer in, but then sells them a different product or service at a higher price or with other less favorable terms

  The BBB has a code for advertising. This code states that advertisers are responsible for truthful and non-deceptive advertising, and should be able to substantiate any claims or offers. In reviewing the ad, and the businesses response, their advertising was untruthful, deceptive, and unfair. This can be concluded based on the following: the ad clearly states bikes could not be put on hold. Whether its a voucher, a number, or whatever they wanted to call it bikes were put on hold. And they put the bikes on hold not in the store and not within the store hours. The ad also clearly states that the customer needed to spend $1200 in store to unlock the offer. By handing out numbers, before the store even opened, the business was unlocking the offer for people before the $1200 requirement had been met.

  I was at the cashier at 9am ready to spend $1205 to unlock the offer. I was the first ****** at the till. And I was told the bikes were sold out and given a different offer of much lesser value,  The business didnt sell these items out in the store (as advertised) , nor were they sold on a first come first  serve basis, nor did anyone else unlock the offer before I was prepared to. This is clearly false, misleading, and deceptive.

  Ill conclude by saying this. This business is not accredited by the BBB. They have a D+ rating. They obviously dont care about obtaining or maintaining any standards the BBB has. They will continue to run false and misleading advertisements and offer poor customer service no matter the outcome here. Eventually they will drop all the way to an F rating and are unlikely to manage thier business any differently.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  Hello ******,

  I'm sorry for any confusion or frustration as a result of this promotion. I'll summarize the event, offer some clarity and explanation to the procedure for this promo:

  - Customers were lined up outside of the store starting at 4:30am since inventory was very limited for these bikes - as indicated in the advertising.

  - Bikes were offered on a first come, first served basis

  - The voucher being referred to was simply a number indicating their place in the line up to enter the store when it opened - this did not indicate a hold on a bike

  - Vouchers were honoured as a place in line when entering the store - staff worked through vouchers in numerical order and found available sizing for bikes.

  - No bikes were ever on hold

  - For example - the person holding voucher number one would select their bike size, be fitted for the bike, was given a bike sales slip (as with a regular bike sale outside of this promo), made their purchase and returned to the bikes hop with a receipt as proof of purchase - at this point the bike was handed over.

  - staff was stationed at the door and customers were informed of this procedure before they entered the building.

  - As with door crashers in any business one can usually expect customers to come early. All promo bikes were sold out before 9:30

  - An alternative bike deal was presented as an option for customers who were not at the front of the line. This offer was spend $1200 and receive a $150 MEC Gift Card.

   

  Hopefully this provides insight into the process and procedures followed on that day.

  Kind regards,

   

  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:24/07/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************g the same register that my friend before me used and myself I decided to use a different route and insert the chip and enter my pin, this resulted in an error. I suggested that we switched registers and continue with the payment process. Payment went through and I was charged at 8:42 pm Eastern Daylight Saving Time ****** $ CAD (10% discount for the inconvenience). After waiting 3-5 business days for the payment to 'bounce back' I contacted MEC and Ceilialh attempted to get in contact with the department that would handle a refund or the IT department, the first department has yet to respond (July 23rd, 2024) to my knowledge. and the IT department has received the information but as well has yet to respond. I have attempted to dispute the claim through my bank but was rejected because of the discrepancy in payment and the time difference of both payments over 30 mins. I have been back and forth between both and have now been directed to the Better Business Bureau to get my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 29/07/2024

  Hi there,

  We were notified by our store staff that the customer went into the store in person yesterday and a refund has been issued.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:27/05/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hello.I made a return in store and have yet to receive my refund of approximately 560$. I find this very odd, since refunds are typically immediate. I am backpacking and need this money back. After doing some research, I see that they have a pattern of not actually processing refunds on a timely and professional manner.Here are the transaction numbers: 11001-11001-07-1716657769198 &11001-11001-07-1716660108505.Please, actually process this refund, as soon as possible. I would really like to eat food.Have a good day.

  Business Response

  Date: 27/05/2024

  Good afternoon,

  These refunds were both processed on May 25, 2024 to the customers credit card (Mastercard) at the ******* store location. Order numbers and refund values are listed below:
  
  SO-004907885:  -356.95
  SO-004907885:  -161.36
  
  Total refund: -518.31
  
  Credit Card refund transactions can take 3-5 business days to be reflected in the customers card statement from the bank. Since the refund was processed on Friday, the first business day was today, May 27. The refund should appear on the members statement later this week.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I returned an item on January 10, 2024 due to wrong size. I shipped it using a ****** **** return label that the retailer had provided. According to the ****** **** website, the delivery was delayed due to weather and the last entry is dated January 18. I contacted the retailer on February 12 to explain the situation. I spoke to a customer service representative and received an email reply on the same day. She said that she had filled out a returns form. She also mentioned that she had spoken to her supervisor, who thought that the parcel had likely been received and was awaiting processing even though it is not showing on the tracking number as their warehouse was moving locations. It has now been over 2 months since I had returned the item. This is completely unacceptable and I want my refund without further delay. Service order ************.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/03/2024

  Good morning,

  We have processed the refund now. The refund should be reflected within a few business days.

  Thank you.