MEC Toronto

Ordered a pair of gloves 25 days ago and still it shows under process. Despite several repeated attempts, only one response was received 10 days ago which "we are processing your order". Terrible customer service

SCAMMED! I received a Yeti cup as a Christmas gift from my husband. When I used it for the first time, hot liquids started seeping out and burned my hands. We later found out the rubber sealant of the lid was broken.

He went back to the store on Jan 2nd, 2024, around 7: 50pm to try and get a refund or a replacement but they would not let him. Apparently you can’t even test the cup at the store before you buy it. So basically we were scammed by MEC. This cup is not cheap, $36.16. They told us to buy a replacement lid online. That costs $17 to order it. Ridiculous.

Am very disappointed by the store policy - please DO NOT buy the Yeti cups here as you cannot test them, and I will not buy from MEC again until they offer me a refund or explanation?

I had looked forward to getting a Yeti cup for the longest time and I feel like we have been scammed by MEC.

I will also be filing a complaint with the government of Ontario for this dishonest business practice. I encourage anyone who has received defective products from MEC to file their complaints here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint

Do better please, MEC

This is a good store, but in the 4 times I've been there recently, they had a pitiful lack of staff working cash and returns desk– 10-15min wait each time. This is unacceptable. I/we truly appreciate a bricks & mortar store in a time of faceless, soulless online ordering, but do it right if you're going to do it FFS

Recently purchased a pair of rock climbing shoes. Big shoutout to LUIS for grabbing me about 30 boxes! Of different pairs till I found the right ones. He was helpful and super patient. Thank you again for helping with my first pair!

Changed my review from 5 stars to 1. Customer service/interaction is still 5 stars. My biggest concern is the overt union-busting from this location. How can a "co-op" discourage this? I fear the staff who have shared their expertise will leave. Please maintain the integrity of this location and unionize or I may need to find another company.

The staff at MEC deserve the protection and agency of unionization! I support their brave efforts to organize despite the retaliation of management. Shame on management for using scarcity and union busting tactics to push them down.

BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. Went in shopping for some hiking shoes with my family and the staff there were not helpful at all. I had spoken to two different sales associates for help and the first one wandered off- I thought it was no big deal, maybe he was about to head off on break. The second associate I'd asked for help was very distracted and flighty, he seemed like he really wanted to get back to chatting with his coworkers rather than help with any of the customers and he did just that. The experience was very unwelcoming. The store and staffing approach has changed a lot over the past years but not for the better.

So much for “sustainability”. Went in to ask for a replacement consumable part for a thermos they sell. They don’t sell spare parts. Can they order a part from the supplier? No can do. And the supplier charges 29.95 shipping for a part that should cost a toonie.

Don’t believe the green credentials of MEC, they blabber a lot but they don’t walk the talk. I’ll consider this experience when making my purchasing decisions in the future and hope you will do, too.

Location, check
Friendly staff, check
Clean and Covid safe, check
Bright and organized, check

They sell all sorts of outdoor sports equipment, from climbing, running, hiking, biking, water bottles, camping stuff etc. Pricing may not be the cheapest but they do have unbeatable offers online from time to time.

They do have very knowledgeable staff who can advice you on recommendations for the items you need. I ever witnessed a staff recommending a few similar range of shoes to a customer who had a certain feet type and the customer was very happy with the recommendation.

I got a bike lock here before and the staff lent me some tools to self install the mount. When I had additional questions on other bike related questions, they assisted and provided me with all the required information.

A great shipping experience here and I'm happy to share though I don't benefit from this at all (unlike some sponsored ones)

P. S.they have a bicycle pump available for use, may not harm to all them if you can use it but they are usually very cool about it.

GREAT KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF, FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS, 5 STAR RATING I GIVE MEC, PROUDLY CANADIAN COMPANY

This place was a heaven for athletes. There were bicycle section and rowing parts. You could find all kind of clothes and accessories. Loved it:)

Staff non-existant in several areas, offhand and had a problem reading an order pickup form. Prices higher than the competition.

An amazing experience! Came in looking for some new rock climbing shoes and badly needed some advice on sizing and styles and Cisco was more than happy to help, answering any questions I had. His expertise lead me to finding a pair of shoes I am happy with and would 100% recommend talking to him if he’s in.

Work for the popular food delivery courier company Skip The Dishes, am required to work in all weather conditions necessary to beat the odd. So the clothing line and gears that the store provides keeps me warm all throughout the Year. Thanks to the Friendly Staff for all their assistance. Huge huge recommend to shop for clothing and gears, especially in the upcoming months of winter. So thanks again

So disappointed with the Board and their intentional poor governance and management oversight that led to the sale of the co-op’s assets and their alienation of its owners. Every customer owned a share. The failure to consult, engage and find a better path forward means most will never shop here again. I will not. I recommend you don’t either.

Last minute needed to replace a sleeping bag before leaving for a trip in the AM.
I called this morning, knowing they can't guarantee stock or anything, but just to check if I ordered online if I could pick it up today.
The girl who answered the pick up phone went a step above as to check what the actual stock levels were as she knew I was driving from out of town (only 2 locations had this bag in stock.) Even though she couldn't put it aside, the fact that I knew how many was worth making the 1.5hr trek to the store.
Turns out she was the one who cashed me out, and actually remembered me calling (she asked if I had called in the morning about this bag.) This is a prime example of excellent customer service and what being committed to customer satisfaction is!

Staff doing the bare minimum. I asked about a bike helmet. I previously checked the rack before I asked for help, it was not there the one I needed, the guy I asked he barely looked around and said they didn’t have any. I told him that online it said this store had it and even in several sizes, I asked if he could check the back, he said the don’t keep anything in the back and that was all (I even saw they have other helmets inside from that brand because the door to the back was opened, maybe the helmet I wanted it was there but the person didn’t want to look for it). Never coming back, I ordered from the helmet brand directly.

Absolutely love this place and the staff are very knowledgeable and super friendly and helpful, this store has everything and more for you next adventure!

Dropped my bike off for a new chain and tube change. I picked it up the next day. It wasn't until I left that I noticed that they also wiped down my bike and cleaned some parts. I wish I noticed at the time of pick-up so I could've expressed my thanks. I believe I was helped by someone named Cole. Great service!

Don't ever try to return something here, they will put the single oldest slowest member at returns and and everyone at the cash outs even when nobody buying. They want your money but not willing to give it back. Took 1 hour for the lone old man to process 3 returns.

Wonderful shop. We got exactly what we were looking for. Staff was very friendly when we cashed out. I haven’t really been to the new location since they moved from King St W. The new location feels veer spacious.

What a great experience, especially because of the awesome staff who are really helpful, knowledgeable and nice - even when I was shopping at a bad time when they were short staffed. I'm really impressed - and happy with my purchase as well:)

What a great visit to my beloved MEC! My wife and I were downtown and decided to stop in on our way to the Monet exhibit. Walked out with a bunch of stuff! Knowledgeable staff is always a plus. Even with the limited stock still worth a visit!

We were looking for leather-free hiking boots and there was an impressive selection. Jakub in footwear promptly brought the 7-8 different boots we wanted to try. We also left with an Osprey backpack after receiving great advices from the 2 women in that department.

One of the better places to buy what you need to enjoy your time outdoors. Knowledgable staff and impressive inventory. Not as focused as they used to be, and it would seem like most of the store is lifestyle now instead of the specialized gear they used to carry, but I guess that's just part of the business now.

I've never wrote a review cause I usually have a good experiences shopping at MEC Toronto and never have an issue shopping there. Staff are usually great and helpful but I'm not sure what changed during the time they were closed but I had a very unpleasant experiences. I encounter an individual and I believe he was the store manager cause he mentioned it and he said his name was Ghrame. I'm not sure what he was trying to do but he creep me out with his sly comments and made me feel uncomfortable while he was talking to me. People like him should never work in a place like this. I am taking my business else where. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. Let's hope you don't do that to anybody else shopping especially if they are females.

Update (June 2021) : staff don’t even answer the phone at this location any more. Disappointing.

The staff here are consistently helpful and friendly, despite often being overwhelmed with customer demands; they always want to help you find the best solution for what you need. And the range of products is solid.

UPDATE: I want to give shout outs to Aaron, Maggie, and the guy in footwear for all their amazing help!

Series of bad experiences with employees at checkout- this seems to be limited to the Queen St location only though. I've shopped at MEC all over the country and haven't had negative experiences elsewhere.

You know when you're at Dollarama and the line gets backed up so they call other employees to help out so customers don't get upset? Yeah, don't expect that here.

The post pandemic reopening of this location has a lot of wait time. I arrived on Monday just before 4 o’clock, spent about 15 minutes in the returns line, spent 10+ mins waiting for the change room, and now in the checkout line another 20+ minutes. Be prepared to wait, or come on a weekday morning. No washrooms open.

MEC- downtown TorontoThe staff were relatively nice and accommodating. I had selected a range of items totally around 500 dollars. Everything was good until i reached the cash register. I had been speaking on my phone with a friend (we were purchasing items together) and I guess my mask had fallen slightly below my nose (I am also fully vaccinated) and the cashier harshly told me to put on my mask.which kind of startled me because she was a bit abrupt. It was an honest mistake and I am sure everyone can relate to that at least. I proceeded to apologize but also told her that I was fully vaccinated. Anyways, I continued to talk to my friend about the purchases we were making and the mask fell below my nose again.she now SCREAMED at me telling me I could "kill her" because she had not been vaccinated. I think it was bit overkill and at this point I felt very uncomfortable and walked out and left the items there.
MEC- NORTH YORK - I decided to give it a go one last time and go the following day to MEC North York (No mask problems this time but another problem with cashier). Everything was pretty much the same as before (I selected even more items totally around 800) and I wanted to know if they would price match an item from Atmosphere. I tried to show her my phone and she kinda dismissed me and had a real attitude about even checking. She was so rude about even checking for a price match and by the time she came back - she started really giving me this attitude that it made me again feel uncomfortable and I walked out of the store and left the items.

I will be doing all my shopping now at Atmosphere.

Waited 15 mins to get in, fine.safety first.did my shopping.was asked 20 times if I needed help, fine.felt overstaffed.but great.then came 30 people to one cash register and everybody was bunched up and frustrated. I abandoned my cart.not for safety concerns.but because it was just dumb.

Can't buy anything.items I'd like to purchase are never in stock, not just this MEC store, but all of them

In phase one reopening they are short staffed so far, but the staff work very hard to be as helpful as possible. I am very grateful for how much effort they put into helping size me for a backpack to make sure I got a good fit.

The store has a huge variety of outdoor gear and things you can't find in many stores like freeze dried foods, electrolyte pills and drinks, and many other unique products that are great for camping. Love this store, would go back.

Kim at the members desk was incredibly helpful. A master multi-tasker. All the staff were great today. Thanks for putting the members first during uncertain times!

Very helpful, friendly, patient staff, not at all pushy, great recommendations.hours are not so great.go on a weekday.

I've been a member and frequent shopper at MEC for 30 years, but this was my first visit in over a year. I was relieved to find that not much has changed, except for the now familiar virus protections found across the city: maximum capacity regulations, mask mandates and hand sanitizer. On the downside, the bathrooms are closed, which wouldn't have been a problem 30 years ago IOW, still a great store for all your outdoor needs!

For those who like mountain climbing or outdoor sports are very suitable to visit this store, from clothing to camping equipment are all complete. The second floor also sells climbing equipment, as well as many bags.

MEC used to be a pretty pleasant place to shop.
Instead, I was greeted at the entrance by some wannabe military-guard telling me to line up so we can all hear a lecture on COVID and what is deemed appropriate behavior. The attitude in this shop skirts the limits of respect.
If you want to get a taste of what it is to be in prison and have guards telling you what to do, this is a good place. Not so much if you want to get excited about your next trip.
Obviously the shelves were empty! Just like others have mentioned below.

There is no inventory, product, advice, or ambiance left at MEC TORONTO. Dismal.

SHOP ELSEWHERE OR ONLINE!

Diverse and high quality products. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I was extremely happy with MEC’s customer service. I had ordered a pair of shoes online, and Canada Post lost them somehow. Though it was no their fault, MEC offered to replace the shoes or refund me right away. Thank you!

I highly regard this store. Last summer I was in a bind and ordered a camping chair I needed ASAP and the store manager, (I think his name was Shawn) actually delivered it to Brampton to me. I must say I was super impressed with the product as well as the extra mile that manager took to help me out. Our little girl had a terrific summer with the seat can’t believe I never saw It sooner.
Overall this store and brand provides high quality and the most professional and admirable service. I will tell S friend and be back for future need.

Very good equipment though tending to some branding. For instance I don't trust Bear Gryls hollywood survival. Lower cost options tend not to appear in this store. Is good as one of a few places you shop.

This is yet another great MEC store! It's quite large and there is a great variety of innovative and high quality products to choose from. The upper floor section had some great deals on out of season shoes when I went. If you're going on a camping trip or just need some good quality gear this should be the first place you check out!

MEC has a good product selection and an outstanding lifetime guarantee on all products sold. My only issue with MEC is that they do not allow dogs in their stores. I find this particularly strange given that in Toronto I can bring my dog into just about 100 percent of retail stores. Also, with the MEC brand being synonymous with the outdoors and active lifestyles, the exclusion of dogs from the Toronto store does not seem consistent with their brand message. For comparison, I can bring my dog into Arcteryx, Patagonia, Ice Breaker, etc. I regularly walk my dog past the MEC store, and I can't go in to shop. That tends to lead me back to my computer to shop using various online vendors. I would give MEC 5 stars if they reversed their policy on dogs in the Toronto store.

I love the shop! A huge selection of outdoors gear. Great place that has all the items you need for hiking or climbing or any other adventures

Went to 20 stores hunting for the perfect backpack. Should have gone here first. Knowledgeable friendly staff, pricey for my budget but loads of quality selection. Shopping here requires a membership that costs $5, according to the cashier all members are part owners of the company. I have yet to investigate further.but I will likely shop here for outdoor gear in the future regardless. Thanks for the perfect pack MEC!

I loved this place, years ago when I attended UofT in 1991-93 or so, got all my hiking & camping equipment here. The best outdoor equipment store in the country back then, maybe still is (I need to go back for a visit, see if my membership to the co-op is still good!?) Back then, I could spend hours looking, imagining, dreaming, The staff was so amazingly friendly and helpful back then. Nowhere better. They could practically give you a class if the equipment was part of their area of outdoor pleasure, eg.camping, kayaking, climbing, etc.lol, but I loved it. The only drawback was the service was occasionally slow, meaning you could wait a long time to get help, as they were so thorough it took a while for them to move on, especially if they were with a previous client who had a question in their area of specialization (interest.) I wonder if it has changed much since then? It has only been, what, 25+ years ago (lol) ? I hope the students of UofT and Torontonians [f today, get as much joy shopping there as I once did. Thank God their prices were so good, as even with their low prices, I spent more there in that store than on my tuition at UofT. Good times! Good times!

I was randomly banned for a year. Out of nowhere they try to make you look bad. Store management here are outrageously inappropriate. Not even the district manager is any better. They lie about everything. It just caught me off guard, I wasn't causing a commotion or anything, all I was doing was browsing around like a normal human being. This certainly doesn't make their reputation look good, that that's what they for their paying customers. What bad business.

The regional manager sent me this e-mail;
I am following up with you in regards to the Store Ban that was issued to you on October 31st. After reviewing the information from the staff in our King St.location as well as meeting with the Store Manager Chris to discuss I feel that the ban is justified and will be upheld. You are still permitted to shop in other locations such as Sheppard Ave.and online at mec.ca but you will not be permitted in our King St.location for the period of one year from October 31st 2018.

The escalation of the situation and most importantly the language you used while in the store was inappropriate resulting in the ban. A safe and respectful environment for our members and staff if of the highest importance to us at MEC and at times that can result in a store ban for this type of outburst.

As I mentioned before, you are still permitted to shop in other locations and online so we can still look to service your needs as a member in that way. After the 1 year period of the ban you will gain be permitted to shop in the King St.location.

Thank you,

Chris Bosworth

Great as always. The MEC in Vancouver earned a significant amount of my pay cheque when I lived on the west coast. This one does not fail to impress either. The staff are all well informed and truly happy to be there. They are willing to talk to you and really get to know your needs and are excited and interested about their product. Being able to go into a store where the staff is happy to see you and help you is worth a lot!

Yes some of their products are a bit on the pricey side but everything that I have purchased over the years was of great quality and I considered it to be an investment. Yes the item I got there might have cost me more than I could have purchased a similar item at another location but the one I got at MEC lasted me a lot longer and thus I did not have to replace it as much / at all and it ended up saving me money in the long run.

Had a flat tire on my commuter bike. Only noticed at lunch time. The guys in the bike shop were able to get me a new tube installed and an oil job before I had to ride home at 4.

What a great Canadian business! Just purchased this Pristine Water Purification Bottle (Canadian brand) for my trip to Sicily

Awesome, knowledgeable & helpful staff. Great products (quality and price). Go during member event nights for additional discount of 10% on most items.

I like the atmosphere
The place is huge if you're a outdoors person
Then this place is for you
If you go in not knowing what you're looking for you spend hours there cause MEC has a lot to offer

Went in to get some bike repairs done for the first time at MEC today and the staff there Shraib was extremely helpful and friendly, went above and beyond, and had it all fixed up within a few hours! Definitely wll keep coming back here in the future. Thanks for the help!

Great movement towards a change of the store's location. Ideal store if one has passion, interest, or love for the great outdoors. Enthusiastic for the following activities: Camping, Watersports, Running, Hiking, Climbing.

Adequate prices, urgently suggesting to check for clearance or returned items. Bought a couple pair of shoes for a solid deal. I'd prefer other brands compared to MEC's winter coats/jackets selection.

MEC is my go to place for outdoor gear - well priced and solid equipment. The downtown location is a little lackluster in terms of what they carry compared to some other mecs, but they will order it in for you if they don't have it in store. If you know what you want already, check out their website - they have free fast delivery for orders over $50.

Scoured the internet for bike bottom bracket for my custom cranks. Turns out best price by far was a 10 minute bike ride away. This place can't be beat for keeping your bike on the road.