If you have a legitimate gripe, take it back. REI store managers (still) have a broad discretion in the return policy. The new &quot;1 year&quot; policy is largely a social signal that they won&#x27;t tolerate obvious abuses anymore. And expensive tent getting wrecked by wind is not an obvious abuse, unless you strapped it to a car on the highway maybe.<p>And many high end outdoor manufacturers provide lifetime warranties themselves. If your expensive tent is a North Face or Mountain Hardware and was really damaged by wind, it will probably get replaced no matter where you bought it.