Cotswold Outdoor Reviews 

I ordered running shoes online from Runners Need, a sister firm. The shoes obviously were used when they arrived. I had to visit their shop to return. However, the substantial online delivery charge wasn't refunded, which they should have, as it was their fault.

Plus, my cost to go to their shop and 2 hours spent in the process.

Avoid ordering online from them.

Well, Cots Islington, was my first sports ware shop I shopped at; way back in 2025. I needed to purchase basic items for my very first walk, with my Rambler Walking group.
Now, what did I like about the store?
Freedom to look for goods without staff interference.
If, I needed help, I asked for it. And, got it.
Every store has a culture, a unwritten language.
One needs to understand this; Respect it.
And interact with it. To get the best outcome/shopping experience.

Stores, thank the heavens, are not Robotic.

On the subject of goods I bought in Store:

Walking Boots: SCARPA
First Class. Top Draw.

PASSENGER JACKET
Very good quality & discounted by 50%
An excellent buy.

BRIDGEDALE:MERINO HIKER SOCKS
Keeps my feet warm. I have several pairs.

STAINLESS STEEL WATERBOTTLE/FLASK
Very good buy.

This week, April 2026, I visited the store to
pick up my walking shoes bought Online: SCARPA.

Scarpa, are a joy to walk in. First Class. Top Draw.

So, there you have it!
Shoppers do your research first. Understand and respect the culture of the shop. Importantly, before
you make the purchase, know the policy/procedure
language of the Company. It's your duty to familiarize
yourself with such details. Don't expect to be mouth fed!

One can only assume by looking at the financial statements and my experience where they took over 6 weeks to issue me a refund for returned goods that they are in a poor cash flow position and need to keep hold of customer money to pay liabilities. Avoid! The communication was really poor and it felt like they were deliberately moving slowly to keep hold of the money for longer. Used to love this retailer but will never use them again now. Be very careful spending money with them as they will try not to refund you unless you raise a formal complaint.

Shocking. Placed two orders from Snow & Rock website within a week. Both offered next day delivery, neither arrived on time. Received a email for both the day after order was placed saying parcel delayed. This second parcel is the worst though. I placed the order on 1/4 for next day delivery. Received an email yesterday saying my Cotswold Outdoors parcel was out for delivery with a time slot. Later received an email saying delayed again. Received an email today (9/4) saying parcel will be delivered between 951am & 8pm, a massive time slot for someone to wait in. Live tracking was available this morning, but has since gone off line, so no idea whereabouts on the schedule my parcel is.

Aiden and colleagues at the Covent Garden branch were super helpful and knowledgable. So grateful for their expertise and patience when kitting out my daughter for silver Duke of Edinburgh. Great choice of boots and backpacks too.

Was let down by one of their competitors for a gift card for a 40th birthday so needed an alternative quick. Bought a physical gift card from Cotswold outdoor with next day delivery. The next day, I received an email saying it had been delayed with no further communication. I asked them on live chat to cancel my order as it would be too late to receive it for the birthday. They said they couldn't cancel it (even though it hasn't shipped) because it's processing. I'm so frustrated. I need a present for the birthday but am stuck. It's so disappointing. I only bought from them as it said next day delivery.

The staff and service in store is second to none …really professional helpful and supportive.BUT online delivery is atrocious. The courier requires a signature and will not deliver without one and cannot give you timed delivery slot either. I asked in advance if I could leave safe place instructions and was told I could leave this with the courier…but not so. So very disappointed and on account of this will not order from them online again

I tried to use the store in Bath this morning but I was hardly strong enough to push the door open. I couldn’t see anyone in side to help me so I left because I know if the door is so heavy to push open I have no chance of pulling it open from the inside to get out.

Waited and waited and waited at Rushden Lakes store . 1 member of staff for a whole store?????

Ordered some walking boots for my wife's birthday and received a pair that were clearly an unwanted return. They had been laced and worn, labels removed and the original packaging just stuffed back in. I rang to arrange a return (didn't feel I should pay the returns fee) and was promised a refund. Item returned promptly but it has been a week so far and no notification of my refund or a reply to my email requesting an update.

I should have read the online reviews if Next Day Delivery. Yesterday I ordered Two jackets for my upcoming trip which was worth 300£. I got promised next day delivery which should be today. Till now all I have got are two emails - one from cotswold claiming they have dispatched the items, one from Evri claiming they are waiting for the items and havenot received it.
The chatbot on the website did not work. I tried calling them and fortunately after a long period of hold I received a call back where the customer care representative was not able to help me at all. She said the same thing which I already knew from the email. I also had no summary of our conversation or any follow up email. Just a blank promise of we will look into it. The tracking number does not work.
I am unable to find any option to cancel this order now given it wont be required as my trip starts tomorrow. I would appreciate some help on this.

A very odd and frustrating experience. I’ve never dealt with a company that is so difficult to contact. When you call, you’re told no advisors are available and you’re not placed in a queue. You can request a callback, which does come through quickly, but it gives the impression that calls are being screened and you can’t reach anyone directly.

Emails also went unanswered.

It later became apparent they were moving warehouse, but there was no indication of this on their website or in any communication. As a result, deliveries appear to be significantly delayed. I waited nearly two weeks for my order and had three separate phone calls, each time being assured it would be dispatched within a couple of days or was already packed. None of this proved to be true.

In the end, I had to cancel the order because I needed the item for a holiday, leaving me to find an alternative at the last minute.

Very frustrating, especially as I raised these concerns a week earlier and was reassured it would arrive.

I’ve used Cotswold Outdoor stores regularly in the past, but the online experience is among the worst I’ve had when purchasing a product. It does not give confidence in how issues would be handled post-purchase.

Not recommended.

UPDATE: Love the banal non-apology reply from Cotswold. We're almost a month on and no refund despite a further 3 calls and several emails. I get that failures happen, but their inability to put things right quickly and without further drama shows that they really aren't a company worth dealing with. I'll probably have to waste more time doing a charge-back on my card.

FINAL UPDATE: Over two months later I have finally got my money back. Unfortunately it was via my bank who initiated a charge back. If I didn't do that Cotswold would still have my money for a product they never even sent! I never leave bad reviews but this company has no regard for its customers.

What a joke—and an absolute disgrace.

Cotswold and Snow + Rock

I contacted customer care to try and resolve this, and the experience was beyond frustrating. I’m not even sure if the service is outsourced, but the representative I spoke with had no understanding of the situation.
I clearly explained the issue and asked how it would be resolved.

The first suggestion? That I travel to the next nearest store—in London, over 600 km away. I explained, again, that this was the only Snow + Rock store on the entire island of Ireland, north and south.

The next suggestion was that I find an independent store, pay out of pocket for services, and then seek reimbursement. This is completely unrealistic. I also explained to her that this was the only shop in the whole of Ireland that do custom ski boots and proper drilling and servicing.

Then I was told I could post my boots to England to have them fitted. That suggestion speaks for itself—custom fitting requires the customer to be physically present. It is not something that can be done remotely, am I to cut my feet off and post them too.

When I raised concerns about delivery reliability and potential customs charges, there was no clear answer.

At this point,

I want to address Snow + Rock and Cotswold directly:

This is not an isolated issue affecting one or two customers. This impacts every single person across Ireland—north and south—who has purchased ski boots or equipment requiring fitting and servicing.

I do not want another generic response about “valued customers” or instructions to contact customer care. I already have—and it has led nowhere.

If a proper and practical resolution is not provided, I will be escalating this publicly and formally.

This will include leaving an email address where others can get in touch who are in the same situation and Submit documented complaints compiling evidence, including receipts, guarantees, and correspondence, and forwarding these to consumer affairs representatives.

Something like

Snowandrockredress

I will be putting it on

Trustpilot, Google Reviews, and reddit

I will also be in contact with Dundrum Town Centre management
Other outdoor retailers.

Any future tenants of your former location with the same email address and how to contact me.

I will be taking screen shoots of these reviews and responses and sending them onto Conor Pope The Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent and get it published into the paper.

Customers should not be left without support, particularly when specialist services like boot fitting are part of the original purchase expectation.

Having a background in Company Law and informing already the CCPC. There is a huge case to answer.

Im sure there would be over 150 ski boots sold if not more over the last two years along with skis.

Under new legislation rules brought in by the law society there is collective legal action route that can be taken.

You will not be leaving out the back door on this.

You may call this a “change in store presence,” but in reality, you are withdrawing entirely from Ireland—leaving customers behind without a viable solution.

This is not acceptable.
I expect a clear, realistic, and accountable response

Friendly and highly knowledgeable staff. Great technology for gait analysis which helped me find the right pair of running shoes.

Very disappointing experience. The biggest issue is their return policy – if you buy something in-store, you cannot return it, even the next day. That is simply ridiculous.
I bought shoes as a gift for my child, but they didn’t fit. The item was completely unused, in the original box, with receipt. I went back the next day expecting a simple return, but was told it’s not possible.
What makes it worse is that if I had bought the same product online, returning it wouldn’t be a problem. But buying in-store becomes a disadvantage.
The only option offered was a voucher, which is not acceptable. There were no alternative products I wanted, so forcing me to spend money there again makes no sense.
The staff also treated me as if I was trying to take advantage of the situation, which was very disappointing.
This policy is outdated and extremely customer-unfriendly. I will not be shopping here again.

It's so unfortunate - initial delivery of some leki trekking poles was pretty quick - but the handle on one of the poles was snapped.

There was options to return goods via their online returns portal (which the customer has to pay to return goods - which is illegal btw if the goods are faulty)

I sent an email via their web system

Not automated confirmation of receipt

When I did get a response (2 days later) that was automated and had nothing to do with the query I made.

I called the mainline and agreed a returns label and to send the faulty item back and they would send out a replacement

The faulty item was recieved back at their fulfilment centre/store - 5 days ago and iv not recieved any notification of a replacement being dispatched.

So I have no no product and also they still have my payment

The staff at the Southampton store were fantastic, the customer service was exemplary. The care taken by David to work through the options and choices, was first rate. However where the the team excelled at, was when an issue arose, Nathan recognising the issue, then manager Kirin, dealt with it thoroughly and in a balanced way, to enable a successful outcome, for both the store and the customer.

Avoid this company! Customer service terrible and very difficult to deal with. I won’t buy from them again.

Bought a pair of Mens wellies which split after 2 months. I emailed the company and sent pics of the boots. This company wasn’t interested, complete waste of money. I won’t be buying from them again. Customer services are not good. If could have left no stars I would have

Placed an order for £655 more than one week ago. Order has still not been received despite being days past the last expected delivery date. No tracking information and unable to contact customer services by email or telephone to find out where the parcel is.
Have contacted customer services twice by email, no response. Have tried and failed numerous times to get through by telephone to customer services_waiting more than 45 minutes to still not get to speak to someone.
Recieved a useless automated email telling me that my order is delayed (I obviously know that) but with no expected delivery date or update of any kind.
Finally this morning I contacted my local store, who were equally unhelpful, although I could at least speak to someone?! They said that none of the items have even left the warehouse yet, and that they couldn't tell me when I might receive them. I asked how I can cancel the order, and they said only by contacting customer services-when I pointed out that contacting customer services was part of the problem they said that they had no way of contacting them either (which I find difficult to believe).
So I'm stuck-£655 of gear needed for tomorrow and no way of even cancelling the order and getting my money back it seems.
Order number 30538849