Cotswold Outdoor Reviews 

This is scathing review of a recent online purchase. The item was an aluminium trangia cook set. I was aware of the delivery by Evri when I heard my purchase being dropped at the door. It was packaged in a plastic envelope with no padding or protection. This level of packaging might be suitable for clothing it is not suitable for equipment that may be damaged in transit. Perhaps customer service will see a one star review and improve their packaging procedures especially as they use Evri as their shipping provider who have a less than glowing reputation.

Do not use this company!! I ordered some shoes and they didn’t fit so I returned them. They were delivered back to Cotswold Outdoor 4 WEEKS AGO and they still haven’t given me my money back!!
I have emailed multiple times and even phoned them and they say they have to be searched for ‘manually’ and god knows how much longer it will take.

Ridiculous service and I will definitely NOT be using them again. AVOID if you want to keep your sanity

As with many reviews, don’t use or believe this company’s next day delivery, I’m now waiting for 2 weeks with no sign of a delivery date, that’s what you get for not realising they use the worlds worse courier…Evri, I’ll be sticking to Tiso in the future

Very poor experience from start to finish.

I ordered a pair of Hoka Speedgoat 6s for £106 and paid an additional £6.95 for next day delivery.

The order then arrived two days late, despite me specifically paying extra for next day delivery.

When I opened the box, the shoes had clearly already been worn. The soles showed obvious dirt, scuffing and wear. These were sold to me as brand new shoes, yet they arrived looking like they had already been taken outside and used.

I contacted Cotswold Outdoor customer service and provided photographs. They admitted that the shoes should have been sent out in a new, clean and undamaged condition and acknowledged that their checking process had failed.

Despite this, their proposed resolution was just £15 off a £106 pair of shoes.

I made it clear that I wanted to keep the shoes because I had already waited several days for them and did not want the further hassle of returning them, waiting for a refund and then sourcing another pair elsewhere. I asked for a more reasonable partial refund of £25, which is still less than 25% of the purchase price.

This was apparently escalated to a manager, but Cotswold Outdoor refused to increase the £15 offer and simply repeated that I could either accept it or return the shoes.

They did refund the £6.95 delivery charge, but frankly that should never have been in question because the next day delivery service I paid for was not provided.

I reluctantly accepted the £15 partial refund because I needed the shoes and did not want the inconvenience of starting the whole process again, but I made it clear that I did not consider this an acceptable or reasonable resolution.

The customer service agent was polite, but the overall handling of the complaint was extremely disappointing.

I paid for new shoes and next day delivery. I received worn shoes two days late and was then offered £15 compensation after the retailer had already admitted their own checks had failed.

As a Duke of Edinburgh Award leader, I regularly discuss outdoor equipment and retailers with participants. Based on this experience, Cotswold Outdoor will not be a retailer I recommend.

I will be very reluctant to shop with them again

Cotswold outdoor add your details to mailing lists without your consent and then make it practically impossible to unsubscribe. Absolute breach of current legislation but as a company they don`t seem to give a monkeys. The only way to get requests actioned is to leave one star reviews. Your failure to comply with point 3 below is an absolute breach of legislation.
Core Legal RequirementsClear Notice: 1.You must show a visible, easy-to-read unsubscribe link or instruction in every marketing message.
2. You cannot charge a fee, ask for personal information other than the email address, or force people to log in just to unsubscribe.
3. No Re-adding: Once someone opts out, you must keep them off your active mailing lists permanently.

Two weeks after ordering the new Garmin Fenix 9 Pro 51mm Inreach Solar watch, I still haven’t received the watch nor a formal apology from anyone with responsibility at Cotswold Outdoor. A week of waiting, 4 days post the promise date, nothing. After calling customer services again, the wrong watch was dispatched, not a DPD issue who they blame for delivery problems. Now I’m waiting for Cotswold to receive it before they take further action, either cancel or send the correct device. Until 5 minutes ago, no one has contacted me then the customer services manager called me to say that they no longer have the device in stock! Imagine it, I ordered it 2 weeks ago when it was in stock, now they’ve sold out. I can’t believe what a catalog of errors and total cluster this has been. I now have to wait for a refund then I’ll order from GPS Training who I can trust.

Don’t be honest!
Why? Well, having spent well over £250 in the last few weeks at the DartsFarm store, I found my honesty in returning a pair of Salomon X ultra 360 for a slightly bigger size was refused.
Yes, I had “worn the pair on a patio outside the back door “ in the process of wearing them in a few times…which apparently negated my ability to receive a return for a larger size.
My advice, DON’T be HONEST, ….and honestly, there are plenty of other competitive outlets to choose from.

The boots themselves are "good enough" as far as I can tell.

Bought a couple of weeks ago, I pointed out that the laces seemed rather short. They refused to change them for longer ones without charge, so I thought I'd see if I could make do.

No way. Can't walk more than c 50 metres without one or other lace coming undone.

I have measured them, and the laces are only 130 cm on a size 6.5 boot.

Fortunately I had bought spares ages ago from their rivals next door - have now changed the laces for 150cm, not a matching colour.

Shockingly poor service from Cotswolds.

I think they can afford to change laces for free to ensure a good fit after charging extortionate amounts for boots in the first place. Pathetic attitude!

Have the Cotswold Outdoor team considered not using the running joke of delivery? Evri is hated by absolutely every customer. Since you pass on the cost to the customer anyway, perhaps use a delivery service that, you know, delivers? Or keep losing return business - your call. I know I won't be placing another order with you.

The worst customer service. I ordered some walking boots with next day delivery. They shipped them to Evri and that’s as good as it got. A week later the boots still haven’t arrived and absolutely nothing from Cotswold Outdoor despite me emailing them 3 times.

Ordered a jacket online. Said it would be in store to collect within 3 days. Took 3 weeks by which time I had purchased elsewhere . Refused to issue a refund so got Barclaycard to issue one instead. Don’t bother trying to call a store as you end up chasing your ass around an awful automated voice system. Terrible customer service. Avoid !

What a totally difference experience to the one I experienced last week in the Bath store. Macie in the South Cerney store was so helpful and knowledgeable and an absolute delight. She took time and listened to me when I explained what I needed a trail trainer for. She asked questions to understand what terrain I needed the shoe for and gave me her recommendation explaining differences in the trainers and why one would be better over another for my requirements. Having left the Bath store last week without purchasing anything because of the shocking service I received, Macey totally restored my faith in great customer service, what an asset to the business she is. Thank you so much. The young lady in the Bath store take note, when you give good service you get the sale.

Rushden Lakes flagship store.

Monday 7th September

Went into store upper floor looking for pair of hiking boots. 1.30
As I reached the upper floor a female sales assistant walked passed me down the stairs.

I was looking at the boot display for 5 mins and needed some help.
Couldn't find anyone on floor. Went back to boots fir a couple of mins then looked again for a sales assistant and spotted one looking out of the front window on her phone.

Gave up and went downstairs. Still couldn't see any sales assistants until I left the store where I saw two female assistants outside the front of the store.

One was taking pictures on her phone and the other one was chatting to a male shopping centre site security chap.

So as I'd spent over 10 mins in a store with one other customer and no active sales assistants I decided to go elsewhere

I went to the outlet store in Leicester a Highcross yesterday. The staff member was super friendly and helpful and also gave me some extra discount.
On the receipt it says she was Kimberley. Thank you for the advice, service and great trainers.

I visited the Milton Keynes store. James and Aaron were exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable. I went in slightly unsure about what I needed for my upcoming trip and left with total confidence that I had exactly what I wanted and needed. £387 well spent!

Ordered 28th August for next day delivery. Now on 6th September with no goods delivered. After having to call and email multiple times to find out where my order is, I’m told there has been an issue changing couriers. No-one can give me a straight answer as to where my goods are, when I might receive them or whether they have actually been sent. Unsympathetic on the phone, seems like the norm to them. Avoid.

Shocking Company
I ordered a jacket and shoes (30768932) on the 27th August for Next Day Delivery. Received a dispatch email saying DPD was expecting my order! It was not collected on the 27th, to no surprise no order arrived on the 28th. I emailed them, no reply. I called them on Tuesday as I still have no email reply, only to be told they was aware of a batch of orders that did not go out and they were investigating it and would be intouch.

Later that day I get an email to say "we have been advised that all orders have now been collected from our warehouse and are on their way through the delivery network" It is now the 3rd September, the tracking has not been updated.

Looking at the reviews with similar stories, I assume this company does not hold stock, they order in once they get the orders and this causes the delay. The website is untruthful in my opintion and they shoud at least be honest with their delivery timescales.

I have had to open a PayPal case for non-delivery and have since ordered elsewhere. My lesson was that I did not check their Trustpilot reviews first. I have purchased elsewhere and suggest anyone considering purchasing from this company does the same.

UPDATE 08/09/26
Finally the order arrived a WHOLE week late, despite it saying next day delivery. I refused delivery as I had ordered elsewhere. So despite me not having the items and it clearly showing that delivery was refused, still the company refused to refund me until they receive the items back! I am so thankful I paid via PayPal, as I have opened a case and will escalate it on the 22nd of September to get a refund. Honestly this company is terrible. They do not reply to emails, and have bee shocking from start to finish, adding insult to injury by keeping your money and not providing a prompt refund. NOT RECOMMEDED.

Items not delivered customer services say i have to deal with DHL-which is against the law and DHL haven't even received the item from Cotswold. Claimed refund through visa so all is good.
Do not deal with this sham of a company.

I've ordered three times from Cotswold Outdoor. one order was fine. The other two....well the product I ordered said it would be delivered 48 hours later when I paid. Then I got a familiar automated email a few days later to say there was an Order Delay. There was no indication of how long this order delay would be. After replying to say it would be ok as long as I had it a week later I thought that would be it. But over a week later and there is still no sign of the order items being in their warehouse to dispatch. Very misleading to state on their website that an item is in stock and that delivery would be 48 hours later, when they don't even have it in their warehouse to dispatch, and still don't. Very disappointed and I do not think I will be back after this, which is a shame as they have a great range and often have very good pricing.

Bought a pair of boots from the Kingston store. Kate was really helpful and friendly, great service