1 /5 Maximilian: I’ve always liked Rip Curl gear, but the Santa Ana outlet left me completely disappointed — mainly because of how store manager Vicky and the staff handled a simple wetsuit exchange.
We came in to exchange wetsuits we had bought earlier that same day, based on what we were told at checkout: that it would be fine to try them on at home as long as they hadn’t been used in the water. When we returned, instead of helping us, Vicky was rigid, dismissive, and confrontational. She even critiqued us for trying on a 3/2 vs a 4/3 wetsuit — which made no sense. We were just trying to choose the right fit.
When we asked to speak to her regional manager, Vicky refused to give us any contact info and showed no willingness to resolve the situation. She even implied we might not be welcome to shop there again — and when we calmly asked her to clarify, she denied saying it, despite us both clearly hearing it.
To make matters worse, several of the employees were rude as well, making snide comments and acting like they were doing us a favor by even discussing the exchange. It felt like they were trying to make fun of us or belittle us, which is unacceptable behavior in any retail environment.
As someone who has worked in retail for years, I was shocked by the lack of professionalism, the condescending tone, and the poor leadership on display. Vicky set the tone, and unfortunately the rest of the team followed suit. The entire experience was uncomfortable and needlessly difficult.
I might continue to support Rip Curl as a brand, but I won’t be shopping at this location again — and I recommend others avoid it until they have a serious reset in management and customer service values.
