Big 5 Sporting Goods Reviews & Complaints

Big 5 Sporting Goods sells athletic footwear, apparel, team-sports equipment, fitness products and outdoor gear online and through stores concentrated in the western United States. Big 5 was acquired in October 2025 through a partnership involving Worldwide Golf and Capitol Hill Group and is no longer publicly traded. Share your experience on ZeroStars using the −5 to +5 review scale; 0 is a valid rating. Reviews can be positive, neutral or negative.

Describe the item, purchase date, store or online channel, advertised offer and what happened. For a delivery complaint, include the shipment timeline and any support response. For a return, identify the receipt or packing slip, condition of the product, whether you visited a store or requested a mailed return, and the actual refund or store-credit outcome. Keep order numbers and payment information private.

Big 5 publishes 1-800-898-2994 for customer service and provides an online contact page. If you need to cancel an online order, call promptly: customer service may cancel it only if processing has not begun. The company aims to process and ship orders quickly, so the available cancellation period can be short. Your account can show order history, tracking and saved preferences, while guest checkout is also available.

Big 5’s current promotion advertises free standard ground shipping on qualifying orders over $50 within the continental United States. The qualifying total is calculated after discounts and excludes gift cards, taxes and shipping charges; oversized and special-shipment items may not qualify. Confirm the actual threshold and charges at checkout because promotions can change. Big 5 publishes estimated ground and expedited shipping windows, but carrier, product and destination can affect delivery. It does not currently ship to PO boxes or international addresses.

Some merchandise is marked Special Shipment and ships directly from a vendor. Those products have different delivery and return handling. Store inventory shown online is approximate; call the location with the item SKU before traveling if availability matters. For a missing, damaged or incorrect package, retain the order confirmation, tracking and photographs and contact customer service promptly for the appropriate resolution.

Big 5 currently advertises 90-day returns on unused eligible items. Its detailed store policy requires original, unworn, unopened and saleable condition, with proof of purchase for a refund. Eligible online purchases may be taken to any Big 5 store with the original packing slip, except Special Shipment items, which require customer-service instructions. A card refund goes back to the same card; bring it to the store. Delivery shipping charges ordinarily are not refunded as part of a return.

Photo identification is requested for returns with a receipt and required without one. A return without proof of purchase may receive non-transferable store credit at the lowest sale or markdown price, but it is not eligible for a refund to the original payment method. A gift receipt, store credit or merchandise voucher likewise may produce store credit rather than cash. Policies can vary by product and purchase date, so check the applicable exception and ask the store about the deadline for your item before traveling.

For an eligible online order returned by mail, call customer service to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) within 90 days after delivery. In-store purchases and online airbeds cannot use the ordinary mailed-return option. Big 5 emails a FedEx return label as part of the RMA process. The label does not mean free return shipping: the current standard shipping and handling charge, including applicable oversize surcharges and tax, is deducted from the return credit. An eligible in-store return can avoid that mail-return deduction.

Pack the item securely with all parts and paperwork, keep the tracking number and follow the issued label instructions. Big 5 says a qualifying mailed-return refund is processed to the original payment method within 30 days after it receives the merchandise. The card issuer may take additional time to post it. Big 5’s policy says a mailed gift return is refunded to the original purchaser; contact support if you need a different outcome before sending it.

Firearms and ammunition are final sale under Big 5’s return exceptions. Opened or used air mattresses may qualify for a limited exchange toward another air mattress within 30 days with the original receipt, but not a refund; unopened air mattresses must meet their own conditions. Bats and certain eyewear have additional restrictions or manufacturer-specific warranty routes. Background-check fees and certain third-party licenses or permits are also nonreturnable. Check the specific item’s terms before purchase, because a product warranty is distinct from the retailer’s return policy.

Big 5 gift cards can be redeemed in stores and, for cards with a 19-digit number and PIN, online. The official gift-card page provides balance help and says the cards do not expire. Promotional codes and weekly-ad prices have exclusions and dates. Online and in-store prices may differ. Big 5 says it may make one sale-price adjustment at a customer’s request if an online item is reduced within 30 days of the order, subject to its policy and offer restrictions.

Big 5 announced completion of its merger with a partnership comprising Worldwide Golf and Capitol Hill Group on October 2, 2025. It continues to operate under the Big 5 Sporting Goods brand. That corporate relationship does not imply a Big 5 purchase can be returned to another sporting-goods retailer; use Big 5’s own support and stores.

Compare experiences with separate sporting-goods retailers on ZeroStars: Academy Sports + Outdoors, DICK’S Sporting Goods and Sportsman’s Warehouse. Browse the Retail Stores & Shopping category for more.

Official sources checked September 28, 2026: online order, return and cancellation policies, store return policy, product exceptions, shipping promotion terms, gift cards, customer contact, and company merger completion release. Confirm any current promotion and item-specific rules before acting.

The current website advertises 90-day returns on unused eligible items. For a mailed return of an online order, Big 5 specifically requires an RMA within 90 days after delivery. Store returns and restricted products have additional conditions; check your receipt and the item’s exception policy.

Usually, yes, with the original packing slip. Special Shipment items require customer-service instructions. An online air mattress has its own store-return restrictions.

No. Under Big 5’s ordinary mailed-return policy, the applicable return shipping and handling charge is deducted from the return credit. Ask for an estimate before choosing mail; an eligible store return may avoid that charge.

An eligible store return may receive non-transferable store credit at the lowest sale or markdown price with valid photo ID. Proof of purchase is required for a refund to the original payment method.

Call 1-800-898-2994 promptly. Big 5 says customer service may cancel an order only if it has not yet been processed.

No. Big 5 lists firearms and ammunition as final sale. Other items such as bats and air mattresses have special rules, so review those before buying.