LL Bean jacket...do you think they will do anything for me?

[mickeyboat]

We had the same problem with our Bean jackets from two years ago. The kids wore them, though despite the problems with the zippers, and we didn't take them back to the store - although we should have.

I don't think you will have any problem.

Denae

 

[SeaShelley]

Okay, But when I called about an item recently their rep on the ohone said there is not a lifetime warranty on the backpacks anymore so the staff should get their stories straight

Well, there is a difference between a lifetime warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, which is what the company provides.

http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/guarantee.html?nav=gn

 

[MKCP5]

This is not a true statement. My mother works for Beans and they take anything back, no matter the excuse...and she's heard some real doozies !

OP - you won't have any trouble returning the coat.

Well...........wouldn't that imply the same thing? I understand the difference in semantics, but people generalize

Well, there is a difference between a lifetime warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, which is what the company provides.

http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/guarantee.html?nav=gn

Are you just looking to pick a fight with me about this?

 

[MKCP5]

Beans has a lifetime gurarantee on their products. yOu will return it to them, they will either fix it or replace it if they can't fix it, for free.

Here is the info that people are getting

 

[SeaShelley]

MKCP5,

Well, first of all, I was in no way looking to “pick a fight” with you or anyone else on the DIS. I was merely disagreeing with your statement and trying to assure the OP that she wouldn’t have any trouble returning her daughters coat. I don’t believe my replies were snarky or threatening in any way and if you took it as such, my apologies. My need to be right also did not play a role in my posts.

Semantics or not, I do believe there is a difference between a lifetime warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That being said, as a Bean’s employee, my mother was trained to take back anything that a customer brings back – no matter the excuse. In her store, an outlet, they give merchandise credit and not cash. There are very few exceptions to that policy, and those “exceptions” are certain individuals who are “on the list” as repeat offenders of the company’s guarantee.

Once again, my sincerest apologies if my replies to your posts were perceived to be “picking a fight”.

 

[Hedy]

Last xmas I bought my 7yo daughter an $80 LL Bean jacket. For me thats a lot to spend on a jacket. I heard their jackets were sturdy and would last a long time. So I spent the money, but bought it big.

The jacket still fits this year, like I thought it would. But the zipper doesn't zip right. The bottom parts wont fit completely into each other and come apart seperating at the bottom. We all know how much of a pain that is!!! Not to mention taht she can't zip it herself, it's too hard. I don't expect her teachers at school to do it for her in 3rd grade, lol.

So, I was thinking of calling the store in the morning( it was purchased at a store location, not the internet).

Should i bother? Do you think they will do anything for me? Personally i think an $80 jacket should last more than 3-4 months. Right?

Oh and the jacket is in perfect condition otherwise. So it is a good jacket, still looks brand new.

I have returned multiple jackets to LL Bean, and have always gotten a replacement. LL Bean, imo, is one of the best companies there is.

 

[CherylA]

I agree LLBean is great and they take pretty much anything back. I personally would go the store though if there is one near you. You can instantly pick out a new coat and exchange it for the "broken" one. On the phone you'll have to pay for the new one and then wait for your refund.

 

[bumbershoot]

Beans has a lifetime gurarantee on their products. yOu will return it to them, they will either fix it or replace it if they can't fix it, for free.

No necessarily. They ARe a great compnay, and typically stand behind their products, but there are many things they no longer guarantee for life as the privilege has been abused. IN this case though, I am SURE they will replace the zipper--no problem.

This is not a true statement. My mother works for Beans and they take anything back, no matter the excuse...and she's heard some real doozies !

The OP won't have problems, but they do NOT take back anything.

I have a comforter that has been falling apart for years, and a silk fisherman's sweater that I love, but has huge holes in it. I assure you, I'm not taking scissors to things; I care for my clothes (I have clothes that I've owned for 20 years and they are fine...I don't fit into them right now, but once I do they will look new).

I contacted them about it when my comforter's piping was coming off and I felt that was unsafe with my son around. Also asked about the sweater.

I was told that I had owned them long enough, and that I shouldn't have expected them to last as long as I had owned them, and they would NOT take them back, and would NOT fix the sweater for me (even for a cost).

Since I did, actually, expect them to last for a very long time, I will tell you that I'm not 100% satisfied. I still do use the comforter, but I ripped off the piping to keep DS safe. And I threw away the sweater.

 

[surfergirl602]

I agree LLBean is great and they take pretty much anything back. I personally would go the store though if there is one near you. You can instantly pick out a new coat and exchange it for the "broken" one. On the phone you'll have to pay for the new one and then wait for your refund.

Not if you are just getting something fixed. When you send in your old one, they will fix it and send it back. If they can't fix it, then they will send you a replacement. I've done that three times now.

That's how the store in Freeport, Maine does it anyway. All stores and people are probably different

 

[SeaShelley]

The OP won't have problems, but they do NOT take back anything.

I have a comforter that has been falling apart for years, and a silk fisherman's sweater that I love, but has huge holes in it. I assure you, I'm not taking scissors to things; I care for my clothes (I have clothes that I've owned for 20 years and they are fine...I don't fit into them right now, but once I do they will look new).

I contacted them about it when my comforter's piping was coming off and I felt that was unsafe with my son around. Also asked about the sweater.

I was told that I had owned them long enough, and that I shouldn't have expected them to last as long as I had owned them, and they would NOT take them back, and would NOT fix the sweater for me (even for a cost).

Since I did, actually, expect them to last for a very long time, I will tell you that I'm not 100% satisfied. I still do use the comforter, but I ripped off the piping to keep DS safe. And I threw away the sweater.

bumbershoot - I really am surprised. Maybe the difference is phone - customer service - contact, vs. taking something back to the store. I really don't know. My Mom has some really frustrating stories about returns that she's had to take back. She and her co-workers have joked about writing a book. A couple that stick out in my mind:

* A young couple came in with their son's snow boots from the previous year; wanted to return them because son had outgrown them. Mind you, they were in good condition, but "huh" - outgrown them ??? They got merchandise credit.

* A woman came in and wanted to exchange a winter coat for a new one. "This one just doesn't keep me warm enough anymore." Ah, ok, Mom asks how long ago she purchased it and the woman says "oh, about 15 years ago." Woman got merchandise credit.

 

[jellybeans0607]

OK, so I brought the coat back. They were bery nice and could see very well that the zipper didn't work properly.

Unfortunately they didn't have any in her size in the store. So they gave me a gift card for the amount and then sent me over to a computer so I could order the coat. Which I was actually pretty happy about because now if I have a problem there is record of my purchase.

The only problem I had was they tried to charge me almost $10 in tax. I'm in MA, there isn't any tax on clothing. He said where I was ordering it on line it would be taxed..huh? I told him then to ship it to the store and I would pick it up there and pay for it when it came in then. He was then magically able to wave the tax cost and it will be shipped(no charge for shipping) to my house.

Oh and on a side not, I left there and went to Marshalls and found a beautiful heavy winter Columbia jacket for my son...only $49!!!!! It was a good day!!!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I purchased a swimsuit for my DD that she never wore. Still had the tags on, etc. and LLBean was still selling the same suit the next year. I called and explained the situation to them, and while they weren't thrilled they did agree to stand by their 100% satisfaction guarantee. I sent them back the smaller suit and they sent me the same suit but larger. I, of course, paid for shipping of the new suit. They paid for the return shipping of the older suit.

 

[surfergirl602]

OK, so I brought the coat back. They were bery nice and could see very well that the zipper didn't work properly.

Unfortunately they didn't have any in her size in the store. So they gave me a gift card for the amount and then sent me over to a computer so I could order the coat. Which I was actually pretty happy about because now if I have a problem there is record of my purchase.

The only problem I had was they tried to charge me almost $10 in tax. I'm in MA, there isn't any tax on clothing. He said where I was ordering it on line it would be taxed..huh? I told him then to ship it to the store and I would pick it up there and pay for it when it came in then. He was then magically able to wave the tax cost and it will be shipped(no charge for shipping) to my house.

Oh and on a side not, I left there and went to Marshalls and found a beautiful heavy winter Columbia jacket for my son...only $49!!!!! It was a good day!!!

Columbia has a very nice return policy as well. That's so crazy about the tax thing.

 

[Lisa_M]

I was told that I had owned them long enough, and that I shouldn't have expected them to last as long as I had owned them, and they would NOT take them back, and would NOT fix the sweater for me (even for a cost).

Since I did, actually, expect them to last for a very long time, I will tell you that I'm not 100% satisfied. I still do use the comforter, but I ripped off the piping to keep DS safe. And I threw away the sweater.

They told me the same thing regarding DH's backpack that was 8 or 10 years old. He had been duct taping it for a long time and just never bothered to call them up until I did.

 

[Jeanne B]

I contacted them about it when my comforter's piping was coming off and I felt that was unsafe with my son around. Also asked about the sweater.

I was told that I had owned them long enough, and that I shouldn't have expected them to last as long as I had owned them, and they would NOT take them back, and would NOT fix the sweater for me (even for a cost).

Did you try calling back a second time? I bet getting a different phone rep might have made a difference. Beans is generally very good about backing their stuff and I've returned a few things myself over the years (I'm fortunate to live fairly close to Freeport) but I do recall one rep being a bit snarky about some clogs I returned a couple years ago and I felt like I had to defend my reason for returning them...the sole on one of them broke in half and granted, I'd had them about 5 years but I expect many of the Bean products to last longer than that (heck, my parents have Bean products that are 20 plus years old!!). She finally gave me a gift card in return and when I went to the shoe dept to get another pair the woman who helped me was very pleasant and commented on how they had redesigned the sole because of the exact problem I'd had with the pair I had just returned so I was glad I ignored the attitude of the rep in the return department.

I purchased a swimsuit for my DD that she never wore. Still had the tags on, etc. and LLBean was still selling the same suit the next year. I called and explained the situation to them, and while they weren't thrilled they did agree to stand by their 100% satisfaction guarantee. I sent them back the smaller suit and they sent me the same suit but larger. I, of course, paid for shipping of the new suit. They paid for the return shipping of the older suit.

I'm honestly quite surprised they did this, paying the return shipping in particular, since it had nothing to do with satisfaction, your DD simply outgrew it.