Returning item to LL Bean

[eeyore81]

I purchased an item from LL Bean a few years ago. It has not held up as I thought it should, but didn't think much about it. Today my mom tells me I should return it to LL Bean. She said that they guarantee everything and just send it back and they will replace it. Has anyone had any experience sending items back to LL Bean years after the purchase. Do I need to call them or just fill out the return form online and mail it back. Also, do you pay for the return shipping (do I need to give them my credit card info?). Thanks!

 

[abmitch01]

can't recall on the shipping since we have a local store but they are great about returns even yrs later with no receipt. I'd call them

 

[tink_n_pooh]

You can either just fill out the form or call them. You do have to pay for return shipping, or at least I did when I returned things. They do/did have an option where they would pay the return shipping but they took the shipping charge amount from your refund amount.

 

[kirstenb1]

I would call them and ask what to do. I'd have a hard time justifying returning something that is "years old", but I guess it depends on the item.

 

[stefplus3]

I actually just called about returning a backpack and they were great. I just need to fill out the form and they will either send a replacement or a gift card. Their backpacks are awsome but for some reason the top strap on the one we just bought about a year ago has ripped already.

 

[plummer925]

Just remember - they do not have a lifetime warrenty - they have a "Satisfaction Guarantee".

Ask yourself:

Am I satisfied with the purchase? Did I get what I paid for? Did it meet or exceed my expectations?

If I buy a pair of shoes at LL Bean that costs me 3x a pair at Walmart, I would expect them to last approx. 3x as long. I expect walmart shoes to last a few months - I therefore expect LL Bean shoes to last me just about a year. If they have lasted me that long, then they met my expectations and I should be satisfied. If, however, after a few months they wear out, yea, I'd exchange them.

I would, however, be responsible for the cost of shipping the item back to them (unless of course if I was an LL Bean Visa card holder, then return shipping is free - not sure if this applies without receipt or not though).

You say you had an item for a "few years" - what was the item, and how long did you expect it to last. No matter WHERE you buy an item, after a "few years" an item will be worn, no matter what the item is.

I say all this as a former employee of LL Bean, so I am very familiar with their satisfaction guarantee.

 

[eeyore81]

Thanks for the advice. I called LL Bean and spoke to a very friendly and knowledgable customer service rep. It is a backpack that has been slightly used (mostly as a carry-on for trips). My problem is the zippers keep getting caught in the material. It doesn't matter how much stuff is in the backpack. I had read on the website about replacing/repairing items. I asked the customer service rep about that option. She said it was more expensive to replace the zippers then to just buy a new backpack. She told me that if I was not satisfied with the backpack to send it back under the satisfation guarantee. I am going to do so, because I truly did expect this backpack to last longer than it did. Although it is a few years old, it probably has been used no more than 10 times.

 

[pmickus]

My husband's Gortex jacket (2years old) zipper broke. Took it back to LL Bean store for them to send off to repair. They told him to go pick out a new one off the floor.

I had a backback whose seam came undone after a couple of years of use. I sent it back and they sent me a new one.

I am a loyal customer of LL Bean. Love the customer service.

 

[plummer925]

Thanks for the advice. I called LL Bean and spoke to a very friendly and knowledgable customer service rep. It is a backpack that has been slightly used (mostly as a carry-on for trips). My problem is the zippers keep getting caught in the material. It doesn't matter how much stuff is in the backpack. I had read on the website about replacing/repairing items. I asked the customer service rep about that option. She said it was more expensive to replace the zippers then to just buy a new backpack. She told me that if I was not satisfied with the backpack to send it back under the satisfation guarantee. I am going to do so, because I truly did expect this backpack to last longer than it did. Although it is a few years old, it probably has been used no more than 10 times.

That is an absolutely perfect example of the satisfaction guarantee - I'm glad you called LL Bean because their backpacks are designed to last several years of normal use - and since you had not even "normal" use, it absolutely fell under the guarantee!!!

Blessings!!

 

[swilshire]

Am I satisfied with the purchase? Did I get what I paid for? Did it meet or exceed my expectations?

I had to resolve this issue in my own mind a couple of years ago. The little zipper pull broke on my purse. I just wanted a new one pull, but they kept suggesting I return the purse. I couldn't bring myself to do that because I had used it for quite a while and was absolutely satisfied. Luckily, I was going to be in th Freeport area in the summer, so I just took it with me and they repaired it while I waited. Still kept offering me a new one, though.

What great service! I buy lots from them just because of their great customer attitudes.

Sheila

 

[DisneyDewdrop]

I live fairly close to L.L. Bean and they have the best return policy I have ever seen. Buy one pair of boots and when they wear out, bring them back and get a new pair. The prices are higher than other stores, but all you need is one pair and you are set for life. That is just an example. They guarantee everything.

 

[plummer925]

I live fairly close to L.L. Bean and they have the best return policy I have ever seen. Buy one pair of boots and when they wear out, bring them back and get a new pair. The prices are higher than other stores, but all you need is one pair and you are set for life. That is just an example. They guarantee everything.

No - again, they do NOT have a lifetime warrenty - they have a satisfaction guarantee. If you honestly think that buying one pair of boots will last you your ENTIRE life, well, that is not the nature of the guarantee.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

LLBean is great at replacing items! We broke a tent pole by accident and they replaced it free. I'd rather pay a little more & get service like that.

 

[drnriordan]

I live fairly close to L.L. Bean and they have the best return policy I have ever seen. Buy one pair of boots and when they wear out, bring them back and get a new pair. The prices are higher than other stores, but all you need is one pair and you are set for life. That is just an example. They guarantee everything.

As another poster said, it's really not meant to be used like that. Normal wear and tear is normal wear and tear. I really believe that if I've gotten several years of good use out of a pair of boots, that the company has delivered on their end of the bargain. Any my end of the bargain is to reward them with the purchase of another pair of boots.

I worked at Williams Sonoma over the Christmas season several years ago and this couple came in with a coffee maker that was like, 10 years old, to exchange for a brand new one because it had stopped working. Well, duh, it's been making you coffee every day for 10 years, at some point it's going to stop working. They have a similar policy, so we took it back and gave them a brand new coffee maker for free.

And people wonder why prices are so high . . .

Anyway, sounds like the OP is using the policy in the spirit in which it was intended, so more power to you!

 

[LaurenLC]

I live fairly close to L.L. Bean and they have the best return policy I have ever seen. Buy one pair of boots and when they wear out, bring them back and get a new pair. The prices are higher than other stores, but all you need is one pair and you are set for life. That is just an example. They guarantee everything.

I hardly think that this is what LL Bean envisioned when they created their return policy.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's a good description, plummer925.

Not sure if it's what the policy was when my mom was buying lots of items from them (and making sure to tell me that they had a lifetime guarantee, and I remember that being mentioned in the catalogs we got), but it certainly is what the policy is now.

 

[surfergirl602]

I still have (and use regularly) my backpack from highschool. Hasn't failed me yet!