this post was submitted on
43 points (77% like it)
60 up votes 17 down votes
shortlink:
to anything interesting: news article, blog entry, video, picture...

42
43

L.L. Bean products (self.BuyItForLife)

submitted ago by stoned_kitty

First of all you get top quality on all aspects of manufacture, like the zippers which are always YKK (don't settle for anything else, ever, or it will break). But the best part is that they have a lifetime warrantee on anything they sell (not just L.L. Bean brand). Take or send anything back for any reason and they'll replace it or give you store credit or cash with original receipt.

Sure, you can buy better quality stuff. But the fact that they'll replace anything no questions asked is what makes them a BIFL company IMO.

all 42 comments
sorted by:
best
hot
new
controversial
top
old

[–]japaneseknotweed 9 points10 points ago

Sorry, just can't share your feelings.

I'm old enough to remember when everything was made here, except the Norwegian sweaters, which were made in Norway.

The quality was SO much higher. You have to know something about sewing to get it, but there used to be about twice as many production steps in each garment -- taped seams, properly bound off edges, good interfacing, plaids that matched at the plackets, much smaller stitches.

Their stuff now feels like a cartoon version of the original.

[–]AcceptableLosses 2 points3 points ago

No shit, coming from a lifetime Maine resident. Old Bean is amazing quality stuff, Made in Maine for Maine... Now, I refer to it as "LL Indonesia."

It's pretty sad, too, because they could easily afford to bring back manufacturing to the state and really help out, say, Washington or Aroostook county. But they won't.

[–]japaneseknotweed 6 points7 points ago

Yep. It kills me to hear younger people refer to their stuff as "high quality".

It's as if, in the future, there's no food available at all except for franchises, so the twenty-somethings sit around talking about how BIFL Applebees is compared to Taco Bell.

What are we going to do when nobody knows anymore what truly well made stuff is like?

And don't even get me started on public buildings (post offices, libraries, train stations) built in the 19th century compared to today's...

OK, now I'm all depressed.

[–]kumaku 0 points1 point ago

Nothin but truth here man. Specifically the post office bit.

[–]_femme 0 points1 point ago

Yeah! Bring some work to the County :)

[–]zhirinovsky 5 points6 points ago

Yeah, I have Bean Boots and they're sturdy and comfortable. Good way to show off New England pride too, if there is such a thing.

[–]shadowthunder 0 points1 point ago

I have a pair of Crestas, and once I got some SuperFeet in them, they're hands-down the best boots I've ever owned. They've seen me through five years and 1k+ miles of hiking across the Rockies, Alps, and Appalachians. There aren't any signs of them giving out soon.

[–]El-Coqui 0 points1 point ago

Bean boots might be good, but I bought a pair of dress shoes from them a few years ago and they were HORRIBLE. They lost their shape faster than any pair of shoes I've ever owned. I tossed 'em.

[–]shadowthunder 0 points1 point ago

Hmm. While I'm confused as to why you would look to an outdoors store for dress shoes, I'm also not sure why a product purchased there didn't adhere to their quality standards. Maybe it was a fluke?

[–]El-Coqui 0 points1 point ago

I like to wear my shoes outside, what can I say?

[–]El-Coqui 0 points1 point ago

The shoes I bought looked a lot like these. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/73092?feat=592-GN1&attrValue_0=Brown

[–]shadowthunder 0 points1 point ago

Hmm. Not sure. On the bright side, you got a full refund, yes?

[–]astangl42 5 points6 points ago

My business law professor told an anecdote about how he called L.L. Bean to inquire about getting something fixed on his old hat, and they sent him a brand-new one, gratis. I think he's been telling that same story to multiple classes per year, for decades, so L.L. Bean got some pretty good will and advertising from that.

I recently sent back some flannel pajamas that I felt didn't hold up very well, and they replaced it free, with no balking.

I saw somebody post something elsewhere about their quality going down, but it still seems like a decent company to me.

[–]electriccelery 6 points7 points ago

I'll try that when my subaru dies. Thanks!

[–]stoned_kitty[S] 1 point2 points ago

Please keep us posted this. I'm curious if you made enough of a stink if they would honor that...

[–]JamZor64 2 points3 points ago

I've been using the same Bean Backpack since my 6th grade year... I am now a senior in college. It the older model of this bag.

[–]Independent 3 points4 points ago

L.L. Bean's warranty is legendary, and both myself and relatives are fans for that reason. But, the q remains that if an item has to be replaced under even a very generous warranty, was it really buy it for life? Whose life? The life of the product?

[–]DiggSucksNow 1 point2 points ago

In order for them to sustain a lifetime warranty after all their years in business, they have to make good stuff. Crap + lifetime warranty isn't a sustainable business model.

[–]shrubberni 2 points3 points ago

If it costs me $1 and you pay $100 for it, I can replace it 99 times and still break even. Further, most people won't ask me to replace it even one time.

Yes, their stuff is good...but selling junk with an exaggerated warranty is perfectly viable and lots of companies have made money doing just that because it makes consumers automatically think "this must be legit."

[–]DiggSucksNow 0 points1 point ago

I get what you're saying, but their markup isn't nearly that high, and their prices aren't orders of magnitude more than competing products.

[–]shrubberni 1 point2 points ago

If you charge 3x and the returns work out to 1.2x the base cost...the above numbers are sort of irrelevant and obviously made up. The strategy works and is quite common.

In their case, the quality is good, as is the warranty.

In many other cases, the warranty is just fuzzing people who are bad at statistics into thinking it must be good, when everything else points to no. There are often also shipping or service fees associated with the "warranty" to the point where it's prohibitive, or exception terms which are trivial to trip if they need to. Lifetime warranty is not proof of BIFL.

[–]Kadin2048 2 points3 points ago

You would think this, but there's really nothing terribly superior about their T-shirts or socks, compared to other brands in the same price range (which is fairly high). I'm sure that they are just eating the cost of replacing the occasional worn-out item when somebody bothers to bring it in, as a sort of advertising / PR cost.

Just because they have a lifetime warranty doesn't really make it BIFL, if what you're interested in is a product of such high quality that it will last forever. It might mean that you don't have to pay for it again, so if your main motivation is financial (avoiding the 'Sam Vimes Theory of Economic Injustice') then it might be OK, but I think many people want high quality stuff for other reasons besides lower TCO.

That said, I do like LLB and some of their products are really, really great. These also tend to be the products that are fairly expensive, are unique or traditional to L.L.Bean, and often which are still manufactured in the U.S. The Bean Boots and Field Coat are both great products, and I've written elsewhere about my experiences with one of their briefcases that outlasted its original owner.

[–]larrisonw 1 point2 points ago

LL bean will replace anything they made, period, as long as they're still in business.

So the lifetime of the company, really.

[–]BobGaffney 1 point2 points ago

I bought one of their rain jackets two years ago, and loved it. But the pocket lining went bad, and they replaced it with the current, newer, more expensive model immediately, no money exchanged, free shipping both ways. They are indeed a great company.

[–]SlyFox28 0 points1 point ago

Great company, quality products, free shipping and as others have said; their warranty policy is unmatched.

On a side note: Their slippers (or Mocs) are the best!! I have never had slippers that were as warm of comfortable. Ive seen some from other companies for double the price and they don't have half as much fur in them or durability.

[–]pal002 1 point2 points ago

I just got the Original Field Coat and I love it. It's a classic style, goes with anything and is super warm (depending on the liner). I also have many of their Chamois Cloth Shirt because they are also classic and go with anything. I would agree on the BIFL recommendation.

[–]DiggSucksNow 1 point2 points ago

My chamois shirt is 15 years old and had seen heavy use.

[–]pal002 0 points1 point ago

4 years ago, I would have never thought they were my style. Then my Father-in-law started buying them for me every Xmas (he lives in Vermont, where they give out Chamois shirts with your Subaru upon moving there). I now have 4 in different colors and look forward to his gift.

[–]ManLabMan 1 point2 points ago

Congrats on the coat pal. Mine is 12yo.

[–]icekin 0 points1 point ago

Is there an LL Bean dealer or an equivalent brand sold in Australia? Since moving here, I miss their products.

[–]cogitoergosam 1 point2 points ago

I've heard good things about RM Williams.

[–]icekin 0 points1 point ago

Thanks! Will check them out.

[–]BillWeld 0 points1 point ago

I have an old Bean parka that I've worn out. It's had a long and useful life and is still together enough to wear with sweats. Wouldn't asking them to replace it be wrong? The zipper is a little hinky despite being YKK but it can still be made to function.

[–]AcceptableLosses 1 point2 points ago

At the very least, they will give you a gift card for $20-50 depending on what you bring in, "in the spirit of the guarantee."

I had a friend attempt to return a tattered piece of a flannel and this was the line given to him with a $20 gift card. Sort of ingenious marketing, really, I've never returned anything at Bean's for credit that I didn't turn around and immediately spend that +$50 while I was there.

[–]ManLabMan 0 points1 point ago

The LL bean visa card also has decent rewards. I get about $300 worth of free stuff every year. Plus cardholders get free return shipping if you want to exchange.

[–]SarcasticOptimist 0 points1 point ago

I highly recommend their lined jeans and Kathadin Iron Works hoodie (both the fleece and Primaloft insulated). No tears or holes, in spite of daily wear for roughly a year. Wish I could say the same about my Eddie Bauer hoodie, which does have nicer fleece.

[–]Kadin2048 0 points1 point ago

I believe that Eddie Bauer has a return policy / warranty that is substantially similar to L.L. Bean. If you're not happy with something, you can return it and they'll either replace it or issue you a refund. I've never actually done it, though, this is just based on their advertising.

[–]SarcasticOptimist 0 points1 point ago

Hmm...I may consider that. I've only had it for a year, though I don't have the receipt anymore. I am part of their frequent buyer's club...perhaps it's on record. Thanks.

[–]Kadin2048 0 points1 point ago

From looking at their website, it seems that even if you don't have a receipt they'll still exchange it for a similar article, or perhaps store credit. I'd give their customer-service line a call and see what they tell you to do.

[–][deleted] -3 points-2 points ago

YKK isn't the end-all be all of zippers. Riri, Zin, Talon, etc. all make equal or better products.

Also, LLBean stuff is cheap crap compared with what else is available. It's Walmart for Episcopalians.

[–]HYPEractive 3 points4 points ago

┌─┐

┴─┴

ಠ_ರೃ - LLBean stuff is cheap crap compared with what else is available. It's Walmart for Episcopalians.

[–]stoned_kitty[S] 1 point2 points ago

hmmm yes...

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. © 2012 reddit inc. All rights reserved.

REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc.

π Rendered by PID 32018 on app-13 running 86c9e1d.