Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire LL Bean finally has to address people who abuse their policy

And everyone pays for it. Nothing is free.

Had a jacket from them that after two years the zipper came completely off for a couple inches. I called to see if I could send it in for repair, was told yes, given the return address and told the estimated repair cost. I noted to the lady on the phone that they still carried that jacket and they had the unconditional return policy, so I asked aren't they just making it more worthwhile for people to return the item for a refund and get a new one by charging for repairs? She didn't really have an answer. I guess this is what they finally decided on.

Years ago I bought a pair of boots from bass Pro.
The hooks were so soft they would bend up when I was lacing them up.
I wrote to them and told them of the problem with brand new boots, they told me I could take the boots to a shoe shop and get the hooks replaced.

My wife had a coworker that was always abusing the type of guarantee that Bean has had to drop.

I think if a store were to offer a lifetime warranty/return policy then they should honor it with proof of purchase. Items bought before the policy change should be honored while items purchased after the policy change should work under the new policy. What if you bought a Toyota, for example, and they said we'll cover it for life. Part of the reason for buying it is the warranty, then a year later they said too bad, we're getting rid of it and not going to honor what we said. Not fair to the customer. Apples to oranges, but the principle applies.