Sad Face: L.L. Bean Just Tightened Its Super Generous Return Policy

Sad news for Bean Boot-lovers. L.L. Bean just announced that it's seriously tightening it's previously generous return policy.

The store was famous for its lax rules, which stated that both new and heavily used items could be returned at any time should the products fail you for any reason. Even better, if you didn't have a receipt, they'd give you a gift card for the current selling price or replace the item. See what we meant by generous?

Apparently, though, some folks were taking advantage of the policy, per a statement emailed out to customers on February 9: "Increasingly, a small, but growing number of customers has been interpreting our guarantee well beyond its original intent," it reads. "Some view it as a lifetime product replacement program, expecting refunds for heavily worn products used over many years. Others seek refunds for products that have been purchased through third parties, such as at yard sales." Bummer.

So what's the new policy? You'll now have one year after purchasing an item to return it, accompanied by proof of purchase. After one year, the company says it will work with customers to reach a fair solution if a product is defective in any way.

Welp. It was good while it lasted.   

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