In yet another installment of "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things," a shopper in Illinois has filed a lawsuit against L.L.Bean after the Maine-based retailer ended its famously lenient return policy.
If you haven't been following the story, the short version is this: For years, Bean has honored a no-questions-asked lifetime return policy for its products, the idea being that this would protect against someone getting burned by quality issues. Some shoppers were taking clear advantage of the spirit of that policy by returning items they'd simply worn out after years of use, or even purchased at yard sales. Bean updated its policy last week to allow for returns within a year of purchase, proof of said purchase required.
One shopper, Victor Bondi, is not at all happy about this. He filed a lawsuit in Chicago federal court claiming that L.L.Bean has violated the terms of its warranty, calling the move "deceptive and unfair." Per the Press Herald:
“The warranty was a basis of the bargain with the sale of L.L. Bean products,” the suit alleges. “Because of L.L. Bean’s unilateral refusal to honor its warranty, Plaintiff and the other class members were harmed, and have been deprived of the benefit of the bargain.”
Bondi wants to turn this into a class-action lawsuit, allowing others who have been "harmed" to join in on the fun. He is also, according to the suit, a longtime, loyal L.L.Bean customer. We're sure the company is absolutely thrilled he's such a fan.
Oh, also: The new policy only applies to stuff purchased after February 9, 2018, when it was announced. This is just obnoxious all around. Victor: Maybe get a hobby. One that doesn't require Bean Boots.