L.L. Bean ends legendary lifetime return policy, and of course social media is to blame

Congratulations, internet! We've ruined another glorious thing.

On Friday, beloved cozy and outdoors-y things retailer L.L. Bean announced that it would end its famed lifetime return policy. And social media is at least in part to blame.

“What we have seen, and it has come to the point where we had to act upon it, is a small but growing group of customers who are interpreting the guarantee as a lifetime product replacement program, and that was never its intent,” L.L. Bean President and CEO Stephen Smith told the Portland Press Herald Wednesday in an interview.

L.L. Bean's legendary policy allowed its customers to return a product at any time, in any state of disrepair, for a new or comparable product, or a store gift card. Now, customers will only be able to return products purchased in the prior 12 months, or those that have a manufacturing defect. L.L. Bean informed the public of its new policy on Facebook, which was met with many cry face emojis. Read more...