I have been buying LL Bean since the late 1960s and the workmanship in the last 10 years or so--maybe longer--has gone way downhill. I bought their so-called Wicked Good slippers and the stitching came out where the upper is attached to the sole. I did a little home repair on them but it didn't last long. My son-in-law bought the same slippers and the same thing happened. Unlike the LL Bean of yore, these slippers were not made in Maine or the good ol' USA but in China, land of shoddily made products. Now I admit these shoes weren't new. They were a few years old and I don't expect them to last forever but the sheepskin slippers I bought from Bean back in the 1980s lasted for more than 20 years. And the fact that both my slippers and my son-in-laws had exactly the same problem tells me they were poorly made. I wrote a letter of complaint to Customer Service, mentioning that I had once written a laudatory article on LL Bean for The Montreal Gazette's Travel section in 1990. (I included a copy of the article with my letter.) No response. I resent the letter, this time addressed to the president and CEO, Stephen Smith. Again, no response. C'mon! At least respond to a customer of more than 50 years, especially one who was once a devoted buyer! At least acknowledge the fact that I had taken the time to write. But they didn't. In the old days they had a ridiculously generous return policy. You could return something at any time and get a refund. I think some customers abused their generosity and LL Bean started cutting back on giving a lifetime guarantee. I totally understand, but they have now gone too far the other way.

Update 12/2019: Ugh. I purchased some European slippers based on the size chart on the brand-specific LL Bean website. They were a size too big. I went to the manufacturer's website and saw that their size chart was different, and indicated that I needed a size smaller. I phoned LLBean and was told I had to pay for another pair (more than $100) to exchange them, and send the others back. When I received the new slippers and contacted LLBean to see where my refund was, I was told it would be up to 4 weeks before I get it. They have the ability to track the package and see that it arrived, but they would not. So I have now changed my opinion of them, after more than 30 years, to "meh." I doubt I will be shopping here again.

Original review: I have been an LL Bean customer since the 1980s. It's true, sadly, that the quality of some LL Bean clothing and shoes has declined in recent years, since the advent of large-scale manufacturing in China. But their customer service is still excellent! I ordered some Wicked Good Moccasins (a truly high quality product, still) that were about a size too big. Since I had followed the size recommendation on the website, I was annoyed that I would have to pay $6.50 for return postage. I did a Chat with a customer service rep and explained the size discrepancy. She arranged for a smaller size to be sent rush delivery (two days), and told me to put my wrong-size slippers in that box for return. No charge, no delay, no mistrust. Just great service.

In the old days Bean would take anything back, at any time. No matter how beat up it was. Because so many horrible people cynically took advantage of that returning tents after vacation and that sort of thing they have changed their policy. But they do still guarantee their goods. Many years ago I phoned LLBean to ask whether they could repair my favorite pair of Bean penny loafers, which were so worn that the sole was coming off on one. They told me to send them in for replacement. They sent me a brand new pair!

LL Bean was a company that catered to people who were willing and able to pay for higher quality clothing. Higher quality also meant clothes that would last for years, and still look good. Therefore, LL Bean styles and cuts were classic. And, recognizing that their garments were meant for the long haul, they included an excellent customer service and guarantee program that ensured return customers, and through word of mouth brought in more. Sadly, the Bean family gave up the company and handed it over to a batch of modern stylists who are making it into another Abercombie and Fitch Store of stylish garments. Churning out clothes for younger tastes and hawking cheaply made garments. LL Bean was the one US company where you could buy excellent wool clothing. Their Maine guide pants were originally 32 oz wool, then it went to 22 oz wool, then 20. Their three season pants were orginally15 oz wool, then it went to 7.5 oz wool and then disappeared. I have LL Bean pants that I bought over thirty years ago. One was the wool whipcord trousers. I bought another pair recently, The fabric on the old pants is far more tightly woven than the new ones, and it has real leather inserts for the front pockets unlike the cheap wool and faux leather ones of the new pair. In short, one of the reasons I'm now on a real fitness program is so I can fit into my old LL Bean stuff as it is so much better made than the garbage their selling now. So, if you or a relative have old wool clothes from LL Bean, don't throw them out. They're far better quality than anything that company is selling now. They can probably be easily mended and altered to fit you or others in your family.

Most of the time I am very satisfied with the products (customer service is first rate) My pet peeve is why do they change sizing? A PS should have the same measurement. Every time. And the design of the most recent winter jackets: THE HOOD IS HUGE especially for the PETITE SIZE. I still have an OLD jacket and a down coat with the HOOD fits perfectly with a snap. I CANNOT give it up because of the beautiful construction, sizing and quality... NOT the newest. Again, HUGE HOOD NOTE: we PETITE SIZE DID NOT GROW OUR HEADS LARGER. (maybe other parts)
So I limit myself to buying the models that have used in the past because the same sizing. And material quality of the "oldies" are much better than some of the new items.
LLBEAN:: please keep your quality products. I would gladly pay a higher price and keep the item wearing longer and better. I fear that the trend among retailers to cheapen the material quality due to higher labor costs may also impact LLBEAN. I only hope LLBEAN will retain its overall quality products. So that is the reason for giving it four stars.

I've always thought of LL Bean as a quality company which is why I'm really pretty sad about what I've experienced this past month. Basically I ordered the Snow Tube along with an extra tube for Christmas in November. I was careful at the time that it was in stock and available for delivery as I knew about the supply chain issues companies are dealing with.

So of course I get the replacement tube right away but no Snow Tube after a month. I finally contact Customer Service and they say it's not arriving until the end of January. They offer me a mark down but insist the information was there when I purchased (that it wouldn't be shipped for 8-10 weeks). When I tried to explain I wasn't interested in money they basically told me "That's all we can offer". No comparable products, etc.

In the big picture I guess it doesn't matter. I'll get the Snow Tube at some point in Feb and be able to use it for a month before I've got to store it till next winter. I'm just very demoralized by my treatment for daring to say I don't just want some cash back. It is what it is, just please be aware that there might be supply chain issues with these things and if there is all you're gonna get from LL Bean is a coupon.

Given my purchase history, and the fact I've never asked for anything from them in the past, I thought their attitude towards me was callous. Just be aware if you have an issue it will likely be the same for you as well.

Also, when I tried to post a review describing my experience above on the LL Bean website, they said part of their review terms is that you can't talk about Customer Service or Shipping Delays. Incredible. I think the impression I had that they were a quality company turned out to just be really good marketing.

Anne Marie was not willing to help a long time customer. I can shop elsewhere...where I am a valued customer!

On December 20th I placed an order. On the website it said that it was the last day to get it by Christmas. The item I ordered was in stalk. So I checked out and paid for that item. After it was completed, it stated that it was on back order and that it would be 2 to 3 weeks. I called customer service immediately and I was told that the back order was incorrect and that I would get it on the 23rd (Friday). Its now Friday and I noticed that my order stated that it was being processed and still on back order. I called again and was told that they are doing all they can. The same thing happened last Christmas. I never got my order. When I called after Christmas, they said that the item was on back order. I told the person I spoke to that I was not please with their business tactics. And this person did not care what I have to say. I told him to cancel my order and I will take my business to Cabelas. This person didnt not care and didnt even apologize on behalf of llbean. NEVER AGAIN!
CABELAS is much better.

L. L. Bean is a great place to buy almost anything. I love L. L. Bean. It's usually the first site I check when I need to buy something.

If you're looking for junk LL Bean is the place to go. If you want crap that will fall apart ll Bean is the place to go.

The color is off where the left shoe is a faded yellowish blue color and the right is a nice suede blue color. The left shoe fits, but the right is loose and slips off when walking. I tried to return the shoes at the store and was told I could not return them due to the shoe looking "worn". If this was the case then their return policy should just say, "Satisfaction guaranteed, returns honored except for shoes". The soles of the shoes look barely worn. The insoles look worn because they are leather and gain a patina even after a day of of use. Yet because of the patina in the insoles they denied a refund. I bought these shoes four months ago.

The highly subjective nature of things looking too "worn" as the basis of rejecting a refund is really a sneaky tactic on LLBean's part. It allows them to have shoddy craftsmanship and when customers buy the shoes they have no recourse when they should actually be returned and refunded.

I am embarrassed to wear these shoes because they look silly due to the shoes being mismatched. It also affects my gait since one shoe slips off so easily.

I have tried to stay a loyal customer for 25 years and with two kids now I was hoping to continue buying from this company. Unfortunately that will no longer be the case.

The above was a review that LLBean rejected from their site. In addition to censoring negative reviews of their product, I have also had problems of poor delivery. I ordered a $600 outdoor table but was sent a $200 side table. The problem was that they made it very difficult for me to return the table at their store and tried to make me pay for the $30 return shipping fee.