L.L. Bean Sued for Ditching Its Beloved Return Policy

Some customers are furious.

Finished boots await packaging at L.L. Bean Inc.’s manufacturing facility in Brunswick, Maine.

Photographer: Shiho Fukada

L.L. Bean Inc. is facing a breach of warranty lawsuit after changing its decades-old lifetime warranty, in what may be the first of many claims over the now-dead policy.

The complaint, filed this week in Chicago federal court, seeks class-action status. The plaintiff, Victor Bondi, is described in the filing as “a loyal customer” of L.L. Bean, having purchased the iconic Bean Boots, among other products.