LL Bean

Full review
I have been shopping from L.L. Bean for years. If offered a choice, I always prefer shopping online, though I have also bought from the catalog.  Let me tell you why L.L. Bean is such a great place to shop.


What is L.L. Bean?

It's almost time for L.L. Bean's 100th anniversary.  That's saying a lot in today's financial climate!  The company is located in Maine, and they specialize in clothing and outdoor equipment.  L.L. Bean also sells footwear, bedding, luggage, and select pet supplies and furniture.

In addition to their online store, L.L. Bean has several retail store locations, including outlet stores.


Navigating the Website

http://www.llbean.com

The Home Page doesn't feature much useful information.  There is a scattering of basic advertisements for their Visa Card, markdown merchandise, their gift cards, and a few what's-new announcements ... nothing special.  However, across the top of the Home Page are links to other areas on the website:  Men's, Women's, Kids', Footwear, Outdoor Gear (Hunt/Fish), Luggage, Home, Sale.

A Search Box can help narrow selections.  For instance, I wanted to shop for fleece jackets.  I typed in "fleece jacket" and 40 results were displayed.  There is a breakdown along the left, showing how many results in each category.  For instance, the fleece jacket showed 7 choices in Men's, 10 in Women's, 7 in Kids', and 16 choices in Outdoor Gear (Hunt/Fish).  The results show a decent size thumbnail image of the item, a description, how customer's rated the product (1-5 stars), and the price.  Click on the item to read more about it.

I like the way each product page displays its information.  The pages are easy to read and to make a choice.  Using the fleece jacket example, clicking on a product opens a page with a larger image of the jacket.  You can zoom and view a larger image of the product, and often there are several views to choose from.  Next to the image are color swatches.  I like that one can click on a color, and the image changes to the selected color.  This makes it easier for determining if the product/style/color are right for me or who I'm buying for.  The item number, pricing and size/color selection, and quantity to buy are on the right side of the page.  There is also a link to Check Availability, and to add the item to the shopping bag.

Beneath the product image are several tabs: Product Overview, Details, Size Chart, Customer Reviews, and Ask an Expert.  Plenty of information is provided about the product.  Customer reviews are usually short at just a sentence or two.  The "Ask an Expert" section lets one chat online with a customer service representative, or you can email your question or phone them.

There is also a link to the Shopping Bag, and their toll-free telephone number is prominently displayed on each page.


Let's Go Shopping!

I have bought quite a few things from L.L. Bean over the years.  I still own a t-shirt that I purchased from them over 15 years ago!  The quality of their merchandise is excellent.  I have never had to return anything because it fell apart. 

My most recent purchase was on behalf of my father who wanted to surprise my mother with a fleece jacket.  He bought one as a birthday present for her, and my mother loves that jacket so much, that we've ordered another one as a Mother's Day gift.

Other items I've bought include a fleece bathrobe (one of the most comfortable robes I have ever owned), several fleece blankets, assorted clothing (including shirts, outdoor jackets, hats, gloves, scarves), shoes (as gifts), and a hammock (also a gift).  All of these items have worn well and most of them are still in use.  I can't say enough positive things about the quality of L.L. Bean's merchandise.

Shopping the website is simple.  Visit the product pages, select the size/color/etc, enter the quantity, and add the item to the shopping bag.  The shopping bag keeps a running total of the items selected (including if the item is in stock), and also shows the order subtotal.  I like it that an estimated shipping and handling charge is also displayed.

Shipping and Handling charts are available on the website.  I find the regular shipping and handling charges reasonable.  Charges start at $4.95 (for orders up to $25.00), and stop at $10.95 (for orders over $150.00).  There are also shipping options for Express shipments.


Customer Service & Their Visa Card

Their customer service people are also incredibly helpful.  They are professional, friendly, and have always done their best to answer all my questions.  At Christmas, my mother phoned them to ask some questions about an outdoor jacket she wanted to purchase as a gift for my father.  The customer service representative was very helpful.  At the time, some sort of promotion was running where they would give my mother a ten dollar gift card if she signed up for the L.L. Bean Visa Card. 

She had been thinking of getting the L.L. Bean Visa Card anyway because another family  member has one and loves the special services it offers.  Having the L.L. Bean Visa Card means that orders ship free, and that returning items is also free.  If you like monogramming, that is another freebie ... plus there is no annual fee for the Visa Card.  The card also offers other perks.


Checkout, Order Confirmation & Delivery

To checkout, go to the shopping bag and click "Check Out Now".  There is the option to create an L.L. Bean account ... or you can checkout as a guest.  I always use the Guest option. 

The next screen asks for the typical billing and shipping information.  They also require an email address, though supplying a phone number is optional.  Another option is to save the information for future purchases and faster checkout.  I never save my info.

The next page offers shipping choices and boldly displays how many business days the order will take to arrive.  There are places to enter coupons, promotional codes, and gift cards.  L.L. Bean accepts the following credit cards:  American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Europay Mastercard, Discover, Optima, and JCB.  My one request would be that the website ask for the security code from the back of the credit card (they don't).

After submitting my order, I always receive a confirmation email.  This is followed by an email to say the order has shipped, and a tracking number is provided.

I have never had a package arrive damaged.  Sometimes, though, I have had to return items for a different size.  In each case, the transaction when smoothly, and I have never had to make a follow-up call to check on the return's progress.


Summary

I highly recommend L.L. Bean.  This is a dependable online store, and their merchandise is top-notch.  I enjoying shopping here online, and a lot of my family members and friends are also frequent shoppers.  All of us give L.L. Bean a high rating!

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy the day!
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read my other reviews:

Coldwater Creek (online store)

Coach (online store)

Sheplers (online store)

Kohl's (online store)

Old Pueblo Traders (online store)

Zappos.com (online shoe store)

Footsmart (online shoe store)

Crocs (online shoe store)

Copyright 2009 Dawn L. Stewart