L.L. Bean ROCKS!

I've had my green Bean barn coat for at least five years, and the cuffs were all frayed and one of the buttons fell off a while back; it had become my ratty coat, perfect for walking the dog. It occurred to me a couple weeks ago that L.L. Bean has a 100% lifetime guarantee on all of their products, so I called them. Sheepishly, because I felt like I was trying to get away with something, I asked if I could exchange my beloved barn coat for a new one. Turns out they don't make 'em quite the same as they did back then, but there's a mighty comparable Adirondack barn coat that would be just fine. So I shipped it off and waited.

Today I got my new barn coat in the mail and it's BRAND NEW. Well, of course, it is, you're saying. But it's just incredible that I was able to get 5 years of wear out of my green one and now, for nothing, I have a new one that will surely last at least 5 years.

It doesn't end there. I was happy happy happy about this deal, but it gets better. Apparently, I paid $129 for my green barn coat way back when. Today's Adirondack coat sells for $59. The invoice said something about a $77 credit, so I figured I'd be able to get something new and fancy from Bean's. Just to make sure I wasn't imagining things, I called them again. Asked them if perhaps I really do have a $77 credit. Nope. They've already issued me a check. A check!

Let's tally this up, shall we. I got 5 years of wear from my green barn coat. I now have a brand new barn coat. And I'm $77 richer. Where on earth do you find value like that these days? I feel like I've hit the lottery.

Buy Bean.