LL Bean

Full review
My Decision to Shop L.L. Bean:
My birthday is in less than a week and one of the things I told my husband I wanted was a cardigan sweater. The only problem, I get eczema from any material besides 100% cotton. Therefore, the best way for me to find 100% cotton clothing is usually online. I searched some of my favorite online stores: J. Jill, Ann Taylor Loft, and ESPIRIT, but came up empty handed. My husband suggested trying LL Bean.

My husband and his family love LL Bean and always drag me to the store in Maine. Their clothes seem to be warm, casual, and comfortable. They don't sell sex appeal, if that's what you're looking for. I usually go for clothing that is business like and fun, but modest. Previously, I had ordered a passport holder from LL Bean online store, but after finding one elsewhere I liked, I was able to call and cancel the day after the order was placed. I had never bought clothing from them, but was willing to take a look.

Homepage
LL Bean online store is located at: www.llbean.com

My Findings and Navigation of L.L. Bean:
Once I got to the homepage, I had the options of selecting shop, customer service, my account, or shopping bag. LL Bean's guarantee policy and phone number were also available in an easy to find location at the top of the screen. Departments included Men, Women, Kids, Outdoor, and travel. All types of clothing are available including pants, shirts, shorts, sweaters, fleeces, swimwear, outdoor wear, sleepwear, underwear, sporting clothes, accessories, footwear, and more. Departments were further broken into petite, regular, tall, and plus. Also on the homepage, a site map was available as well as a search bar to find desired items.

I placed cotton cardigan into the search bar and hit enter, which brought up a number of sample cardigans with categories men, women, or kids to select. I selected women and was brought to a page with a dozen pictures of cardigan sweaters to choose from. I selected a cable cardigan for $39.50. Clicking on the sweater brought me to a page where I could view different colors of the sweater, a larger image, the front and back of the sweater, the way it looked on a model or alone. There were also details about a test done with a number of women who wore and washed the sweater regularly. They concluded that the sweater held up better than other brands and make-up and food stains easily washed away. The sweater was described as combed cotton and cleaning instructions were available.

Navigation was easy and information about my selected item was very detailed. All the different views of the sweater, the testing of stain removal, and the ability to machine wash made me sure I wanted this sweater. However, I was still confused if it was made of 100% cotton.

My Interaction with Customer Service:
A number was right by the item on the webpage (800-441-5713). It was late at night and I did not think I would get anyone. However, a human voice answered immediately. I explained to her that I needed to know and she had me give her the item number, which was easy to find about the price. She checked and assured me it was 100% cotton. She did not try to sell me the sweater over the phone. And she wished me a good day.

Making My Purchase:
I selected a black cardigan to purchase, but needed to select my size. No problem, a very detailed size chart was available that told measurements from bust, waist, hips, sleeves, torso, and height. I added a small to my bag and clicked check-out.

With many online stores, I have had to give credit card information or create an account before finding out shipping costs. LL Bean immediately told me 4-6 business day shipping by FedEx would cost me $5.95. During my secure check out, I did not have to create an account, but chose to. First, I confirmed that item was correct and saw shipping charge, then I put in shipping info, finally billing info, and clicked order. There was an option to upgrade to 2 day shipping for double the cost of the regular shipping. Also, a live chat, LL Bean phone number, and email was available next to my check out information incase I needed help.

After My Purchase:
I received an email confirming my purchase within one business day, but order was checkable on my account immediately. I was able to track my order from the email without logging into my LL Bean account. The order arrived as promised in a weeks time (5 business days). The sweater was packaged inside a plastic bag inside of a box. There was information about their return policy. Returns could be made at the store or through the mail by using a label provided. Returns cost the customer $5.85.

My Recommendation:
LL Bean is a great online store. Browsing through the site or finding specific items are easy. They sell many items for travel, outdoor activities, and clothing. Their selection of women's clothing usually does not appeal to me, but the cardigan I found on the sight is cute and fits well. The sweater is durable and made to take a beating whether from the washer and dryer or from the foods I have spilled on it. Customer service was readily available and an all around good experience. My check out went smoothly and I was impressed about the help available for questions I might have. My item was shipped in promised time and came packaged well. I cannot think of anything displeasing about my LL Bean shopping experience:)