Gah-run-teed

I love Land's End clothes, especially their shirts which are comfortable and wear like iron. If you looked in my closet you'd see long and short-sleeved tees and casual shirts or all seasons.

This spring when I was getting ready for our New York City vacation I needed to replace a white shirt in my travel wardrobe. I searched for weeks for a boxy all-polyester model that would pack well and easily wash out in a hotel sink with no luck.  Everything was too form-fitting, too short, or just not right.  I was browsing through a Land's End catalog one day and found their "Women's Athletic T-Shirt".  It looked like it might meet my requirements so I stopped by my local Sears store to see it in person.  They didn't have it in stock, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn I could order it in the store and have it delivered to my house.

When the shirt arrived I tried it on.   IT WAS PERFECT!   Long and boxy enough to cover my midsection, lightweight, and wrinkle-free. It went to New York with me, and to Nashville later in the summer. In between trips it was my "go to" shirt for church and casual events when I only needed to dress up a little. I wore it maybe seven or eight times and looked forward to many more.

Sadly, the last time I took it out of the dryer I noticed there were several large snags on the front of the shirt. I figured I'd have to use it as a gym shirt, and then only when I didn't care what I looked like.  A couple of weeks later I was browsing through yet another Land's End catalog and noticed their guarantee, which says

"If you're not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price."

I called the customer service number and talked to a nice representative.  I explained the situation, then pessimistically sat back and waited for her to tell me why the guarantee didn't apply in this case.  Boy, was I wrong!  Five minutes later I had a new shirt ordered and on its way to my house.  They charged my card for it, but when I took the old one to Sears I got a refund so my net cost was zero.

I'm looking forward to wearing the new shirt for a very long time.

Five years ago today: New Thing #253--Extra Credit