Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Zip Top Boat and Tote Large

I ordered the tote bag with the zipper and it arrived broken and will not close. I contacted customer service and they said all I could do is return it and buy a new one. I don't think it's fair that I have to pay for shipping (from California) to return this product that arrived defective to begin with. So disappointing.

It arrived with a massive red stain - not sure how to get it out, would like to return.

Love the bag but this is the second time the Monogram was wrong!

My monogram was denied. Very rude considering the fact that I PAID for a monogram. They say they don't monitor. But. They do.

I went by the photo and ordered what I thought was the short handle. Nope, I got the long handle instead. That sucked. Wished their pictures matched up to what I was ordering. Now I gotta spend another $50 for a shorter handle and monogram since they don't take returns. Really sucks.

The open top small tote says it's 10.5" high. The zipper top also says it's 10.5" high. It's only that high if you pull the colored zipper fabric completely up. The cream colored canvas is only EIGHT INCHES HIGH! If you have a couple of bulky things, you won't be able to gat anything taller than 8" into the bag. Also, if you pull the zipper all the way up, you've only got 2.5"-3" of handle space. Totally useless for what I carry. I thought I was buying the small open boat and tote, but with a zipper--I needed the small size of the open top, but I needed it to close. Instead, I got a purse-size that's too casual to use as a purse (and has no interior pockets that make a purse a purse rather than a tote), but is too small to carry more than purse-size items. And, stupid me, I had it engraved, so I'm stuck with it. It's a beautiful bag, just the right color, engraving is perfect, Bean's quality--and it will last beyond forever, because since Bean's lied about the height, I can't use it.

The embroidery was stitched completely over the zipper. The customer service representative who tendered my return was appalled by the lack of attention to detail and failure to the inspection process.

the stitching is sloppy & the sides of the bag are frayed. Since it is monogrammed I could not return it. I would suggest not to personalize any bag so it is returnable. Have bought many LLBean bags in the past, this one by far is the worst quality.

I waited for this bag in back order for over a month, only for it to come and be a complete disaster. The embroidery was stitched THROUGH the middle of the bag to where it can not even be opened. Then, to find the original text was cut and then put on the back even though this was not wanted. Can't believe this was even sent out. Luckily customer service was just as disappointed and handled the situation well. Sucks to see a reputable company go downhill after blowing up online.

Lots of loose threads, the monogram looks smaller than usual. Pretty disappointed.

I received my tote bag as I ordered. My measurement is 17"H x 17"W x 11"D not what it was listed on the website with 19" W x 10" D. I'm still keeping it since I saw the XL tote in the store and loving it. Wishing the tote bag measurement is more consistent since I ordered another "tote" bag (utility weekender duffle) and its measurement is off too.

This was supposed to be a travel purse with long handles for a trip to Hawaii. What arrived was a strange 4 foot wide huge bag with a tiny monogram at the top of the bag sewn through both pieces of fabric. It was the result of an amazing mistake. I returned it. I will order another canvas summer purse/carry bag again. M E Holland

I really like the boat totes. I finally got one for myself and paid for the monogram. Now granted, my name may not be the one anyone wants right now, but it is very difficult to find my name spelled correctly, so I thought this is my opportunity. It was a nice job on the monogram

This tote is larger than I thought it would be which is fine for me. I'm going to Yosemite Valley, and I will pack the bag with bulky jackets and outerwear. Perfect for my needs.

There was a dark stain at the bottom of the bag and I haven't used the bag yet

I am horrified at the quality of the boat and totes I just received. As a long time LL Bean loyalist and card member, I have over 30 boat and totes and can't believe what I received in the mail. They are thinner, obviously cheaply made and the zipper top is no longer the color of the straps--instead its the canvas color--which FYI looks TERRIBLE. The bag feels flimsy, like its no longer made of a durable canvas material, and I know the zipper is probably going to bust the near future as it took us about 10 minutes to get it to zip. What happened, LL bean? Why is the quality so dismal? I would return them, but I purchased as gifts for friends and when they showed them to me I was embarrassed at the low quality (for a $50 bag!) Please remediate this. Its honestly heartbreaking, as LL bean totes are a staple and generational product my family has always relied on. I will not be purchasing until the original quality is brought back and will be warning others to save them the disappointment.

The canvas on this bag is extremely stiff and heavy

I was so excited to get one of these tote bags for summer and honestly it has been such a disappointing experience. This bag has continued to have threads from all seams just completely coming off. One of them got stuck in the zipper and basically unraveled the entire inside. Every time I think it is done there is another thread hanging off of a seam

They shipped it without its monogram, ,now its just so boring and ugly and now I don't have a carry on for my trip. terrible customer service.

The seam at the opening of the bag along the zipper was not completed which prevented the zipper to be functional and the opening would likely get worse. I would have expected that type of defect to be found through routine quality control inspection. Upon return of the bag for an exchange it became lost and I had no response from the company until I inquired about the status of the return.

Very cheaply made. The lettering is fading already after 2 uses.

It is too stiff. The one I have had for 18 years is soft. It is a gift. What would you recommend as a replacement?

I am really disappointed in the quality of the tote that was shipped to me. This was a gift for someone else and I was actually quite embarrassed to give it to them. The edges of the canvas were rough and unfinished (didn't even look like they were cut straight), the stitching was horribly messy throughout the entire bag. I had their last name monogramed and it wasn't even centered between the straps. It looked a bit ridiculous and definitely not the quality I'm used to from LL Bean.

This used to be one of the best bags ever. Just got a new one; the quality of the stitching is so poor I have to send it back. There are several spots where the stitching is unraveling; several spots where a "stitch" is about 3 inches long and attempting to attach multiple folds, but in doing so is just a taught piece of thread that is definitely going to break. Hopefully I just got a dud; ll Bean's quality is usually much better than this. Bummed I have to pay $6.50 to send it back.

I purchased this as a gift for my 3 year old great niece and had it shipped directly to her. I ordered the large with long handles in the deep mulberry color. The color is lovely and the monogram is perfect. I asked to see pictures of the tote bag as my great niece loves it and already has it filled up. I was shocked and disappointed to see the terrible stitching on the front of the bag. It is only a matter of time before the stitching becomes unraveled. The tote bag should never have left the warehouse in that condition. Can't exchange it because my great niece can't bear to be without her new tote bag - the amount of time it would take to ship the tote bag back and wait for a replacement tote bag is an eternity for a 3 year old. Just for the record, my great niece received the tote bag today (May 13, 2021), so she has not even had the tote bag for a full 24 hours. I own several ll bean zip top boat and tote bags, so I know what they should look like when sewn correctly. I have photos to show the poor stitching on the strap. I also see I can't exchange this tote bag even if I could get my great niece to part with it as it is sold out in the large with long handles in the deep mulberry color.