Levis would as well

I grew up on a farm, and my dad would send in 5-10 pairs a year, and all my uncles and cousins that also lived on farms did the same.

Pretty sure Levi's stopped a decade or two ago. But it was when they were still holding onto "we were made for miners" so they were 100% cool with people doing manual labor exchanging pants every year.

Costco will indeed revoke your membership if you abuse this quite a bit. It’s not a hack in as much as it is Russian roulette.

I never had nice things because I grew up poor. So to follow the Comes Boot Theory and spend hundreds of dollars on a really good coat is a luxury that's I finally have access to. It made it a lot easier when it's a lifetime guarantee.

But now I'm finding all the companies that used to do that no longer offer it. Or they offer it but hidden in the language is that they'll only repair it if it has never been used.

So now, things are just expensive because it is

L. L. Bean significantly restricted/removed their lifetime warranty after they realized people were buying up used product at yard sales and auctions and then requesting they provide new replacements.

Supposedly you can still get them to honor it if you have proof of original purchase, but it sucks that it got to that point.