Doesn’t Matter if He’s in Jail. If the Timberlands Leak, They Leak

Timberland Corp. faces a prisoner’s claim that it should have honored a lifetime warranty when his four-year-old boots started leaking.

Joseph Puleio adequately alleged Timberland breached its warranty, breached the sale contract, and unjustly profited, the Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled Jan. 18. The court reversed the lower court’s dismissal and sent the case back for further proceedings.

The retailer that sold the boots, Keefe Commissary Network Sales, also must defend a claim that it was unjustly enriched, the court said.

Prisoners, their families, and advocates have turned to the courts to address alleged consumer abuses. Pricing schemes for prisoner phone ...