Subject:
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Re: Tired of Paying for Dirty, Discolored and Damaged LEGO
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.shopping
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Date:
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Fri, 19 Apr 2002 02:47:39 GMT
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Viewed:
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215 times
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Greg,
As a fellow AFOL and an EBAY seller, I will reply as a seller. I think that
your approach to only buying from sellers who themselves are fans of Lego is
a good place to start. I assume that when I put Lego up for auction, that
my bidders will be AFOL because I post my auction listings to this NG.
Being a user, I describe the items as honestly as possible based on how I
would rate the condition of the parts for my own use. This in itself is a
problem. The buyer has to to make a judgment call as to how well he/she
believes that the seller has described the condition. I only sell new
parts.
One thing that I find interesting is how many of my bidders do not ask
questions during or even after the auction is won.. I try to be thorough in
all of my descriptions, but there is always something that is missed.... I
have even posted some auctions without pics of the actual set, and have not
had requests to view the parts... On the flipside, I always sell new sets,
and usually the only flaws are shelf worn boxes and tears in packaging.....
I guess few care about that part of it if they get a good deal....
In summary - my advice, if the description and pictures do not paint an
absolute clear picture of what you are getting. Ask for more clarification
or pictures. Bid only once you are sure of what you are getting.
my 2c
Dave
"Greg Perry" <supernerd23@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:GurMB4.7GI@lugnet.com...
> In order to provide myself with a bit of a vent, I thought I'd post this
> message and see if others share my perspective/experiences or whether I'm
> just completely wrong in my attitude and thinking (wouldn't be the first • time).
>
> My "problem" is that lately I seem to be getting more and more • dirty/damaged
> LEGO parts from BrickLink sellers.
>
> Before continuing, let me pause and provide a bit of background and • setting.
> First, in a little over a year I've purchased from BrickLink shops
> approximately fifty times. I'm sure that doesn't put me anywhere near the
> top of the list of heavy-duty buyers but I think it's enough experience to
> provide a platform to speak from. Many (if not most) of my orders have
> been from the small handful sellers that I keep going back to because
> they've never disappointed me. It's when I venture out to try someone new
> (at least to me) that I'm starting to get stung more and more.
>
> Secondly, in my mind there is (or was) a difference between buying on ebay
> (pretty much the only other online source for LEGO that I use) and buying
> from BrickLink. The difference is that I expect an ebay seller to be
> someone who might not know much about LEGO, may have picked up the item
> they're selling from a yard sale (or their own children), and most • certainly
> will never clean old parts if they're dirty. So I try to pay extra
> attention to ebay descriptions and pictures to make sure (as much as
> possible) that I know what I'm getting myself into with a purchase. And
> like most folks who have purchased LEGO from ebay or similar sources, I've
> spent plenty of time at the kitchen sink trying to get the caked-on dust • and
> dirt to go away.
>
> When it comes to BrickLink however, I guess I've tended to let my "Buyer
> Beware" guard down. I think this attitude was based on an obviously wrong
> idea that sellers on BrickLink are LEGO fans themselves, have an
> appreciation for The Brick (i.e. they build & play also) and are not out • to
> rip off and con fellow AFOL's (though I do understand, of course, that the
> aim is to make money).
>
> Well paint me green, call me naïve and put a "SUCKER" sign on my back
> because it turns out that's not the way it is at all (at least not for
> everyone).
>
> In recent months, I've had about 5 orders that contained parts that I
> considered to be completely useless. For the most part, these have been
> white pieces that turned out to be closer to brown or yellow in color and
> which no amount of scrubbing will clean. There have also been pieces like
> the pink fabuland umbrella that I purchased at top price from Germany only
> to find that when it arrived a month later that it looked like half of it
> had been soaking in a nicotine cocktail. This piece, and some of the • white
> pieces I've discarded, were at times described by the sellers as being in
> "good" or "excellent" condition.
>
> Then there are the unsatisfactory purchases that didn't come with a • New/Used
> label or any other description that would have alerted me to their poor
> condition. The example of this (and pretty much what has led to this
> venting) are the two King Kahuka figs I received in the mail this week.
> Both were sold at the average price for these figs (over $2) with no
> descriptions regarding their condition. One has had the stud on its head
> chewed on (it's sort of triangular in shape now). The other's torso has
> chewing and gouge marks. Both faces and torsos have scratches and faded
> spots. The white headdress on one has filth encrusted in the grooves
> between feathers. A dip in the Palmolive is not going to help these • guys.
> (Staring at these figs put me in mind of the old SNL skit about the
> restaurant that served pre-chewed steak - Yes! Now you too can purchase • your
> bricks from The House of Pre-Chewed LEGO).
>
> So, I've notified the seller that I'll be returning these figures for a
> refund. Up to now I've just sort of sucked it up and moved on, because • the
> pieces I've had to discard have never amounted to more than a couple of
> dollars per order. I hadn't considered it worth the hassle to contact the
> buyer, repackage the items, go to the post office, shell out my own money • to
> re-ship, etc. all for a dollar or two in parts. I also have been hesitant
> to even inform the sellers of my dissatisfaction because I anticipate some
> kind of "battle" in reaching a resolution. I think part of that attitude • is
> based on the idea that if the seller stuck me with the part in the first
> place, they're probably going to resist efforts on my part to return it.
>
> What really gets me about my "taking it" when it comes to these dirty and
> damaged parts is that I've even ended up giving positive feedback to some • of
> these buyers. Having seen the outrageous squabbles that have erupted over
> negative feedback (or in some cases over the fact that no feedback was • left)
> I didn't feel motivated to get caught up in that. And, after all, most of
> the parts I received from these sellers were fine and the service • (contact,
> delivery, packaging etc) was usually acceptable. So I've left feedback • that
> I've categorized as "positive" while not gushing (like I normally would) • in
> the actual written part of the feedback.
>
> I realize now that I'm helping to contribute to these sellers staying in
> business and continuing these practices and for that I'm starting to feel
> some guilt.
>
> From now on though, I'm going to start notifying sellers of my
> dissatisfaction, returning parts for refund, and posting appropriate
> feedback whatever the consequences. After all, that's why these systems
> were developed and put in place - so that other buyers won't fall victim • to
> the same practices by these sellers.
>
> So having laid out the basis for my consternation, I have some questions • for
> online Sellers and Buyers of LEGO (both BrickLink and other sources).
>
> Questions for Sellers (I don't really expect any answers to these • questions)
>
> - Do some sellers consider "excellent" or "good" condition to be based
> solely on the fact that the piece is simply intact without any regard to
> discoloring or the fact that dirt is caked on the piece?
> - Obviously, the point of BrickLink is for sellers to relieve themselves • of
> unwanted parts. Are there some sellers then who think it's okay to slide • a
> few useless parts in orders here and there in order to profit from pieces
> that otherwise they'd be unable to sell if described honestly?
> - And as a follow-up to the previous question - is this practice of • slipping
> a few cruddy parts in orders here and there based on the belief that • buyers
> aren't going to consider it worth the hassle to complain about and return
> these pieces?
> - Do some sellers believe that "Let the Buyer Beware" is the basis of • doing
> business on BrickLink? That is, if the seller provides no description of
> the item and someone buys it then they're just out of luck because there's
> an assumption that pieces are sold "as is" with no guarantee of condition.
> - Would these sellers consider it my fault because I didn't ask for a
> truthful report about the condition of each and every part I'm interested • in
> prior to actually purchasing it? If this is the case should I also • inquire
> about the parts that are described as being in "excellent" condition since
> as I've learned this word doesn't seem to have universal meaning among • sellers?
> - OR are these sellers operating on "good faith" because in their opinion,
> experience and use of LEGO they honestly believe there's nothing wrong • with
> building with discolored and damaged pieces?
>
> Questions for Fellow Buyers
>
> - Are there other buyers who have been purchasing what they thought would • be
> "ready to use" LEGO from BrickLink sellers only to find that the parts • that
> show up are filthy or discolored to the point of being useless?
> - Are there other buyers who, like me, have been wimping out on providing
> the negative feedback that these sellers deserve?
> - Are there buyers who feel like they must approach BrickLink with a
> completely cynical attitude and assume that "no description" equals "poor
> condition" and just avoid these parts?
> - Is there anyone out there who feels like they have to get a "Statement • of
> Condition" on each and every part prior to actually purchasing it?
> (ridiculous I know but maybe someone actually does this).
>
> So there it is, my venting about dirty and damaged parts I've bought from
> BrickLink. I want to reiterate that I am not talking about all sellers on
> BrickLink - only a small handful (4 or 5 at most) that I've had bad
> experiences with in recent months. The sellers I use regularly have NEVER
> let me down (thanks Melanie, Troy & Brett!) and I WILL continue to use
> BrickLink. In fact, I'm planning to open my own shop this summer and hope
> to eventually be viewed as good seller of bricks.
>
> In the meantime, though I've definitely soured on a couple of BrickLink
> sellers and while I haven't provided the negative feedback that I probably
> should have, our local LUG here in Richmond is sharing information about • our
> collective experiences with sellers so at least I'll be able to steer a • few
> folks from people I'll never buy from again.
>
> I'd be interested in the experiences and views of others on this subject.
> However, as I stated previously my primary purpose was just to provide
> myself with a little venting and make my declaration of "Not Taking It
> Anymore" when it comes to paying for LEGO that I can't use.
>
> Greg
>
> Posting Justification:
> Posted to General to start things rolling since most folks on LUGNET
> purchase LEGO online at one point or another.
> Request that follow-ups be directed to Market.Shopping (unless someone • wants
> to dictate that a posting on this subject belongs somewhere else like • maybe
> Market.Theory).
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