| |
In lugnet.market.theory, Jake McKee wrote:
> In lugnet.market.theory, Gordon Thomas wrote:
>
> Just my thoughts as a casual observer. Non-official Jake.
>
> > Case 1: www.theblockshop.com
> > They say they are “authorized” which implies that they buy from TLC as a
> > retailer, so they violate the terms by being an online venture only. If they
> > are misusing the term “authorized” and buy product from a distributor, how can
> > they price product at 15-20% off full retail and make money? The numbers would
> > not seem to add up to be profitable. This seems to suggest that they buy from
> > lego directly.
>
> Or that they simple decided to use the word "Authorized". There are multiple
> problems with the trademark usages on this site, which makes me wonder if they
> are, in fact, in any sort of relationship with the LEGO Company.
>
> What's that they say about "On the Internet, no one knows I'm a dog"..?
>
> > In both cases I think TLC needs to do some investigating into its “authorized
> > Lego retailers” as this would seem to directly threaten sales on lego.com,
> > especially with the new sets such as the 4496 and the new Knights sets. If TLC
> > is to be profitable and remain in business, people who take advantage of the
> > system need to be dealt with.
>
> I've passed this site along to Legal to get more information on this, and I'm
> sure they'll be all over it. Between the strange "authorized" thing, the
> "borrowing" of the legoshop.com stylings and imagery, the "borrowing" of
> lego.com graphic materials, and the incorrect trademark usage, something smells
> fishy.
Hi,
I am a representative of The Block Shop. I am posting to clarify some of the
issues and concerns raised in this thread regarding theblockshop.com. Feel free
to verify any of this information with The LEGO Company. If you have any
further questions, please contact us at customerservice@theblockshop.com. We
would be more than happy to respond.
Authorized Retailer:
The Block Shop is an authorized online LEGO retailer. Our website and company
have been directly approved by The LEGO Company. All of our merchandise is
purchased directly from The LEGO Company.
As I understand it, The Block Shop is one of a select group of web-only
companies allowed to sell LEGO products over the internet. The LEGO Company is
using our site, among others, to measure the effect of online retailers. We are
in no way affiliated with any entity on Bricklink.
Trademark Misuse:
Several of your posts have referred to our sloppy usage of trademarks. When our
web-site was approved, we made the assumption that all of our legal and
trademark use was correct. A recent visitor to our site (one of you?) brought
the misuse to our attention. We are working to correct this information as soon
as possible. We apologize for the incorrect usage.
Site Design:
The LEGO Company enthusiastically approved our site. While certain aspects of
our site are similar to the Shop @ Home site, we have made several changes that
we feel have improved navigation and ease of use. Nowhere on our site have we
attempted to represent ourselves as The LEGO Company. In general, this layout
is very common among e-tailers. Surf through a few online stores, you will
often see little variation between layouts.
Pricing:
Our pricing policies reflect our goal of creating value for the consumer. Most
of our customers have been very happy with our prices and service. So, whatever
our motivation, enjoy the low prices and stock up on your favorite sets.
We really appreciate your feedback. Stop by any time to offer suggestions or to
take advantage of our great prices. Once again, we do apologize for the
trademark misuse. We do ask that in the future you contact us first with any
concerns you have before you “run it by legal”. Internet postings are often the
fastest way for misinformation or misunderstanding to spread.
Thanks again,
Scott
Customer Service
customerservice@theblockshop.com
http://www.theblockshop.com
|
|
Message is in Reply To:
13 Messages in This Thread:
 
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
