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<Appologies for not threading...>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Istok [mailto:gistok@umich.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 12:42 AM
> To: lugnet.lego.direct@lugnet.com; lugnet.loc.au@lugnet.com;
> lugnet.org.au@lugnet.com
> Subject: Re: LEGO.new is coming
>
>
> Um..... Ben, yes the USA is the center of the known Universe. :-)
So I'd heard. It doesn't mean I have to like it...or believe it :)
> If you want any bulk orders before it is available in
> Australia, I am sure that
> there are many AFOLs in North American and (Germanic) Europe
> that would be happy to
> order for you until then.
I know this, it's just that I'm getting sick and tired of TLG's treatment of
Australia.[and not neccesarily all of this should go to TLG, a lot of the
problem (and maybe all of it) is caused by LA.] The way TLG treat both
consumers AND retailers leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, I know of
several toy shops that have ceased to stock LEGO, not because of the demand
[or lack thereof...I'll explain this later] but because of the way LA is
treating them. The main reasons I have been given are (in no particular
order):
1) Changing settlement on accounts from 90 days to 30 days
2) Making stores have about $3000 in an account with LA
3) LA selecting which sets get sent to toy-shops, and not allowing the
toyshops as much choice on what they get. [After the first delivery of sets
from each line, they can order what they want, but they have some sets
forced on them that just sit there. IE, my local toy shop [a small store]
had between 40 and 60 6709's, 8 6975's, and a few other sets that just sit
on the shelf till they get discounted. [and how would LA expect a small
store to sell 40 copies of a discontinued set?]
4) LA's sales reps rarely visiting the stores [and I've noticed that
sometimes they don't even arrive weeks after they've said they'll be there
on a particular day]
[there were more, but that's all I can remember at the moment.]
And then LA's treatment of the customers:
1) Customer service staff (who are the most helpful people...pity they can't
take over LA) are not informed of any promotions in Australia...For the
Shell promo's, I had to contact Shell to find out if we were getting them.
[And yet LA bring the sets into the country.]
2) Inability to produce an ACCURATE Australian catalogue. The first one this
year included sets that weren't to be released in Australia, and they
claimed this was because it was an "International" catalogue...yet I've got
the corresponding German and Belgian catalogues, and there are quite a few
differences in items between them...I'd like to see another country with the
same catalogue range. Then, when they release a second catalogue, we get a
"Not all sets available" message on the front cover.
3) From conversations with Customer Service a couple of years ago, I was
informed that LA is still deciding the Australian range for the next year
around October [after the US has had in-box catalogues spotted] and that the
customer service staff aren't allowed to let anyone know what sets we will
most likely be getting/not getting until AFTER the catalogue is available.
4) LA actually getting in sets that they sell through Customer Service and
not letting anyone know about them or the fact that they actually do this.
5) LA's inability to price sets consistently...We've had 6474's at around
$25 Aus, and 340x soccer busses for $20 [and these were only brought in
because of all the queries about them from people asking either LA or their
toyshops [who passed the queries on] why they weren't available.
6) [Related to 5.] The main reason people don't like buying Lego is its high
costs, yet LA are able to "subsidise" the soccer sets here, making their
price LOWER than what is paid in the US for the same set. Yet, strangely,
almost every other set they have in their range here is above the equivalent
US price by a HIGH margin [in some cases getting a set shipped to Aus by
airmail is a large saving over the Aus price...even with the $Aus where it
is]
7) LA seem to think that the only way to get money is to sell with these
high prices, which causes more and more people to stop buying lego and so
they push the prices up again.
8) Even when LA put a release month in the catalogues for a set/range, this
is still negotiable, due to the items taking longer than expected to arrive.
Strangely, this has happened over the last few years, yet LA have been
shipping lego to Australia for the last 20+ years.
Whoever is in charge of sales needs to think about this strategy which is
causing Lego to lose a considerable number of potential sales through their
current marketing approach. Even worse is the fact that LA actually do know
Lugnet exists, yet they make no effort to respond either through an
Australian spokesperson, or through BradJ, which leads me to believe that LA
has more or less complete control over the Australian market for lego, and
that the way they were set up is in such a way that no other Lego area is
allowed to work in their market. [hence all the problems getting this S@H
idea going here] The way I see it, if TLG aren't very careful, they'll
become the best-known brand in Australia...As the best known childrens toy
company to cease trading in Australia.
> After reading your post, I'm sure that there are a lot of
> people who would be dying
> to flame you, but maybe they are happy that you reminded them
> (with your Australian
> inferiority complex) that they live here and not there.
Well, if they want to come over here and see how we're treated, they might
actually begin to understand my complaints [while TLG aren't the only
problem, they are a good example of the treatment we receive]
> I personally don't understand why you just can't order (over
> the internet) bulk
> LEGO over the internet, even if it means shipping from a
> foreign land. Perhaps
> import duties/postage are such that it would be cost prohibitive.
Well, I've ordered several times from overseas, and have had no problems
with importing...I think it's just LA's way of keeping us in our
place...They choose what we get, and we must praise them for the range we
get, and be thankful we have them, even at the exorbitant prices.
> I do agree that late 2001 is a long time to wait.
Yep, especially when we were hoping Brad's words earlier this year meant we
might get SOMETHING this year :(
> Gary Istok
And to think...I'd been under the assumption that an international company
should try and treat all countries they serve equally, and not favor one
over another. [It's a pity that TLG aren't like this] After all, if they had
any intention of getting S@H going internationally, why not work on getting
it ready in all countries they intend it to be in before announcing
anything...Oh, my mistake...that's what they did. It's nice to see that they
actually expanded outside their target country(s).
BTW, Should BradJ or LA wish to correct me on anything I've stated above,
I'd welcome whatever information they can give. If I don't hear anything,
I'll assume that what I've stated above is correct.
Benjamin Whytcross
BWhytcro@PacificAccess.com.au
Ph: (03) 9856 5282
Directory Technology Pty Ltd
1/436 Elgar Road,
Box Hill, 3128
Growing older is compulsory..Growing up isn't :-)
> Benjamin Whytcross wrote:
>
> > In lugnet.lego.direct, Brad Justus writes:
> > > Well, it's the end of the week. And I did promise. So • here's welcome (I hope!)
> > > news:
> >
> > Hooray. Good news from LD.
> >
> > > On September 11, we will relaunch LEGO.com. As part of • this relaunch, we will
> > > extend the LEGO Shop At Home service to the Internet. • Though we may limit the
> > > assortment available online for a few weeks (as we grow • comfortable with our
> > > new fulfillment processes), by October you will be able to • place any LEGO Shop
> > > At Home order online as well as through the "traditional" • phone, fax, and
> > > snail mail channels.
> >
> > Sounds good...Don't like the 'limiting the assortment' bit, • but getting
> > anything done by TLG for us Aussies is a big effort. • Anything would be better
> > than what we've got.
> >
> > > Perhaps more significantly, we are taking LEGO Shop At • Home international.
> > > Also from September 11, you will be able to order online • in the UK, Ireland,
> > > Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, • Sweden, and Austria.
> > > We will be adding service to Switzerland in November. The • full LEGO Shop At
> > > Home assortment (with a handful of exceptions) will be • available to these
> > > countries, including bulk elements. (By the way, we'll be • expanding the bulk
> > > assortment in October.) Toll-free numbers will be • available for phone orders,
> > > and we are also exploring offering printed catalogs in • some of these European
> > > markets.
> >
> > Australia ???
> >
> > > Currently, we plan to add the remaining EU countries, as • well as Australia,
> > > New Zealand, and selected Asian markets by the third • quarter of 2001 (but we
> > > are working hard to do it earlier if we can). I wish we • could bring LEGO Shop
> > > At Home to everyone right now, but it takes time and an • incredible amount of
> > > effort to build and manage a global e-commerce service to • the standards which
> > > our customers (and we) expect.
> >
> > So this is the 'news that I think everyone is looking • forward to.' ???[1] That
> > the work required to 'make even a limited offering to you • by the end of the
> > year'[2] was harder than you thought? Well, how about a • compromise...BRING
> > BACK the ability Lego Australia had to get individual parts • in quantity for
> > the people who are unable to use this new S@H service. • [Like either what Lego
> > Aus had, or what NZ had]
> >
> > Strangely, I'm not surprised that there's nothing really in • this news for
> > people more than a country or 2 from where they actually • produce LEGO,
> > although I would have thought that they'dd realise...If • they treat somewhere
> > like a second [third, fourth,...]-class area, then of • course it's not going to
> > have great sales. Strangely enough, I think TLG would be • better served by
> > closing down LA, and making it a sub-entity of Lego • UK...After all, that's how
> > NZ gets all the good items that don't make their way to our • stores...even
> > though LA handle them for NZ :(
> >
> > > We are quite excited about the new LEGO.com. I think that • you will find that
> > > LEGO.new (as we're calling it here) is a big leap forward • for The LEGO Company
> > > online. Though much of the existing content will remain, we will be
> > > introducing a new interface and content architecture that • will allow us in
> > > future to expand our offerings -- not just to the current • core audience of
> > > kids, but to parents and adult enthusiasts as well. Of • course, once we've
> > > launched, we welcome your comments and suggestions. An • Internet site is always
> > > a work-in-progress, and as proud as we are of this new • one, we are already
> > > thinking of ways to make it better.
> >
> > So not only don't we get what Brad said they would "try" to • do [3], but now we
> > won't even be able to order the little amount of service • packs shown in the
> > Australian Lego catalogue...5 technic 'powerpacks' shown on • page 67. Looking
> > back, now I realise what the "Not all products listed are • available" was
> > actually about.
> >
> > > We hope that you look forward to this new site as much as we do.
> >
> > I suppose I do...In the 3rd quarter of 2001 :(
> > [When typing this I actually mis-typed 20001, and I thought • it represented a
> > more acurate time-frame, but I thought I'd give TLG the • benefit of the doubt,
> > AGAIN.]
> >
> > > Until the launch... Play Well!
> > >
> > > -- Brad
> > >
> > > Brad Justus
> > > Senior Vice President, LEGO Direct
> >
> > Yep, I'll "play well"...with what I've currently got, and • not much else :(
> >
> > [1] http://news.lugnet.com/lego/direct/?n=632
> > Yep...Australia is looking forward to it...a long way forward.
> >
> > [2] http://news.lugnet.com/lego/announce/?n=14
> > Seems that even a limited offering [5 technic supplementary packs in
> > catalogue, and current range] are too much for Australians • to expect/hope
> > for...And TLG wonders why Australia is a "small market" for • their products.
> >
> > [3] How much effort would it take to allow Australians to • purchase from what
> > little lego arrives in Australia. Even the ability to know • when Lego Australia
> > will be selling sets themselves that aren't officially • available would be
> > appreciated.
> >
> > Brad, in case you don't know, what I'm referring to here is • the way that Lego
> > Australia got in an assortment of train sets not shown in • our catalogue around
> > Christmas last year. They then sold these from their • offices in Sydney without
> > even advertising this to the people who might have been • interested in them,
> > and it was only found out by Santosh around March this • year. When I was
> > talking to the Customer service not long afterwards, I was • told that this sort
> > of thing happens occasionally, and that they knew about • Lugnet. However, for
> > some reason they neither try to let people know about this • through a mention
> > in the catalogues that there may occasionally be • offers/one-offs like this
> > available or post a message here to say that there is a new • shippent arrived.
> >
> > Also, Lego Australia's sales head seems to have some strange sales
> > practices...this year, he first decided that no-one in • Australia would want
> > any soccer/football set other than the large field, even • though all the sets
> > are shown in the catalogue. Then, when he hears what people • really want, he
> > gets these sets in...and they are priced in stores as the • best value for money
> > sets available. How is he able to sell these for a lower • price than they are
> > in the US [allowing for currency conversions] when almost • all the other sets
> > available down here cost a lot more than they do from the • US. [And often
> > ordering a larger set in the US, and posting it Airmail to • Australia is
> > CHEAPER than purchasing it in Australia.]
> >
> > I look forward to hearing more...[Although I don't expect a • response...After
> > all, what happens outside the US generally ddoesn't worry • international
> > companies working in the US...They all seem to endd up • considering the US as
> > the centre of the universe, and ignore the rest. :( ]
> >
> > Benjamin Whytcross [Preparng to be flamed for standing up • for his country,
> > insignificant though most consider it.]
> >
> > bwhytcro@pacificaccess.com.au
>
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