!!DANGER!! pay close attention to sets you buy in B&M

[Ed Mack]

Why people don't buy these valuable sets from reputable places like S@H, Amazon (direct not reseller), John Lewis, etc. is beyond me. UK buyers will demand a MASSIVE discount on an opened box whether verified contents or not. In the UK, an opened box means no profit or not worthwhile after fees.

I have bought many large and expensive sets from eBay sellers in the US and UK and 99% have been as advertised.  I buy from eBay at times because the deal is a good one.  Sure, there are sellers on any site that are crooks, but the vast majority try to give the buyers the products they expect.

[naf]

Was at a Walmart looking to see if they had marked down their clearance further.  Picked up a box and it sounded like the Lego was just in there loose, all out of the sealed bags.  Look at the side and sure enough the seals were retaped.  I'm sure the minifigs were gone.  No clue why stores would take this garbage back, and also no clue why they'd just put it up on the shelf again for someone who isn't as perceptive to buy.  When I worked retail we'd send a lot of open box stuff back to the manufacturer for a credit.

[Alfiepops]

Was at a Walmart looking to see if they had marked down their clearance further.  Picked up a box and it sounded like the Lego was just in there loose, all out of the sealed bags.  Look at the side and sure enough the seals were retaped.  I'm sure the minifigs were gone.  No clue why stores would take this garbage back, and also no clue why they'd just put it up on the shelf again for someone who isn't as perceptive to buy.  When I worked retail we'd send a lot of open box stuff back to the manufacturer for a credit.

 

The last three items I bought at ASDA (Walmart) came in mail bags that have been kicked around the warehouse floor. Battered and bruised, scraped and ripped and tape open. All contents were present but obviously they have been bought and returned several times and all are now at the point of being completely unsellable. They keep offering e vouchers but they are useless against lego you are only going to send back again. Buying at B&M store online guarantees nothing I probably could have removed half the content, glued it up and sent it back and no one would have noticed. The Lego set would just continue to wing its way around the system of send and return for several more laps before the box literally disintegrates due to stress. I am now warming to boxes opened and verified as long as the seller makes it clear they have done this for peace of mind for both himself and the buyer. What it so important about a bit of sticky tape if everything is present and correct? 

[hankdelsi]

just opened two nicely sealed goblin king battles that i picked up on clearance from kmart.  seals looked good.  upon closer inspection, one side of the box flaps seemed tightly sealed.  sure enough, all figs were removed from both sets, bags were resealed with heat gun (i guess) and box had been glued.

[ZombieToyChest]

I just picked up a Goblin king battle yesterday. Time to go double check my box.

[holleman67]

Honestly I'd be weighing sets before breaking seals. If you have a good scale it can decipher to the gram and verify with each set.

[legoray01]

People in Detroit just rip the stuff open and take.  Never come across a reseal but I have checked the seals pretty good when something looks shelf worn. 

 

Detroit - we aren't subtle we just plow through. 

 

But you have to hit the walmart because the 50% discounts is just too much to pass on. 

 

There are only a few other "collectors" that I know of that are hitting the same rounds that I am but we are all just buyers.  No one has sstarted done the path of stealing and returning.

 

But honesty is a funny thing - I got a few extra simpson minifig packs in my cart by accident and I went through self checkout so I didn't ring them up.  Found them later when I counted the packs and I went back and paid for them. 

 

I sleep better at night knowing I paid  for them.  Just becasue you can steal doesn't mean you should but there are way too many out there who do. 

 

Sorry, some people just suck but what they put in the world is what they are going to get back.  Karma.

[hankdelsi]

Southern new jersey area warning, just opened my resealed jabba's palace, no figs again.  You'll notice one side of the box was reglued shut.  All bags were resealed as well.  This guy is taking his time repackaging after removing the figs.

[Shislerocco]

Southern new jersey area warning, just opened my resealed jabba's palace, no figs again.  You'll notice one side of the box was reglued shut.  All bags were resealed as well.  This guy is taking his time repackaging after removing the figs.

I am wondering if this all could be the same culprit doing this. South jersey is a stones throw away from philly. So many seem to be done in the same manner with the glue.

The stores have to have record of who might have returned such sets or multiples of the same set or just multiple sets at the same time.

I'm just wondering how many more sets I have sitting in storage with the same issue.

[JRandall]

The question is, if they're doing this there is it being done all over..

[tguncurun]

Makes me want to break all my seals just to verify contents... say you been sitting on a valuable set for a few years then finally sell it NISB. Ship it out then buyer claims its been tampered with and contents missing? Im sure if we keep selling sealed sets we will run into a similar problem

[JRandall]

What should a person be looking for when checking their "new" sets to see if they were tampered with? It sounds like some of these fraudsters are experts.  Is there a way to spot a re-gluing or resealing of the set? Do you guys reccomend weighing sets with any specific scale most people use that is cheap etc?

[Shislerocco]

My suggestion (others can add to list)

In store:

-Lift ends of boxes to see there is glue. Most boxes I have encountered do not have the tight seal that glue would produce.

-Closely investigate seals to see if they have been lifted from original positions or I other tape has been applied over seals to look like original seal.

-shake contents of box to investigate loose bricks in box or sound of contents other than bricks.

- boxes that have more typical shelf wear than others pay special close attention to.

At home/office:

Weigh sets to compare with online weights some sites provide. Check more than one source fr descrepancies before jumping to conclusion.

[TheOrcKing]

If the seals have been tampered with, there could be what looks like fingerprints or some sweat smudged underneath the tape. Flaps on boxes using tape seals should have a little bit of slack if some force is applied so if they are in fact glued, the flaps won't even budge at all no matter the direction. You can try shifting the box around from left to right and if you can hear way too many loose bricks slamming the lowered side plus if it takes a while before the noise of everything hitting stops, it

[JRandall]

If the seals have been tampered with, there could be what looks like fingerprints or some sweat smudged underneath the tape. Flaps on boxes using tape seals should have a little bit of slack if some force is applied so if they are in fact glued, the flaps won't even budge at all no matter the direction. You can try shifting the box around from left to right and if you can hear way too many loose bricks slamming the lowered side plus if it takes a while before the noise of everything hitting stops, it

[stackables]

Some of my lego purchases in the past have contained loose bricks, if this a common occurance or does this signify the sets have been opened?  Some of those sets have been sealed and look brand new also.

I don't understand this either.  My ewok villiage has a loose plate. I think some sets have loose pieces, not sure why.

[comicblast]

I don't understand this either.  My ewok villiage has a loose plate. I think some sets have loose pieces, not sure why.

Yeah, same with Pirate Ship Ambush. It doesn't make sense in my mind, especially considering the size of the bags that Lego uses. They could easily fit the pieces inside any of the bags.

[Frank Brickowski]

I don't understand this either.  My ewok villiage has a loose plate. I think some sets have loose pieces, not sure why.

 

Tower Bridge also has some un-bagged parts like plates etc. loose in the box.

[gorbasho]

Lots of sets have loose parts, usually larger plates. The concern is when multiple small parts are sliding around loose inside the box. I have one set right now with box and seals in great condition but from turning the box around I can hear lots of loose bricks clattering around. I don't think it's always a sign of tampering, because I've opened some sets before and found that the inside bags have come open, I imagine due to rough handling that causes a sharp brick to poke a hole in the bag. For reselling though, I wouldn't keep any loose-sounding sets regardless of the box/seal condition.

[TheOrcKing]

You can try shifting the box around from left to right and if you can hear way too many loose bricks slamming the lowered side plus if it takes a while before the noise of everything hitting stops, it

[tguncurun]

You sell a set, pack and ship never been open until buyer opens a case not as described says all the minifigs are gone then you have to pay return shipping and get it back and yep sure enough all minifigs gone... anyone? Then click on buyers account 2 weeks later and hey what u know looks like your mini figs

[JRandall]

You sell a set, pack and ship never been open until buyer opens a case not as described says all the minifigs are gone then you have to pay return shipping and get it back and yep sure enough all minifigs gone... anyone? Then click on buyers account 2 weeks later and hey what u know looks like your mini figs

For people who sell items like that, that's when insurance is useful so you can file a claim.

[tguncurun]

For people who sell items like that, that's when insurance is useful so you can file a claim.

[tguncurun]

Hey good idea thanks

[areyounormal]

Do you think the people stealing the figs from sets generally are collecting them or trying to make money by selling them?