lukie13 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) Rather new to the site - as well as to Lego. My young son got into it at Christmas, and just over three months later I'm well in on the investing side (fortunately or unfortunately). I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for the following. I just bought my first sealed set from ebay. It was factory sealed, new, undamaged, etc, but I opened it and found it was creased on the front (I hope you can see from the picture). There was no mention of the box having a crease. It was shipped in a box with styrofoam peanuts in it. Would fellow investors make an issue out of this? The seller does not offer returns, but it is under the ebay protection. It was shipped with insurance from CanadaPost. Any help that anyone could provide would be helpful. Edited March 17, 2015 by gregpj Re-adding the picture - don't know why it didnt show after approving. Quote
gregpj Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Welcome lukie13... This question has been asked and answered a few times.... and to be honest, there is no right or wrong answer. Did you buy this set to build or invest? Do you consider yourself a "box snob"? Is it worth your time and effort to complain about a relatively minor crease - maybe the picture doesn't do it justice, but it doesn't look too serious. The general consensus is that minor issues with a box like that won't affect the value. Giant gashes or tears, but minor creasing, shelf-wear, corner crushing are pretty common and people who buy to build won't really care. Many people around here are very careful with their listings - mentioning any and all damage especially with more expensive sets to avoid just these types of questions. Personally, if you got it for a good price or are planning on building it some day I wouldn't worry about it. Leave feedback, move on to the next. And just an FYI - your first five posts need to be mod-approved. It's a step to reduce spammers from registering and posting spam to the forum never to return. Welcome again and please feel free to hang out in the Canada forums. 2 Quote
wsuskee Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) Dont be a "box snob" had never heard that term before but it fits perfect. The link wont work for me so I cant see the pic or know what item it is but just best to move on. Also dont be the one that leaves positive feedback but gives low ratings and then mentions the crease in the feedback. Leave a positive 5 star rating and karma will work in your favor. For example your next purchase could list minor shelf wear yet when it arrives its in near perfect shape. Edited March 17, 2015 by wsuskee Quote
Busch97racing Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 don't buy off of ebay, as there is to much of a chance this could happen if you are looking for mint boxes. there are some good sellers who ship item great, but normally they tell you that in the listing, so pay attention to details. Quote
minicoopers11 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 don't buy off of ebay, as there is to much of a chance this could happen if you are looking for mint boxes. there are some good sellers who ship item great, but normally they tell you that in the listing, so pay attention to details. Don't buy off anywhere online if you absolutely must have a mint box, really. 4 Quote
gregpj Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I removed and re-added the picture for the OP. Not sure why it didn't show up. Dont be a "box snob" had never heard that term before but it fits perfect. When I buy to build, I don't like getting mangled boxes but I could care less if it has a crease or two. Quote
KShine Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 That crease is really not a big deal - Unless the seller stated that the box was flawless/mint (display quality), but it doesn't seem that there was any deception involved. Quote
minicoopers11 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Rather new to the site - as well as to Lego. My young son got into it at Christmas, and just over three months later I'm well in on the investing side (fortunately or unfortunately). I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for the following. I just bought my first sealed set from ebay. It was factory sealed, new, undamaged, etc, but I opened it and found it was creased on the front (I hope you can see from the picture). There was no mention of the box having a crease. It was shipped in a box with styrofoam peanuts in it. Would fellow investors make an issue out of this? The seller does not offer returns, but it is under the ebay protection. It was shipped with insurance from CanadaPost. Any help that anyone could provide would be helpful. post-48766-0-73289700-1426606234.jpg Yeah, I wouldn't sweat that crease. Wouldn't even mention that in feedback. Leave positive and move on. Quote
DoNotInsertIntoMouth Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Ill tell you from tons of experience. Box condition matters soooooo little. How you sell, list, detail, etc. an item matters much more. Your reputation where ever you sell, etc. IN this case, its more trouble for you to send it back. If you resell that later, you wont have trouble selling it. Just mention it to the seller so they know to pay better attention next time (we can all be better sellers) and then you are good. Enjoy a great set. 1 Quote
wsuskee Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Now that I see it is a $350 set I would want the box in good condition. The crease does look minor so if its to build one day down the road just let it be. If you really needed to have a minty box to display on your wall then maybe contact the seller stating your case as nice as you can and see what they say. I am against partial discounts since it normally comes back to bite me but at times people are more than willing to give you a small percent back to avoid the hassle of the return. Quote
naf Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I wouldn't worry about it. I'm assuming you bought the set to build and not to invest, unless you got a killer deal on it. Lego boxes are very prone to creases and dings because of their size, and the fact that the bags of Lego inside are free to move around. As others have said, box condition matters very little when reselling. In fact, I get requests all the time to open up a new sealed set and just ship the contents to cut down on shipping costs. In my listings, I mention that the box is imperfect and not display quality, even if it is indeed perfect. No matter how well it's packed, there is still a chance that it can arrive with a crease or crushed corner. And if the box arrives in perfect condition it's a bonus for the buyer. I've never had a complaint about box condition selling this way. Quote
lukie13 Posted March 17, 2015 Author Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks everyone for your comments/suggestions. Much appreciated - especially from individuals that have the experience! Much obliged. Quote
jaisonline Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 where is the crease? here is what many would call a bad lego crease and it could still be worse. Rather new to the site - as well as to Lego. My young son got into it at Christmas, and just over three months later I'm well in on the investing side (fortunately or unfortunately). I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for the following. I just bought my first sealed set from ebay. It was factory sealed, new, undamaged, etc, but I opened it and found it was creased on the front (I hope you can see from the picture). There was no mention of the box having a crease. It was shipped in a box with styrofoam peanuts in it. Would fellow investors make an issue out of this? The seller does not offer returns, but it is under the ebay protection. It was shipped with insurance from CanadaPost. Any help that anyone could provide would be helpful. post-48766-0-73289700-1426606234.jpg 4 Quote
pete411 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I agree with most of the others. If you're overly concerned with the condition of the box, don't buy it from ebay. I bought a Joker Steam Roller set on ebay (this was two months before the Target clearance) and received the item wrapped in just paper and completely smashed up. The seller obviously played a part in this by not packaging the item securely so I did contact the seller and received a partial refund. If I had received the item and found a few dings and creases on it but the seller had packed it securely, I would not have fussed. Anyways, congrats on your purchase. I think Diagon Alley is a sweet set. Quote
asharerin Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 This is why I only sell to Canadians thru GSP. Can't wait for your toolhaus report at the end of the year 1 Quote
Kenxxx Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I would agree with most comments here. The crease does not look so bad, and is not likely to affect the selling price of this set by much. One key question... if the seller had pointed out the crease in their offer (photographed it... or described it) would you have not bought it at that price? Would you have insisted on paying less? pete411 kind of matches my opinion... if the seller was negligent, and basically caused the box to get creased, I have no problem contacting him and - very politely - saying that the packaging wasn't the best, the item was damaged in shipping, and I am "disappointed". Then see what he says. Some will not respond, or say "no returns", then you have to decide: is it worth opening a case over? If I demand my money back, can I get a better quality one at the same price elsewhere? Often when I approach a seller with my polite "disappointment", they will reply basically, "What will it take to make you happy?" Then, I try to be a fair as possible. $10 off? $20? Again, you have to look at other examples of the item currently available for sale... look at those prices, and be reasonable. Quote
rebuild Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 You should consult an attorney. Sue the seller, sue eBay, sue LEGO. Was the shipping box creased? If so, add Staples and USPS to your suit. Who the hell do these sellers think they are? If you're not going to invest in a jeweler's loupe and document box imperfections you shouldn't sell on eBay. There are probably creases that aren't even visible to the naked eye under the surface of the box. Quote
Fcbarcelona101 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Listen to most of the comments here. Don't think anything about it, you will be able to sell the set for the market price whether it has a crease or not Quote
jbacunn Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Yeah, I wouldn't sweat that crease. Wouldn't even mention that in feedback. Leave positive and move on. Agree. Send out some good Karma. You will need it back some day when you make a little mistake on one of your listings. Quote
diablo2112 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) Many of my large set boxes sent via UPS, etc have creases. Very hard to avoid these, even with careful packing. One cause is the loose contents in these boxes. If you really want to avoid box damage, you need to open the kits and cushion the bags. I've seen disclaimers in ebay auctions for box damage, basically that the box is sold as is. I Need to adopt this language in all my auctions, even with my careful packing and shipping. OP, that damage is minor. Ignore it. You're going to be seeing much worse in your investment dealings. Edited March 17, 2015 by diablo2112 Quote
Grynn Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 As a definite box snob (for my personal collection) I disagree with the blanket karma policy. Way too easy to promote bad behavior that way. The biggest thing here is to learn from the experience. It took me a while, but I finally adopted a policy of asking about creases and other flaws prior to bid/purchase. If I got no response (especially with stock pic, or lousy / few pics), I simply didn't buy unless it was at a price I'd be happy to receive a fairly crushed set at. Combined with careful communication about packaging, my disappointment level has severely diminished. If I were in your shoes, wanting to keep the set (because, as has been established, that crease won't substantially affect resale value) I would first double check the listing pics to make sure I didn't miss that crease. If I did, my bad. Otherwise, I would then politely message the seller expressing your disappointment. If the seller gives you a hard time about it (as many here would), I'd stress the importance of an accurate description, especially on an expensive collector's item. Then leave feedback according to how the exchange ends. If the seller doesn't respond, i would probably just leave no feedback at all. If the seller responds in a positive way, I would kindly stress the importance of an accurate description, especially on an expensive collector's item, then leave positive feedback (maybe 4 stars on description if seller has sold much Lego). Under no circumstances would I return it unless I paid a premium for a "perfect" box, which does not appear to be the case. I may or may not accept a partial refund if offered, depending on price paid and seller behavior. (Yes, I've turned down those offers in cases where the customer service attitude was excellent.) That's just me. The more people get rewarded for shoddy item descriptions, the more they will continue to do it. 1 Quote
asharerin Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 It took me a while, but I finally adopted a policy of asking about creases and other flaws prior to bid/purchase. I think if you are a box queen then that would be the first responsible thing you should do prior to purchasing. Give the seller a chance to use kid gloves on you or blacklist. Grovelling after the fact for a partial discount while holding the seller hostage is not cool. Just MO. 2 Quote
Kenxxx Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Sure, no one needs to raise a stink about their 6862 Superman / Power Lex with a little crease in it (yet). But I think that - as a seller selling a $300 Diagon Alley - if you don't want to run into a "box diva" (the term we prefer), then the first responsible thing you should do is insert into your listing a simple phrase like, "box may have small crease(s) or other minor defects" ... after all, it has no effect on the value of your sale, right? So you have nothing to lose but a disgruntled customer you didn't want anyway. Just be up front about it. That way you don't have to blame the customer for sending you money and expecting to receive an, " ...unopened, undamaged item..." 1 Quote
justapilgrim Posted March 18, 2015 Posted March 18, 2015 You mentioned you wanted to start investing. Are you planning on documenting in writing and with pics every crease and ding in your listings? Probably not. I recently got hit with a item not as described for a USED set, that had defects clear in picture. I gave a partial refund and blocked the buyer If you are a snob,.you usually aren't worth the hassle, and I'd be super polite tonyou and then block you Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Brickpicker mobile app 1 Quote
Fcbarcelona101 Posted March 19, 2015 Posted March 19, 2015 Sure, no one needs to raise a stink about their 6862 Superman / Power Lex with a little crease in it (yet). But I think that - as a seller selling a $300 Diagon Alley - if you don't want to run into a "box diva" (the term we prefer), then the first responsible thing you should do is insert into your listing a simple phrase like, "box may have small crease(s) or other minor defects" ... after all, it has no effect on the value of your sale, right? So you have nothing to lose but a disgruntled customer you didn't want anyway. Just be up front about it. That way you don't have to blame the customer for sending you money and expecting to receive an, " ...unopened, undamaged item..." That's pretty much what I ended up doing a few months ago on all of my listings, even if an individual box is as mint as it could be. Easier that way Quote
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