Lego In-Store Policy Change Toward Promotion Stacking?

[jaisonline]

 

 

As with most Lego promotions, you must spend a required amount of money to get the 'free' item.   Many folks also use promotion stacking on http://shop.lego.com  which is the process of spending just enough money to earn multiple promotional items.  

After waiting too long to order products at shop.lego.com to obtain the popular 40252 Mini VW Beetle promotion (sold-out online), I visited my local Lego mall store.  This store had current promotional sets available including 40252 and the 40265 LEGO Friends Tic Tac Toe set.  The purchase requirements were to spend $50+ for the VW Beetle set and $20+ in Friends items for the Tic Tac Toe polybag.  Both are popular items and make nice child Easter gifts (especially for my 2 children).

 

 

While paying, I was told my $62 ($21 of that for Friends items) worth of Lego products wasn't enough to cover both promotional items.  The cashier told me their store were given strict rules to enforce around promotional items and I needed to pick one.  I ended up going home with the 40252 Mini VW Beetle set. 

After arriving home, I double-checked if Lego's web site still allowed promotion stacking.  It did after added one $59.99 Friends set in my cart.   Both Tic Tac Toe and City Helicopter (replacement for the sold-out VW) promotional items were in my cart.

 

I then read a 40252 Mini VW Beetle review where MeganL from brickset mentioned she was able to get both promotions by "doubling up" at a Lego store. 

  http://brickset.com/article/27432

 

To further determine whether my experience was a mistake or an unannounced in-store change, I contacted Lego customer phone support today. 

The nice representative informed me that other customers have called with the same question after being denied at their store. 

At least one store manager told this same representative she was given rules to deny promotions stacking.  Her customers could only receive both promotions if they spent $20+ on Friends items plus another $50+ on more Friends or another theme.

 

Please let us know how your local Lego store is currently handling promotion stacking and if it's different than past months. 

 

Disclaimer: Not all U.S stores may follow the new rule regarding promotion stacking.   Lego's online website, https://shop.lego.com/  automatically stack promotions in the shopping cart before order check-out.  Additionally, some stores haven't allowed promotion stacking since their grand opening.

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[psusyntar]

I feel like your in the same area as me.  Was this the Cherry Hill store?  Was planning on going there tomorrow to see if I could double up.

[MrToes16]

As a customer, this blows. As a business rule, yeah I get that it makes sense. I would say that if they try to have multiple promotions where one needs a min purchase of $99, that would take it too far and should give a little leeway.

[Halfrig]

I did my first promo stack with the Batman poly and DC Super Hero Girls recently.  I qualified for both promos with my in store purchase and they threw in both polys and a few of the Batman posters (the current week and the prior week too).  The Kenwood Mall location in Cincinnati, OH.

[jaisonline]

59 minutes ago, MrToes16 said:

As a customer, this blows. As a business rule, yeah I get that it makes sense. I would say that if they try to have multiple promotions where one needs a min purchase of $99, that would take it too far and should give a little leeway.

True about biz vs. customer.

Here's my small beef.  this was a Lego store ( not Merlin)  with the same promotions as online.  Thus why have different promo rules for B&M vs. online stores?

[grackleflint]

This appears to be a local store decision. My local LEGO store was giving away three freebies this past weekend, the 40252 Beetle, the Friends Tic Tac Toe polybag and a Nexo Knights figure if you bought $50 and it included a $20 Friends purchase.

The senior salesperson was even telling people to do it to get all three. When I asked about stacking, he said it was up to the store and it depends on various factors, like how many they have left, how popular the freebie, how early in the promo period, do they need to clear space in the back, etc.

[szhang0407]

48 minutes ago, jaisonline said:

True about biz vs. customer.

Here's my small beef.  this was a Lego store ( not Merlin)  with the same promotions as online.  Thus why have different promo rules for B&M vs. online stores?

I guess it could because operated by different company? Well I don't remember the exact words the employee was using, but I been told few times in B&M store that the online store is not the same company as B&M store. So the on sale prices online won't carry over to the physical store. 

[jaisonline]

3 hours ago, psusyntar said:

I feel like your in the same area as me.  Was this the Cherry Hill store?  Was planning on going there tomorrow to see if I could double up.

No. Not CH Mall this time around.  Speaking of that store, I heard there won't be a SW exclusive event for LUG members / invites only this month.  I enjoyed the Space Slug set last yr.

[psusyntar]

56 minutes ago, jaisonline said:

No. Not CH Mall this time around.  Speaking of that store, I heard there won't be a SW exclusive event for LUG members / invites only this month.  I enjoyed the Space Slug set last yr.

I did as well last year.  Was hoping for another.  Made a nice profit off that set.

[seapotato]

I've had this problem at my store (in Canada) since like 3 years ago. I think it really just depends on the store/cashier.

[exciter1]

It's not just LEGO Store, every store is YMMV. People suck, including managers.

[DadsAFOL]

Or you can get an awesome customer service experience.  I'm visiting New York, so naturally I had to go to the Rockefeller store (which BTW is a lot smaller than I was expecting).  I browse but I'm not planning on buying much since 1) NYC markup and 2) no room in suitcase so I just grabbed the souvenir Statue of Liberty magnet figure with the NYC tile.  I see they are still giving out mini VW's so I ask if I can just buy one.  The clerk scanned my VIP card and saw I had $30 in points and was impressed by how much I spent to get $30.  He said "I see you buy a lot from us so I'm going to go ahead and give you one".   Made my day, and I'm already a Lego fan.

So I agree, its YMMV on the promos, but the PR value of doing something nice for a customer goes a long way.   Just ask United Airlines where putting company policy in front of customer service got them!

[Darth_Raichu]

13 minutes ago, DadsAFOL said:

Just ask United Airlines where putting company policy in front of customer service got them!

They got to disprove the saying "there is no such thing as bad publicity"

[psusyntar]

This is definitely YMMV.  Before I even went to the register I asked about it and was told I could double dip on the promos at the LEGO store in Cherry Hill, NJ.   When I went to check out they even were giving away the Ultimate Lavaria that was the freebie a few months ago.  Must have a bunch left over.  So I triple dipped on a $53 purchase,

[tomazed]

I was at the French Parisian Store a week ago for the anniversary. I purchased 135 euros of Lego and got rewarded with the following:

2 x 5001622 LEGO Store Employee polybag (min 20 euros purchase) I think I got one free

1 x 5004931 Birthday Card (min 55 euros purchase)

1 x 40252 Mini Beetle (min 40 euros purchase)

1 x 40145 LEGO Brand Retail Store (min 125 euros of purchase)

On top of that I used 400 VIP points to get a 20 euros discount so I paid 115 euros for a Star Wars AT-ST and Y-wing plus all bonuses... Pretty good buy in my opinion!

Ho, and it was triple VIP points so I got something like 390 VIP points so another 20 euros discount for the next purchase...

 

[jay4e]

Much like TRU if its allowed by the system then I would apply YMMV.  Unlike TRU however LEGO stores do care about customer opinion, so if you hit this problem then give them your opinion.  I get the logic, but policies like these should be consistent across all stores, not handled on a cashier by cashier basis...