TRU Haters?

[Inventrious]

I do not hate TRU. I hate the system that they use. They jack up the prices on Lego sets so that when a sale comes along, unsuspecting people will think that they are getting a great discount, when they are not.

Exactly

[Inventrious]

This message has been brought to you by your local TRU store manager...

On a serious note, I think the majority of members here would agree that TRU is free to operate their business as they choose. The reason why people get upset and "bash" them is when they jack up their prices right before a "sale" begins, so you really are not saving anything. That practice is extremely deceptive, and it relies on the general public not realizing that they are being duped to be successful. I think most people here are smart enough to realize that this is their business model and to shop elsewhere. It's when TRU starts to prey upon the uneducated public such as soccer moms, grandparents buying a birthday gift, or the 8 year old kid who saved his allowance for ten months to buy that TRU exclusive, to make a buck that gets people upset.

 

Agreed

[MartinP]

TRU makes there prices high because they have more toys then anywhere else, and know that kids will buy from there rather then Target.

They have a larger selection of Lego sets in their store, but you can get the same sets for less on LEGO Shop at Home and you can get free shipping if the purchase qualifies.

[JoshTX]

TRU can do whatever they want just as anyone else can. It's been brought up in these threads many times in the past - obviously if they keep doing it, it must be working to some degree, someone's still paying because if everyone thought like we did they wouldn't achieve even a dollar in sales with those mark-ups. It's up to the buyer to do their research, be an educated consumer, and shop elsewhere. TRU preys on those that either don't feel like doing that research or don't mind paying more for the convenience of not having to. Kind of like paying 1.00 extra for a gallon of milk in 7-11 because you don't feel like going into the grocery store and waiting in a longer line to get the same thing. Some parents like being able to buy all their birthday/Christmas items in one fell swoop and will pay the mark-up.  

 

I still think TRU sucks, but I see the other side of the coin. Yes, it is deceptive to a degree, especially when you "change" MSRP....but again, it's on the consumer to research before spending.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I don't change my base price just prior to a sale (but the reason I wouldn't consider it is it would be too much time spent for any benefit). However, in our eBay store I do charge higher than average eBay prices in many cases, and higher than average Bricklink prices in most cases, and higher than what people could spend if they went off and bought some kits and parted them out themselves in all cases. And I don't tell my buyers how to go find a better bargain.

 

And, I really wish eBay had a mark UP manager (without telling the buyers that the price had been marked up) so that at hot times of year like Christmas I could raise all my prices across the board as easily as I can currently mark them down.

 

I don't know where that puts me on the DoNot Giant Scale O'Integrity   but I'm okay with myself and my dogs still seem to like me.

 

Nothing there is wrong. raising retail prices during christmas is normal and acceptable because thats what the market demands. I mean more going up and down constantly.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Right, so the buyer should make sure that's actually true. The one spending the money is the one with an incentive to verify the seller's claims.

 

TRU can do whatever they want just as anyone else can. It's been brought up in these threads many times in the past - obviously if they keep doing it, it must be working to some degree, someone's still paying because if everyone thought like we did they wouldn't achieve even a dollar in sales with those mark-ups. It's up to the buyer to do their research, be an educated consumer, and shop elsewhere. TRU preys on those that either don't feel like doing that research or don't mind paying more for the convenience of not having to. Kind of like paying 1.00 extra for a gallon of milk in 7-11 because you don't feel like going into the grocery store and waiting in a longer line to get the same thing. Some parents like being able to buy all their birthday/Christmas items in one fell swoop and will pay the mark-up.  

 

I still think TRU sucks, but I see the other side of the coin. Yes, it is deceptive to a degree, especially when you "change" MSRP....but again, it's on the consumer to research before spending.

 

I agree its on the consumer in most cases - but for toys? I mean if everyone did this with their stuff, we are telling every customer they must go out and research every single thing they buy all the time to keep from getting fleeced? Maybe you agree with that, but it would be nice if we could just have honest business every once in a while where it costs this all the time. If I have a sale, I am not going to make it look like its a different price than normal.

 

Why buy anything if you have to spend more time making sure a major company is not screwing you? To me, that is a very dim outlook on business. I care less about making money than being an honest person. If someone feels the other way, they have their priorities screwed up.

 

As I will remind people - when you die, you have the same amount of money as all the other dead people.

[Fcbarcelona101]

For toys and everything else. Keep in mind that most of the people who shop at TRUs don't hate it as much as people on this forum do. The typical customer goes in there a few times a year and by making a cost benefit calculation (subsconciously) decide that going to TRU and getting a LEGO at their current list price makes more sense than spending their time looking for a better deal online and such. Hell, some of my family members do this very same thing. Even when I tell them they can get it cheaper from Amazon they end up choosing their convenience is worth more than the price difference.

I have no problem with people that think differently at all, but I know that if I feel so strongly about something I avoid it 100%. If I hated TRUs, you would NEVER see me shopping there.

[Brickshopper]

You forget some people dont care what a sets retail price is for and dont need to spend hours researching what others are selling it for. DNIM 99.9% people are not as saavy on ebay as you and would explain the many sold listings for much more than was available from other sellers. Most people buying lego for their kids have dispensible income and dont care if it is sold for say 5 or 10 bucks less some where and many well off people wont buy a thing from Wal Mart...They buy in a free market and if buyers dont like it they dont buy. I just thought its funny that everyone marks there sets up above what they paid to make profit but have a problem when a store does it...There selection is a big part of why they can do this. I admitted in the OP the constant price changing and psuedo-sale practices are deceptive but just like the larger Bricklink stores can charge more for the same pieces because they have more selection. If you are in it for the profit hard to fault another seller for charging high prices if anything it only helps. Maybe some buyers compare your prices with TRU and think they are getting a deal...I love reading this site and the people for their differing viewpoints and JAF cracks me up.  The TRU customers willing to pay over MSRP for a set are the same customers you are hoping for years from now will do the same thing except buy the set from you...

[Brickshopper]

For toys and everything else. Keep in mind that most of the people who shop at TRUs don't hate it as much as people on this forum do. The typical customer goes in there a few times a year and by making a cost benefit calculation (subsconciously) decide that going to TRU and getting a LEGO at their current list price makes more sense than spending their time looking for a better deal online and such. Hell, some of my family members do this very same thing. Even when I tell them they can get it cheaper from Amazon they end up choosing their convenience is worth more than the price difference.

I have no problem with people that think differently at all, but I know that if I feel so strongly about something I avoid it 100%. If I hated TRUs, you would NEVER see me shopping there.

Beat me to it to some degree I agree with most if not all the comments in this thread and Imagine we all hate TRU to some degree but we are not your average consumer...Like the one No.No... Ok Face it I am TRU

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

You forget some people dont care what a sets retail price is for and dont need to spend hours researching what others are selling it for. DNIM 99.9% people are not as saavy on ebay as you and would explain the many sold listings for much more than was available from other sellers. Most people buying lego for their kids have dispensible income and dont care if it is sold for say 5 or 10 bucks less some where and many well off people wont buy a thing from Wal Mart...They buy in a free market and if buyers dont like it they dont buy. I just thought its funny that everyone marks there sets up above what they paid to make profit but have a problem when a store does it...There selection is a big part of why they can do this. I admitted in the OP the constant price changing and psuedo-sale practices are deceptive but just like the larger Bricklink stores can charge more for the same pieces because they have more selection. If you are in it for the profit hard to fault another seller for charging high prices if anything it only helps. Maybe some buyers compare your prices with TRU and think they are getting a deal...I love reading this site and the people for their differing viewpoints and JAF cracks me up.  The TRU customers willing to pay over MSRP for a set are the same customers you are hoping for years from now will do the same thing except buy the set from you...

 

I definitely see your point but two things:

 

1. So because people don't have enough time its ok to take advantage of them? Do you all research everything your doctor says when you go to the doctor, compare hospital prices, shop that around? Since I assume you don't, you are saying the doctor can do whatever the hell he wants and it wont bother you?

 

2. Your original Post was hinting that it was hypocritical for people to despise them for what they are doing since we are doing the same thing. I made the point we aren't doing that and what they are doing is much less honest.

[Brickshopper]

And yes in our ebay store we sell many sets above current MSRP that are usually available at other retail stores like Amazon or LEGO Shop at Home and in some instances price them above retail only to mark the down on "SALE". I do not think it is immoral I think it is Profit! Not sure why they sell but they do! Sometimes investors can find a good deal in our store above MSRP on recently EOL set that hasnt reached it peak yet similar to TRU.

[Brickshopper]

DNIM Will you be "taking adavantage" of people by buying the set now and charging them double in a year?

[Fcbarcelona101]

I definitely see your point but two things:

 

1. So because people don't have enough time its ok to take advantage of them? Do you all research everything your doctor says when you go to the doctor, compare hospital prices, shop that around? Since I assume you don't, you are saying the doctor can do whatever the hell he wants and it wont bother you?

 

I certainly do, especially when it comes to my health!. I won't go to the first doctor I find. I usually spend a lot of time reading reviews and getting recommendations from my other Drs and so on.

Had a procedure done last year that cost quite a bit of money. By spending a couple day researching other locations I was able to get it down by $900! And it's not like I am paying the whole thing, as I have insurance.

[shudameister]

Toys R Us is like Apple. It use to be the best, but not anymore.

 

On a side not, has anyone ever looked at a whole sale Lego catalog? Using 60002 as an example, Lego.com has it for 19.99. To buy wholesale it is around 12.99, give or take. There is not a large margin for Lego's. Star Wars is even more expensive because you have to pay for the licensing that went into it.

 

I am not defending TRU, I can just see a reason behind it.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

And yes in our ebay store we sell many sets above current MSRP that are usually available at other retail stores like Amazon or LEGO Shop at Home and in some instances price them above retail only to mark the down on "SALE". I do not think it is immoral I think it is Profit! Not sure why they sell but they do! Sometimes investors can find a good deal in our store above MSRP on recently EOL set that hasnt reached it peak yet similar to TRU.

 

Thats not what I said. If you look back, I said that was fine - do you change your retail prices right before a sale and jack them up and then back down and then back up? I have no problem with prices above retail. I have a problem with constantly changing them. Its lying - why? Because on TRU website it says things like "Normally 39.99" where it should say "normally anywhere from 29.99 to 59.99". 

 

DNIM Will you be "taking adavantage" of people by buying the set now and charging them double in a year?

 

Not even close to the same thing because I am still pricing at market value. Its market value and I am not in any way taking advantage of anyone. Guess what? If a set I bought depreciated $100, I would price it right there.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I certainly do, especially when it comes to my health!. I won't go to the first doctor I find. I usually spend a lot of time reading reviews and getting recommendations from my other Drs and so on.

Had a procedure done last year that cost quite a bit of money. By spending a couple day researching other locations I was able to get it down by $900! And it's not like I am paying the whole thing, as I have insurance.

 

So it would be ok for them to just look at you and charge you what they want based on whether they think you will pay it or not?

 

To add to this - I don't know where you live but its not possible in my town. You can't get to a doctor without a referral as a patient AND you are looking at a long time to get an appointment. So I pretty much HAVE to trust my doctor. Literally no other choice.

[shudameister]

So it would be ok for them to just look at you and charge you what they want based on whether they think you will pay it or not?

 

A patient comes in with V-Tach. There are two medications that can be given: Amiodarone and Lidocaine. Lidocaine has less drastic side effects. Amiodarone is more dangerous as it could send the patient into a different heart rhythm. A nurse I know likes to prescribed Lidocaine because there are fewer risks, however the hospital is always yelling at her because it is more expensive and hospitals around the country are trying to cut costs. So the hospitals want to recommend Amiodarone because it has the same effects but less expensive.

[Fcbarcelona101]

So it would be ok for them to just look at you and charge you what they want based on whether they think you will pay it or not?

 

To add to this - I don't know where you live but its not possible in my town. You can't get to a doctor without a referral as a patient AND you are looking at a long time to get an appointment. So I pretty much HAVE to trust my doctor. Literally no other choice.

Well, for them to charge me whatever they want they would have to assume I don't know what the going rate for a particular procedure is OR that I did not even ask before going to their office. If they tell me they are going to charge $1,000 when I call and show up to be examined I have agreed with their terms and have no excuse for complaning after the fact.

I live in Central Florida, and while my primary care Dr. reffers me to a specific specialist I pretty much can do a search on my own for someone in that same area and be seen in pretty much the same amount of time. I actually hate to read you are not able to do that in your area, I would hate to have to blindly trust anyone when it comes to something as important as my health.

Maybe you should move down here :p

[Brickshopper]

Are you determining market value by what people will pay by looking at the sold listings on ebay and Brickpicker prices? Well guess what TRU is selling for market value also if people will pay it.What people will pay determines the market value even if it is available less for somewhere else or are you claiming you will not price yours a penny over the competition? Dont know how selling it for more now or later makes that big of a difference and if they are selling for market value then they are not taking advantage of anyone. Market Value is above MSRP in almost all cases only some sets will ever fall below MSRP and if a set is underperforming TRU will have an actual sale on it to move it just like you would if a set depreciated. Me and other sellers have admitted we do the same things and its hard for me to gripe about how someone sets their prices I just go to the outlet with the absolute lowest price which is usually never TRU.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Are you determining market value by what people will pay by looking at the sold listings on ebay and Brickpicker prices? Well guess what TRU is selling for market value also if people will pay it.What people will pay determines the market value even if it is available less for somewhere else or are you claiming you will not price yours a penny over the competition? Dont know how selling it for more now or later makes that big of a difference and if they are selling for market value then they are not taking advantage of anyone. Market Value is above MSRP in almost all cases only some sets will ever fall below MSRP and if a set is underperforming TRU will have an actual sale on it to move it just like you would if a set depreciated. Me and other sellers have admitted we do the same things and its hard for me to gripe about how someone sets their prices I just go to the outlet with the absolute lowest price which is usually never TRU.

 

People are paying it because they don't know any better. Not the same thing. I base mine off of tons of listings - auctions - of what people paid. TRU has no market price because they jsut price however they want and rely on dumb people to buy it.

 

The difference is this: I know I have a set worth $150ish and someone offers me $300 because they just want it and I have convinced them its worth that. I wouldn't take it and couldn't do it. Why? Because I would feel much worse about doing that than good about having an extra $150.

 

Money is one of the most unimportant things in life. I do things for fun, for the feeling of getting good deals, and to have extra money that I generally end up spending on other people. People who do things like TRU does care more about money than all the other things that are more important in life.

 

If more people thought of money as unimportant as it actually is, we would probably live in a better world.

 

Personal opinion, thats all. But I will never agree that TRU is not doing something dishonest. Legal? yes. Their choice? Yes. But not honest. Sorry. I would rather be poor and honest than rich and dishonest.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Well, for them to charge me whatever they want they would have to assume I don't know what the going rate for a particular procedure is OR that I did not even ask before going to their office. If they tell me they are going to charge $1,000 when I call and show up to be examined I have agreed with their terms and have no excuse for complaning after the fact.

I live in Central Florida, and while my primary care Dr. reffers me to a specific specialist I pretty much can do a search on my own for someone in that same area and be seen in pretty much the same amount of time. I actually hate to read you are not able to do that in your area, I would hate to have to blindly trust anyone when it comes to something as important as my health.

Maybe you should move down here

 

Yeah health care is a crap-shoot here. I am lucky, my work has a nurse practitioner onsite for free so I do very well with medical. I use her as a second opinion on most everything.

 

More just using the point - doctors in general, but especially down here take advantage of people in the same manner (when I saw doctors, I mean the whole health care profession, not doctors as individuals as I respect the profession). Just saying I see it the same way. Worth is definitely relative and definitely based on what someone would pay for it. However, if its based on false pretenses than pretty much everything is worth any amount you apply to it.

 

Anyone wanna sell me a 10179 at retail? Technically its not worth more than that because thats the highest any Lego store ever sold it on shelves!

[Fcbarcelona101]

I don't think they price for whatever they want. They price based on what their target customer is willing to pay. And I would take issue with the statement about "dumb" people. As I said before, people close to me and even myself have bought things for more than they are available somewhere else just because At the time the time needed to research the prices was not worth the price difference. Calling that "dumb" is not really accurate.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I don't think they price for whatever they want. They price based on what their target customer is willing to pay. And I would take issue with the statement about "dumb" people. As I said before, people close to me and even myself have bought things for more than they are available somewhere else just because At the time the time needed to research the prices was not worth the price difference. Calling that "dumb" is not really accurate.

 

Dumb may have been a poor choice of words - uninformed (whether by choice or not) may be better.

 

So what if they feel its less worth it to just spend the money than research and it turns out it was a huge difference? Their mistake? Maybe, but again - this is what TRU banks on people making.

 

I doubt there is anyone out there, outside of someone who doesn't give a crap about money, that would not care they paid $180 for a millenium falcon because they didn't have to spend the time to find out the set normally sells for around $120 or less.,

[Fcbarcelona101]

Uninformed is better

Anyway, I am not saying they don't care at all, but if they cared so much about a $60 then they should have researched it in the first place. For example, if I go to TRUs without knowing any prices and purchase a Jabba's Palace for $150 it basically means I am ok with paying $40 more than I could have. Wil I care? Of course! And I will remember it next time, but if $40 made a huge difference in my life then you can be sure I would have researched prices first.

Using the $40 just as an example.

[Brickshopper]

Dumb may have been a poor choice of words - uninformed (whether by choice or not) may be better.

 

So what if they feel its less worth it to just spend the money than research and it turns out it was a huge difference? Their mistake? Maybe, but again - this is what TRU banks on people making.

 

I doubt there is anyone out there, outside of someone who doesn't give a crap about money, that would not care they paid $180 for a millenium falcon because they didn't have to spend the time to find out the set normally sells for around $120 or less.,

Money being unimportant as you stated whats it matter if people pay more for something and if money doesnt matter why spend so much time hunting deals? Its not dumb or a mistake to shop at TRU some people just dont need a discount or dont mind paying more than the original price. As I and Fcbarcelona101 was saying have shopped at TRU by choice knowing the set was available elsewhere cheaper. There is a novelty to shopping at TRU that is not lost on everyone..Those soundwaves you scored were a true TRU deal and many others have had some success. You like to spend time deal hunting TRU just makes it harder for you..And many people buy not even thinking about the price let alone what it costs elsewhere...These are not "dumb" people they are average consumers...