Another LEGO Shop at Home Ban with a twist

[justafrog]

From Bricklink's forums:

http://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=775919

 

Now, this isn't QUITE LEGO Shop at Home banning "regular non-reseller guy", but if the poster is being up front about the Lego LEGO Shop at Home account being used specifically for the library program, we may have our first example of a regular (or as near regular as makes no difference) buyer being banned for "buying too much".

 

Interesting times.

[Guest eightbrick]

This is getting absolutely ridiculous. As both a business policy and brand image protection, Lego is just digging themselves a hole.

[@rtisan]

Interesting. You`de think a company would be happy to have people buying loads of their product, and I`m ashamed of Lego if they did indeed know about the library program and still went ahead and initiated a ban (that`s obviously speculation). Wonder what the future holds? Will someone be banned for buying Christmas gifts from LEGO Shop at Home? My goodness. 

[Ed Mack]

I'm not saying that LEGO was right or that I agree with bans, but the person writing the post had over a 15,000 feedback from Bricklink. They have been in the "parting and reselling" business for over 10 years from the looks of it. Maybe the library LEGO was legit, but the person looks like a reseller to me. A serious one at that.

[sadowsk1]

This person is a reseller in the truest sense of the word.  Lego has found and banned another reseller successfully.  For as involved as Lego as they may have been, they should have known their actions could raise some alarms.  Lego has channels outside of being a approved reseller for Lego user groups for purchasing programs.  

[justafrog]

From the post:

 

I am considered a "reseller" obviously, but we get
our LEGO used or from the factory. NOT AT LEGO Shop at Home!!! Want proof? Just check our inventory
both online and in-store! The library has me order very specific sets that will
fit in with what is popular with the kiddos and is in line with the reading theme(s).
I make 0% profit on the library orders.

[Mos_Eisley]

You realize this guy has a BrickLink store with over 15,000 feedbacks, right? Now he may have been buying some stuff for a library here and there, but I'd bet he's made far more purchases for his store. If his name is attached to multiple accounts, he's going to get flagged. Hardly your "average" buyer.

[justafrog]

I did qualfy my original post with "if the poster is being up front". I don't know him. He might be an accomplished liar and charlatan.

 

However, if he's not, and if his post is truthful, Lego has issued a ban for him buying things he was not reselling.

[justafrog]

I just randomly clicked on half a dozen of the poster's store lots. All used.

[comicblast]

It is rather obvious that the BL post is a reseller, but I think what he's saying is that the sets bought for the purpose of library prizes are the sets that triggered the ban. There's no way that he got banned because he bought prizes for a library. Kids don't read that much. 

 

I think LEGO is extremely meticulous about the handful of bans they have made, and they are right ALL the time. I don't really feel any sympathy for this guy because he's a reseller, so LEGO has every right to ban him, even if he wasn't a reseller, and he brought the wrath of LEGO upon himself! Diversify and you will never have to go through an experience like that. Buy from Target, Walmart, even TRU!! LEGO Shop at Home sales suck 99% of the time.

[comicblast]

I just randomly clicked on half a dozen of the poster's store lots. All used.

About 9/10 of his listings are used, from what I could see. BUT having 10,810 listings does add up. That's 1,801 NEW listings, and he has multiple quantities of each item. Then again, he only has about 10/15 NEW sets, and huge numbers of each new set. In other ways, I'm confused by this guy, but I think he's still at fault.

[justafrog]

I think LEGO is extremely meticulous about the handful of bans they have made, and they are right ALL the time. I don't really feel any sympathy for this guy because he's a reseller, so LEGO has every right to ban him, even if he wasn't a reseller, and he brought the wrath of LEGO upon himself! 

 

Got it. He's a reseller, so even though he sells used parts he's still evil and Lego's amazing record of perfection is intact. Also, even if he weren't a reseller but just a nice guy buying a lot of Lego for kids from LEGO Shop at Home, he'd still deserve a ban.

 

Everything is now perfectly clear to me.

[comicblast]

Got it. He's a reseller, so even though he sells used parts he's still evil and Lego's amazing record of perfection is intact. Also, even if he weren't a reseller but just a nice guy buying a lot of Lego for kids from LEGO Shop at Home, he'd still deserve a ban.

 

Everything is now perfectly clear to me.

Who says a reseller has to sell MISB sets? A reseller of LEGO just means they resell LEGO <uhduh!> and it doesn't specify what kinds of LEGO's they sell. The second part of your post isn't really relevent because he IS a reseller. LEGO just wants to get their products directly to the "end consumer" as they've nicely put it, and that sellers obviously don't make that plan work out so great, so they are forced to be banned from LEGO Shop at Home.

[justafrog]

No no, I'm totally agreeing with everything you say. All hail our great Lego Masters who are Never Wrong. I know I am evil and deserve a ban, too! In fact, I probably should get a ban for reselling books - after all, it makes me a reseller!

[comicblast]

In fact, I probably should get a ban for reselling books - after all, it makes me a reseller!

Just stay against LEGO's books...  Those LEGO Character Encyclopedias can be killers!

[Mos_Eisley]

Here's his mission statement:

"To become the world's largest reseller of LEGO

[justafrog]

Yes, yes, I've admitted the error in my muddled thinking. I apologize to the forum, to Lego, to every dog I've personally insulted over the years, to Congress, to Regress, to non-resellers who tried to convince me of my wicked ways, to the Academy, my parole officer, and to the ghost of Steve Jobs. And to everyone I've missed.

 

I will try to refrain from posting such abjectly stupid things again. I hope everyone can come to forgive me.

[Ed Mack]

As I stated above, I disagree with the bans and restrictions LEGO has implemented, but for this seller to be surprised by a ban is somewhat disingenuous IMO. A person who resells LEGO as much as they do knows the policies and practices of LEGO and should realize that LEGO has no way of knowing what LEGO sets are used for. Maybe they were buying 100 Architecture Studio sets?

[@rtisan]

Here's his mission statement:

"To become the world's largest reseller of LEGO

[Ed Mack]

What I thought was funny about the post were the comments that followed...Something like....What bans? Really, LEGO bans people? Right....wake up people or stop acting ignorant. Made me chuckle that a forum from a LEGO reselling site has posts of that caliber.

[Ed Mack]

Yes, yes, I've admitted the error in my muddled thinking. I apologize to the forum, to Lego, to every dog I've personally insulted over the years, to Congress, to Regress, to non-resellers who tried to convince me of my wicked ways, to the Academy, my parole officer, and to the ghost of Steve Jobs. And to everyone I've missed.

I will try to refrain from posting such abjectly stupid things again. I hope everyone can come to forgive me.

You should change your name to justareseller...LOL

[@rtisan]

What I thought was funny about the post were the comments that followed...Something like....What bans? Really, LEGO bans people? Right....wake up people or stop acting ignorant. Made me chuckle that a forum from a LEGO reselling site has posts of that caliber.

Agreed, it`s quite something. Ignorance is bliss, what else can be said?  

[Mos_Eisley]

Allow me to retract part of my initial statement in lieu of this. Went looking through his/her feedback as well, and seems a bit off. Just how they`ve replied to people who have left neutral/negative feedback looks almost argumentative. Implying that this story and their credibility is now in question in my mind.

I had to check out the feedback after you said this. Here's my favorite:

Complaint TAC1 (66) Feb 3, 2013 3339814 Seller

Some parts received do match the others that were under the same part no.

Reply: Bogus claim. Impossible buyer. Very demanding & rude. BANNED!

So he can ban at will but TLG can't?

[siddji]

I'm not saying that LEGO was right or that I agree with bans, but the person writing the post had over a 15,000 feedback from Bricklink. They have been in the "parting and reselling" business for over 10 years from the looks of it. Maybe the library LEGO was legit, but the person looks like a reseller to me. A serious one at that.

Very interesting observation and deduction ed mackerlock ..

[justgod]

Okay, when I read the original Bricklink post, my jaw hit the floor. Here's why:

 

As some of you may remember, I am on the ban list, which is completely my fault, based on ordering history. LEGO caught me, fair and square. I still don't agree with their policy, but I appreciate it. One of the great advantages to not being responsible to shareholders is that you get to make and enforce whatever rules (within the law) that you want.

 

I too received my ban letter. Now, the ironic full disclosure. I wrote this same individual at LEGO with best story I could come up with. Anyone want to venture what that was? Anyone? Bueller? Yep - I was "purchasing items that were raffled off to provide funds for our local library". You read that right - THE SAME STORY. I am actually the President of Friends of the Library (Frog will know this affiliation). We have done some things with LEGO products, but not nearly to the extent that I claimed in my response to them. LEGO said they would be happy to remove them ban if I provided reimbursement checks/etc. I could have easily come up with this, but was too bitter that I had to "defend" myself.

 

So now this other person comes along and steals my excuse. Seriously? lol  No wonder Mark at LEGO responded the way he did as he already had heard the same song and dance.

 

I am not sharing this to get flamed, so please spare me. I just wanted to be upfront and honest with my fellow Brickpickers and to say that all may not be as it appears.