LEGO Bans - Open Discussion

[TheBrickClique]

As for operating with a single account to stay within the vendor’s technically-enforced limits, I believe this is the current state of things.
 

Cliff notes: you’ll be fine as long as you don’t go on a spending spree at Target.com, and try not to bring attention to your buying patterns by dealing with online customer service for small gripes that can be dealt with in store instead.

Target - the easiest place to get banned based simply on purchase volume online and the most aggressive against resellers in store — employees trained to identify resellers loading up carts for example.  Can still use red card in store after online ban, but using with a new email account will result in repeat ban — start receiving auto cancellations and email about possible issues including payment purchase method.  Some people have bans lifted after a period in timeout. Others indefinitely. The amount of purchases that may identify you as a reseller and get a ban? One data point: I have been unable to purchase online going on 18 months now after two months of $5k purchases on the red card. Same red card still works fine in store.
 

LEGO shop at home — with the purchase limits mechanics implemented a few years ago, it is much more difficult to get the SAH ban hammer. If you exceed a limit on any item based on past purchases of the same item, they will cancel your entire order. Be warned that if they cancel an order with a VIP Rewards purchase, the reward is not automatically credited back to your account. Also, if they cancel an item due to inventory issues, the system still tracks it as qty purchased. Qty purchased in brick and mortar stores that are purchased with VIP accounts are not counted towards SAH limits and and limits in store are done at the individual store’s discretion. If you do have to call customer service to resolve an issue, they do have easy visibility to all of your previous orders and will make comments about you “really liking LEGOs”.  No indication that that is how the ban process starts, but unless you really have an issue that needs CS, might be best to just let the small things go. 
 

Amazon — shop away. Their limits are tracked to the second on a 168-hour FIFO.  Limits apply and are tracked in that window only to items sold and shipped by Amazon.com. Buy as many third party items as you wish. Anecdotal stories of bans for excessive returns, but no clear information on the metrics used. Generally, probably best to save the returns for the really bad boxes.  Creating multiple accounts will get noticed and is the quickest way to get the warning shot emails. 
 

Barnes and Noble — similar to LEGO, has a five qty per item lifetime limit online. Exceed that amount and just that item will be cancelled from the order. No reports of bans. In store purchases do not appear to be tied to online memberships as far as adding to your 5-count quantity.  
 

Walmart — most LEGO are limited to two per order, but they won’t say how often that limit is reset.  Doing a couple of multiple limit orders in the same day has worked.  Doing dozens has resulted in order cancellations of those specific items but no bans that I am aware of. Generally, I have found one limit order per day has never resulted in a cancellation. 
 

ShopDisney — some items have limits but they are selectively enforced. If you put in multiple limit orders at the same time, they might cancel those items. If you space them out, they will be fine. I ordered a dozen castles (limit one per customer) last year and they all went through. Sometimes two in two consecutive days. 
 

Costco — has item limits on some items, but I haven’t seen any on LEGOs. Even with items with limits, possible to space them out without issue.  In store limits are usually “per day”. 
 

Best Buy — unsure on LEGO as I’ve never pushed the limits on them. In the past, I would make 50 purchases at a time of 2-dollar items that had limits and they would all go through.  I have tried to make multiple purchases of Xbox consoles and those were cancelled.  So YMMV. But no reports of bans.

Anyways, those are my observations.

[mikemcd]

You're asking to be banned by doing that. Fly under the radar by spacing out your orders, ordering from different retailers (VIP points are not worth being banned) or buying with cash in a LEGO store without collecting the VIP points. Most of the people who order a lot just space their orders out over time. I realize you're late getting started and might want to get some of those hard to find sets before they disappear but that's reality.

 

Having the same billing address (assume different names) but different shipping addresses might work in your favor, but the reality is nobody knows the rules to get yourself banned. If you want to try, by all means, go for it. But there's apparently no going back once you're banned so think carefully.

 

And dude, no matter how many times you ask the question on the forums, the answer will be the same. Nobody knows the answer!

 

 

Thanks, I think I will just order 1 set for each model...totaling 2 sets in 2 orders. Since it's free shipping anyway over $70 or something.

 

 

Those who get banned were orderings $10,000+. Your 5 max shouldn't be a problem. I believe Lego goes after the bigger fishes.

2 days ago you were given good advice and followed it. Why would you then go and give the opposite advice to a new member?

[canonikon]

2 days ago you were given good advice and followed it. Why would you then go and give the opposite advice to a new member?

Cause I read more and more since the few days ago. I've placed orders on 5x PS and 5x PC and 5x on other Hard To Find and exclusive items as well.

 

I didn't get banned yet.

[Darth_Raichu]

So I was planning on making a large order on shop @ home for the double VIP points, until I read this thread. I added several items to my cart, and several exclusives (none of which I have ordered before, although I did max out the limit for each (they are 2 or 5 max). I actually have an interesting situation. Before today, the Helicarrier was limit 5, but now it is limit 1. But I still have all 5 in my cart. It says I will get double VIP points for all of them. How high of a risk of a ban is it to place this order? My VIP account was created about a month ago, and I purchased from a local Lego store twice since then (including today.) I could split it into 2-3 orders over the next 2 weeks (starting with 5 Helicarriers), or even go back to the Lego store for a few items they have in stock. I am not a reseller, and I haven't sold a set in my life. I just enjoy collecting multiples.

 

They put a limit for a reason.  You are giving them a reason to scrutinize your purchase

[ravenb99]

Those who get banned were orderings $10,000+. Your 5 max shouldn't be a problem. I believe Lego goes after the bigger fishes.

This guy didn't stand a chance

[Bold-Arrow]

Those who get banned were orderings $10,000+. Your 5 max shouldn't be a problem. I believe Lego goes after the bigger fishes.

that is not always the case

[Darth_Raichu]

Cause I read more and more since the few days ago. I've placed orders on 5x PS and 5x PC and 5x on other Hard To Find and exclusive items as well.

 

I didn't get banned yet.

Well, technically you did not break S @ H limits.  Fj00 asked if ordering over the limit was a wise decision.  Completely different things.

 

Also, if you noticed, some of the people who got banned knew about it when trying to place their NEXT orders, ie. the ban did not come swiftly most of the time

[Fj00]

I do have a lot in my cart (over $4000) so at least splitting the order up seems good. I might try getting 5 Helicarriers. This might be a bad question, but if I do max out the limit 5 or whatever for one order, do they keep track of how many I ordered in the past and prevent me from ordering more online? Also, if after maxing out the limit I went to a lego store to get the same set, would they know and not let me get it? I actually picked up 2 Helicarriers at the lego store already, and they might wonder if I keep showing up.

[Darth_Raichu]

I do have a lot in my cart (over $4000) so at least splitting the order up seems good. I might try getting 5 Helicarriers. This might be a bad question, but if I do max out the limit 5 or whatever for one order, do they keep track of how many I ordered in the past and prevent me from ordering more online? Also, if after maxing out the limit I went to a lego store to get the same set, would they know and not let me get it? I actually picked up 2 Helicarriers at the lego store already, and they might wonder if I keep showing up.

 

To be honest we do not know 100% how S @ H decides on who gets the ban for what reasons.  We have learned that ordering more than the limit attracts attention and increases the probability of ban.  We share what we know, but ultimately everyone's decisions are theirs to make.

 

ETA: just to be absolutely clear, ordering 5 when you KNOW the limit is 1 is the very definition of asking for attention

[Cross]

A cautionary tale...

 

 

If new, accept the advice of the Senior members here. LEGO Shop at Home does not screw around on this issue. I made- what I thought- was an incredibly "clever" play, ordering 12 Grand Emporium's over 5 different cards at, more or less, the same time.

 

Here is how committed TLG is to not allowing this to happen.

 

ALL sets posted, tracked, and got as far as the FedEx distribution center eleven miles from our home in Southern California. This was August of last year. At this point, the shipments were STOPPED, and all sent back to their warehouse. All cards banned, along with our shipping address.

 

They ate some tremendous shipping costs to stop me from doing what I knew better not to.

 

Accept the advice, and respect what they're doing... cross the line and you're toast.

[terrymc4677]

Those who get banned were orderings $10,000+. Your 5 max shouldn't be a problem. I believe Lego goes after the bigger fishes.

Ummmmmmmmm....no. They will ban ANYONE they suspect of reselling, large or small.

[Migration]

It also depends on how old the account is.

[minicoopers11]

Those who get banned were orderings $10,000+. Your 5 max shouldn't be a problem. I believe Lego goes after the bigger fishes.

I don't think I exceeded $1000 over that big zoo spree.

[LegoEdison]

My order of $1700 during x2 VIP point got canceled. The account is brand new (1 week old) with 0 purchase history. I was able to place another with the same account ($500 this time). Status show In Process. 

 

My other old account is fine 

[terrymc4677]

http://community.brickpicker.com/topic/11427-shop-at-home-offers-october-2014/?view=findpost&p=357511

Anyone looking to order a bunch from shop at home and stay under the radar please take a look at my post from this past October. This was the last time they ran double VIP, but they also were giving away the free elves workshop as an additional promo. I ordered one exclusive every day for the entire month with no penalty or suspicion of being a reseller. I received a bunch of VIP points which I cashed into two ewok villages, as well as 30 of the elves workshops that I should be able to sell for $20-$25 each this coming Christmas or next based on past history.

My point is, you don't need to blow your load in one order. Spread it out. Be smart about it. Don't order the same set two days in a row. Wait for your previous order to go into "shipped" status before placing your next order. I know that buying is fun, and sometimes you feel like if I don't get it all now I will miss out. The sets will be there. It's not worth the risk. There seems to be a lot of new members lately asking questions regarding the banning process. The questions are being answered, but it feels like some are not listening to or taking the solid advice being given. This advice is not an opinion. It has all been learned from past mistakes. If you want to test the waters then go ahead, but don't be surprised if the ban hammer falls.

[asharerin]

ALL sets posted, tracked, and got as far as the FedEx distribution center eleven miles from our home in Southern California. This was August of last year. At this point, the shipments were STOPPED, and all sent back to their warehouse. All cards banned, along with our shipping address.

 

That's cold blooded right there. I bet they had a good laugh about that one. They have certainly ramped up their detection and enforcement efforts as of late. All good for aftermarket prices.

[bricketycricket]

A cautionary tale...

 

 

If new, accept the advice of the Senior members here. LEGO Shop at Home does not screw around on this issue. I made- what I thought- was an incredibly "clever" play, ordering 12 Grand Emporium's over 5 different cards at, more or less, the same time.

 

Here is how committed TLG is to not allowing this to happen.

 

ALL sets posted, tracked, and got as far as the FedEx distribution center eleven miles from our home in Southern California. This was August of last year. At this point, the shipments were STOPPED, and all sent back to their warehouse. All cards banned, along with our shipping address.

 

They ate some tremendous shipping costs to stop me from doing what I knew better not to.

 

Accept the advice, and respect what they're doing... cross the line and you're toast.

Wow, that's crazy. Soon they'll go even further and have the Fedex guy grab the package back out of your hands at your door, run back to his truck, peel out of your driveway in a cloud of tire smoke, and speed off into the sunset whilst laughing like a hysterical maniac.

Edited March 16, 2015 by bricketycricket

[house72]

Wow, that's crazy. Soon they'll go even further and have the Fedex guy ****** the package back out of your hands at your door, run back to his truck, peel out of your driveway in a cloud of tire smoke, and speed off into the sunset whilst laughing like a hysterical maniac.

While Blasting Everything is Awesome on the stereo..  HAHAHAHA..  

[GhostDad]

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of effort Lego puts into preventing people from buying their products.  I went on a LEGO Shop at Home buying streak last year, same set over and over again, and got hit with a dollar value cap on my purchases.  So I'm not banned, but I can only spend around $300 per order (not sure where the exact limit is, but $500 gets instacancelled).  So now I pace myself, and am pretty much forced to go the emazers route and buy larger sets one by one, starting well in advance of predicted retirement.  Not really a big deal, and it maximizes promos, but it also makes recordkeeping needlessly complex. 

Edited March 16, 2015 by GhostDad

[Ed Mack]

New accounts seem to be banned with greater frequency. Many long time LEGO VIPs seem to avoid banning by just playing by the rules. Buy within the limits and spread out the orders.

[biking_tiger]

http://community.brickpicker.com/topic/11427-shop-at-home-offers-october-2014/?view=findpost&p=357511

Anyone looking to order a bunch from shop at home and stay under the radar please take a look at my post from this past October. This was the last time they ran double VIP, but they also were giving away the free elves workshop as an additional promo. I ordered one exclusive every day for the entire month with no penalty or suspicion of being a reseller. I received a bunch of VIP points which I cashed into two ewok villages, as well as 30 of the elves workshops that I should be able to sell for $20-$25 each this coming Christmas or next based on past history.

My point is, you don't need to blow your load in one order. Spread it out. Be smart about it. Don't order the same set two days in a row. Wait for your previous order to go into "shipped" status before placing your next order. I know that buying is fun, and sometimes you feel like if I don't get it all now I will miss out. The sets will be there. It's not worth the risk. There seems to be a lot of new members lately asking questions regarding the banning process. The questions are being answered, but it feels like some are not listening to or taking the solid advice being given. This advice is not an opinion. It has all been learned from past mistakes. If you want to test the waters then go ahead, but don't be surprised if the ban hammer falls.

 

Best. Experiment. Ever. (When it comes to buying large quantities from LEGO Shop at Home.)

[MartinP]

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of effort Lego puts into preventing people from buying their products.  I went on a LEGO Shop at Home buying streak last year, same set over and over again, and got hit with a dollar value cap on my purchases.  So I'm not banned, but I can only spend around $300 per order (not sure where the exact limit is, but $500 gets instacancelled).  So now I pace myself, and am pretty much forced to go the emazers route and buy larger sets one by one, starting well in advance of predicted retirement.  Not really a big deal, and it maximizes promos, but it also makes recordkeeping needlessly complex. 

I like this strategy. If you start buying sets earlier you won't have to scramble at the last minute to get them. This especially helps with the TH fiasco that happened in the fall.

[10230]

New accounts seem to be banned with greater frequency. Many long time LEGO VIPs seem to avoid banning by just playing by the rules. Buy within the limits and spread out the orders.

That's almost unavoidable. Not playing by the rules means your account doesn't get old in the first place.

[terrymc4677]

Best. Experiment. Ever. (When it comes to buying large quantities from LEGO Shop at Home.)

Yes, it went surprisingly smooth. I think it was successful because I only had one set in each order (except for the santas workshop / ecto orders). If someone at lego is paging through orders looking for potential resellers, what would be the first thing they would look for? Large invoice totals and multiples of the same set, especially exclusives. By placing the orders the way that i did, I didn't give them any reason to look closer at my activity. The only time I plan on using this method is during October when they give away the additional Christmas promo set along with double VIP. I'm sitting this round out right now.

[bricketycricket]

Yes, it went surprisingly smooth. I think it was successful because I only had one set in each order (except for the santas workshop / ecto orders). If someone at lego is paging through orders looking for potential resellers, what would be the first thing they would look for? Large invoice totals and multiples of the same set, especially exclusives. By placing the orders the way that i did, I didn't give them any reason to look closer at my activity. The only time I plan on using this method is during October when they give away the additional Christmas promo set along with double VIP. I'm sitting this round out right now.

I think even with your method you're playing with fire. But I suspect you're aware of that and have deemed the risk to be worth it.

[GhostDad]

I think it's possible they aren't so much looking to clobber resellers, as they are trying to avoid sudden runs on particular sets.  If you place 10 orders for 5 PC each over the course of a few hours, and so do another 100 brickpickers, all of a sudden their inventory of that set is gone, and it may be months before the next shipment arrives.  When you space out orders, they don't encounter unforeseen OOS situations and lots of phone calls from disappointed parents.  I only wish that Lego would go the amazon route and establish 'hard' order limits, so people would know exactly what the rules were.