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.

[zskid00]

1 minute ago, Ed Mack said:

The idea of the special invite is to be a worthy customer or LEGO contributor. 

Where is the line between being a worthy customer and a banned reseller?  I would really like to know, because LEGO often sends me mixed signals about this.

 

[jaisonline]

10 minutes ago, zskid00 said:

Where is the line between being a worthy customer and a banned reseller?  I would really like to know, because LEGO often sends me mixed signals about this.

 

 

lots of info in this topic.

 

 

[Ed Mack]

17 minutes ago, zskid00 said:

Where is the line between being a worthy customer and a banned reseller?  I would really like to know, because LEGO often sends me mixed signals about this.

 

Most people who get banned blow past their purchase limits or exceed promo purchases.  They also use multiple accounts and use other questionable tactics.  I think the policy of buying one to build and one to save has been a safe policy for many LEGO fans.  

[Val-E]

2 hours ago, BP said:

I think I should consider this a warning

 

Dear ...,
We’re really sorry, but your recent LEGO® order has been cancelled because it went above our purchase limits for the following item(s): 
21303 WALL•E

We sometimes put limits on popular sets so that as many LEGO® fans as possible can get their hands on them. If you’ve placed previous orders for a particular item, it may be that you’ve simply gone above the number we’re currently supplying per household.
Although you won’t be able to buy those sets right now, we regularly change and remove purchase limits, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on our website over the next few months. If there were other items in your order, these can be reordered at any time. 

Kind regards, 

LEGO® Customer Service

That´s a new and very precise message. Did you ask for a clarification over an order cancellation or was this standard issue?

[zskid00]

3 minutes ago, jaisonline said:

lots of info in this topic.

 

Yes, lots of info and no definite answers.  I have read through that thread over my years here.  Also, I was responding to a post in the May 4th thread and don't see why I needed to have my post moved.  It was relevant to the special invite received by loyal customers for the event.

[Ed Mack]

2 minutes ago, zskid00 said:

Yes, lots of info and no definite answers.  I have read through that thread over my years here.  Also, I was responding to a post in the May 4th thread and don't see why I needed to have my post moved.  It was relevant to the special invite received by loyal customers for the event.

The answer is still in the thread, but here it is again anyway...

Most people who get banned blow past their purchase limits or exceed promo purchases.  They also use multiple accounts and use other questionable tactics.  I think the policy of buying one to build and one to save has been a safe policy for many LEGO fans.  

[jaisonline]

4 minutes ago, zskid00 said:

Yes, lots of info and no definite answers.  I have read through that thread over my years here.  Also, I was responding to a post in the May 4th thread and don't see why I needed to have my post moved.  It was relevant to the special invite received by loyal customers for the event.

i understand.  ed copied the answer in his reply above.  we are just trying to keep banned posts here since this is a popular topic that is searched upon.

[BP]

15 minutes ago, Val-E said:

That´s a new and very precise message. Did you ask for a clarification over an order cancellation or was this standard issue?

Standard Issue, they sent it about one minute before the standard 'Thank you for you order' email (which came through aswell). 

So basicly they're saying I can possibly buy more Wall-E's in the future

[Val-E]

Interesting, previously the message was much terser and almost led to believe a crime was committed. Perhaps it is different country by country.

[dcdfan]

I think the policy of buying one to build and one to save has been a safe policy for many LEGO fans.  

Excluding Tumbler and Helicarrier...

[Val-E]

8 minutes ago, dcdfan said:

Excluding Tumbler and Helicarrier...

True story.

[Ensche]

24 minutes ago, BP said:

So basicly they're saying I can possibly buy more Wall-E's in the future

Sure... go ahead, but don't forget to tell us, what happened

[Val-E]

Still limit 1 on all exclusives at EU SAH, btw.

[BP]

Prior to these events, i bought my 7th wall e last week at LEGO Shop at Home.

Still limit 1 on all exclusives at EU SAH, btw.

Wall e is Limit two

[Val-E]

That´s ideas theme, though.

[force392]

On 4/18/2016 at 3:53 PM, Ed Mack said:

The answer is still in the thread, but here it is again anyway...

Most people who get banned blow past their purchase limits or exceed promo purchases.  They also use multiple accounts and use other questionable tactics.  I think the policy of buying one to build and one to save has been a safe policy for many LEGO fans.  

Yes.  Pigs get slaughtered as they say.  Buying in moderation and keeping within limits with one account has worked for me for many years.  

[iahawks550]

No new posts in awhile. I would like to order a couple more Ecto-1's with double vip and promo. Is 4 in 4 days still a red flag, or have they given up?

[Guest TabbyBoy]

1 hour ago, iahawks550 said:

No new posts in awhile. I would like to order a couple more Ecto-1's with double vip and promo. Is 4 in 4 days still a red flag, or have they given up?

Isn't it cheaper from a supermarket like it is in the UK?

[Guest TabbyBoy]

I really don't give a crap if LEGO bans me as there's no such thing in the UK as exclusive sets anymore because all current sets are available everywhere often at a discount.

@LEGO... I know of 2 of you who are lurkers here. Why should I buy a set from you if another retailer saves me £20 more than the promo and 2x VIP that you offer? My VIP ID is 65arse65 so go ahead and ban me if you think you're hard enough! You've got it so wrong this year with crappy StarWars junk, the ridiculous Nexo theme, endless CITY/FRIENDS rubbish... can't you think of any new ideas? Mega Blox are hot on your heels and they can beat you!

Oh... I bought over 150 Mars Rover from right under your nose and made a killing!

PS.. Sort your quality out as I'm sick of the piss-poor colour variations. At least MegaBlox don't have this problem!

 

 

 

 

 

[gregpj]

I really don't give a crap if LEGO bans me as there's no such thing in the UK as exclusive sets anymore because all current sets are available everywhere often at a discount.

@LEGO... I know of 2 of you who are lurkers here. Why should I buy a set from you if another retailer saves me £20 more than the promo and 2x VIP that you offer? My VIP ID is 65arse65 so go ahead and ban me if you think you're hard enough! You've got it so wrong this year with crappy StarWars junk, the ridiculous Nexo theme, endless CITY/FRIENDS rubbish... can't you think of any new ideas? Mega Blox are hot on your heels and they can beat you!

Oh... I bought over 150 Mars Rover from right under your nose and made a killing!

PS.. Sort your quality out as I'm sick of the piss-poor colour variations. At least MegaBlox don't have this problem!
 

I don't care if you don't like the Nexo theme, please refrain from insulting a group of people because you're all wound up about LEGO and some colours.

[boxofcorey]

I really don't give a crap if LEGO bans me as there's no such thing in the UK as exclusive sets anymore because all current sets are available everywhere often at a discount.

@LEGO... I know of 2 of you who are lurkers here. Why should I buy a set from you if another retailer saves me £20 more than the promo and 2x VIP that you offer? My VIP ID is 65arse65 so go ahead and ban me if you think you're hard enough! You've got it so wrong this year with crappy StarWars junk, the ridiculous Nexo theme, endless CITY/FRIENDS rubbish... can't you think of any new ideas? Mega Blox are hot on your heels and they can beat you!

Oh... I bought over 150 Mars Rover from right under your nose and made a killing!

PS.. Sort your quality out as I'm sick of the piss-poor colour variations. At least MegaBlox don't have this problem!

 

 

 

 

 

Can someone edit that post to just an "Old Man Yells at Cloud" picture?

[iahawks550]

Actually, it's not any cheaper for me to buy sets at a store. Tax is always higher, plus no promos and no VIP. Amazon is cheaper for me with no taxes. 

[gregpj]

Can someone edit that post to just an "Old Man Yells at Cloud" picture?

It's pretty late where Tabby is ...I'm guessing he's been out drinking and surfing the internet again but there is no need to disparage a group of people because you're railing against LEGO.

[minicoopers11]

Arrrggghhh!!! I've been paying taxes on Amazon since, well, forever!

Edited October 27, 2016 by minicoopers11

[KShine]

Edited December 10, 2016 by KShine