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FBA 3185 - Friends: Summer Riding Camp - $380

if its an expensive small set like a speed champions or an elves set, I will pre-package the item in its own small outer box with fba stickers placed on both the item inside and also on the outside of the box with the sticker saying complete set do not open. boxes cost 50 cents. i have sold many dozens of $50+ small speed champions sets , had no returns or complaints and gotten some positive feedback. for cheaper small friends sets or microfighters, you just have to hope the person ordered a few things and not just your little lego otherwise its gonna be smooshed. in order to avoid having to do recalls/removals, i am focusing on only sending in small steady stream of sets where i am willing to immediately compete on price and make a sale to increase my FBA sell-through and to avoid having to remove any slow inventory which ultimately costs you money in damaged goods + storage fees and harms your sell-through and excess inventory components of your inventory performance metric. at some point in the future, that metric could be the new gate that comes down on sellers and i want to be on the right side of that number if and when it happens.

Damn, some more members leaving the site.

The shipment is arriving Monday and orders will be processed immediately. Our supplier will not have the same delay after release date on the next shipment. Thank you for your patience!

Two recent examples to illustrate the fact that it VERY much depends on who you talk to and how you handle things in determination of what results occur with eBay nonsense: 1. Couple days ago I call about a return request (item not matching description) on a Pterandon Capture set. Buyer provided pics that show one end of the box I sent it in looking like a dog tried to eat it, and a seemingly taped up bag of pieces with the original box, stating it was incomplete, only one bag was included. I had responded asking for more info to determine that USPS did in fact ruin this package (or it was somehow torn open with minifigs and dino stolen), and politely explained the insurance claim process, suggesting that it would probably go smoother if he handled it as the recipient, but offering to help from my end as well. Four days later, the reply I get is "I'm not ok, I want my refund ASAP". Again I politely replied, asking him to consider that I was not at fault for a package arriving that was obviously not sent in the condition he received it, and that with no substantial value left the item was not worth either of us paying to return. I emphasized that an insurance claim was the only reasonable solution. No reply for 3 more days, so I FOOLISHLY "asked eBay to step in and help" via the automated system. I wrote a short explanation after choosing "Disagree with the buyer's reason for a return" from the drop-down list and... less than a minute later I get the automated response that eBay has asked the buyer to return the item, and if they use the label automatically provided, the return shipping cost will be deducted from my account, and once tracking shows it delivered, the refund will be sent automatically. EXCUSE ME, WTF??? Which was, in a more polite manner, the jist of my immediate call to eBay customer service. Abbreviating the rest of the details, I argued with three different reps, the first two of which were incapable of going off script, and eventually learned that officially "the system" controls things, not people. Seriously! An escalation manager literally told me there was absolutely no way for anyone at all to step in and change the direction of this case once the automated system (or even an actual human, for that matter) has made a decision. Wow. Insert Skynet sarcasm here. My only recourse is to appeal the decision AFTER the return arrives and the refund is sent without my consent. What is that going to accomplish???? I guess if eBay is willing to refund me the $10 for return of a few lousy Lego pieces, that's something. But that will be a battle as well. Of course I was also advised multiple times to pursue the insurance claim with USPS myself, even after I adamantly insisted that I was quite capable of doing so and did not need to be instructed over and over. Most of these reps simply do not listen. It's atrocious, and I let them know that no matter how many times they told me they understand and support me as a seller, those are empty words and lies because I am not being given any respect in terms of the action being taken. I also inquired as to my options to file an official complaint, with an in-house quality control department or some equivalent and was told no such thing exists. I asked if the BBB was my only recourse and was ignored, instead being given more scripted BS about how they are sorry for the problems I am having, blah blah blah. Incredible. 2. I have had an automated return in process (again JW, this time Indominous Rex) for quite some time from an obvious drop-shipper. Unable to find the package that has supposedly been delivered to me a few days ago, I finally check tracking and see it was sent from Japan back to Massachusetts. So, skipping the automated "grab your ankles" option, I call eBay CS about this case. There is some minor run-around after verifying addresses, in the form of them asking me to reach out to the buyer for proof that the package was resent, since "there is no clear indication" of such. He even suggested the buyer may have hand-carried the item to Japan. I literally said "COME ON, MAN!!" You are telling me a legit buyer orders a Lego set in Missouri (where I sent it), carries it to Japan, decides it is defective, initiates a return from there, and pays god-knows-how-much to "return" it to MASSACHUSETTS??? Plus we both know a drop-shipper is not going to admit what is really going on and willingly eat the cost themselves instead of trying to pass it on to me. I then went on another relatively polite tirade about how eBay does not treat buyers and sellers equally, blah blah blah. After a short silence he says "OK, now I will be closing this case in your favor..." I've said it many many many times before and I'll say it again. Don't let them get away with this crap. Make it as difficult as you can for them to screw us as sellers. It's the default decision they go to, not the end-all-be-all policy. The first story is a rare "loss" for me (the second or third out of about 8-10 problems in 5 years), but that doesn't mean I will stop standing up for myself. Show your backbones and do the same. Maybe one day things will change for the better, even if only a little bit.

I like the twitter comment Can you imagine what $100k worth of #Legos looks like?? yes a lot of people can lol

Stay classy San Diego... San Diego cops bust major Lego theft ring, $100K worth of toys stolen

They're saying that they are suspicious of your price on such a high-end item. I would assume that you snagged them during Target's pricing error a couple of weeks ago, which is why you were able to sell them for cheap.

Yeah, this whole thing is turning out to be a bust. I almost expected them to redeem themselves with a nice little Black Card exclusive set similar to the Space Slug last year, but that doesn't seem to be happening.

So... I cough up full price to buy the UCS Falcon (which, until now, has always been excluded from any double VIP points promotions) before the end of last year in order to benefit from "a full year of exclusive Black VIP Card Holder promotions", only to discover that had I postponed my purchase 'til now I wouldn't have missed out on any exclusive promotions at all and would have been able to get an extra £65-worth of points to boot. But wait, there is a rumour of an exclusive promotion. But then again it's only a "chance to win", not a definite "you will receive". Frankly, I think I would have rather had the extra £65-worth of points. Not that they would do me much good though - given that even the "Exclusives" are now almost all available periodically on discount at Smyths and the like, where's my incentive to buy anything direct from LEGO themselves? I have a post-graduate Diploma in Marketing and can't decide whether LEGO's marketing department are either the most inept bunch of incompetent morons this side of the Po Valley or the most talented and creative marketing professionals the world has ever seen. Feeling royally shafted right now. Maybe I should call their Human Resources department and see if they've any jobs going... Love to all, even LEGO.

I do the same regarding sending in items when the price is at a point where I am comfortable with the earnings. Invariably, between the moment I prep the shipment and the time it adds to my inventory at AMZ, some yoohoo comes in and lists significantly below the previous going rate, and I end up waiting to make a sale (or taking a significant profit hit). Grr.

So let me get this straight. I paid about 10 dollars to get in on Ed's brickpicker raffle and I paid 800 to get in on an R2 D2 raffle. Do i have better odds of winning this one?

Gotta be Darth Revan leftovers.

Hey terrymc4677, I've checked two Walgreens in my town regularly and they haven't arrived yet. I'm keeping an eye out those as they usually do carry the minifigs but most times they just put out 10-15 at a time on the hanging displays so it is anyone's guess which 10-15 out of the box get hung up. Then they always mark them up to 4.39-4.99 instead of 3.99. Still worth it I guess if I can sell it for $30-32 on eBay.

I consider the exclusion of Y-Wing Starfighter from double VIP a first-rate scandal and arrogance on TLG part, they may bitterly regret the backlash. I do understand it on Falcon, marketing-wise it's totally different category but for a 200$ category set it's really stretching consumer patience thin...

Sure are churning out the publicity material. Second video of the day.

I’ll steal my son’s when he isn’t looking.

Press release incoming. 10261 LEGO Creator Expert: Roller Coaster Ages 16+. 4,124pieces. $379.99 US – $479.99 CN – DE 329.99€ – FR 349.99€ – UK £299.99 – DK 2699DKK *Euro pricing varies by country. Please visit shop.LEGO.com for regional pricing. Take a ride with the ultimate Roller Coaster! Enjoy the thrills and excitement of the fairground with thischain-lift Roller Coaster featuring a wealth of brick-built details and 11 minifigures. Upgradable with LEGO® Power Functions and LEGO BOOST for an added movement sensor and realistic sound effects! Capture the speed, thrills and excitement of the ultimate fairground attraction with this incredible LEGO® Creator Expert 10261 Roller Coaster. This fully functional chain-lift model comes with 2 trains and an array of authentic features and functions, including a ticket booth, cotton candy cart, concession stand, height marker, and a covered boarding station complete with opening barriers and a control panel. Lower the lap bars to secure the riders into the cars and release the brake to send the train to the foot of the first climb. Then activate the chain lift and enjoy the ride as the gravity-driven cars hurtle through the Roller Coaster’s twists and turns. Upgrade the Roller Coaster with LEGO Power functions for a motorized chain lift or LEGO BOOST for an added movement sensor and realistic sound effects! This incredible collectible toy has been designed to provide a challenging and rewarding building experience with a touch of nostalgia and charm. Includes 11 minifigures. • Build a fully functioning Roller Coaster with 2 trains, lots of big dips and upgrade options • Upgrade with LEGO® BOOST and LEGO Power Functions for an even more immersive experience • Roller Coaster model measures over 20” (53cm) high, 34” (88cm) wide and 16” (41cm) deep • LEGO® Creator Expert building toys are compatible with all LEGO construction sets for creative building • Includes 11 minifigures: a cotton candy vendor, 2 ride attendants, 2 grandparents with their granddaughter and 5 riders. 8 of these minifigures feature reversible heads to display different emotions. • Fully functional chain-lift Roller Coaster model features a classic brick-built sign, control panel, 2 trains—each consisting of 3 train cars with low-friction wheels, and a 44-piece track consisting of 7 different rail elements. • Also features a ticket booth, fountain, cotton candy cart, concession stand, waiting area with bench, camera element and a pond with a frog figure. • Buy your ticket at the booth and make your way to the covered plaza. • No cheating at the height marker—the ride attendant has an accurate measuring stick! • Help the riders into the cars and secure the lap bars. • Release the brake to send the cars to the foot of the first climb. • Activate the chain lift to pull the train cars to the top of the first drop. • Move the rails to launch a second train. • Serve refreshing beverages at the concession stand or spin some cotton candy. • Don’t forget to smile as you race past the camera! • Upgrade the Roller Coaster with LEGO® Power Functions for a motorized chain lift, or with LEGO BOOST for automated chain lift activation and realistic sound effects! • Decorated elements include a ticket, money, arrow tiles, pressure gauge, number pad and a ride control panel. • Special new-for-June-2018 elements include a 2x8x6 Rail Slope, 1x2x1 Bow Brick, plant leaves, stalks and flowers. • Other elements include a height checker and 2 cotton candy treats. • Makes the perfect fairground addition to the 10257 LEGO® Creator Expert Carousel and 10247 LEGO® Creator Expert Ferris Wheel • Measures over 20” (53cm) high, 34” (88cm) wide and 16” (41cm) deep.

Well it just got one. Eat my shorts.

This would totally fit together with the Pirate themed 3-in-1 Pirate Rollercoaster sets (plural version) for a Pirate themed fair which includes this set as a playground feature for kids!

Still not enough of a reason ever to step foot into that hellhole.

Just had a look. That's awesome!

Incredibly weak May, incomparable to the the previous years. Those Legoland tickets they are giving away in European stores since march with ANY purchase. Those early sets D2C are Hogwarts & Jurassic Park. I agree with above, turkey all over.

My wallet takes a breather for once.

What's with the life preserver?

also need to decide if they can charge them with 100k of theft or actual retail value theft of about 70-75k

RIP R. Lee Ermey.