TheDarkness Posted August 16, 2011 Posted August 16, 2011 Hehe this thread has become the LEGO scam watch thread. Hey we are just looking out for our own :)
greenpaw Posted August 16, 2011 Posted August 16, 2011 At least this one has been taken down by ebay. Another one that seems far too good to be true, who would have 25 of these sets lying around and only want $80 inc postage for them http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-LEGO-CITY-CARGO-TRAIN-DELUXE-BRAND-6098-/330601712162?pt=AU_Networking&hash=item4cf965ca22
BrettBrick Posted August 16, 2011 Posted August 16, 2011 Hey we are just looking out for our own :) It has gone from eBay now
Clone-Trooper Posted August 16, 2011 Posted August 16, 2011 It has gone from eBay now Im sure plenty more fraudsters will pop up again, in the mean time, was anyone stupid enough to order from the Hong Kong Death Star seller......... I want to see how this train wreck story ends.
bockers Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 PM me and I will let you know. I dont want to tell eveyone about is as I dont want to miss out if its legit but I also dont want to let poeople know and they get scamed. Still can be scamed with PayPal, so Its not looking so good. Hahah in case its legit and you miss out? Don't need to worry about that. I am sure he has 100s of each set for you to buy.
Clone-Trooper Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 (edited) Hahah in case its legit and you miss out? Don't need to worry about that. I am sure he has 100s of each set for you to buy. heheheheh, your right, I missed out on the greatest deal of the century........ hehehehehehh Im sure he's 100% legit, I even think he runs a Lego Theme park...... Im just curious to see if anyone will own up to the fact of ordering a set or if they'll hide in a cave and totally forget the ordeal. I've herd that people have already been contact by the seller and have been given a tracking number...... what that parcel will be is the real question........ im having a guess/stab in the dark that it will be a photograph of a Death Star Kit in a nice $99 pound shiney envelope :-) Edited August 17, 2011 by Clone-Trooper
wokajablocka Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 The scam I found was posted on the net in Feb this year, and Im sure some people have already fallen into the trap. I know its not sales news but we need to look out each other. Those minifig displays sound alright, I would like to see a price though. Im going to check out Toys r us on the weekend and see what I can find.
Strand Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 I saw this some time ago. It was advertised somewhere in Melbourne. I saw the prices and thought great. Then saw western money union and email him but he told me no paypal. What is the link to this list? AHhahah Western Money Union and no Paypal? That should set off alarm bells for everyone. That's how Nigerian scammers have been working for years, I find it funny they're moving into the AFOL crowd.
Darth Draks Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 Just found a cool deal on the QAR, shopforme only up tonight.
Hewman Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Just found a cool deal on the QAR, shopforme only up tonight. Is that for $160 + shipping? Or was the deal better than that last night?
Clone-Trooper Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Is that for $160 + shipping? Or was the deal better than that last night? Deal last night was only 33% off, nothing to rave about, which means it would have brought the price of the set down from $199 to $133.34. Midas well take advantage of a Myer Buy 2 get 1 Free as it works out the same price without the added shipping.
Darth Draks Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) Deal last night was only 33% off, nothing to rave about, which means it would have brought the price of the set down from $199 to $133.34. Midas well take advantage of a Myer Buy 2 get 1 Free as it works out the same price without the added shipping. Yeah but no stock at any Myers in Vic. Edit: Also sale finished. Edited August 18, 2011 by Darth Draks
Notorious Guf Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) Hey guys, I have received my series 5 minifigures. They have a dot code, but 3 of the figures are extremely difficult to tell apart. For those who will be collecting in store, your best bet for a full set, is to go for the first 2 rows, you will find a full set in there. The first row has 12 different figs, so go for that one if you want a good variety. You will find multiples of the Zoo Keeper & Guard in the first row. Now, for anyone who has bought a box, I am desperate for a Boxer in a Sealed Bag. This is one of the near impossible ones to tell apart by the dot code, I tried the feel technique as well & failed miserably. So I now have a whole set sealed, but no sealed Boxer - The only Fig from all 5 Series' I don't have in a sealed bag. I am willing to trade with anyone, or buy it from anyone who can guarantee it is correctly identified in a sealed bag. The only real way to do this is to open the other packs to be sure. They dots are the same as the Zoo Keeper, so if you can find and open 5 zoo keepers, then you are just about guaranteed you can find the boxer. Hopefully someone can help! Cheers Edit: You will find the boxer is most likely 5th, 6th or 7th in the box in the first (left) row. So if you are opening a full box, starting from the last row will ensure you find all the Zoo Keepers before you find all the Boxers, if you go the other way, you will find all the Boxer's before finding the Zoo Keepers... Edited August 18, 2011 by Notorious Guf
Darth Draks Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Brokers Express, or Brokers 1 month service? Pancake specialists is entirely accurate, my boxes shipped via UPS were in pristine condition Brokers Express so the clock is ticking.
Clone-Trooper Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 Thought this was relevant for those interested in overseas vs Aussie prices: http://www.boorowanewsonline.com.au/news/national/national/general/aussie-apple-boss-comes-out-of-the-shadows-to-confront-ripoff-claims/2264147.aspx?storypage=1 Hope B&N stay with their overseas shipping-I was getting used to those prices :0) They should be grilled to the wall................ but it's legislation and the government which sits back and lets Australians get overcharged whilst they roll around in the GST tax from all sales.
Artanis I Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 They should be grilled to the wall................ but it's legislation and the government which sits back and lets Australians get overcharged whilst they roll around in the GST tax from all sales. Yes but our 10% tax is very little compared to many VATs etc overseas... by the way GST replaced 25-40% taxes on electrical & other consumer goods - imagine what the prices in that article would be if they were still in place!!!
lightningtiger Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 Yes but our 10% tax is very little compared to many VATs etc overseas... by the way GST replaced 25-40% taxes on electrical & other consumer goods - imagine what the prices in that article would be if they were still in place!!! 25-40% I don't think so, sales tax was 10, 20 and 30% depending on the products involved, Lego would have been 20% sales tax all those years back. Brick On !
dotmike Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 25-40% I don't think so, sales tax was 10, 20 and 30% depending on the products involved, Lego would have been 20% sales tax all those years back. On the wholesale price, but it was indeed a messy situation. That's something the GST did simplify greatly, despite the sky-is-falling FUD that was floating around at the time of introduction. I remember the media giving the impression that supermarket bills were going to go up by at least 10% across the board. (Shades of the current carbon tax.) I've no complaint against people agitating against local price parity for products, but in the Apple example at least, when the exchange rate tumbled a bit during the US debt ceiling crisis a few weeks ago, Australia actually became the cheapest place in the world to buy an iPad for a few days. I didn't see anyone clamouring to have the price raised to bring it into parity with the US! It cuts both ways and companies do have to insulate themselves against currency fluctuation to some extent. In the case of The LEGO Group's rather more obscene local price gouging (Apple's products may be 10% more expensive, but LEGO's are often 80-100% more), it's like that mainly because the US economy is tanking so bad: the market there needs lower prices to encourage purchases of a "luxury" toy item. In effect, the more prosperous markets such as ours are set at the premium price and the US is given discounted prices to spur buying. It would be nice if Australia could be closer to it, but realistically the main way that would happen is if US prices were raised. As everyone says, learn to import, and there is a silver lining to the lack of price parity.
lightningtiger Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 And don't forget the real players in the price game.....Westfarmer's and Woolworth's ! If it's to be believed that what we pay is based on what we earn vs what the retailers want to sell for.....though Lego has only a low markup anyway.....though better than motor oil or video cassettes (Blank DVD's) or even batteries....take it from my experience in selling those products the little guy gets cut real bad. I think we need to compare the cost of Lego here with our wages, against other countries to truly see if we are doing well or getting screwed over ?
jonwil Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 For those who havent seen it (or those who want to see it again), the LEGO episode of James May's Toy Stories is on SBS1 next Friday at 7:30pm
Civic Bossman Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 Not sure if this has been mentioned a few pages back (sorry haven't had time to browse lately), but Toys'R'Us in Morley (WA) had the minifig display cases. THey had 8 and 16 capacity cases, in red, blue and yellow. All modular, with clear front flaps, wall mountable etc. 16 slot was $29.99. Forgot how much the 8 slot was.
shnake Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 Kmart have a couple of sets on clearance: 7985 City of Atlantis $89 (RRP $119.99) $30.99 off 8486 Mack's Team truck $65 (RRP 69.99) $4.99 off
Temet Nosce Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 I think we need to compare the cost of Lego here with our wages, against other countries to truly see if we are doing well or getting screwed over ? I think thats a really valid point, I have recently arrived in Australia from the UK to travel and work for a year. Back in the UK I was working in retail and getting around 6 GBP an hour, so to save up for something such as Diagon Alley it would take me approximately 22 hours (with the RRP being 132 GBP). For the same basic job in retail over here I am earning around $20 an hour, and given that the RRP of Diagon Alley is $280 (iirc) it would take me 14 man hours to save up for it. So for me, Lego over here actually works out cheaper. And since I bought Diagon Alley in the Target sale, at $230 it only took me 11.5 man hours to afford it. Thats nearly half the price. I know its not a great way to look at it, because cost of living is higher in Australia than the UK, but in terms of lego vs wages, Australia wins. Hope that made sense, and I would love Lego to be cheaper, but I don't think its too bad as it is. Also, I went to the Little Sprout annual 50% off toy sale in Canberra Civic today and there was no lego whatsoever. Big dissapointment!
dotmike Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 Back in the UK I was working in retail and getting around 6 GBP an hour, so to save up for something such as Diagon Alley ... I bought Diagon Alley in the Target sale, at $230 it only took me 11.5 man hours to afford it. Thats nearly half the price. Hmm. Based on your argument, the price of gold should be $1500 an ounce in the UK and $3000 an ounce in Australia. It isn't and it shouldn't. Sorry for the tone, but these apologist arguments for companies price gouging their international markets based on capacity to pay make me angry. If Australia is fortunate enough at its current prosperous point in history (and it is by no means perpetual prosperity - just two years ago the Aussie dollar was buying barely half a US dollar and things here were very expensive) to afford more of a product, it should be able to buy more of it. Not be forced to pay more for the same amount. In LEGO terms, being able to afford two modular sets this year instead of one. Artificial price manipulation based on distribution market is a valid area for cracking down on (preferably by consumer education rather than heavy handed government policy). Defending companies that do it is not helpful.
TheDarkness Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 We wouldn't be complaining if it were say a 20% markup, but we get rorted royally right now. I was told (though I am not sure how accurate it is) that the Death Star costs Lego about $170 US to make and ship. Obviously they can charge what they want, but it is a bit rich to see our prices all but doubled those in the States despite our dollar now being superior. S@H sell the Death Star now for $699, so that is a fair markup.
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