How to steal Lego sets... rather, how NOT to...

[JINZONINGEN73]

The inventory admin of Bricklink no less... crazy...

http://news.lugnet.com/mediawatch/?n=1968

Printing up UPC codes from cheaper sets and slapping them on Millenium Falcons is BAD, okay?

I was awaiting feedback from him on Bricklink...

BrickLink

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swanberg (6177)

Location:

[Jipay]

damn, this is insane. And this guy really thought nobody would ever notice a problem ?

The morality is : never trust a guy with a mustache

[Cutty]

Damn! I'll have to shave then ;)

Sick story btw. Sick as read in: He should have known better...

Beardy greetings,

Cutty

[JINZONINGEN73]

I'm not sure of what the staff structure is like there, but I hope his stupid butt hasn't compromised / messed up the smooth-running awesomeness that is Bricklink.

[snefroe]

on the hand, you can't help but question the intelligence of these employees as well. Surely you must know that a sw Falcon costs just a little bit more than 40$ or so...

[jonfett]

Oh.. 8-|

I have once bought from him, a few months back, so am I therefore supporting theft?! *wacko*

This is just plain wrong, stealing Lego.. >-|

Jon.

[mutley777]

hmmm me too! he was my last bricklink order that i made. i hope they don't want the clone's that i got from him back.

[MattZitron]

So what EXACTLY was he doing?

My dyslexia confused the articles.

[snefroe]

So what EXACTLY was he doing?

My dyslexia confused the articles.

from what I read, he did this:

1) took a copy of a bar code of a cheap set

2) copied this by use of a computer

3) printed it on stickers, so he would have bar code stickers of a cheap set

4) went to a toy shop and applied the new bar code stickers on expensive sets

5) took a large number of one set, but unloaded only one so the employee would only "read" this one set with the fake bar code

6) the employee would either multiply this price by the number of sets still in his cart or would "reread" the barcode of this set that he/she already has in his/her hands.

7) the guy pays X times the price, indicated by the fake bar code

8) then he'd sell the sets that he bought on ebay for the real price, leading to huge profts...

[Morten]

Not good!!!

KimT and I have a big order of ROTS sets bought from him, and it is lost i the postal-service!! Anyone has good idea of what to do to get the stuff back? I hate to loose these sets!

:( :( :( :(

[snefroe]

Not good!!!

KimT and I have a big order of ROTS sets bought from him, and it is lost i the postal-service!! Anyone has good idea of what to do to get the stuff back? I hate to loose these sets!

:( :( :( :(

i'd check with the postal services to find out where the goods are exactly and if they, indeed, are involved in this operation... If they are part of the case against this guy, then i would try and find out what is going to happen with the goods and you're money. I guess us customs will be able to trace the goods involved via ebay and bricklink records anyway...

[Kahgarak]

Crime never pays off...except when you're as strong as Superman! :oD :oD :oD :oD

[Deinonychus]

I'm actually a little surprised the Target internal loss people cracked the scam and had this guy pegged :o

But, just goes to show you, you perpetuate something like that too long you will get caught :P

[SuvieD]

Crime never pays off...except when you're as strong as Superman! :oD :oD :oD :oD

And nobody is.

Crime pays. You can earn as much guilt, shame, bad reputation, and retribution as you want.

What goes around comes around.

[JINZONINGEN73]

Not good!!!

KimT and I have a big order of ROTS sets bought from him, and it is lost i the postal-service!! Anyone has  good idea of what to do to get the stuff back? I hate to loose these sets!

:(  :(  :(  :(

OOF. I don't know laws, but I hope THOSE haven't been confiscated as "evidence".

>__<

I had no idea anyone but me on here would even know the dude, much less have outstanding orders with him. :'(

EDIT: Ah, this may be of help:

Washington County Sheriff's Office

Media Information   

Rob Gordon, Sheriff

215 SW ADAMS, MS 32 Hillsboro, OR 97123

For Immediate Release

November 17, 2005  Contact: Detective Troy Dolyniuk

Lead Case Agent

Contact Phone #: 503-519-1252

Worth a shot. You might still get stiffed, but at least you can try.

[KMOI]

So how exactly did they figure out his scheme all along? I am unclear on that part of the story. *wacko*

[JINZONINGEN73]

So how exactly did they figure out his scheme all along? I am unclear on that part of the story.  *wacko*

Any number of ways.

An employee knowing the true costs of the items, an inventory clerk's numbers coming up wrong, being caught slapping stickers on by security cam, a manager proudly observing a high-end item being brought through in quantity followed by seeing a small checkout... maybe even Lego itself asking questions... could have been anything.

Let's ask Bill.

Hey Bill? How'd they catch on to you?

Well that's rude. He won't talk.

:oD

[Sting]

What a bastard. Here alot of us are struggling to buy sets and find deals. And then you have scum like this stealing and selling to us at Retail price... what a douche. Hope he rots in jail!

[Legoman]

wow i never thought he was bad i brought the snow speeder tie fighter and y-wing and falcon off him but stealing lego bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! real bad and look at this

*twisted* *devil* me :() *sick* *sing* him ...........i love that :D

[Kikuichimonji]

How dumb are the store employees anyway? |-/

[Ickelpete]

what an unbelivable story :o yet another case of Ebay being used for fraud. was he also selling these sets through Bricklink?

Surely this cannot be a good thing for the reputation of bricklink and all the genuine AFOL's that use it to sell bricks.

I find this type of greed realy sad :(

[dviddy]

Freakin heck.

Another reason why Bricklink is something I look on with distaste.

True LEGO enthusiasts should buy the sets to get the pieces they want! ;)

But seriously, the heck? You'd think Target employees would be on guard for something like that. I mean, it's -clearly- a huge set. It -has- to cost more than what he paid. Teenagers were probably at the register.

Dang teenagers. ;)

*takes the elevator back up to the top of his sage-mountain to ponder the socio-economic ramifications of this story*

<<DV>>

[JINZONINGEN73]

Freakin heck.

Another reason why Bricklink is something I look on with distaste.

True LEGO enthusiasts should buy the sets to get the pieces they want! ;)

You have to admit though... if you're a broke-megablocks booger like me, it is pretty economical to JUST get the parts you need.

But yeah, I'd prefer to directly support Lego's sales directly, if it were humanly possible.

The things Bricklink CAN get you that you can't buy in a store are long-gone sets and weird parts that were only released to Lego employees, never in sets.

[Legoman]

you would think anyone would notice somthing like this i mean after a while working somewere like that you would get used to prices you would at least a bit suspisious would'nt you |-/

[blueandwhite]

Freakin heck.

Another reason why Bricklink is something I look on with distaste.

True LEGO enthusiasts should buy the sets to get the pieces they want!  ;)

<<DV>>

I'm sorry you feel that way. Bricklink remains an invaluable resourse for expert builders.

A person with a modest amount of income simply can't buy sets for pieces. Its TOO EXPENSIVE :o! Often, a $60 set will contain only a few pieces the expert builder actually wants. Bricklink allows for the distribution of pieces according to market demand. A builder who has 14 Harry Potters probably doesn't want another one. He or she can instead order only the pieces he or she needs. Yes, the prices may be inflated due to demand, however that cost is offset by avoiding useless or unnecessary bricks contained in most sets.

More to the point, how can a LEGO enthusiast get the parts they want if they are no longer in production? Heck, several colours were discontinued in 2004. Should those builders be content only with what has been brought to market? I should hope not. Perhaps set collectors can find satisfaction in only buying the latest sets, but they too will be missing out on many discontinued jems.

Bricklink also provides LEGO users a means to dispose of unwanted bricks. If you don't want those 14 Harry Potters, or 17 Luke Skywalkers, you can sell them to others who may have an interest in the minifigs, but not necessarily the sets. Bricklink is an open market that makes many of the incredible fan-made MOCs we see possible. With all of that out of the way, I feel it must be said

LONG LIVE BRICKLINK!!!

Dang teenagers.  ;)

Wasn't Bill 40? Dang middle-aged men :D !

Later.