[rant] LEGO sets missing minifigs

[Cwetqo]

Even thumb opening boxes are not safe:

[Lego Otaku]

requiring IDs on returning would help. Many store already keeps track of customer returns by credit or debit card and if they find out someone's returning a lot they can start refusing return or disallow the customer from returning. It shouldn't be hard to block return by ID card, especially if the sets were originally paid with cash. The thieves will soon start running out of stores they can rip off and be forced to quit.

Better seal like the holo tape that leaves hard to conceal message such as OPENED or VOID that retailer can use to check, and tell the customer they can't accept it and they should contact LEGO about missing part. Such tapes are next to impossible to remove without defacing and cutting then re-taping would be somewhat obvious.

[RaincloudDustbin]

After re-thinking this, I believe that marked tape is the way to go. In UK, I've never encountered this problem other than some opened minifigures.

[naf]

If TLC would just go back to the old style boxes, where you could flip the front lid and see all the special parts, including the minifigs, this wouldn't be an issue.

[Lego Otaku]

I'd like to add more of missing minifigs. I saw a bunch of Star Wars Advent Calendar 2012 on clearance sale $20 each. All of them had flaps that were opened and when I checked, all of them were missing santa version of Darth Maul and a few other little bags. No wonder it's still on the shelf 4 months after the clearance sale started, no one would pay $20 for a (remaining of) 100-piece set with no minifigs.

[RTZX9R]

If TLC would just go back to the old style boxes, where you could flip the front lid and see all the special parts, including the minifigs, this wouldn't be an issue.

Bravo - 110% agreed.

[Faefrost]

If TLC would just go back to the old style boxes, where you could flip the front lid and see all the special parts, including the minifigs, this wouldn't be an issue.

Those boxes are great for the end consumer / purchaser. Unfortunately they are a nightmare for the stores and merchants, as they are real easy for the aisles surfing bandit is to damage or selectively pilfer parts from. Simply shrink wrapping the boxes might be a better option. Although that runs counter to some of TLG's desires for "green packaging". (I'll leave it to others to ponder the absurdity of one of the worlds oldest injection molded plastic companies courting a green image.)

[Lyichir]

Those boxes are great for the end consumer / purchaser. Unfortunately they are a nightmare for the stores and merchants, as they are real easy for the aisles surfing bandit is to damage or selectively pilfer parts from. Simply shrink wrapping the boxes might be a better option. Although that runs counter to some of TLG's desires for "green packaging". (I'll leave it to others to ponder the absurdity of one of the worlds oldest injection molded plastic companies courting a green image.)

There's no absurdity there. There would be if the plastic were ending up in landfills; but what kind of monster would throw away Lego?