Release Date Question for Servo, L-Motor & V2 IR

[Ricecracker]

Oh, really? I just telephoned Lego Customer Service at their USA headquarters, and Cheryl ____ there said that the 88003 Lego Power Functions L-Motor and 88004 PF Servo Motor "are going to be released online tomorrow [July 12]." I specifically asked her "In the USA?" and "Via Shop.Lego.com?" and she confirmed "Yes."

Yes, really. You complaining here, over and over, does absolutely nothing to inform people about the release date. All you're doing is creating a hostile environment that offers no one relevant information. I'm glad your persistence finally paid off, but almost all of your previous posts regarding Customer Service did not further this discussion.

Now, especially since we now have a release date, let's stay on topic.

[Pierre_Cochereau]

I would just like to see the AFOL community respond like the "United Breaks Guitars" guy.

LOL This is awesome. Maybe someone is going to be inspired to do a MOC and a Lego-animated movie which tells the story of the release of 88004.

Anyway, I'm waiting to see if it's also going to be available in the European S@H ... I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

[07jkearney]

Still no sign of the motors on the (UK) shop-at-home website

I keep getting 'page not found' when I click 'check price'.

[allanp]

I don't think this is a customer service issue, it seems higher up. Customer services can only give information and sell products that they themselves have been given, so I feel sorry for them being caught in the middle. TLG don't seem to have a problem supplying these parts for their sets, so why the delay? It feels to me like the new pf parts are pretty much the main reason to actually buy the crawler, without these parts the set itself is rather dull and uninteresting, at least to me anyway, so what do you do? Only make those parts available in the set. Someone in a previous post said that they are going to buy a crawler just because the pf parts were not available yet. Remember TLG is a business folks! They need our money to survive. The release of the boss crawler probably won't affect it as much, that is only a limited run and the design and parts in the awesome colour of the body gives more justification to buy the set and so its sales won't be so reliant on the pf elements, but still it shares the same uninspiring chassis so who knows?!

[N-4K0]

It seems they want to supply the motors to finish all the Boss Crawler sets, and maybe other sets in which those are to be used, and when all the sets have the required motors, those can be sold normally.

[DLuders]

(Sigh) The weekend has arrived, and another blown deadline has come and gone March 2013 June 2013 July 9, 2013 July 12, 2013 . There no release posted today on Shop.Lego.com , PowerFunctions.Lego.com , or on the Community.Lego.com Technic Message Board . It's obvious that The Lego Group is not sincere. I'm no chump -- I'm tired of getting jacked around; I'm spending my money elsewhere.

Page

NOT FOUND

[z3_2drive]

Nothing to get so frustrated about IMO, maybe that's because I rarely buy things from Lego.com, and instead find better deals elsewhere, but this happens with many large companies and I'm sure they have a logical reason to push back the dates, like the fact that they are about to sell two sets (BOSS+crane) that contain new motors. Although saying 'unknown release date as of now' is better than 'lying' and pushing back dates, it's not a reason to get yourself and others so worked up...

[DLuders]

I don't know what's worse for The Lego Group -- being staffed by pathological liars, or being an incompetent business. They kept telling me "Sorry" over and over; they sure are a sorry lot.

[1974]

I don't know what's worse for The Lego Group -- being staffed by pathological liars, or being an incompetent business. They kept telling me "Sorry" over and over; they sure are a sorry lot.

Right, TLG is just one of the most succesfull toy companies in the world for many years with one of the best customer services in any business

You need to take a chill pill and get your parts of Bricklink instead. Your watchdog routine is getting tiresome, imho

[cgg199]

Other than one person telling you, where was the official release date of July 12th mentioned?

[DLuders]

@ cgg199: As Cheryl ____ from Lego Customer Service was telling me the release date over the telephone on July 11th, I was literally typing it into my post on the Community.Lego.com Technic Message Board topic https://community.lego.com/t5/TECHNIC/When-Will-Power-Functions-L-Motor-Servo-Motor-and-v2-Receiver-Be/td-p/6561598/page/2 . No new post there is made public without being moderated first. The "Official" Moderator, WhiteAlligator, must have confirmed my statements by looking in the same Lego computer system as Cheryl _____ did. WhiteAlligator is the same one who posted the July 9th date. Mind you, these are Lego employees and not some intermediaries doing this. The 88003 Power Functions L-Motor and 88004 Power Functions Servo Motor were listed as being released on July 12th.

Now, who knows what the TRUE date is? I'm not pursuing this anymore. You can fool me some of the time, but not all of the time.

[legomuppet9]

@ cgg199: As Cheryl ____ from Lego Customer Service was telling me the release date over the telephone on July 11th, I was literally typing it into my post on the Community.Lego.com Technic Message Board topic https://community.le.../6561598/page/2 . No new post there is made public without being moderated first. The "Official" Moderator, WhiteAlligator, must have confirmed my statements by looking in the same Lego computer system as Cheryl _____ did. WhiteAlligator is the same one who posted the July 9th date. Mind you, these are Lego employees and not some intermediaries doing this. The 88003 Power Functions L-Motor and 88004 Power Functions Servo Motor were listed as being released on July 12th.

Now, who knows what the TRUE date is? I'm not pursuing this anymore. You can fool me some of the time, but not all of the time.

Everyone else is just being patient. When it's ready, it's ready

[750ACE]

This thread I started sucks.

[1974]

This thread I started sucks.

I'm afraid I agree

Don't understand the fuss, the parts are widely availabe at Bricklink, so why is the TLG release date that important?

[DLuders]

It's because those Bricklink motors that are available to USA people like me are overpriced. I had wanted to buy MANY motors directly from The Lego Group (to save money), but not anymore.

99499c01 "Light Bluish Gray Electric, Motor 9V Power Functions L with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom" (Lego 88003) -- minimum price on Bricklink for USA customers is USD $18 and up.

99498c01 "Electric, Motor 9V Power Functions Servo with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom" (Lego 88004) -- minimum price on Bricklink for USA customers is USD $28.99 and up.

For comparison, on Shop.Lego.com's Power Functions Category webpage, an 8883 Power Functions (PF) Medium Motor costs only USD $7.49 and a 8882 PF XL Motor costs only USD $9.99.

Why would I want to pay exhorbitant Bricklink prices when I should have been able to obtain the PF L-Motor and PF Servo Motor directly from Lego? The whole matter is moot now; I'm not going to reward Lego's poor regard for its customers with my money.

[legomuppet9]

What gives you a right to those motors from Lego anyway? that's why this whole issue is stupid...

[cgg199]

I'm not going to reward Lego's poor regard for its customers with my money.

Have fun paying over the rate on Bricklink then!

[Saberwing40k]

What gives you a right to those motors from Lego anyway? that's why this whole issue is stupid...

That's beside the point. They said that they'd release the motors on X date, and have failed to do so. But, I gave up looking a loooonnnng time ago. It simply ain't worth my time.

[N-4K0]

Everyone who wants motors have just as much "right" to buy them as anyone else, so that's out of the picture.

The overall point is - if you need motors right NOW, your only option is BL. If you can wait, then wait.

If you can't afford or don't want to buy them from BL, you can only wait anyway.

[DLuders]

Did it ever occur to anybody that the possible reason for Shop.Lego.com's 5-per-customer limit on 9398 4x4 Crawlers is that RESELLERS are parting-out 9398's to make a quick profit? Heck, for USA people you could sell the three motors that come with the 9398, and already get back nearly 1/3 of the USD $199.99 cost you paid for the set:

($18 ea. x 2 PF L-Motors) + ($29 ea. for PF Servo Motor) = $36 + $29 = $65.

The likely true value of PF L-Motors is probably $10, and the PF Servo Motor maybe $12. But, we don't know because The Lego Group never posted its prices. It can post prices for its upcoming sets months in advance, but can't even do this simple courtesy for its customers. Maybe TLG secretly just wants to sell maximum numbers of 9398 sets, and doesn't care whether they get parted-out or not. However, putting profits ahead of its commitments is going too far. Jacking around its customers, with one blown promise after another, is not indicative of a company that cares. Lego's vaunted good-guy image is a fraud.

[Eigenbroetler]

It's because those Bricklink motors that are available to USA people like me are overpriced. I had wanted to buy MANY motors directly from The Lego Group (to save money), but not anymore.

99499c01 "Light Bluish Gray Electric, Motor 9V Power Functions L with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom" (Lego 88003) -- minimum price on Bricklink for USA customers is USD $18 and up.

99498c01 "Electric, Motor 9V Power Functions Servo with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom" (Lego 88004) -- minimum price on Bricklink for USA customers is USD $28.99 and up.

For comparison, on Shop.Lego.com's Power Functions Category webpage, an 8883 Power Functions (PF) Medium Motor costs only USD $7.49 and a 8882 PF XL Motor costs only USD $9.99.

Why would I want to pay exhorbitant Bricklink prices when I should have been able to obtain the PF L-Motor and PF Servo Motor directly from Lego? The whole matter is moot now; I'm not going to reward Lego's poor regard for its customers with my money.

i think you USA guys have cheap prices on lego, a PF XL motor in sweden comes to a whopping 19 US dollars (129 SEK) from lego.com

[DLuders]

Perhaps the new motors that come with the Lego Mindstorms EV3 set (to be released August 1, 2013) is taking up the production capacity of TLG's suppliers. After all, if TLG blows THAT DEADLINE, thousands of school districts worldwide will be most upset....

[AVCampos]

I'm not sure about that one... the large EV3 motors appear quite similar to the ones for the NXT, and those I think are based on the PF XLmotor. As for the small EV3 motor, at appears to be based on the PF M motor. But only after the EV3 comes out we can know for sure.

[Rufus]

For the last time, please keep the discussion to information regarding the release date. Ranting about it here will not bring the date forward, it is just irritating to other members.

If you have any issue with The LEGO Group's treatment of its customers, then I suggest you take it up with them directly. No further complaints in this regard will be tolerated here.

Thank you.

[DLuders]

Very well, Rufus, I did what you said and "took it up with them directly" for the 11th time. I telephoned Lego Customer Service in the USA again just now at 1-800-835-4386 and talked with Myrda (sp?) ______. She put me on hold for several minutes to check on the 88003 & 88004 Power Functions motors. There is a "quality problem that has delayed the release of these products." The Lego Group did not want to release them until the quality issues were solved. She did not reveal the nature of the quality issues. There is no release date known at this time.

Edited July 15, 2013 by DLuders