Hexx

Lugbulk problem

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Hello,

I don't know if this is a proper place to address this but I would like some advice.

My LUG was invited to join the Lugbulk action organised by a different RLUG, we payed all of our fees including shipping in advance. Now, some 6 months later when the lugbulk finally arrived we were asked to pay some extra fees on top of that by their ambassador, yet he haven't provided a single paper, or receipt as proof for extra expanses. When we demanded to see the receipts the ambassador said that we can either pay him the sum he demanded or take our money back. Since we didn't want to be blackmailed we took our money and when one of our members met with the ambassador to get our money the ambassador said something along the lines of "hey, a man has to make a living somehow".

My question would be, who should I complain to about this? Ok we got our money back, but we're talking about 10 people who are left without their bricks. We had plans for those bricks, we passed some pretty good deals because we expected them. We basically feel cheated and are prone to think this was the plan all along, so he could buy some time and gather money on his own.

Please advise me what to do.

 

Thanks

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Ok, enough with the shadow games.  If you got hosed, and it looks like you did...

What LUG's Ambassador was lookin' for extra compensation?  Who?

Does the rest of the LUG in question know he was doing this?

Yes, there are some import fees and items that we (as a LUG) have to cover when shipments come in, but those are documented.

We, (my LUG) had paid for our order a few months back as well and we are still waiting to find out where ours is.

I believe Kim Thomsen is the LUGBULK coordinator.  Your RLUG Ambassador should have his contact info.

 

I'm sorry to hear about this  It is really terrible to see that this occurs.  Call them/him out, let everyone know.  Not really keeping in tact with LEGO values are they?

 

Stash

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Thanks for the advice guys!

 

Edited by Hexx

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I'm sorry for using this topic but I have some questions about lugbulk too.
We have a Ukrainian LUG and made an order in lugbulk programm last year (in compliance to rules), payed all money and so on. But, as our Ambassador said, Lego company cant send our order to us because of some delivery problems. Like Lego company can't send us such big mails, not DHL, not other post companies. However other mails (such as event support) from Lego company we periodicaly got, and had no problems with it. Also, as ambassador said, that he didn't get from TLG any intelligible  answer about the reason of troubles and ways to resolve it. Unfortunately, I didnt see mails myself.

Questions:
Does anyone have such problems with delivery system? If yes, then how you solved it?
Does anyone, except representative person (ambassador), have possibility to connect with TLG (Lugbulk)?

Can be more than 1 ambassador per LUG?

Thank you

Edited by DwalinF

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All I know for sure...is that the LUGBULK contact person is Kim Thomsen, who was a member of this site.  I think it's terrible that you guys are having these problems.  Emailing him would probably be your best bet...

kim.ellekjaer.thomsen (at) lego.com

Drop him a line, he should respond, he is a good guy!  Otherwise, if your ambassador is that much of an asshat, drop him, and bring in a new one.

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Actually, Stash, I think Ana is in charge of Lugubulk at this moment - but that is besides a point:

For Hexx question - as I understood, guys from one club asked guys from other club for lugbulk - which is not quite by the rules, but ok. The MAIN and most important rule is "do not resell lugbulk", so, I won't get into discussion - but the point is, it seems to me that both sides where doing something "bad", and in situations when both sides operate "outside of law", when scam happen, law does not protect you - in a way, I would feel lucky that I've got my money back

On one hand, VAT has to be paid in every country, also shipping, customs, if applicable, and there are additional costs - cost of making papers (usually the delivery agency bills that to the recipient), costs of customs declaration and checking, cost of sanitary inspection, etc. You do get bill for everything, as a proof of transaction. Sometimes the receipt of the money is enough.

What can you do in this kind of situations? Not much.
You could contact TLG, but what can you say? "I tried to cheat you, but the guy who was helping me cheated me"? (I guess this happened, you where not part of RLUG and tried to get lugbulk all the same? Correct me if I misread your post)

I would have two set of advices:

1) The cheapest schools in life are the ones that you pay with money
Luckily you get your money back. Really, that is really a good thing, reading your post I was not expecting that

2) Do things by the book.
TLG has some great programs, excellent support and nerves like steel, but they do snap sometimes, and people get removed from the family - but punishment should not be what is driving us to have good relationship with TLG, but the little gestures of good will that we constantly do to eachother - us, AFOL community represented trough RLUGs, and them, the Corporate, represented trough LCE team

---

As I understand, only looses are with missed opportunities, which is not that bad (I know RLUGS that lost whole lugbulk money amounts to thieves or swindlers), so, at the end, loss of opportunity, and gain of experience. And opportunities will arise again, and experience stays :)

Hope this helps.
For me personally it helps with having strong-minded members inside the club, that make a wall and allow us to make mistakes while we work, as it is much easier to remedy this kind of situations when you are part of the group, and rarely is the whole group so without experience so they all get swindled by the swindler. Group is always stronger then individual, and you can find a whole bunch of benefits from being part of a good, strong network of friends that make a club

for DwalinF question:

There can be only one ambassador per club. But until this year there could have been one more person in charge for lugbulk

So, first question have you solved your transport problem?

If not, with delivery problem, you can do next:

1) ask your Community manager (I think it is Jan, right?) for "ok" to talk to Ana about cutting your order in few parts, and sending it - you said that you do get some smaller support packages. Please note that TLG could not have possibilities to help you in this way, but it does not hurt to ask. Little advice - keep your e-mails as short and as to the point as necessary. As long time ambassador, I needed years before I learned how to be short and consis, and to the point.

 

Have your ambassador contact me on LAN, and we will go into the details of the problem

 

2) same step as before, except if the order can't be divided into smaller parcels - you can have it delivered somewhere else, outside your borders. Please have your ambassador to contact me privately for the rest. And please, let him/her do this over the LAN

For your other questions, yes, there are lugbulk problems all the time that I know, and imagine how much I don't know, on the other hand, we have teams of people working to find solutions, both from our (AFOL) side and theirs (TLG). If there is a doubt ambassador is not doing something ok, members should contact TLG trough Regional Community manager (For Europe - Jan Beyer, please contact me with pm for e-mail. Again, I would suggest for a short, consis letter. If the ambassador is ok, but the club thinks some other person could ad benefits to the situation or resolve it, I suggest that your ambassador ask Regional Community manager to add this person to conversation by adding him/her as a recipient to the mailing list. This happens a lot when we work with TLG, when someone from finance, packaging, or some other department has to be part of conversation.

on a personal note, great steampunk mocs ;) but my favorite is Graveyard watchman's house :)

 

Edited by Angeli
spell check

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Thank you for such "wide" answer. :-)

Since that time, I've read some emails from TLG to our LUG, and had dialogue with them also (both Jan and Ana). And as a result I got an answer, that our delivery problem can be solved only at State level, and they will speak only with our ambssador, and not with me :D By the way, our ambassador is Ok, but sometimes he hasnt time for LUG. And his communication with TLG sometimes veeeery slow.

So we tried  the second variant, you talking about

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Possible solutions could be: choose another ambassador who will have time for communication - it is only few minutes to write an-email. Or choose replacement that will jump in when ambassador is indisposed

There are around 300 recognized lugs, let's say with average 100 members per club. That is 30.000 people just in recognized lugs, and there are at least 100 more that are trying to become, so, around 40.000 people that want to talk with Jan and Ana and other LCE members. Imagine that they converse with all of them on a daily basis, they would just be reading e-mails all day long, and quickly loose themselves in a sea of different opinions. so, it is logical to have contact with representatives of the community

Like I said, my country, Serbia, is (I think) even worse then yours when import shenanigans are in question, but we managed to find solutions and procedures that allow us to pass without problems. This was a product of many months of research and talks with customs representatives, and special problem was changing shipping companies - each had its own customs department, and every department had its own rules and different set of papers they wanted - once we ironed that out, it has been much much easier.

So, I would recommend talking to the customs representative, making of list of needed documents and procedures, making a template files and then just filling them up when support arrives

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