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Duce

buying lego from auction sites, when do you draw the line on certain t

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Hey,

I don't intend this to be a rant thread so please do not think i'm going there, what I am interested in is people's opinions when buying lego sets online.

As an example of this I've purchased a fair few sets for my collection, and I've noticed even when people list the sets as complete there (In only a few cases) is usually a piece or two missing... normally I'd not mind but when its the older sets and you want to get a complete set trying to find vintage pieces to replace these is hassle and more money... this narks me a little as the reason I'm getting the sets is to complete them all. missing bricks take away from that.

Another is how they swap bricks without mentioning it, even 1-2 bricks swapped (Sometimes not the exact same size or colour) an example of this being how I've recieved a set with a red double sided sloped brick which was 2x2 instead of the 3x2 it should have been.

Am I just being too fussy a collector, or are these sort of things worth hassling them over for replacement parts / missing parts because personally having to go looking for them myself now...

Just wanting to see what others think to see if I need to relax my expectations or should I be kicking up a fuss :classic:

Edited by Duce

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Complete is complete; if it's not complete, you have a valid complaint. Replacement bricks are usually OK if they are the exact same brick (IOW, you wouldn't be able to tell that brick wasn't in that set anyway).

If there's other replacements, if the seller doesn't make it clear in the listing, then you have every right to complain. A lot of people still think of LEGO only as toys and not collectibles, or if they do they are simply trying to make a quick buck.

In fact, there's a number of bricklink sellers that are selling sets as "new" that are pieces they collected to build official sets; they sell it "new," "opened," and without instructions or box... but hey, it's all "new" pieces. I have a problem with this, especially if they don't make it clear in their listing.

So... I guess... in other words, regardless of how it's listed, if the description makes it clear, it's one thing (and I think it's acceptable). Otherwise, it's not acceptable.

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Good to see I'm not just being over keen on what auctions say and should have. Has been a pain sorcing the older bricks, and I think i'd agree on what you said about the sellers, some just bundle the stuff up in bags which is a nightmare to try to work with.

Time to fire off a few pm's to sellers it seems.

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I only buy mint in box or bulk. If it’s opened I trust that something is going to be missing and only pay prices that allow for replacements to be ordered. But if someone claims it’s complete and it isn’t that’s crap. Don’t take it. You wouldn’t be happy buying a “fully functioning” car to find out that you have no seats in it. :blush::thumbup:

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I have a lot of success on eBay, mainly from saved sellers I trust. The last couple sets I bought, however, were listed as complete but were missing some odd parts. My advice is to always contact the seller if there is something missing, or if it's not as pictured. Do not leave negative feedback, and slam the sellers as not selling whats advertised. I've found that when a set is missing pieces, it's an honest mistake. And When I emailed the sellers, they wanted to make it right, and one of them even sent me extra parts for my inconvenience.

Good luck.

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Agree with legomaniac83; it's always unacceptable to get something other than what was advertised, but always try to work it out first! :thumbup:

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I've found that it's usually a waste of time to hassle a seller, it also damages your relationship with them if you're a major bother, which is important if they have lots of stuff you want or you buy from them often. No one wants to deal with a whiner. One little piece is such a petty grievance, but it does matter what piece it is.

Reasons to make a fuss:

-They say it's complete but there are a few pieces missing

-They say it's complete but there is one important/rare piece missing

-They say it's complete but there's one piece missing or replaced in a very noticeable area

-They say it's new but it's not.

-They say X but it's really Y, etc.

Yeah, the important thing is to read what they listed.

Reasons to move on with your life:

-A non-essential piece is missing and you can easily replace it.

-A piece that you can't even see once the model is assembled is missing/discolored (just replace it with whatever).

-A piece is damaged with a hairline crack, dent, nick, etc. (Most sellers aren't going to inspect every piece, it's a waste of time. These are just toys after all. One man's treasure is another man's baby pacifier.)

-You buy a 25 year old used set and not all the pieces are mint. (how many people do you personally know hermetically seal their LEGO sets? :tongue: )

Any time a seller forgot to include a piece they're usually nice enough to send a replacement for free or just give me store credit.

Edited by DrNightmare

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I'm a minifigure guy. So if they have good photos, clearly state what they're missing then I'll buy.

I've gotten incomplete sets missing lots of pieces that are in great condition for pennies on the dollar. I could easily resell the minifigures in several of them for like 10x the profit. "Used", "Incomplete", etc scare people off to an illogical extent. There are some real gems in there for sooooo little.

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