MISB Scam?

[shislerocco]

This happened to me with a PSP Go... there was a damaged Go in the box but the serial number did not match the box. I returned it and asked to talk to a manager. He couldn't have cared less. I hate spending money on something that should be new only to find out at home that it's been used.

yeah speaking of this kind of stuff. i bought an Xbox 360 at best buy that got the red ring of death. i sent it to microsoft for them to say they are not going to repare it because it had been tampered with. the said the warranty sticker has been removed and that the case serial numbers did not match the equipment numbers. this is 4 years after i had bought it at best buy. obviously i didnt know how to even take the faceplate off the xbox so i didnt tamper with it.

[LegoDad42]

Target is known to not check on return items thoroughly...like tape and such missing or opened. They take back just about everything. So you have many a folk who swipe out the mini-figs and reseal and return the box no questions asked.

I bought an Agents set about a year or more ago and the box looked perfect. The tape perfect...all bags looked sealed but of course the minifigs missing. It could've been a mistake but man, whomever resealed it did a pro job on it. But like others have said....Lego is great at getting you missing parts.

Another Target near miss....I picked up the Galactic Enforcer on sale off the shelf...beautiful box...looked great...but my son saw the tape a little loose....sure enough, all the good figs and the statue fig was gone. Went back to the shelf and found a real beat up box Galactic Enforcer, ask a worker there if I can open it to see if anything was missing like the other box, he was cool let me open it and ALL the stuff was there and looking great (except for the box). So be vigilent with Target and go online to complain to their customer service so they know about returns and stuff missing with Lego products.

[ziljin]

Would ordering online reduce/negate this kind of scam?

Presumably they ship directly from the store's warehouses. While in store stock might have been tampered with.

[Brickdoctor]

Would ordering online reduce/negate this kind of scam?

Presumably they ship directly from the store's warehouses. While in store stock might have been tampered with.

I'd say there is absolutely no chance of this happening if you order from S@H. LEGO Brand Stores are pretty safe, too.

[Legoman]

I once bought a lot of 8 MISB sets that, once opened, were all muddled random bags from other sets. All the sets were from around 1990-1995. There was no noticible marks or any seals broken from going into the set. But hat confused me the most was that the parts that replaced the actual sets weren't even noticably worth less

And another time, I bought a set 'new' from the store to find it was all opened and had missing parts. Had it replaced by an new set, but annoying none the less

[Henchmen4Hire]

Here's how easy it is to open a box without even breaking the tab since the tab peels off too. No wrinkles, no dents, the box is still minty fresh. If there's tape on the box, just don't lift the side with tape on it, you can still slide out the bags inside.

For the record, I don't do this, there aren't any figures or sets I want badly enough to do this kind of stuff. You guys should know how it's done so you know what kind of tampering to look for, though honestly it's pretty hard to tell anyway

I think something as simple as adding more tape at the factory would make tampering more obvious and hopefully help stores catch people trying to pull this scam.

Edited January 16, 2011 by DrNightmare

[shislerocco]

Here's how easy it is to open a box without even breaking the tab since the tab peels off too. No wrinkles, no dents, the box is still minty fresh. If there's tape on the box, just don't lift the side with tape on it, you can still slide out the bags inside.

For the record, I don't do this, there aren't any figures or sets I want badly enough to do this kind of stuff. You guys should know how it's done so you know what kind of tampering to look for, though honestly it's pretty hard to tell anyway

I think something as simple as adding more tape at the factory would make tampering more obvious and hopefully help stores catch people trying to pull this scam.

the larger boxes arent like this though are they? ill have to look tonight.

[Brickdoctor]

the larger boxes arent like this though are they? ill have to look tonight.

The larger boxes are usually taped shut.

[Henchmen4Hire]

The larger boxes are usually taped shut.

On all sides? That'd be great

[Brickdoctor]

On all sides? That'd be great

Well no, the bottoms are still glued and the sides are taped, but the construction of the box makes it pretty much impossible to cut open the bottom and get the box open without cutting the taps and/or noticeably wrecking the box in the process.

[Henchmen4Hire]

I bet I could do it :D (learning to open stuff discreetly is one of the quirks of working at retail stores xD )

[shislerocco]

I bet I could do it :D (learning to open stuff discreetly is one of the quirks of working at retail stores xD )

yeah i figured the large boxes were taped. that is what happened to me with the slave 1. i have no clue how he got it open. not sure sliding around the box would help cause whoever cut a small hole in the bag so the pieces wouldnt get loose. im still so pissed.

[KotZ]

I've seen a few problems like this, somewhat. I remember I had who bought a Star Wars set, The Rogue Shadow, in fact. He bought it, built it, didn't like it. So he returned it to Target, completely opened, box a little bad... Things he kept: All figures and weapons, and a few other pieces.

Another time I had received a set as a present (the giver informed me it was from Target, but never gave a receit), the Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark truck set. I already had that one and decided to return it. But it was shipped to me, and one of the edges was bent in. The tape was still on and sealed, perfect except for the dent... they didn't accept the return Funny thing was this was the same Target my friend returned to in the earlier story. So I went to the local LEGO Store, and the lady accepted it. (I've dealt with her before, and she is extremely nice) So I paid $20 USD more and bought the Rogue Shadow. (Not the one my friend returned, mind you )

I've heard of stuff like this happening, but never really seen any evidence. But now I know how to check!

[Captain Blockbeard]

I've only seen this situation firsthand once in my area at a Target. It wasn't with Legos but instead an action figure. (Which is absurd considering the packaging is clear so any clerk or customer will be able to look right at the item and tell the parts inside do not match the action figure it was meant to be).

Lately, I find myself more frequently checking the boxes when I pick them up, searching for anything suspicious. Sometimes, I even pick up multiple copies of the same set and feel if their weights are approximately the same.

[Henchmen4Hire]

That's actually really common, collectors will buy a new action figure, take out the figure and goodies (like a BAF or CNC piece) then place a crappy old figure in the package and return it. Most employees don't want to deal with the drama of an megablocks customer so they just take the return, and many employees don't give a fig about action figures so they don't even know that the figure was switched.

And it's understandable, employees are treated like crap by customers, they don't get paid enough to care about a switched toy, it's too much drama.

Edited January 19, 2011 by DrNightmare

[Brickdoctor]

Lately, I find myself more frequently checking the boxes when I pick them up, searching for anything suspicious. Sometimes, I even pick up multiple copies of the same set and feel if their weights are approximately the same.

Me too. I also check the edges of the cardboard, make sure they're straight and crisp.

[Henchmen4Hire]

Here you go guys, more reason to ALWAYS check the LEGO box if buying it somewhere other than directly from LEGO.com or a LEGO store.

If I were a bigger bastard, I could totally stuff it full of junk and return this thing to Wal-Mart for full price. Considering I only paid $40 total for this online, returning it would be like getting $66 back (after tax) plus the entire set for free!

Edge that was opened:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2108/omg2z.jpg

Tape is untouched:

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5044/omg3b.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6927/omg4o.jpg

What to look for:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6176/omg5nm.jpg

Remember folks, every time you do this scam you cheat a poor little kid out of his hard earned allowance money.

Edited February 1, 2011 by DrNightmare

[MinifigFreak2010]

Thankfully, I never faced anything like that. Then again, my favortite set to keep an eye out for are those cute 3 in 1 sets and it's pretty obvious that something may be up. As far as missing pieces, yea i had about 4 or 5 sets w/ a piece missing. Was it annoying having to contact lego CS online? YES. were the bags tampered with? nope.

Lego's bag weighing check scale might getting a little sloppy.

And I wouldn't be suprised if I have a part or two missing in the 2 lego 3-in-1 creator sets and the 1:55 scale set I got for christmas.. Lego's playing the lazy card and looks like they're stopping the packing in bags b4 putting in the containers. I went to attempt a "Build in sealed bag build" and the 3 sets were not in bags. The seal was in perfect condition and no signs of tampering

Edited February 1, 2011 by MinifigFreak2010

[Brickdoctor]

We need staff to come down here and give DrNightmare his 'LEGO Box Houdini' title.

[christhn]

Here you go guys, more reason to ALWAYS check the LEGO box if buying it somewhere other than directly from LEGO.com or a LEGO store.

If I were a bigger bastard, I could totally stuff it full of junk and return this thing to Wal-Mart for full price. Considering I only paid $40 total for this online, returning it would be like getting $66 back (after tax) plus the entire set for free!

Edge that was opened:

http://img10.imagesh.../2108/omg2z.jpg

Tape is untouched:

http://img15.imagesh.../5044/omg3b.jpg

http://img13.imagesh.../6927/omg4o.jpg

What to look for:

http://img16.imagesh...6176/omg5nm.jpg

Remember folks, every time you do this scam you cheat a poor little kid out of his hard earned allowance money.

I know it's been a few years, but can you please repost the pictures? I've only recently learned about these scammers and am trying to protect myself and others.

[Henchmen4Hire]

I know it's been a few years, but can you please repost the pictures? I've only recently learned about these scammers and am trying to protect myself and others.

Yikes, it's been awhile, had to dig through an old hard drive to get my login info to reply lol

Those pictures are lost since i deleted that imageshack account. I don't even remember what they were of...

I havent bought any MISB LEGO sets in years because the prices are outrageous, so I don't know how scamming methods have evolved. But assuming LEGO boxes are built the same way today, check the flaps that are glued for any tampering, things like frayed cardboard or cut marks, anything suspicious like that. Yank on the flaps and see if they're loose or easily come apart. Scammers will slice that glued flap open to take stuff out, then glue it closed again, without leaving any evidence.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Henchmen4Hire