Stolen pieces - What to do?

[baron]

Hello everyone,

I just opened up a 7964 Republic Frigate that had been bought at Wal-Mart a while back and noticed that the first bag had been scotched-taped back up...I still opened it up to check and noticed that various minifig pieces are indeed missing...for example, quinlan vos hair, yoda's head, Wolffe's head, but not entire minifigs (with the exception of Agen Kolar).

After looking closely at the other bags in the set, most of them have also been scotched taped back together. I can spot another clone trooper torso and lightsaber hilt in another bag (Bag number 6 instead of number 1) but I don't want to open the rest of them if I have to return this set.

My question is for those who have already experienced this, what did you do? Should I just return the set to Wal-Mart? I doubt TLC would be willing to replace stolen minifigs, especially these rarer ones?

Would appreciate any help/comments on the matter.

Thanks

After taking a closer look, it seems that several bags are completely missing as well. I can also spot some previously built parts that were not separated again when the bags where re-sealed. Can anyone confirm how many bags there are in this set?

Edited December 26, 2011 by baron

[Legobrandon]

If you really want a new one and can't wait to build it, you should just explain to Walmart and exchange it for a new one. I f you are not dying to build it, contact LEGO and see what they can do about it. LEGO's customer service is one of the best, they are helpful and nice. Give them a call.

[Lord Of The Fries]

Yeah I would reccomend Customer Service. Last year I bought Count Dooku's Solar Sailor and it was missing Dooku so I gave CS a quick ring and recieved him in the next 20 days

[Vindicare]

Gotta love the cheap SOBs that do this type of thing... Did you know it was previously opened? I'd take it back to Wal Mart, that's just stupid if they stuck it back on the shelf after it was returned opened...

[Brickity]

I agree, you should ask for replacements. I remember a couple of months ago or so when I decided to replace many defectous pieces I had (from production, ofc) and they were glad to send me all of them. They're so so nice!

[Henchmen4Hire]

I posted a quick tutorial on how to spot LEGO boxes that have been opened by scammers who do this. It showed exactly how they do it (I used my 8088 Star Wars and a Ninjago set for the example) and what to look for so you don't get ripped off, it should still be on these boards somewhere, just can't remember what topic. You might find it useful.

And while I'm at it-

My friend got burned three times already by buying LEGO sets from Walmart that were previously opened. First when he got the Clone Turbo Tank and none of the figures were in it, again when he bought the Jedi Shuttle (is that what it's called?) when he wanted Shakk Ti and the other cool looking jedi guy, again no figures and a quarter of the ship was missing, then again when he bought a recent green castle set with similar problems.

Walmart (Target either) won't take returns for that because they know people try this scam all the time (they do it with action figures too). Walmart doesn't care if the box is restocked with missing items even if they know about it (most retail stores are like that, I've worked at a few).

LEGO wouldn't send that many replacement parts to my friend because obviously it sounded like a scam and he didn't have any proof of purchase (not like it would have mattered anyway). That's a lot of money wasted on LEGO product with no happy ending. Because of that I never buy boxed LEGO stuff from retail stores, EVER.

Instead I deal locally in person with other LEGO fans or with Bricklink because then at least Paypal will protect you with their horribly biased protection plan for buyers if the seller tries to scam you.

And no, I'm not saying don't buy LEGO stuff from stores, I'm saying you guys have to take steps to protect yourselves from this kind of hassle.

I'd take it back to Wal Mart, that's just stupid if they stuck it back on the shelf after it was returned opened...

All retail stores do that. Even if the manager instructs the employees on what to do with certain kinds of returns, it's still up to the employees to take the necessary steps. But the problem is many times the employees are so overworked or need to keep the line moving that they just don't give a crap and take any items as they come.

Edited December 27, 2011 by DrNightmare

[baron]

Thanks for the replies!

Seeing as how many pieces were missing, I decided to bring it back to Wal-Mart this morning to explain the situation. They refunded me in full and they did not have any other sets available...so I think I will be picking one up from Bricklink later on... I know Lego's customer service is awesome, and I have used it many times in the past, but the amount of missing pieces in this case was too much...

It was a gift so I did not realize it had been opened, but after expecting it closer, I realized that the box had been shut on one side with normal tape instead of the normal tape with the black line we usually see on newer lego sets...

Needless to say I will be inspecting my boxes very closely in the future, and will think twice before buying lego sets at Wal-Mart again, even if it isn't their fault..

Thanks again!

[Legoman of War]

"But the problem is many times the employees are so overworked or need to keep the line moving that they just don't give a crap and take any items as they come."

It's the don't give a crap that is most likely it. It's not skilled labor.*

*This is no offense to anyone that works for Wal-mart, relative, spouse or friend either.

LMW

[Vindicare]

I have bought nearly all my sets, 200+ at TRU and I have never had an issue with open boxes.*knock on wood*

Good to see it was all resolved and got a full refund.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Legocrazy81

[Henchmen4Hire]

Glad you got the refund, shop safely!

It's the don't give a crap that is most likely it.

Yeah, it's because most customers turn into self-entitled douchebags given the chance. Makes it that much easier to not give a crap about them.

Edited December 28, 2011 by DrNightmare

[Jareth]

I've seen a lot of responses of "All stores do that"

I work retail....not a place that says lego. We don't do that on purpose at all, but scammers have become very talented at returning damaged and used (often dirty) merchandise without us knowing it.

It's a triple edged sword. My store accepts used merchandise back and gives store credit and then throws away the useless stuff, but so many customers have dealt with other stores restrictive return policies that they think we will only accept Unused merchandise back.

The scammers sneak bad merchandise back into the stores which makes retail chains want to get more restrictive with returns.

The only way for a store to protect itself is to open the boxes of returns which pisses off honest customers, who feel like they are being accused of wrongdoing and makes the package look like it was opened and returned.

On a slight side note the amount of people who refuse to purchase a box that has been opened is amazing, but the people who refuse to buy a package that THEY opened is astonishing.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is don't blame the retailer, blame the scammer.

[Darkdragon]

I find boxes and minifigure bags open on the shelves of Walmart sometimes. I take them to customer service or to a nearby worker. I assume they tape them up and put it back on the shelf unless it's empty. :(

[meyerc13]

I think it is fair to blame the retailer in this case. Almost universally, when someone finds a toy that has been tampered with the retailer is Wal Mart. Sometimes the scammers are sneaky, but I've seen blatant examples in one Wal Mart near me where entire action figures were missing from a package, leaving empty plastic shells in their place. The worst thing, after I pointed this out to an employee the next day the item was back on the shelf!

So it's apathetic workers tied with loss prevention specialists who seem to be writing this problem off. I can't believe that there are that many people doing this stuff, it's probably limited to a few bad apples. How hard would it be to correlate returned products with complaints about missing items? A quick database search should show that John Doe returned these five items that later had complaints about missing parts. Obviously they don't consider it enough of a problem to bother. What's interesting to me is that Wal Mart is the same store that won't let me leave with an unbagged item in my cart without checking my receipt (in other words, accusing an honest customer of theft), while doing nothing to stop these dishonest customers from running the same scam over and over.

To answer the question... what do I do about stolen pieces? I avoid shopping at Wal Mart as much as possible, and when I do I make darn sure that the box hasn't been tampered with. True, for a scammer who takes the time, they might trick me, but I think that in many cases the scammers don't need to because the employees at Wal Mart don't care.

[Brickadeer]

Does this happen with boxes order Amazon as well?

[Big Cam]

Does this happen with boxes order Amazon as well?

What? You are comparing apples to oranges, of course this doesn't happen with amazon. We are talking about customers stealing from boxes on the shelf and returning them to the store, sometimes the box never leaves the store. Amazon does not have a physical store so I doubt they are having customers break into their warehouse to do this.

Is it possible that they order from amazon and steal items and then return it? It's possible but no one will do it since upon return if amazon notices it has been tampered with, they have your credit card linked to that order.

[splatman]

Non-toy items, too!

2 years ago, I bought a wallet insert (the clear thing that holds pictures or credit cards), and when I got to my car to put it in my wallet, it turned out to be an empty package! Fortunately, I was able to get an exchange, NQA. I avoid WM, except for those few items not available elsewhere. Sterilite Show-Offs, for example. If they are, they're horribly overpriced.

From now on, I'll have to remember this, and watch out for tampered items.

Stories of this nature show up on BrickLink as well. Someone bought a large Harry Potter set, and the box turns out to be filled with zipper seal baggies of dirty old bricks (Yuck!) Another bought a set at one of those "Scratch-and-dent discount shops", and the box turns out to be filled with only 1x4 bricks in basic colors "Oh, I could use a bunch of those, anyways", says the author, then they turn out to be Megab@ks (Yuck Again!).