Is anybody angered and frustrated by the Lego promotional action with 40433 there? Release your frustration, share your anger!

[parsom]

I was waiting for this promotion, I was planning to buy 76139 and 40433 combo. And at Thursday midnight, I was trying to do this. However, due to enormously skilled Lego IT I since 0 am to 2 am, I wasn't able to do anything - Lego S@H completely crashed. So I went to bed. And when I woke up 40433 wasn't available anymore.

Since Friday my frustration and anger are growing. Now I can't look at pictures of 76139 without negative feelings. By poorly designed and executed action they ruined my anticipated joy. They also abominated me the 76139, the set that I was loved from the first sight. My disgust is growing so much that I started to think about selling my Lego collection. Now I have cancelled Lego ordered from other sellers - no Lego for this Christmas in my house.

Thank you, Lego! You saved my money!

[Mylenium]

3 hours ago, parsom said:

I was waiting for this promotion, I was planning to buy 76139 and 40433 combo. (...snip...)

I can't speak from personal experience, only from what I read elsewhere, but apparently you are not alone. As they say, the whole thing seems to have gone tits up right from the start. Some people on German forums noted that this didn't even work until Friday noon. However, most of them seem to have gotten their small Batmobile, regardless, so maybe the quota for Poland was simply set extremely low and exhausted very quickly.

Mylenium

[MAB]

The lack of stock of the promotional set put me off buying the Batmobile set. The set isn't going anywhere, so I'll wait and buy it when there is another offer.

 

[coinoperator]

You mean like the License to build that I never got however I ordered within the VIP period?
Complaints were rejected

#a**h**s

[anothergol]

On 12/1/2019 at 1:05 PM, parsom said:

However, due to enormously skilled Lego IT I since 0 am to 2 am, I wasn't able to do anything - Lego S@H completely crashed. So I went to bed.

You sure? It started working again around 1:30 here (same timezone), when I got it.

And it was the same error at 9 the day for the minifig, so I believe it's just the servers that can't handle the load (which is a hint that the stock would empty fast). Of course the minifig is ugly & pointless, so it generated less orders & took much less time to recover.

21 hours ago, MAB said:

The set isn't going anywhere

It is, to Bricklink, thus back to Lego :)

[Lyichir]

So because you were frustrated about not being able to get one set you had a temper tantrum and cancelled all your other orders and are considering selling off your whole collection?

I dunno. I get being frustrated when you miss out on something you'd been looking forward to, especially when it's due to website errors/insufficient stock that are no fault of your own, but your reaction to missing out on a freebie seems more than a little overkill. You're no worse off than if that promo hadn't been released in the first place. If a single disappointment like that is enough to make you consider dropping the hobby for good then perhaps that's for the best, because clearly it's causing you more distress than a children's building toy has any right to.

[MAB]

3 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

If a single disappointment like that is enough to make you consider dropping the hobby for good then perhaps that's for the best, because clearly it's causing you more distress than a children's building toy has any right to.

In this case, the big set in question 76139 is actually an adult's building toy. And at the price it is going for, I imagine 40433 is going to remain an adult's building toy too.

The lack of stock of the freebie small one put me off buying the big one. That other people were able to get one for free does make it feel like I would have been ripped off if I had paid full price and not got one. And in that case, it is worse than there not being a freebie with the purchase. If it remains exclusive, I'll wait for another promo. If it goes to retail stores, I'll wait for a discount.

[pombe]

In this case, TLG committed the cardinal marketing sin of overpromising and underdelivering.  This ruins their image and hurts their brand.  And whether or not it is truly significant/insignificant is irrelevant: the frustration and anger (no matter how temporary) felt by the customer is very real.  If that customer is an AFOL, TLG just lost an evangelist for their brand, which hurts future sales since that customer will stop buying LEGO products as gifts for potential future AFOLs.

I'm sorry that some people were burned by this promotion, and I hope that TLG will do everything in their power to resolve the issue to everyone's satisfaction.

[The Brick Boss]

@Lyichir C'mon dude Don't be cold hearted. 

Can't you see that the dude has already been through enough? Can't you see that he's already emotionally traumatized by the event? I mean....I wouldn't be able to look at my collection if I had a bad experience Lego related. 

You guys really lack sympathy on this forum. 

Edited December 7, 2019 by pooda

[Vindicare]

6 hours ago, pooda said:

@Lyichir C'mon dude Don't be cold hearted. 

Can't you see that the dude has already been through enough? Can't you see that he's already emotionally traumatized by the event? I mean....I wouldn't be able to look at my collection if I had a bad experience Lego related. 

You guys really lack sympathy on this forum. 

I mean, the OP did overreact on the considering selling their entire collection & cancelling a bunch of orders. I understand the frustration of missing out on something, but damn... 

[parsom]

Am I overreacting? Sure, I am. However, my overreaction is the end result of a series of small frustrations generated by Lego. I'm also tired by the overall false positivity presented on Lego fan sites. Overpriced set (Aston Martin)? No problem, the price is fair. Ugly set? No problem - we like it, because we don't want to loss our free reviewers sets. Crashing S@H site? Maybe, but they are working on it. So - S@H site is bad as hell since I remember. Another annoying thing - politics of exclusivity. Wonderful sets (like Dragon Dance) available only for a small part of consumers. More - decision to not distribute CMF 19 in Eastern Europan countries. With no word of explanation. And all this followed by the words about love for AFOLs (said when they bought Bricklink).
Speaking more about my private decisions - few days before Black Friday I had the opportunity to buy Stranger Things (and few other big sets - like Tree House) at very attractive price. But I said - no, keep the money for Batmobiles. This will be my Christmas gift. I will build the small one at Christmas Eve, and the big one between Christmas and New Year. So now I lost not only the Batmobiles, but also the Stranger Things. Moreover - I still cannot watch the new sets without negative feelings. I don't want them. And if I don't want new sets, then I started to think that I don't want the old ones also.

[The Brick Boss]

7 hours ago, Vindicare said:

I mean, the OP did overreact on the considering selling their entire collection & cancelling a bunch of orders. I understand the frustration of missing out on something, but damn... 

Well we are talking about losing the opportunity to get something awesome. 

"Why whine about the present that Santa missed?" 

Can't say that when the present he missed is the one you sincerely wanted. 

Edited December 7, 2019 by pooda

[Vindicare]

9 hours ago, parsom said:

Am I overreacting? Sure, I am. However, my overreaction is the end result of a series of small frustrations generated by Lego. I'm also tired by the overall false positivity presented on Lego fan sites. Overpriced set (Aston Martin)? No problem, the price is fair. Ugly set? No problem - we like it, because we don't want to loss our free reviewers sets. Crashing S@H site? Maybe, but they are working on it. So - S@H site is bad as hell since I remember. Another annoying thing - politics of exclusivity. Wonderful sets (like Dragon Dance) available only for a small part of consumers. More - decision to not distribute CMF 19 in Eastern Europan countries. With no word of explanation. And all this followed by the words about love for AFOLs (said when they bought Bricklink).
Speaking more about my private decisions - few days before Black Friday I had the opportunity to buy Stranger Things (and few other big sets - like Tree House) at very attractive price. But I said - no, keep the money for Batmobiles. This will be my Christmas gift. I will build the small one at Christmas Eve, and the big one between Christmas and New Year. So now I lost not only the Batmobiles, but also the Stranger Things. Moreover - I still cannot watch the new sets without negative feelings. I don't want them. And if I don't want new sets, then I started to think that I don't want the old ones also.

There’s definitely plenty of negativity, just look at each Modular released the last few years, both design & price are criticized. As to the owners of said sites writing puff pieces for sets, that may be true. We’ve also heard that TLG doesn’t tell them how to review a set. 

Lastly, bad experiences tend to sour people on things they previously liked, I won’t fault you for that. But to think negatively of the entirety of what LEGO has released, to me, is a bit much. Being turned off to today’s sets doesn’t mean you have to abandon the old you like. 

6 hours ago, pooda said:

Well we are talking about losing the opportunity to get something awesome. 

"Why whine about the present that Santa missed?" 

Can't say that when the present he missed is the one you sincerely wanted. 

I understand. I’ve missed out on things myself. Although I’ve never ordered from their website, I’m a phone in order person so I can’t relate to missing out on stuff from a glitch or server going down, but I know the feeling.

[GarryTheMinifig]

...I can't say I really feel strongly about this one way or the other, I'm more surprised that people actually buy these $100+ sets (that they apparently wouldn't touch otherwise) just to get the cheap little freebies. That seems like a strange investment to me, but I don't suppose an AFOL has any right to judge.

[MAB]

On 12/8/2019 at 2:13 AM, GarryTheMinifig said:

...I can't say I really feel strongly about this one way or the other, I'm more surprised that people actually buy these $100+ sets (that they apparently wouldn't touch otherwise) just to get the cheap little freebies. That seems like a strange investment to me, but I don't suppose an AFOL has any right to judge.

I'm not sure many people do buy them just for the freebies. It is more that they time their purchase of an expensive set to make sure they get the freebie. And if they cannot get the freebie, then they might as well put off buying the expensive set.

[TeriXeri]

On 12/8/2019 at 3:13 AM, GarryTheMinifig said:

...I can't say I really feel strongly about this one way or the other, I'm more surprised that people actually buy these $100+ sets (that they apparently wouldn't touch otherwise) just to get the cheap little freebies. 

The thing is, many of those biggest sets are LEGO Exclusives, especially early on, so a freebie or double VIP etc. is at least a way to compensate a bit for the full price.

Edited December 9, 2019 by TeriXeri

[LucyCol]

Missed the freebie , but did get it on double VIP points , not particularly bothered that I missed it, i can just Bricklink it at a later date.

[fred67]

On 12/9/2019 at 7:25 AM, MAB said:

I'm not sure many people do buy them just for the freebies. It is more that they time their purchase of an expensive set to make sure they get the freebie. And if they cannot get the freebie, then they might as well put off buying the expensive set.

I don't buy just for the freebie, but if the promotional item is something I'd want, I might by from S@H instead of, for example, Amazon or Walmart who might be selling the set cheaper, or I might, as you pointed out, bought sets a lot earlier than I was planning/budgeting for so that I could get the promotional item.

I have a case now where I ordered a set late on Black Friday; when I checked out, it set I would get the promotional Christmas Tree.  Now, I'm not going to cancel all my LEGO orders or quit the hobby about it , but there IS a customer service issue here: if they were out of sets, and it said "sorry, we ran out of promotional sets," I'd have shrugged and ordered my big 30% off set anyway.  But when you submit all your payment information, and when you click that submit button, and it clearly says you get the promotional item, then you damn well better get it.

I received the set I ordered today, but no tree.  So I checked my order online - it was unilaterally cancelled by S@H.  No note, no message - just "cancelled."

That's HORRIBLE customer service.  There's four combinations of what can happen in a situation like this, and telling someone they will get something when they are clicking that "buy" button, and then NOT delivering?  That's the absolute worst customer service scenario.  If they said "sorry, ran out" when I ordered, it would be a total non-issue with me.

I just find it highly disappointing.  As I've said, if this was one of those times where I timed my purchase because I really wanted the promotion, I'd be livid at being told, when checking out, that I'd get the promotional item.

 

[MAB]

5 hours ago, fred67 said:

I don't buy just for the freebie, but if the promotional item is something I'd want, I might by from S@H instead of, for example, Amazon or Walmart who might be selling the set cheaper, or I might, as you pointed out, bought sets a lot earlier than I was planning/budgeting for so that I could get the promotional item.

I have a case now where I ordered a set late on Black Friday; when I checked out, it set I would get the promotional Christmas Tree.  Now, I'm not going to cancel all my LEGO orders or quit the hobby about it , but there IS a customer service issue here: if they were out of sets, and it said "sorry, we ran out of promotional sets," I'd have shrugged and ordered my big 30% off set anyway.  But when you submit all your payment information, and when you click that submit button, and it clearly says you get the promotional item, then you damn well better get it.

I received the set I ordered today, but no tree.  So I checked my order online - it was unilaterally cancelled by S@H.  No note, no message - just "cancelled."

That's HORRIBLE customer service.  There's four combinations of what can happen in a situation like this, and telling someone they will get something when they are clicking that "buy" button, and then NOT delivering?  That's the absolute worst customer service scenario.  If they said "sorry, ran out" when I ordered, it would be a total non-issue with me.

I just find it highly disappointing.  As I've said, if this was one of those times where I timed my purchase because I really wanted the promotion, I'd be livid at being told, when checking out, that I'd get the promotional item.

 

I agree. I have had that happen before twice and I've complained. One time, they offered VIP points (but not enough in my opinion) and I refused and returned the item. The other time, I just said I wanted to return. I don't think I ever buy from S@H unless there is a good promotion on, I'd prefer to spend my money elsewhere and usually get more for my money.

[LEGO Historian]

Well each of you can make your own choices, although I do feel completely quitting with LEGO is an overreaction.

I'm way older than most of you (started collecting LEGO in 1961, first LEGO year in the USA), but I have an anecdote that makes much of the above scenario's pale by comparison.

Here is the 1961-63 USA/Canada first LEGO catalog image (parts packs on the reverse side)...

 

My well-to-do childless aunt asked me what I wanted for Christmas back then, and I told her I wanted that #717 Junior Constructor set (a Cotswold Cottage type house) at the top of this early LEGO catalog image.  I gave my aunt a copy of this early small Samsonite LEGO catalog, and for 2 years she was looking to buy that set for me, but never found it.  I remember being in tears as a 9 year old when I got a bike from her for Christmas instead, because she could not find that particular set (I know... WTF... right?   )  But I really really wanted that set.

Then circa 2004, when I started writing my 2800 page Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide... I was in frequent contact with the Billund Archives and Collections.  And 40 years after I had really wanted that set as a child, I found out that the early Samsonite LEGO catalogs were produced before the sets were introduced.  So that 717 set was never actually sold (looking like that) to the public, even though it had been in the USA LEGO catalog from 1961-63, and in the Canada LEGO catalog from 1962-65.  That set would have taken up 9 10x20 thick baseplates, and way too many bricks to fit into the box it was intended for.... ( a zoom in of the catalog image)...

 

The Billund Archives folks told me that that box was a mock up... and does not survive in the LEGO Collections today.  

The actually  produced 717 Junior Constructor Set (1961-65) was much smaller (only 4 10x20 baseplates) with a modern design...

 

So, although I spent 40 years waiting for that set.... by 2005 I was able to find a 3 stages of construction image for the larger model, and have it built here at home for 15 years....

 

 

 

Over the last 15 years, I have found this model design was only used as a retailer glued display model in 3 variations... EU, UK, and USA/Canada.  I include detailed instructions of this model in my computer desktop online Collectors Guide  so other people could build this model.

LEGO... the dream crusher....  

 

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by LEGO Historian

[Fugazi]

Hah... so they did sell a "717 Junior Constructor" set, but it didn't look anything like the one in the picture. I sure hope they didn't do mail orders back then.

[LegoFjotten]

On 12/12/2019 at 4:47 AM, fred67 said:

I received the set I ordered today, but no tree.  So I checked my order online - it was unilaterally cancelled by S@H.  No note, no message - just "cancelled."

That is just wrong... If that happened to me I would probably return the order.

Like many of you I only buy from S@H when there is a promotion I'm interested in. There is nothing I really need to get right away when it is released and there will always be opportunities for a better deal later on.

[fred67]

19 hours ago, LegoFjotten said:

That is just wrong... If that happened to me I would probably return the order.

Like many of you I only buy from S@H when there is a promotion I'm interested in. There is nothing I really need to get right away when it is released and there will always be opportunities for a better deal later on.

I was getting a better deal.  Unlike a lot of people here, I don't buy from S@H if I can get a discount elsewhere - the vast majority of the time the discount is worth more than VIP points.  I bought the Disney Train at 30% off.  I didn't even know there was a free Tree (I just wasn't paying attention) until it was listed in the cart.  The principle of the problem is that it's there in the cart when you click "submit," they are obligated to give it to you (or some other compensation).

In this case, I sent in a very simple email... I said I don't understand how they thought they could just cancel the tree without saying anything, and that it just plain wasn't cool.  I didn't call; I know they are busy.  I wouldn't return the set - 30% off that set is a huge chunk of change.  I hadn't heard back from them for several days, but finally got two responses yesterday: 1) sorry we're taking so long to respond to you, we're really busy, and then later 2) sorry about the Tree, we ran out, so we're going to send you a Nutcracker instead.

I had a mixed reaction.  The good is that I didn't really care about the Christmas tree anyway.  A dozenth LEGO Christmas tree is about the last thing I need, despite that it would have been the biggest one I had.  So the Nutcracker, for me, is a lot better.

The bad is: 1) instead of just cancelling the tree, they should have, without me having to whine about it, sent an email explaining what happened and that they'd made up for it with the alternative promotional item, and 2) they could have offered a choice in case I'd already gotten the Nutcracker promotion, or didn't really care for it - especially if I was making the order to get a specific promotional item, like "Choose how we can make it right: 1) give you X VIP points, 2) send you this promotional item instead, 3) cancel your order."  But they should do it BEFORE the customer gets upset at finding out they just aren't getting anything when, when they checked out, it said they were.

 

[LegoDW]

I feel your pain.  I passed on the Double VIP points only to miss out on the promotional Christmas tree this year.  Was sold out by Sat afternoon on line  (and at my local store).  Seriously under supplied this promotion!  For the last one I wanted, the rocket ship kid, I bought a Star Wars set and got the mini Hoth battle scene (had to be over a month old) too at my local Lego store.  

For me Lego is supposed to be fun....when its not I put my toys away for a while and do something else.  After a bit I get them back out as such a good product.  Yes disappoint TLG ran out of my freebie, but suspect it won't be the last time they disappoint me.  I'm in for a long term relationship with TLG and there are bound to be bumps in the road now and them.