10228 Haunted House

[Missing Brick]

The UK price listed on S@H has gone up from £120 to £150. Not pleased. £120 seemed about right for a set which is somewhat smaller than the modular buildings. The price per brick is now 34% higher than the Town Hall. OK, so it's way cooler than the Town Hall, but 34%??? Think I'll wait for a discount.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Missing Brick

[Graysmith]

One cynically wonders if LEGO jacked up the prices post-press release when they saw how excited people got. With everyone shouting "MUST HAVE!" they surely knew they could charge whatever they wanted for this and us suckers would still fork over the money for it.

[robuko]

That's pretty outrageous behaviour to raise the price before it's released. Very bad, Lego :thumbdown:

[wackyfm]

Pretty excited by this new house, but this price increase issue is disturbing. I can't afford too many expensive sets.

A first, I was ready to pre-order this on lego shop when possible, but now I will wait and eventually buy it if I find the set discounted on another online retailer... Sad...

Wakwak

[Routemaster]

And TLG is really thinking they can do it with us?

Definitely not with ME!

I'm not going to order it for +30 Euro.

Total rip off!

:thumbdown: :thumbdown:

[tbroyd]

I agree, its now a ridiculous price.

There are 2 things people can do. Firstly, complain to Lego and secondly not buy it at the new price. I'll be doing both

Edited June 27, 2012 by tbroyd

[Lyichir]

To be fair, I expected either the American price to go down or the British price to go up. They were just too disparate compared to each other and to other worldwide releases. Rather than them "jacking up" the prices, I think this was a case where they made a mistake in the pricing in the initial announcement. And they aren't really cheating anyone this way, since preorders haven't even started yet. So yes, it's awfully expensive, but really all LEGO is doing is levelling the playing field, which was way off balance in the initial press release.

[Torgar]

This set looks awesome, I'll definitely be picking one up!

[Routemaster]

To be fair, I expected either the American price to go down or the British price to go up. They were just too disparate compared to each other and to other worldwide releases. Rather than them "jacking up" the prices, I think this was a case where they made a mistake in the pricing in the initial announcement. And they aren't really cheating anyone this way, since preorders haven't even started yet. So yes, it's awfully expensive, but really all LEGO is doing is levelling the playing field, which was way off balance in the initial press release.

Keep in mind they've already raised the Euro Price ten days ago.

Twice a mistake in the pricing? Common.

Maybe TLG thinks AFOL's put their hat on with a crane?

If TLG thinks the raised price is fair, I think it would just be fair to get an official statement from them.

They know about the discussion in this forum and some other places.

Anyway, I'm still waiting for a (second) final phone call from Lego (about the price) this week.

I'm very excited what they will tell.

[Sparhawke]

This set is going to be awesome! Particualarly like the boarded up windows

The price on the other hand.....

[Jetscolor]

I just sent this letter to Lego shop Australia,

Who set the pricing in Australia? Why 10228 that release on 1/9/12 cost US$170 in US site and AUD$270 in Australia? Do you know the current exchange rate? The fact is every single set sold in lego shop Aus is mark up at least 50%. Do you know there are eBay, amazon and many other website that sold Lego? Australian can get all the Lego they want from oversea cheaper even included expensive postage, don't mention your postage charge is ridiculous! I will also post this letter on all Lego forum and ask every one to send you a complaint letter like this. I also planning to inform any MP that may interested with this issue. I believe Australia do has law to protect people from scam like this.

I know it won't change anything, just express my anger, but I do think if enough people do the same thing, thing may change....

Edited June 28, 2012 by Jetscolor

[Jetscolor]

Lego sent me a reply, full of bull

Thank you for your email regarding the prices of LEGO® products.

I would like to explain that the Company has not historically changed retail prices as local currencies fluctuate, and recent developments with the Australian dollar have not dramatically altered the fixed costs of doing business in Australia.  With headquarters in Europe, the LEGO Group reports its financials in Danish Kroner, and maintains a manufacturing cost base fixed in Euros.  The prices of LEGO products vary around the world, and are determined by careful evaluation of local factors such as government taxes, transportation costs, exchange rates, market conditions and the cost of doing business.  It is, therefore, inaccurate to look to U.S. pricing as a means of measuring anticipated Australian price equivalencies.  

I want to assure you that the LEGO Group does everything it can to deliver the best possible quality, value and play experience to our consumers at competitive prices in all of the 130 countries where we do business. We wish you many more happy hours of creative building with LEGO brand toys in the years to come.

Thank you again for contacting us.  

Kind regards,

Joao

LEGO Direct

And this is what I reply:

Hi Joao,

If what you explain to me is true. Please explain to me why I can buy one set of Lego from your US site, sent to my friends's US address, then sent it to me in Australia, paid expensive 'double' postage and still cheaper than a wholesaler like you which import cargos of Lego into Australia. Excuses will always be excuses. I also want to assure you I already contact Mr Ed Husic MP and express my concern and hope he will react like apple issue. And until this issue is slove I will have many more happy hours of creative building with LEGO.

Best Regards

I really hope Mr Husic will look into it.

[Aanchir]

Lego sent me a reply, full of bull

Thank you for your email regarding the prices of LEGO® products.

I would like to explain that the Company has not historically changed retail prices as local currencies fluctuate, and recent developments with the Australian dollar have not dramatically altered the fixed costs of doing business in Australia.  With headquarters in Europe, the LEGO Group reports its financials in Danish Kroner, and maintains a manufacturing cost base fixed in Euros.  The prices of LEGO products vary around the world, and are determined by careful evaluation of local factors such as government taxes, transportation costs, exchange rates, market conditions and the cost of doing business.  It is, therefore, inaccurate to look to U.S. pricing as a means of measuring anticipated Australian price equivalencies.  

I want to assure you that the LEGO Group does everything it can to deliver the best possible quality, value and play experience to our consumers at competitive prices in all of the 130 countries where we do business. We wish you many more happy hours of creative building with LEGO brand toys in the years to come.

Thank you again for contacting us.  

Kind regards,

Joao

LEGO Direct

And this is what I reply:

Hi Joao,

If what you explain to me is true. Please explain to me why I can buy one set of Lego from your US site, sent to my friends's US address, then sent it to me in Australia, paid expensive 'double' postage and still cheaper than a wholesaler like you which import cargos of Lego into Australia. Excuses will always be excuses. I also want to assure you I already contact Mr Ed Husic MP and express my concern and hope he will react like apple issue. And until this issue is slove I will have many more happy hours of creative building with LEGO.

Best Regards

I really hope Mr Husic will look into it.

There's a topic specifically about Australian price discrepancies here. Frankly, though, the answers LEGO gives for the price discrepancy sound fairly reasonable to me. Sending an individual package of something to one specific location definitely does not have the same costs associated with it as sending full shipments of sets across an entire country. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the reason LEGO costs so much in Australia is because the prices nationwide are raised to subsidize the higher costs of distributing sets to the more remote areas of the country.

I won't claim Australian prices are fair, any more than the uncharacteristically-low prices we get in the U.S. are fair, but doing business on a global scale is complicated. The only reason I could think of for TLG charging higher prices in Australia when they don't have to is if Australians, for whatever reason, were willing to pay absurdly higher amounts of money for LEGO bricks in general than other parts of the world. And given the greater accessibility of Asian clone brands and the relatively weak presence TLG has in Australia compared to Europe or the United States, I see no reason that would be the case. I don't ever expect to see full pricing equity worldwide, but certainly I do hope we see Australian prices go down somewhat since TLG surely minimizes their audience in Australia with these preposterous prices.

[Blondie-Wan]

Lego sent me a reply, full of bull

Thank you for your email regarding the prices of LEGO® products.

I would like to explain that the Company has not historically changed retail prices as local currencies fluctuate, and recent developments with the Australian dollar have not dramatically altered the fixed costs of doing business in Australia.  With headquarters in Europe, the LEGO Group reports its financials in Danish Kroner, and maintains a manufacturing cost base fixed in Euros.  The prices of LEGO products vary around the world, and are determined by careful evaluation of local factors such as government taxes, transportation costs, exchange rates, market conditions and the cost of doing business.  It is, therefore, inaccurate to look to U.S. pricing as a means of measuring anticipated Australian price equivalencies.  

I want to assure you that the LEGO Group does everything it can to deliver the best possible quality, value and play experience to our consumers at competitive prices in all of the 130 countries where we do business. We wish you many more happy hours of creative building with LEGO brand toys in the years to come.

Thank you again for contacting us.  

Kind regards,

Joao

LEGO Direct

And this is what I reply:

Hi Joao,

If what you explain to me is true. Please explain to me why I can buy one set of Lego from your US site, sent to my friends's US address, then sent it to me in Australia, paid expensive 'double' postage and still cheaper than a wholesaler like you which import cargos of Lego into Australia. Excuses will always be excuses. I also want to assure you I already contact Mr Ed Husic MP and express my concern and hope he will react like apple issue. And until this issue is slove I will have many more happy hours of creative building with LEGO.

Best Regards

I really hope Mr Husic will look into it.

With all due respect, I don't think you're going to get anywhere with such an antagonistic, accusatory tone. I also think it's just plain silly to try to compare this to the Apple story; we're talking about not something generally regarded as essential for contemporary living as computers, but a toy, and in this specific instance we're talking about something of a specialty item sold to adult collectors.

[Algernon]

This just in: LEGO is expensive!

I mean really, if the price matters so much to you, do what most AFOLs do and wait for a sale or buy it secondhand. I'll probably be getting it at full price, since it's one of those rare sets that seems to offer a lot of bang for the buck, but in the past I've saved tons of money just by working Ebay and Bricklink and waiting until the sets are being taken off the shelves. Black Friday is always good for deals, too.

Customers are always so quick to assume there's a big corporate agenda intended to screw them out of their money. The reality is, a company is a company, and in order to remain profitable things have to strategically priced. If it's too much for you to afford, then don't freaking buy it.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Algernon

[Jetscolor]

With all due respect, I don't think you're going to get anywhere with such an antagonistic, accusatory tone. I also think it's just plain silly to try to compare this to the Apple story; we're talking about not something generally regarded as essential for contemporary living as computers, but a toy, and in this specific instance we're talking about something of a specialty item sold to adult collectors.

Well, may be tonight I got nothing to do...but still fun. I don't expect anything too! Sad

[Edmond Dantes]

With all due respect, I don't think you're going to get anywhere with such an antagonistic, accusatory tone. I also think it's just plain silly to try to compare this to the Apple story; we're talking about not something generally regarded as essential for contemporary living as computers, but a toy, and in this specific instance we're talking about something of a specialty item sold to adult collectors.

Not to mention the excessively horrible grammar / spelling.

[sharky]

The prices of LEGO products vary around the world, and are determined by careful evaluation of local factors such as government taxes, transportation costs, exchange rates, market conditions and the cost of doing business.

This is their catch-all which basically means what the market is willing to spend on it. So, in the end it is pointless to aggravate oneself in trying to debate costs of doing business, profit margins, etc, and comparing them to different countries. The bottom line is if they determine that they can sell a set successfully at a certain price then they will do so. It's everyone's individual choice as a consumer to choose not to buy it. That's the only real power a person has to let Lego know you are not satisfied with their price.

[DrWeevil]

This same old, same old dross about pricing again? And it's not even ON TOPIC! I came here to read about this set, not more re-hashed pricing waffle.

[merman]

This same old, same old dross about pricing again? And it's not even ON TOPIC! I came here to read about this set, not more re-hashed pricing waffle.

I think the main issue here is not the regional difference of pricing (hard to do anything about it), but the really sh*tty price raise of 20%(!) after expectations and cravings have been raised. If it was an error they should have fixed it right away... Not first the euro price and on top of that the pound.

I refuse to pay 20% more than the initial press release. Considering the amount lf bricks and compared to the modulars €150 or £120 was pretty reasonable. Come on TLG: it is not even licensed!

So unless they bring down the price within reason, no scary house for me. Matter of principle...

Edited June 28, 2012 by merman

[roamingstop]

Toungue in cheek

So many people complained about copyright that it is clear the 30€ is to reimburse all the AFOL who previously considered their MOC to be the only true haunted house.

There are some great building techniques used, some good humor and nice designs. This thread has far too many complaints, which is such a pity for such a great model, a flagship for TLG in 2012 and beyond. Literally breaking the mould of modular, city and seasonal themes.

[Blondie-Wan]

I think the main issue here is not the regional difference of pricing (hard to do anything about it), but the really sh*tty price raise of 20%(!) after expectations and cravings have been raised. If it was an error they should have fixed it right away... Not first the euro price and on top of that the pound.

I refuse to pay 20% more than the initial press release. Considering the amount lf bricks and compared to the modulars €150 or £120 was pretty reasonable. Come on TLG: it is not even licensed!

So unless they bring down the price within reason, no scary house for me. Matter of principle...

Does this mean you'd have been Ok with the current listed price if it had been in the original press release, and they hadn't raised it?

Not that I necessarily blame you if that's the case; I'm just wondering. I certainly agree the prices are high for you guys (speaking as an American who'll have a hard time affording even our much lower pricing for this set), and I don't envy you guys for having to pay so much for LEGO (though I do wish we could get some of the Europe-only sets you guys get)...

Edited June 28, 2012 by Blondie-Wan

[merman]

Does this mean you'd have been Ok with the current listed price if it had been in the original press release, and they hadn't raised it?

Not that I necessarily blame you if that's the case; I'm just wondering. I certainly agree the prices are high for you guys (speaking as an American who'll have a hard time affording even our much lower pricing for this set), and I don't envy you guys for having to pay so much for LEGO (though I do wish we could get some of the Europe-only sets you guys get)...

Well then I still think €180 is quite high but then we would not have known it any other way. It makes it extra harsh the price was very very reasonable (which was my initial reaction when I read the press release), but now it feels like a rip-off. R2D2, a licensed set with a similar piece count is also €180. But remember Mr. Lucas wants to be paid.

[mrklaw]

Well then I still think €180 is quite high but then we would not have known it any other way. It makes it extra harsh the price was very very reasonable (which was my initial reaction when I read the press release), but now it feels like a rip-off. R2D2, a licensed set with a similar piece count is also €180. But remember Mr. Lucas wants to be paid.

Will this be Lego.com and Lego store exclusive? If so it makes the likelihood of sales much lower than if it was available on amazon for instance

[Vindicare]

Will this be Lego.com and Lego store exclusive? If so it makes the likelihood of sales much lower than if it was available on amazon for instance

It's a D2C set, so LEGO retail only. Although, TRU online tends to have all the D2C from time to time. So, there's a chance it will be on sale at some point.