Missing/damaged parts or minifigures in new sets

[Luke_likes_Lego]

...the extra factory sealed bag of two 2x4 tan plates.

I think I understand you. Theory being that TLG discovered a batch was short two tan plates 'post packaging', and inserted them manually.

Hence the 'extra' bag (but not extra pieces/inventory).

Is that what you meant?

Cheers,

LLL

[kibosh]

Odd that TLG wouldn't reseal the boxes properly. Doesn't make sense that they would break the seals, insert 2 plates, but risk more product falling out as the "open" boxes are handled.

[naf]

Odd that TLG wouldn't reseal the boxes properly. Doesn't make sense that they would break the seals, insert 2 plates, but risk more product falling out as the "open" boxes are handled.

Perhaps they did seal them with some sort of glue, but it ended up coming apart at some point due to heat, rough handling during shipment, etc? You'd think they would put some sort of taped seal over the opened part like they do with the larger sets.

[Tariq j]

But how did TLG realise the set had no plates after they sealed the set?

Edited August 9, 2013 by Tariq j

[jonwil]

More and more retailers around here seem to be using rope alarms to secure their higher value sets in order to prevent theft.

[romdam]

I think I understand you. Theory being that TLG discovered a batch was short two tan plates 'post packaging', and inserted them manually.

Hence the 'extra' bag (but not extra pieces/inventory).

Is that what you meant?

Cheers,

LLL

Yea, like that. Funny thing is tho it seems the two extra plates have no use in the set. They are not "missing pieces" from what I understand. Just two extra pieces in a sealed bag added after production for some odd reason.

[Tariq j]

I forget to mention this earlier I have a feeling some tampered sets might be a packaging error.

Basically about two years ago a friend of mine was at the lego store and he wanted to buy the night bus, he found it, took the first one of the shelf and found that there was a slice in it, a bit like that lone ranger set above, anyway he put it back and took the next one, to find that also was sliced, and so was the other one behind it, eventually at the very back he found a normal one with no slices, he brought it and found that it was fine. He didn't complain to TLG or anything because he didn't want to make a fuss, anyway could this have been caused because of a packaging error or someone trying to get lots of pieces?

[Vindicare]

That just sounds like an employee opening the bigger box a little too carelessly. It would be extremely difficult to steal pieces at a LEGO store. For one thing, there's no aisles, so all the employees, of which there is always many, can see everyone. And, there's almost always one greeting/walking around asking if anyone needs help.

[HawkLord]

That just sounds like an employee opening the bigger box a little too carelessly. It would be extremely difficult to steal pieces at a LEGO store. For one thing, there's no aisles, so all the employees, of which there is always many, can see everyone. And, there's almost always one greeting/walking around asking if anyone needs help.

That's why I always buy from the local Lego store or online. If I have to buy from Target/Walmart I thoroughly check the packaging for not just broken tape, but any kind of stress to the box, like dents, creases, etc. If it looks questionable, I pass. Having been in the toy collecting hobby for a number of years, I've found that people will take all kinds of stuff from packaging and I've always found the worst offenders at TRUs. Those stores have too many high aisles and places to hide.

[Amset-Rah]

I primarily buy my Lego online, aside from the occasional Walmart stop or TRU visit. In all of my times buying from these places, I haven't had a first hand experienced with tampered packaging personally (As in, I didn't bring home a set with no minifigures), but if it counts, I've seen sets that have had beat up packaging and you can clearly see the insides of the box, and worse yet, people opening CMF blind bags in pursuit of a sought after minifig.

It's for those reasons why I simply buy CMFs online, just so I can get who I want, even if it costs a little more and is a more sluggish process. Same goes for bigger sets, where there's more of a chance of an exclusive figure being missing in action. The chances are much lower for low-mid priced sets (Say, up to $50) in my experience, at least (The last tampered set I saw was a Monster Fighters Frankenstein set)

[Lynx]

Thanks for posting! Never ceases to amaze what dishonest people will do. I wonder, though, how this works. The minifigs are usually spread between bags, and the risk of getting caught for a booklet or sticker sheet seems high. Or do these people purchase the sets, take out what they want at home and return it to the store? Either way, it's either theft or fraud, and the disappointment caused to the honest buyer is not even included. Shame on them!

[Gryphon Ink]

I got a Weathertop from Wal-Mart that had been very carefully pilfered by someone who knew exactly what they were doing. They had taken out the bags that had minifigs. One of them was missing, and the other one taped up and replaced sans minifigs. And they had put in an extra bag of Weathertop pieces that didn't have any minifigs, so they had obviously done this with at least two sets.

[Infernum]

That just sounds like an employee opening the bigger box a little too carelessly. It would be extremely difficult to steal pieces at a LEGO store. For one thing, there's no aisles, so all the employees, of which there is always many, can see everyone. And, there's almost always one greeting/walking around asking if anyone needs help.

But with the LEGO store's return policy someone could have took what they wanted at home, resealed it, and returned it to the store.

[Blast]

I've noticed this happen at least once in almost every store I go to buy Lego.

[dvsntt]

When the Lego books that contain a mini-fig (like Darth Vader in one of them) were on the shelves, nearly all of them that I saw had had the minifig taken out of them. The latest, and most shocking thievery I've encountered has been recently though. I have been helping the local museum with a Lego exhibit, and built several playland scale figs for their doll-house display. In less then a week, all of them had been taken. Within 2 weeks, the city hall building I made for the center of their town display (encouraging kids to expand and build the town larger) had been taken, they must have put it in their bag or stroller or something. And then, a few weeks later, on one of the exhibit models surrounded by plexiglass (this is in the exhibit hall, not the kids play area where the previous thefts I described occurred), someone reached over the glass and stole several of the main figures right out of the display. It had to be an adult to have that kind of reach. But the museum does not have security guards, and with this exhibit, they have had the most visitors they have ever had, over 16,000 in a month, compared to 900 usually.

[TheLegoDr]

I'll never understand stealing. It is unfortunate that that happened to you, especially since you seemed to have been helping the museum a great deal with foot traffic. I doubt they will ever catch the perpetrators, but we can hope.

[Tariq j]

I went into my lego store today and found two polybags opened. It's unfortunate these things happen, I hope things like this alert TLG.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

You guys have me paranoid enough that I had to go check my still-unopened Star Wars Advent Calendars. Santa-Yoda and Maul are both still in there. Whew.

[Tariq j]

You guys have me paranoid enough that I had to go check my still-unopened Star Wars Advent Calendars. Santa-Yoda and Maul are both still in there. Whew.

Whenever the Star Wars calenders come out I'll probably get mine of amazon or bricklink I would hate to have a tampered one, plus everyone will want the new boba more than anything else.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Whenever the Star Wars calenders come out I'll probably get mine of amazon or bricklink I would hate to have a tampered one, plus everyone will want the new boba more than anything else.

I like buying mine on clearance after the holidays! At Target in the USA, they gradually drift down to 50% off until they disappear from stock. However, I'm now opening the box in-store and sliding out the tray to make sure everything is in there. If the employees have seen me do it, they haven't complained, and I'm not crass enough to steal the Santas.

[Kez]

At my local lego land discovery centre, I remember there being this big bin full up with advent calendar minifigures and mini builds. I wasnt too sure why this was (maybe the boxes were severely damaged) and they were selling off the minifigures for pretty cheap like red darth maul for £2, I was a fool not to buy a few of those figures.

[Tariq j]

Today I brought one of the planet sets from fenwicks, I got home, opened it up and I was building it one of the pieces was missing, it wasn't bad or anything I just got one from my collection. Anyway I assumed it was a packaging error or something similar, then a sudden thought occured to me: because of the way the boxes are designed would it be possible to open a planet, take something out, then close it, obvously this didn't happen to me otherwise the packet inside would be opened, but just a thought.

[Infernum]

Because of the way the boxes are designed would it be possible to open a planet, take something out, then close it?

Maybe. If so it'd be extremely easy for someone to take out the bag of parts. That would be terrible, by a planet set and find out it's missing the parts.

[Tariq j]

Maybe. If so it'd be extremely easy for someone to take out the bag of parts. That would be terrible, by a planet set and find out it's missing

the parts.

True, at least you would feel the weight of the set is slighly different.

[Vindicare]

The sad part about the theft of minifgures, is that to a degree, it is our fault(our beng AFOLs in general). Sites like eBay where some go for a lot. People in it just for the dollars see this and get $$ in their eyes. It all boils down to greed and taking advantage of people. Specifically new to the hobby who don't realize the prices of what they should be.