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| | | Author: | PaulOfBricks  | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 07:08 | | Subject: | Variant policies | | Viewed: | 154 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
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| | | | | Author: | SylvainLS | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 07:22 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 45 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | […]
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
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Possible answers from the sellers:
90%: crickets,
9%: “As said in our terms, we don’t differentiate variants.”
0.9%: “Oh, oopsies. Thanks for the heads-up.”
0.1%: “Yes.”
(Yes, these stats are made up  )
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| | | | | | | Author: | PaulOfBricks | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 07:35 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 43 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, SylvainLS writes:
| | In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | […]
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
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Possible answers from the sellers:
90%: crickets,
9%: “As said in our terms, we don’t differentiate variants.”
0.9%: “Oh, oopsies. Thanks for the heads-up.”
0.1%: “Yes.”
(Yes, these stats are made up )
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100% agree!
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| | | | | Author: | Stuart9 | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 07:32 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 46 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| Have to agree with you on this, experienced it myself and in my opinion it’s
a growing problem along with those adding notes to terms.
Their term notes being along the lines of “ used parts may have bite marks scratches
etc “, but they don’t actually have a note against individual parts, so you buy
at your own risk and they’ve covered their back.
The price for both good and poor are therefore the same and invariably they are
priced at the good end of the price range.
Recently risked buying from one such seller, I received 3 nice condition legs,
one worn print, one with a bite mark and one with several bite marks to feet
and legs, all same part number.
The seller has very good feedback.
I wouldn’t have listed any of the damaged parts as they aren’t high value pieces
and don’t pass my condition checks.
Other parts supplied were fine.
In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
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| | | | | | | Author: | Nicolasamico37 | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 10:08 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 36 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, Stuart9 writes:
| | Their term notes being along the lines of “ used parts may have bite marks scratches
etc “, but they don’t actually have a note against individual parts, so you buy
at your own risk and they’ve covered their back.
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Agree !!
I saw recently a store with that terms: "used parts can be really damaged,
even yellowed, it is according to arrival"
Sorry, but NEVER i would buy from you !! If I want to buy used parts, I'd
prefer them to be in a good condition anyway.
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| | | | | Author: | pcthurman | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 07:38 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 39 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
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This right here!!!
I have been saying for a while now how frustrating it is to have to contact each
store before I order to find out if it truly is the right variant.
Buyers put their faith in sellers that the part they have listed in their store
is the correct part and we (all buyers) blindly buy those parts expecting to
get the variant we ordered.
I read the terms of every store I buy from because I want to know if that store
does differentiate the variants of parts and if it is a rare or uncommon part,
I will still contact the store and ask them to double check that part for me.
Yes, it does slow down the ordering process especially if a store does not reply
to the question. The flip side is ordering the part and getting the wrong variant
and spending more time and money on the next order to try to get that part again.
Read the store terms. If they don't say anything about part variants, ask
them if they do indeed have the variants you are looking for before placing an
order.
Honestly, I wish sellers would take more time to make sure they are listing the
parts correctly but if wishes were fishes...
Cass T
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| | | | | Author: | yorbrick | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 07:50 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 39 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| New part-outs tend to be easy to deal with as the variants tend to be listed
in the inventory, so easy to check which you have.
Older near complete sets are similar (if complete, I'd sell as the set) although
I'd tend to avoid listing small quantities of used cheap parts, unless they
are likely to sell reasonably quickly and together with other similar parts.
For older bulk lots (where I cannot part out a set), I tend to try to identify
which variant I have. If I cannot spot the difference then I assume it is the
cheaper part. Although as I don't have a lot of used parts, by that time
I would probably have chucked it in the bulk box for selling by the kilo unless
it has some value or I have a bulk quantity of the same part.
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| | | | | | | Author: | Emporiosa | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 11:16 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 38 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, yorbrick writes:
| | New part-outs tend to be easy to deal with as the variants tend to be listed
in the inventory, so easy to check which you have.
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Just saw your message here in this thread about the new part-outs. I won't
duplicate my message from another related thread, but I posted an opposite experience
for new part-outs: https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1399553
I feel that those are the riskiest for having the chance of wrong part-outs (resulting
in incorrectly inventoried variants in a store) because new variants are not
always identified immediately. I gave an example of one that I ran into in that
other message with neck brackets from a few years ago. Most new variants are
caught quickly, but some can take time. And then it if sets had alternates, that
takes even more time to identify as sets that came out after the year of the
variant will usually be re-checked to see if they used the old or new version.
If you parted out the set before an alternate was inventoried on BL, you'd
never know as a seller (unless you were closely inspecting every new part, but
that doesn't usually happen with new part-outs like it does with used parts).
You usually would only check if the part-out mentioned an alternate. You can
end up being oblivious that a part has alternates.
I understand why the undetermined parts were removed, but as a seller who sells
primarily new, it was the way I could be alerted that a part had a new variant
discovered and I should audit the pieces in stock to see if it's a mix or
if they're properly identified (because the old part became undetermined
by default and had a msg about it).
Right now, if I part out say a new March 1 2023 set that already had an approved
inventory done, but a variant is discovered the day after I parted out, I wouldn't
have a way to know. It wouldn't be until I stumbled across this part again
and saw that it had a variant that I would want to recheck my inventory.
I'm not sure how feasible it would be, or if it already exists, but perhaps
we could have a page that highlights new variants as they're added to the
catalogue? Something sellers should refer to every so often.
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | yorbrick | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 12:11 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 40 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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I feel that those are the riskiest for having the chance of wrong part-outs (resulting
in incorrectly inventoried variants in a store) because new variants are not
always identified immediately. I gave an example of one that I ran into in that
other message with neck brackets from a few years ago. Most new variants are
caught quickly, but some can take time. And then it if sets had alternates, that
takes even more time to identify as sets that came out after the year of the
variant will usually be re-checked to see if they used the old or new version.
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I can see that would be an issue if you part out newly released new sets. I don't
really have it since I rarely part out newly released ones, but only sets that
have been out long enough for large discounts, or have many parts that I want
for myself.
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| | | | | Author: | Rob_and_Shelagh | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 08:00 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 47 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
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Agree with your concerns. IMO under the current catalogue setup sellers should
list correct variants and it should not be allowed to just put disclaimers in
terms.
That said, some of these variants are quite difficult to spot and mistakes can
happen and in many cases buyers actually don't care. In the early days sellers
had the option to list "undetermined variant" or choose to separate
them out, that way buyers knew what they were getting but current policy is not
to have undetermined variants of parts and I understand the logic for that too.
You shouldn't have to but if you don't know the seller (many will be
blissfully unaware of the issue) and in doubt then I guess asking up front, pain
as it is, might be the best plan.
Robert
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| | | | | | | Author: | PaulOfBricks | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 08:07 | | Subject: | (Cancelled) | | Viewed: | 34 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| | (Cancelled) |
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| | | | | | | Author: | PaulOfBricks | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 08:09 | | Subject: | (Cancelled) | | Viewed: | 30 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| | (Cancelled) |
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| | | | | | | Author: | PaulOfBricks | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 08:10 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 41 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, Rob_and_Shelagh writes:
| | In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
|
Agree with your concerns. IMO under the current catalogue setup sellers should
list correct variants and it should not be allowed to just put disclaimers in
terms.
That said, some of these variants are quite difficult to spot and mistakes can
happen and in many cases buyers actually don't care. In the early days sellers
had the option to list "undetermined variant" or choose to separate
them out, that way buyers knew what they were getting but current policy is not
to have undetermined variants of parts and I understand the logic for that too.
You shouldn't have to but if you don't know the seller (many will be
blissfully unaware of the issue) and in doubt then I guess asking up front, pain
as it is, might be the best plan.
Robert
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Good point, undetermined variant category when it was there, this was the
category people could use that either: couldn't be bothered, or really couldn't
tell the difference, and maybe for people that didn't mind what variant they
were buying.
I think bricklink have removed a lot of this category as an option,
They should then enforce listing of the correct variants and in my opinion prevent
the use of 'listing variant/mold variation' policies.
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| | | | | | | Author: | legomalego | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 08:26 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 46 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| I don't think it is hard to tell the difference, I think some sellers are
lazy. Period.
In Buying, Rob_and_Shelagh writes:
| | In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
|
Agree with your concerns. IMO under the current catalogue setup sellers should
list correct variants and it should not be allowed to just put disclaimers in
terms.
That said, some of these variants are quite difficult to spot and mistakes can
happen and in many cases buyers actually don't care. In the early days sellers
had the option to list "undetermined variant" or choose to separate
them out, that way buyers knew what they were getting but current policy is not
to have undetermined variants of parts and I understand the logic for that too.
You shouldn't have to but if you don't know the seller (many will be
blissfully unaware of the issue) and in doubt then I guess asking up front, pain
as it is, might be the best plan.
Robert
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | legomalego | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 08:35 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 42 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| Or incompetent.
In Buying, legomalego writes:
| | I don't think it is hard to tell the difference, I think some sellers are
lazy. Period.
In Buying, Rob_and_Shelagh writes:
| | In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
|
Agree with your concerns. IMO under the current catalogue setup sellers should
list correct variants and it should not be allowed to just put disclaimers in
terms.
That said, some of these variants are quite difficult to spot and mistakes can
happen and in many cases buyers actually don't care. In the early days sellers
had the option to list "undetermined variant" or choose to separate
them out, that way buyers knew what they were getting but current policy is not
to have undetermined variants of parts and I understand the logic for that too.
You shouldn't have to but if you don't know the seller (many will be
blissfully unaware of the issue) and in doubt then I guess asking up front, pain
as it is, might be the best plan.
Robert
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | Nubs_Select | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 11:58 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 25 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, legomalego writes:
| | I don't think it is hard to tell the difference, I think some sellers are
lazy. Period.
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For most part I agree but there are a few which are practically impossible to
separate 
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In Buying, Rob_and_Shelagh writes:
| | In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
|
Agree with your concerns. IMO under the current catalogue setup sellers should
list correct variants and it should not be allowed to just put disclaimers in
terms.
That said, some of these variants are quite difficult to spot and mistakes can
happen and in many cases buyers actually don't care. In the early days sellers
had the option to list "undetermined variant" or choose to separate
them out, that way buyers knew what they were getting but current policy is not
to have undetermined variants of parts and I understand the logic for that too.
You shouldn't have to but if you don't know the seller (many will be
blissfully unaware of the issue) and in doubt then I guess asking up front, pain
as it is, might be the best plan.
Robert
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| | | | | Author: | Nubs_Select | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2023 11:56 | | Subject: | Re: Variant policies | | Viewed: | 36 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
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| In Buying, PaulOfBricks writes:
| | What is your opinions on variant policies?
I like to buy the correct variants, I try to list the correct variants too. Sometimes
(a) variant might be 0.05c and the (b) variant can be $2
there are a growing number of sellers listing the (a)0.05c part variant in the
(b)$2 variant category and then writing they have a variant policy (basically
they don't sort the variant) but this is clearly a deceptive policy
because they will 99% be selling the (a) variant in the more expensive (b) variant
category to maximise profits.
This is very annoying firstly because when I buy the parts, I want the correct
parts, sometimes I have to buy the part two or three times before I get the actual
correct part/variant I want, if a set comes with (a) I want (a) not (b), if I
wanted (b) I would buy from the (b) listing!,
should I have to email the seller every time asking if it is indeed correct,
It kind of slows down the ordering process a lot
and secondly it effects the analytics of the value of the correct variant.
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Yes but with the exception of if there is a note in the individual listing to
say otherwise as sometimes I can’t figure out which variation I have so I include
a note about saying it could be either
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United Kingdom, England
France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
USA, Virginia
Canada, Ontario
