BrickLink Discussion Forum

In General, yorbrick writes:

In General, cosmicray writes:

In General, pbegin writes:

For US Paypal account - Annonced changes:

Amendments to PayPal’s Seller Protection Program
Effective January 16, 2024:

We are revising PayPal’s Seller Protection Program to exclude from eligibility
Item Not Received claims filed by buyers as chargeback claims with their card
issuers for card-funded transactions.

There is something curious about this, and the way they worded it. It almost
sounds like a double-negative in the wording. Is PayPal saying that the entirety
of an INR claim now rests upon the seller ?

Nita Rae

Additional thoughts ... PayPal is specifically pointing at card-funded transactions.
So, I'm taking the view that INR protection is still active for existing
balance funded transactions (and by definition eCheck). These were once called
PayPal Classic. For those type of payments, PayPal has better visibility of what
the customer's nominal address is.

For the card-funded payments (aka PayPal Express, or Merchant Card Acceptance),
the INR claims will be between the seller and the cardholder's financial
institution ( who presumably knows about the cardholder's address(es) ).
PayPal will route those claims to the seller, but otherwise not be involved.
This is effectively how Stripe handles it. What I would like some clarity about
in this, is what is the time-period that a card-funded transaction can go to
an INR ? Is it still 6-months, shorter, or longer ?

Nita Rae

Yes, they are essentially saying that if the buyer makes a claim to their card
provider that the item was not received, then PayPal will not step in and refund
the seller even if there is proof of delivery as in the past as this means that
PayPal takes the hit if the card issuer accepts the buyer's claim. As you
say, presumably the seller has to deal with the card issuer instead. I can imagine
that is even worse than dealing with PayPal.

I wonder if this might lead to a change in behaviour, with more people withdrawing
funds from PayPal or paying by card instead of using funds within PayPal to pay
for purchases. That way, even if PP reject a claim, the buyer can go to their
credit card issuer instead. I know it has always been the case, but this now
gives even more incentive to do it.

I guess you have to decide if the glass is half full or half empty, to make this
call. At one time (I think it was on a site I used to sell on) they supported
both PayPal Classic (which was the traditional balance/eCheck payment funding),
and PayPal Express (merchant card acceptance). We had the ability to use Classic
only or Classic+Express. The carrot & stick was, that Google Marketplace would
only show items that had merchant card acceptance. So that means you had to accept
Stripe or PayPal Express or both. Many years have passed since then, and I don't
know the current lay of the landscape in this regard.

BrickLink is such a destination site, that Google Marketplace has little to no
meaning here (but I would like to be corrected if someone has better information).

Generally speaking, I don't think that buyers come here with the intention
of running a scam. Larger higher dollar items might be best to only ship where
a signature is required. That is going to cost the seller, but it may give them
an edge in a dispute situation.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 7, 2023 10:06

Subject:

Re: PayPal’s Seller Protection changes?

Viewed:

36 times

Topic:

In General, LegoLDK writes:

Does the seller have any way of dealing with the buyer's card company? There
is no transaction relationship between them is there? I understood the process
to be Buyer's card pays PalPal, Paypal pay Seller. So does Buyer's card
company know who or what the seller is?

Isn't this why PayPal are doing this? I guess losses are mounting from chargeback
claims. And PayPal has met its match in Visa, Mastercard and Amex.

The answer is to look at how Stripe handles these chargebacks. They act as a
go-between, with the incoming chargeback being routed to the seller, and the
seller's response being sent back to the originating financial institution.
I'm only guessing here, but it makes sense. When the chargeback arrives,
the seller can immediately decide to refund, or (if the amount of the charge
was large enough, and the documentation is sufficient) then attempt to argue
that the package was sent to the requested address and delivered (as per the
delivery service). Part of this issue goes to which address should be used for
shipment, the one on the payment or the one provided by BrickLink. There are
strong opinions on this subject, and in both directions.

My guess is that what's driving this is the time the PayPal has been spending
responding to these claims (not to mention the amounts being claimed).

For an INR type of claim, there are a relatively limited number of reasons it
could happen: Seller used the wrong address, Buyer entered the wrong address
and seller used it, Porch pirates stole it upon delivery, Delivery service lost
the package or delivered it to the wrong address, Buyer is trying to run a scam.
The last one (if they try it often enough) should become apparent to the card
issuing financial institution.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 7, 2023 08:08

Subject:

Lego Fortnite: Gaming giant launches Minecraf

Viewed:

120 times

Topic:

Media

Lego Fortnite: Gaming giant launches Minecraft rival

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67635859

and this caught my eye ...

The game includes more than 1,000 Lego minifigures based on Fortnite skins

If those are issued are IRL minifigs ... Collect the entire set !

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 7, 2023 07:34

Subject:

Re: PayPal’s Seller Protection changes?

Viewed:

45 times

Topic:

In General, cosmicray writes:

In General, pbegin writes:

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 7, 2023 05:51

Subject:

Re: PayPal’s Seller Protection changes?

Viewed:

52 times

Topic:

In General, pbegin writes:

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 6, 2023 09:57

Subject:

Re: Should I accept a prepaid level from buyer?

Viewed:

30 times

Topic:

In Help, zorbanj writes:

I do the opposite and only use the PayPal address. If you ship to another address
and the buyer opens a case you instantly lose.

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 6, 2023 07:49

Subject:

Re: technical Issues

Viewed:

39 times

Topic:

In Technical Issues, yorbrick writes:

In Technical Issues, karolainen writes:

I received an order for two hinge red 2429 and 2430 at a price of CZK 150 per
piece, but in my offers the price is CZK 2.50, where could there be a mistake

You could have typed the incorrect prices. Did you mean to price them at 1.50
instead of 150?

Or even 1,50 (because some countries reverse the decimal point and comma). That
would easily explain what happened.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 6, 2023 07:46

Subject:

Re: Facilitate entire store sale.

Viewed:

33 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, Hal8472 writes:

In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:

In Suggestions, Hal8472 writes:

I see lots of people trying to sell there entire store. Logically we might all
get to this point at some point. I haven’t gone to the process of creating a
massive lot but frankly that seems like a lot of work. Realistically these sales
are taking place outside of Bricklink. Probably on another social network, perhaps
local. Frankly, without Bricklink fees. Fees and facilitation goes together.

What are you suggesting, a full store buyout price ?

As a single store setting, I can almost see that. But I doubt anyone has a shipping
method capable of handling it.

Nita Rae

I don’t see a show stopper here. Realistically only local buyers would be interested.
Pickup.

Which both drastically limits the audience, while solving the shipping problems.
Not everyone lives where there is concentration of LEGO sellers. Prior to the
'local buyers only', I thought it might some merit, now not so much.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 5, 2023 18:35

Subject:

Re: Facilitate entire store sale.

Viewed:

42 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, Hal8472 writes:

What are you suggesting, a full store buyout price ?

As a single store setting, I can almost see that. But I doubt anyone has a shipping
method capable of handling it.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 5, 2023 17:14

Subject:

Re: Should I accept a prepaid level from buyer?

Viewed:

42 times

Topic:

In Help, BrickSelect writes:

I received this message about a $5 head in my store, and am wondering what to
do, it appears the buyer has over 100 positive feedback and no negative or neutral
feedback. The dropping it off is no problem, but I just worry about he scames
and am looking for insight. The message is the following:
“ Is there any wear or damage?
If no issues, would you accept my prepaid FedEx label for it. Can be dropped
at any Walgreens if no FedEx. I’ve had no issues using them on here.”

A prepaid label will have the destination address that the buyer supplies. If
that doesn't match to what PayPal supplies, then you have a problem.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 5, 2023 10:49

Subject:

Re: Slow Seller

Viewed:

67 times

Topic:

In Buying, wildchicken13 writes:

In Buying, chetzler writes:

Settle down. This has very little to do with you. My concern is that an admin
says he knows someone is breaking the rules and that managment chose not to act.

If he is right, then it means BL is showing favoritism to large stores and turning
a blind eye to their bad behavior. If he wrong, he is publicly making a false
accusation.

I don't see how either of those scenarios presents a healthy outlook for
the future of BrickLink.

I don't see how suspending one of the largest BrickLink stores in the world
presents a healthy outlook for the future of BrickLink.

The way I read Russell's statement, it sounds like the BrickLink administration
was finally forced to suspend Kentuckiana Bricks (amyfol) for legal/tax reasons.

I'm pretty sure there are other (usually large) BrickLink stores that are
registered in a different country than where they physically keep their inventory.

For example, the message has since been purged but, Kuboteka once claimed that
they kept their inventory in Russia despite being registered in Lithuania.

That claim was made before February 2022, so it may not be true anymore.

Anyway, this kind of behavior may not have been illegal per se in the past, but
now it might be problematic due to new marketplace regulations.

While the tax issue (alluded to above) may be the factual reason, there is (at
least in this thread) a view that the entire inventory offered to US customers
by a US seller is not physically located in the US. Some may be here, but some
may not. Amazon can behave like this, but typically when purchasing something
sourced from Japan, you will see some indicator of that on the listing. eBay
tends to be more strict in this regard, and because of that, many Chinese sellers
have US stocking points so that they can offer direct US shipments. Bricklink
does not have the facility to indicate where inventory is stocked (on a per listing
basis), so the default is where the seller is located.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 5, 2023 10:30

Subject:

Re: Kentuckiana Bricks

Viewed:

92 times

Topic:

Terms and Policies

In Terms and Policies, brickablocks writes:

I dont know if I buy that simply disclosing you are going to provide a terrible
buying experience should serve as a shield against criticism. If I see a store
say it may take 3 weeks to ship, I might err on the side of it being slow for
them right now and maybe they will ship quicker. Or maybe that is an exaggeration
to cover their butt during the holidays. However, if I see a lot of honest feedback
saying that it definitely takes at least that long and sometimes way longer,
I would appreciate the insight.

What may be missing here, is something that displays more recent real world
performance than feedback. Right now we are entering tracking information
(for US sellers shipping to US, presumably other countries do likewise). That
tracking will easily show when the package was accepted, and when it was delivered.
That information, when combined with when the order was placed, could paint a
very real picture of the seller's performance. Digging thru Terms/Policies
to see what to expect for a full round trip is fine and well and good,
but being able to display actual performance would show a more clear picture
about what is happening.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 5, 2023 05:28

Subject:

Re: purchase prices for existing stock

Viewed:

37 times

Topic:

Selling

In Selling, OnsSteenGoed writes:

Can you also use an XML file to subsequently add purchase prices for existing
stock and how do you do that?

Every lot has a price on it, when it was originally created. If you are asking
about changing prices, yes that can be done via an XML file.

Otherwise help me to understand what you're asking.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 4, 2023 11:30

Subject:

Re: Slow

Viewed:

51 times

Topic:

In Technical Issues, arilou writes:

Dear Bricklink-Team,

the whole website has become very slow. I don't know if that's a result
of Nov.-3rd-Incident.
When I was working in IT/Web tech, there was a rule "no page may take more
than 7 seconds to complete". Otherwise, users tend to abort using the service.

I like Bricklink.
I'd prefer not to migrate to an other service.

Sincerely,
Arilou.

Some people in AUS mentioned a Fortnite update, that was clogging the inter-tubes.
Might be part of what you observed.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 4, 2023 11:27

Subject:

Re: Compensation for a damaged box

Viewed:

91 times

Topic:

In Shipping, koenlowet writes:

Hi everyone,

I've had my first damaged box during shipment in the 3 years that I'm
active as a seller now. The customer asks for a compensation (which is correct,
of course). He's asking for a 50 % discount of the original value of the
set.

The set was a Star Wars 75336 BD-1 set. My question for you is what do you think
a valid percentage would be. The box was banged up pretty good.

Thanks!

Koen
Koen's Space Port

Was there any insurance/indemnity coverage on the shipment ?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 4, 2023 04:59

Subject:

Re: Buyer not picking a parcel at local post

Viewed:

41 times

Topic:

In Shipping, MK555 writes:

Hi all,

How to respond if buyer don't pick the package at local post.
It's a bigger package 5kg. It was paid via Paypal, send with courier.

In few days I think it will be send back to me...the buyer is not responsive.

How to respond on this, next move with BL in Paypal? I wil have costs with shipping
at least and maybe with paypal fees?

regards

What country is the destination post office ?

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 3, 2023 16:47

Subject:

Re: How do I ship a "new in box" set?

Viewed:

34 times

Topic:

In Shipping, Javajill writes:

I'm just getting my store set up. I have several "new in box" sets,
and I'm wondering what the best way to ship them should be. Especially sets
that have a larger/ awkward size that doesn't easily fit into another box.
Do I just need to buy a larger box to ship it in? Should I charge extra for
shipping because I had to get a special box for it? Is there a better way?

Thank you for helping this newbie!

The best thing you can do, is to pre-configure a list of sets that you are selling,
to know what size box the require.

Then convert the box dimensions to cubic-feet. If the box goes beyond one cubic
foot, then you must ship it as dimensional weight, not as actual weight.

Then, if any dimension exceeds 22-inches, you will be charged a surcharge, for
30-inches a higher surcharge.

So very large set boxes will have an outsized impact on your shipping.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 2, 2023 19:46

Subject:

Re: no shipping method available

Viewed:

39 times

Topic:

In Help, yachtblder54 writes:

Why is it some of my customers have problems with shipping..."no shipping
method available", when I do offer shipping anywhere.
Thanks,
Jim

Do you have any lots tagged as Manual for the shipping calculation method
? If a buyer is having problems checking out, ask what items are in their shopping
cart. Then go look at those lots for missing size/weights.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 2, 2023 14:30

Subject:

Re: This is Space. Not City.

Viewed:

75 times

Topic:

LEGO products

In LEGO products, axaday writes:

There is clearly a reluctant to relaunch the Space theme. Maybe because of Star
Wars?

But Technic, City, Creator, and even Friends are doing some Space next year.

City has done a couple forays into Space and even used the Classic Space logo
in the last few years, but kept it where it looked roughly modern or near future,
so I bought into the idea. We have astronauts today, though the City stuff has
been a little advanced beyond us.

I am not sure I can link it here because LEGO hasn't officially announced,
but a retailer put out pictures of next year's City Space stuff and it is
SPACE. It is distant future, I would say out past Futuron. To me it really
looks like the first direct successor to Futuron. Why can they not call this
Space?

This is another example of why categories need to have a many-to-many relationship,
and not purely a hierarchical tree structure. While this is about sets, a similar
problem exists for parts.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 2, 2023 14:28

Subject:

Re: I have some legos sealed in a bag with holes

Viewed:

39 times

Topic:

In Help, DarthMaul1 writes:

In Help, Adjour writes:

In Help, DarthMaul1 writes:

I have a bad of legos sealed but it has holes in it would it be considered new
or used?

Holes like tears or tons of little holes like the old 80's 90's bags?

Tons of tiny little holes
2005 set of Star Wars revenge of the sith dual with 100 + holes in it

The perforated bags allow air exchange between the parts and the outside. Must
have been something in there that TLG decided needed it.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Dec 1, 2023 18:52

Subject:

Re: Heads-up Buying Opportunity

Viewed:

46 times

Topic:

Retail

In Retail, popsicle writes:

"Current Items For Sale Average" partout value $229 With nearly
800 parts generating who knows how many notification emails.

Of course, when a few thousand copies of that land at BL, there may be a bit
of price competition that leaks in.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 30, 2023 20:59

Subject:

entering dimensions for a playmat

Viewed:

79 times

Topic:

Catalog

Status:

Open

This is about this item ...

4182737 Plastic Playmat Duplo, with Water/Ice Pattern from Set 3621 Polar Animals (Explore)
Parts: Plastic

It does not have dimensions in the catalog. I have several in stock. They were
factory packed folded in half (so half the long dimension). Do I enter the folded
or the unfolded length for the X dimension. Note that using the folded X dimension,
will cause the Y dimension to become the large of the two.

thanks, Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 30, 2023 17:57

Subject:

Re: Please Add Data Point for # of Bags in Set

Viewed:

50 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, MidwestBrick writes:

In Suggestions, axaday writes:

Like weight and dimensions, this would not have to be a required data point,
but one that would have a ? until entered. I often wish for this information
and I see it asked on the forum. I was just looking at an open box, sealed bags
set on eBay that I might like to buy, but the seller says how many bags there
are and notes that they don't know if that is all of them. Well, I don't
know either.

Not sure if this works, but can't you look up the instructions on Lego and
page through to see how many bags per step there are? Are at a minimum, at least
know how many numbered steps there are?

Most of the older sets did not have numbered bags. You got a bunch of clear bags
(sometimes with air perforations). Sometimes stickers were in a bag, and sometimes
loose.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 30, 2023 17:54

Subject:

Re: EasyPost

Viewed:

38 times

Topic:

In Shipping, brac.brick writes:

In Shipping, cosmicray writes:

As of this morning, PirateShip labels are by EasyPost. Looks very similar to
the Pitney Bowes labels, but with minor differences. New QR codes are still present.

Nita Rae

What's the difference ? It still shows G for ground advantage . is this
a new USPS thing? Just curious.

The G is now BOLD and solid, where (with Pitney Bowes) it was an outlined G.
There may also be minor changes to some of the not well known coding numbers
along the top section. The bold G is what caught my eye this morning.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 30, 2023 17:52

Subject:

Re: Please Add Data Point for # of Bags in Set

Viewed:

43 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, Admin_Russell writes:

In Suggestions, axaday writes:

Would this be the number of stages in the set (e.g. 1-18) or would it be the
literal number of bags in the box, including unnumbered bags?

One of the things that has prevented us from cataloging such information in the
past is concern that there may be multiple versions of how things are packed,
based on the factory location or production run.

I have witnessed this situation, when parting out multiple copies, they were
organized slightly differently. Not always a different number of bags, but the
exact composition of a particular bag could vary (likely due to production considerations).

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 30, 2023 08:13

Subject:

EasyPost

Viewed:

107 times

Topic:

As of this morning, PirateShip labels are by EasyPost. Looks very similar to
the Pitney Bowes labels, but with minor differences. New QR codes are still present.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 29, 2023 20:19

Subject:

Re: HELP: International shipment damaged

Viewed:

53 times

Topic:

In Shipping, galaxyfe writes:

The buyer sent me the pics and it looks like the package was run over.

It may also be that the package was caught in a mail sorting machine, and the
marks/damage were caused by the belts.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 29, 2023 20:14

Subject:

Re: Negative feedback

Viewed:

45 times

Topic:

In Help, DarrenBishop writes:

Just checked and it was lost in the mail.

You need to understand the underlying reason this happened (if it can be determined).

Did you print electronic postage containing the buyer's address, or did you
hand address and take it to the post office retail counter ?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 29, 2023 09:33

Subject:

Re: perhaps a taboo inquiry about making money

Viewed:

92 times

Topic:

Selling

In Selling, wildchicken13 writes:

Orders start to get more regular once you reach around 10,000 lots.

In one sense you are correct, but the other variable is how many other sellers
are offering the same item/color. Many/most items offered in 2023 are from
recent sets, so the competition is against the same list of parts. Offering older
parts (which are still New) is a different ball game.

tl;dr If you offer something that is barely available elsewhere, buyers (and
auto-buy) will seek you out.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 29, 2023 07:29

Subject:

Re: perhaps a taboo inquiry about making money

Viewed:

97 times

Topic:

Selling

In Selling, yorbrick writes:

In Selling, madeleine_ writes:

i'm sure for many people bricklink is simply a hobby, as for me, but the
shops at the top can't be sinking thousands of hours and dollars into something
because it's fun right? i want to know where these colossal stores find their
profit.

They buy low and sell high.

and sometimes with an event horizon that stretches over decades.

I've never investigated the regs concerning long term capital gains
but that may apply here.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 28, 2023 19:27

Subject:

Re: 2 questions: Payment & Rating

Viewed:

35 times

Topic:

Terms and Policies

In Terms and Policies, bricksupanddown writes:

Hi,

I'm new as a seller to BL. I have a couple of questions:

(1) How long do you wait for the Buyer to make payment after an invoice is sent.
I always make sure to send an invoice within 24 hours but sometimes they take
2 days or more to get back to me, whether they decide to pay or cancel.

(2) Do you sell to sellers with zero feedback? I've had 2 buyers with zero
feedback wanting to purchase a set and ironically, both of them wrote in a city
that did not exist. I found this to be sus.

If you configure for Instant Checkout, then it erases question #1, and mostly
eliminates issues with question #2. If the buyer is required to provide payment
when creating the order, that will filter out buyers who are merely kicking the
tires.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 28, 2023 17:52

Subject:

Re: Clones that almost get through

Viewed:

51 times

Topic:

In General, Stuart9 writes:

Cobi is another but many of their colours are off.

Any thoughts about where the STAR parts or originating from ?

That is a name I've not seen yet at the dollar-store.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 28, 2023 17:49

Subject:

Re: Set recommendations?

Viewed:

38 times

Topic:

LEGO products

In LEGO products, ny.nl.jp writes:

Does anyone know of System sets that don't have anything smaller than 2x2?

LEGO tended to stagger their set lines by ages, and kept the larger pieces to
the younger ages. PRIMO and DUPLO were for the ages up to 3, and System generally
began around 5 or 6 years old.

There have been a few sub-lines of transitional sets, which were system-like
(some people called them System Junior) which tended to have larger system parts.
4Juniors was one name, but I believe there were a couple of others. Pretty much
all of the Jack Stone line are from this product segment. HTH

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 28, 2023 11:42

Subject:

Re: Anyone getting an uptick in crushed elements?

Viewed:

40 times

Topic:

In General, Lonely_Brick_OH writes:

We purchased a number of LEGO sets to "break" about a year ago.

We just opened them (damaged box sets) and unlike the year before when we did
the same thing this time around we found quite a few damaged elements.

Anyone else have this happen?

Very odd. The minor damage on the box should not have had such defined damage
on the elements.

What vintage were the sets ? Could they have been from the era of brittle parts
?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 28, 2023 09:20

Subject:

Re: On the buy wanted list it shows the price

Viewed:

22 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, LegowithEggo writes:

Hello,

I have used bricklink for a bit. I use the buy your wanted list feature a lot.
It would be extremely nice of instead of having to click the "select"
button for every single store over and over again and instead somewhere show
how much the total cost is + shipping to your area. There would still be the
select button but that would mainly be used to see what items on your wanted
list that the store has. I just think this would save me a lot of time and looking
for specific items on your wanted list would not be so repetitive. I understand
if it takes longer for the list of stores to load but I would rather wait than
have to keep clicking the "select" button over and over again.

Thanks.

Showing you the shipping is tricky, because you may be offered multiple shipping
costs at checkout.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 27, 2023 14:26

Subject:

Re: mysterious electronic device

Viewed:

56 times

Topic:

Catalog Identification

In Catalog Identification, Nicolasamico37 writes:

In Catalog Identification, xoshimin writes:

Hi,

Please help me identify the device, I didn't find it in the BL catalogs.

regards
Alexei

Could this be a custom rechargeable old Technic wire ?

Nicolas

That is what it kinda looks like.

OP, any idea what's inside ?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 27, 2023 12:13

Subject:

Re: Paypal API issue

Viewed:

33 times

Topic:

In Technical Issues, Iron_Moose writes:

Hi, I'm trying to purchase something from a store with on-site paypal and
I'm getting the attached error. It persists in Edge and Firefox. Any idea
what's happening?

Thanks,

In the screen shot, it says CAPTURE VOIDED. Capture is the second part
of the sequence authorize then capture. It almost sounds like the authorize
succeeded, but the capture failed. Might want to contact your card issuer and
ask them if they saw the authorize come through. It could be (long shot here)
that your card issuer declined the capture for some reason. If you learn anything,
please post it here.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 27, 2023 12:07

Subject:

Re: Site Dark Mode

Viewed:

40 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, Stellar writes:

In Suggestions, KRPH_brix writes:

Would it be great to have this site an option for dark mode?

There is a darker background setting here:

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/settings/pref_settings.page

Is not a full dark mode but it helps. The setting is per browser.

It makes the background something like dark blue (actually feels more like dark
medium blue, if there is such a color).

Honestly, a proper dark mode would help so much with my ability to read pages.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 25, 2023 16:56

Subject:

Re: option for quote should be shown

Viewed:

28 times

Topic:

In Buying, kittybrickz writes:

Yes, when I get a quote request from a customer I go to my stock, find a box
that is large enough to accomodate the items, pack them, weigh it all, measure
the box, and put all the info into the Postal rate calculator. I don't like
surprises when I'm shipping, and I want to give my customers the lowest rate
possible. I don't know how other people handle quote requests, it would be
interesting to hear! Cheers

So basically, you are pulling an order, that you do not know if the buyer will
go thru with. The amount of time required here, is also a factor in why RFQ are
not universally turned on.

Part of the solution to this, is for a seller to tell a buyer will not exceed
this postage, but might be lower. That would give the seller a low time investment
way of responding to RFQ. The second part is something I suggested several years
back, and that is to make IC a two-step process (authorize, then capture).
The seller could respond to the RFQ with a maximum shipping cost, but (if the
buyer accepts) then only capture a total for actual shipping. Think of it as
under promise then (if possible) over deliver. It's the only
way to protect the buyer and the seller.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 25, 2023 06:24

Subject:

Re: option for quote should be shown

Viewed:

46 times

Topic:

In Buying, eileenkeeney writes:

Option for Quote should be shown, on the order submit page, anytime postage is
not calculated.
I have passed up lots of potential orders, and ordered from another seller due
to postage not being calculated. I have removed lots from orders to see if that
would bring weight down to a point where postage was calculated.
The other day I was shopping and noticed, that with very little effort, I could
request a quote. The option was right there, on the page where I would submit
the order. If this option had not been shown, I would have looked for another
seller, one that pre-calculated the postage.

This a very convoluted subject. In a store, it is possible to have certain lots
on manual-mode, and not have any RFQ methods active. It sounds like you have
encountered that. Some sellers have all the postage pre-calculated, but certain
items are so difficult to ship (and increasingly due to shifting USPS surcharges)
that it's almost impossible to automate them.

One example in point ...

bb0120 Plastic Playmat, Hockey Rink Pattern from Set 65182
Parts: Plastic

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 24, 2023 08:23

Subject:

Re: Getting sick and tired with Lego shipments.

Viewed:

46 times

Topic:

In General, tonnic writes:

In General, cosmicray writes:

In General, Nubs_Select writes:

Dosnt sound like fun

it’s weird tho as all the packages I get are filled with
brown paper so things are in great condition usually (although the only sets
I’ve gotten as of late are gwp)

Obvious (to me) that your orders are being filled from a different warehouse
than the EU ones. If TLG is farming out the fulfillment, it may well be different
organizations handling it.

Nita Rae

Here a picture of the way it was packed, I made a small video but that is too
large to e-mail to Lego and not possible to place here.

I would not be surprised if I have more box sizes here, than that warehouse has.
At one time, I was up over 60 unique sizes. As the years go by, shipping costs
go up, and buyers willing to pay them does down, I'm considering transferring
some of my excess boxes into composting bins. Sending the cellulose back to where
it came from (and recovering some of my space).

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 24, 2023 06:09

Subject:

Re: Best technic set

Viewed:

46 times

Topic:

In Buying, Tawraste writes:

Hi all,
could I ask your opinions on what the best technic set is, but from an engineering
point of view?
Not bothered whether it's a vehicle, building or whatever, I am trying to
find an interesting build. Doesn't even need to be a modern set.
Many thanks!

I am partial to this one, my first LEGO set ...

8480-1 (Inv) Space Shuttle
1366 Parts, 1996
Sets: Technic: Model: Space Exploration

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 23, 2023 12:38

Subject:

Re: Getting sick and tired with Lego shipments.

Viewed:

66 times

Topic:

In General, Nubs_Select writes:

Dosnt sound like fun

it’s weird tho as all the packages I get are filled with
brown paper so things are in great condition usually (although the only sets
I’ve gotten as of late are gwp)

Obvious (to me) that your orders are being filled from a different warehouse
than the EU ones. If TLG is farming out the fulfillment, it may well be different
organizations handling it.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 23, 2023 10:02

Subject:

Re: Paypal Claims

Viewed:

40 times

Topic:

Problem Order

In Problem Order, glafebe6 writes:

So a buyer has filed a case with Paypal claiming "unauthorized purchase"
on their order with Bricklink. The order was filled and shipped to the buyer
in October.
just wondering the best way to resolve this. I sent the Order info and tracking
number from the Bricklink order to the Paypal resolution center.
the buyer never contacted me via Bircklink. The name and address match the claim
and the Bricklink order.
Also, the user has good feedback on Bricklink.

How have you handled Paypal claims?
thanks in advance!

Was the shipping address the same as the address on the PayPal transaction detail
page ?

Was the transaction detail marked Eligible for Seller Protection ?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 23, 2023 06:10

Subject:

List of E-Mail Basic Macro Tags is broken

Viewed:

58 times

Topic:

When I went to the this page ...

https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=661

The left column is supposed to be a list of the tags. On my browser (Firefox
119.0.1, macOS 13) it is not showing them.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 22, 2023 17:42

Subject:

Re: PayPal errors still happening

Viewed:

29 times

Topic:

In Technical Issues, Swatson217 writes:

My buyers are unable to pay with PayPal. I called PayPal and there is nothing
wrong on my end - my account is working as it should. PayPal said that when
a customer tries to pay me for an order, PayPal is receiving a “voided order.”
PayPal said the issue is on the Bricklink side.

Luckily I have Stripe set up, but obviously PayPal malfunctioning is a serious
issue.

I have sent in a Help Request but we all know they are buried in tech issues.

Luckily a couple of buyers have been very patient, but who knows how many orders
I have lost due to this.

Thank you to the buyers who are being so understanding!

I'm not seeing this. What can you tell us about your PayPal account (business
or personal) and where the customers are located (USA or foreign) ? Are they
trying to pay with cards, PayPal balance, or eCheck transfer ?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 22, 2023 17:38

Subject:

Re: Reply to emails from blservice@bricklink.com?

Viewed:

44 times

Topic:

In Technical Issues, jennnifer writes:

In Technical Issues, hpoort writes:

In Technical Issues, jennnifer writes:

In Technical Issues, Gaston.La.Brick writes:

When a user contacts me (via messages), I receive an email from blservice@bricklink.com.
What happens to the reply I send via my email client?

It goes to blservice@bricklink.com and then disappears into the nether. If you
want to contact a member, do it through BrickLink or put their email address
in yourself.

~Jen

This is not the behavior that it used to have. Last I can check was a message
from 2022.06.06, which has a reply-to field with the e-mail address of the member,
not blservice.

Not quite accurate...

Messages sent through the old BL message system (via our little mail envelope
link) shows the member as the return email address.

Messages sent through the new BL message system enacted in the storefronts shows
blservice.

BrickLink has been told many, many times about the discrepancy and all it's
problems. We should keep telling them until it gets fixed.

~Jen

Part of the story, is that some of those header fields, and under specific combinations,
conflict with best spam-prevention practices. I know that at one point in time,
replying to a Contact notification email would go back to the email of the sender.
At one point in time, it seemed like everyone that I responded to (via BL) would
then end up responding to me via email. So the capability was there, but it may
have changed.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 22, 2023 11:12

Subject:

Re: Shipping large orders internationally with in

Viewed:

25 times

Topic:

In Shipping, marty33 writes:

Guess my question is, how is everyone else handling this. If I ship a $300
order to Japan and something goes wrong, PayPal is going to refund the buyer
and I would be out $300 bucks, right??

Insurance does not cover everything that could go wrong, generally only damaged/destroyed
in transit, and then only if you can prove you packaged it according to best
practices.

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 22, 2023 10:07

Subject:

Re: awswaf.com suspicious activity

Viewed:

68 times

Topic:

In General, tec writes:

My browser connects to awswaf.com when I log into bricklink
Maybe i'm a bit paranoid
Maybe it was always there, even before the hacking incident

Someone/admins can reassure me this isnt another hack?

What kind of browser ?

What operating system and version number ?

Have you tried completely emptying your browser cache and restarting the computer/device
?

Nita Rae

Author:

cosmicray

Posted:

Nov 21, 2023 18:54

Subject:

Re: Introducing One-Time Pin

Viewed:

93 times

Topic:

Administrative