A typical "pitch" that I have encountered at several Bricklink stores:
- store owner puts all items at ridicolous high prices
- then applies a huge discount
So far, this is already shady, but some stores are taking it to the next level
by claiming that this discount is only valid for TODAY ... that is clearly misleading
and illegal, if it goes forever
I have already reported those stores, but Bricklink doesn´t care. They probably
like having stores that fraudulently behave as long as Bricklink get there fees.
Is that what LEGO wants? Probably not, so Admins, do your job!
Here is an example store: https://store.bricklink.com/iggugak
"60% OFF ON EVERYTHING TODAY!"
I have followed this store...it´s not only today, it´s since yesterday or last
week, since last month...no, probably since registration! And yes he is even
selling items, what is a shame, that this gets awarded...but yeah customers are
blind and get lured with "FOMO" marketing
And by the way where is the extra field in the report button where I can add
some own words, what is wrong with the store??? What are Bricklink Admins doing,
when I report? Check the whole store from top to bottom? Probably not...as I
said, Bricklink seemingly doesn´t care as long as money talks.
So far, this is already shady, but some stores are taking it to the next level
by claiming that this discount is only valid for TODAY ... that is clearly misleading
and illegal, if it goes forever
It doesn't say that. It says "60% OFF ON EVERYTHING TODAY!". It does
not say "ONLY TODAY".
I have already reported those stores, but Bricklink doesn´t care. They probably
like having stores that fraudulently behave as long as Bricklink get there fees.
Is that what LEGO wants? Probably not, so Admins, do your job!
Yes, bricklink don't care what percentage discounts are shown, because the
buyer can see the actual price that they need to pay for each item. Percentage
discounts are utterly meaningless on a site where everyone prices their items
individually. Does it mean percentage off the current average sold price, or
the average sold price a year ago, or average current price, or their original
price when listed, or the price they last sold at, or the average price in their
region, or some made up high price...? Just look at the *actual* price now.
If you don't like the way they price their items, then least favourite the
store and move on. You were already given this advice when you last complained
about the same issue here: https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1514205
At least they are not continually posting sale notices in the forum saying that
there is a sale when there is not a true sale.
I have followed this store...it´s not only today, it´s since yesterday or last
week, since last month...no, probably since registration! And yes he is even
selling items, what is a shame, that this gets awarded...but yeah customers are
blind and get lured with "FOMO" marketing
Or, those buyers look at the actual prices and decide that the store is charging
a reasonable amount for what they want to purchase, and they buy.
And by the way where is the extra field in the report button where I can add
some own words, what is wrong with the store??? What are Bricklink Admins doing,
when I report? Check the whole store from top to bottom? Probably not...as I
said, Bricklink seemingly doesn´t care as long as money talks.
There isn't one. If the store is not obviously breaking any site rules, then
they will ignore your report. They don't care about reports where you have
to explain in detail why you think a store should be banned.
This is a price advertising matter, and you have already contacted Bricklink
and they have refused to ban the store you want banned. So you can take it to
the local advertising or trading standards and see if they care enough to shut
the store down.
A typical "pitch" that I have encountered at several Bricklink stores:
- store owner puts all items at ridicolous high prices
- then applies a huge discount
So far, this is already shady, but some stores are taking it to the next level
by claiming that this discount is only valid for TODAY ... that is clearly misleading
and illegal, if it goes forever
I have already reported those stores, but Bricklink doesn´t care. They probably
like having stores that fraudulently behave as long as Bricklink get there fees.
Is that what LEGO wants? Probably not, so Admins, do your job!
Here is an example store: https://store.bricklink.com/iggugak
"60% OFF ON EVERYTHING TODAY!"
I have followed this store...it´s not only today, it´s since yesterday or last
week, since last month...no, probably since registration! And yes he is even
selling items, what is a shame, that this gets awarded...but yeah customers are
blind and get lured with "FOMO" marketing
And by the way where is the extra field in the report button where I can add
some own words, what is wrong with the store??? What are Bricklink Admins doing,
when I report? Check the whole store from top to bottom? Probably not...as I
said, Bricklink seemingly doesn´t care as long as money talks.
Bricklink offer a platform for Buyers and Sellers alike in a secondary market.
Sure Bricklink is a subsidiary of The Lego Group. (1) What do your comments actually
have to do with TLG?
It would not matter who owned Bricklink though, you are a clear case of looking
to "blame & criticise". Bricklink like any other online platform always
strives to maintain integrity through vigilance and Terms and Conditions of supplying
an online platform for many many thousands of enthusiasts.
I might even go to Wendy's later so I can eat a burger for $1.39 because
its store front sign says "today". Despite that same sign being there
since last Summer.
I might go and buy some more lego from Amazon too, because its "Prime Day"
and discounted. Despite Prime day actually now being a week old.
I could go on and on......seriously, leave the admins alone with your nonsense,
petty complaints about other stores.
Here is one for you "malicious reporting of stores". Perhaps all the
stores you reported should report you. Life is a 2 way street don't ever
forget that!!!
Oh and the fees.......Amazon 15% plus subs, Ebay 18% plus subs......Bricklink
3%. At least do a little research!
A typical "pitch" that I have encountered at several Bricklink stores:
- store owner puts all items at ridicolous high prices
- then applies a huge discount
So far, this is already shady, but some stores are taking it to the next level
by claiming that this discount is only valid for TODAY ... that is clearly misleading
and illegal, if it goes forever
I have already reported those stores, but Bricklink doesn´t care. They probably
like having stores that fraudulently behave as long as Bricklink get there fees.
Is that what LEGO wants? Probably not, so Admins, do your job!
Here is an example store: https://store.bricklink.com/iggugak
"60% OFF ON EVERYTHING TODAY!"
I have followed this store...it´s not only today, it´s since yesterday or last
week, since last month...no, probably since registration! And yes he is even
selling items, what is a shame, that this gets awarded...but yeah customers are
blind and get lured with "FOMO" marketing
You're bringing up an extremely nuanced topic that can not be succinctly
explained. I'm going to steamroll over some tricky points for the sake of
brevity and to get the basic point across.
[inhales deeply, pauses a moment...]
So... That's technically not FOMO and using FOMO tactics isn't remotely
fraudulent. FOMO is saying things like "only 5 remaining" or "hurry
while supplies last" or putting a countdown timer on the listing and implying
that if they don't purchase before the timer hits zero that the offer will
expire. A really popular one in the US is for TV ads where they say "call
now and get a free gift" or "call now and get a 20% discount"...
But... You'll see that same TV commercial 30 minutes later. Even a week
later. These commercials air at so many different times in so many different
markets that it's a perpetual offer/discount that any rational person
is supposed to understand.
And that's why the onus is almost always on the buyer.
Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) and Gewährleistungsausschluss are very closely related
but in some countries buyer beware has grown to encompass non-real estate transactions
and changed the definition of buyer due diligence to cover the buyer knowing
the reasonable cost of goods. Since these are remote transactions the buyer
can't do "due diligence" in the traditional sense but they can read
a store's terms, investigate their feedback and look at the publicly available
price guide.
For example (some versions of) the Play Station 5 costs $500 USD, we all know
that. So if you see it at a store for $1050 and decide to buy it because you
really want it, that's your own fault. Putting it on sale for 50% off ($525
USD) is still priced over the retail average, but not by to much, so the decision
to pay that price is still on you. There is no false advertising here, you see
their listed price, you see the price after discount, nothing is hidden.
Where it tiptoes in to violating the Uniform Commercial Code and the Consumer
Sales Practices Act (in the US only), would be _IF_ the store _ONLY_
raised it's prices when it was running the sale. So the part is 50¢ for
364 days out of the year, then during the "one day" 60% off sale they
increase the part to $1.25, effectively putting it right back at 50¢. But again,
you can only be mad at yourself because you knew full well the average price
was 50¢.
What it appears to boil down to here is the banner on their page saying "today
only" which could easily be defended by any attorney to fall under errors
and omissions. But even then, you publicly just went on record that you've
been following this store this store and you're aware of it, so if you make
a purchase and then complain about it, their attorney can just turn the tables
and demonstrate that you're trying to entrap them. (US lawyers are really
something else.)
The best thing you can do is just least favorite the store and/or otherwise not
purchase anything from them.
A typical "pitch" that I have encountered at several Bricklink stores:
- store owner puts all items at ridicolous high prices
- then applies a huge discount
So far, this is already shady, but some stores are taking it to the next level
by claiming that this discount is only valid for TODAY ... that is clearly misleading
and illegal, if it goes forever
I have already reported those stores, but Bricklink doesn´t care. They probably
like having stores that fraudulently behave as long as Bricklink get there fees.
Is that what LEGO wants? Probably not, so Admins, do your job!
Here is an example store: https://store.bricklink.com/iggugak
"60% OFF ON EVERYTHING TODAY!"
I have followed this store...it´s not only today, it´s since yesterday or last
week, since last month...no, probably since registration! And yes he is even
selling items, what is a shame, that this gets awarded...but yeah customers are
blind and get lured with "FOMO" marketing
You're bringing up an extremely nuanced topic that can not be succinctly
explained. I'm going to steamroll over some tricky points for the sake of
brevity and to get the basic point across.
[inhales deeply, pauses a moment...]
So... That's technically not FOMO and using FOMO tactics isn't remotely
fraudulent. FOMO is saying things like "only 5 remaining" or "hurry
while supplies last" or putting a countdown timer on the listing and implying
that if they don't purchase before the timer hits zero that the offer will
expire. A really popular one in the US is for TV ads where they say "call
now and get a free gift" or "call now and get a 20% discount"...
But... You'll see that same TV commercial 30 minutes later. Even a week
later. These commercials air at so many different times in so many different
markets that it's a perpetual offer/discount that any rational person
is supposed to understand.
And that's why the onus is almost always on the buyer.
Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) and Gewährleistungsausschluss are very closely related
but in some countries buyer beware has grown to encompass non-real estate transactions
and changed the definition of buyer due diligence to cover the buyer knowing
the reasonable cost of goods. Since these are remote transactions the buyer
can't do "due diligence" in the traditional sense but they can read
a store's terms, investigate their feedback and look at the publicly available
price guide.
For example (some versions of) the Play Station 5 costs $500 USD, we all know
that. So if you see it at a store for $1050 and decide to buy it because you
really want it, that's your own fault. Putting it on sale for 50% off ($525
USD) is still priced over the retail average, but not by to much, so the decision
to pay that price is still on you. There is no false advertising here, you see
their listed price, you see the price after discount, nothing is hidden.
Where it tiptoes in to violating the Uniform Commercial Code and the Consumer
Sales Practices Act (in the US only), would be _IF_ the store _ONLY_
raised it's prices when it was running the sale. So the part is 50¢ for
364 days out of the year, then during the "one day" 60% off sale they
increase the part to $1.25, effectively putting it right back at 50¢. But again,
you can only be mad at yourself because you knew full well the average price
was 50¢.
What it appears to boil down to here is the banner on their page saying "today
only" which could easily be defended by any attorney to fall under errors
and omissions. But even then, you publicly just went on record that you've
been following this store this store and you're aware of it, so if you make
a purchase and then complain about it, their attorney can just turn the tables
and demonstrate that you're trying to entrap them. (US lawyers are really
something else.)
The best thing you can do is just least favorite the store and/or otherwise not
purchase anything from them.
This is a wonderfully written and detailed explanation that avoids belittling
the OP. Well done!
It was a happy surprise that I had lunch with my IP attorney today. I seriously
thought this fell under Caveat Emptor because of the reasons I mentioned so I
brought it up when we were done with business and they went in to a 45 minute
lecture for me. This is just the stuff I remembered. LOL.
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