EBay or Bricklink: Watch out for scams. . .

If you are a smart shopper you are already familiar with this scam, but if you are not used to checking everything when ordering, you could be in some trouble without having anything to complain about.

The scam is extremely simple: You spot the new set on eBay or Bricklink (MISB, Mint in Sealed Box, New, Sealed) that you absolutely need at a very good price, a price so interesting that you tell yourself that you cannot miss such an opportunity ...

You order, you pay the seller, and you wait. A few days later, you receive your order, and the story might end there. You've paid, you've got your product, it's all great.

But what you don't know is that your salesperson didn't have the product in question. He waited for your order to order the product himself on the LEGO Shop LEGO, often at a higher rate than the one you paid, by creating an account with false contact details and using a bank card stolen. He has simply entered your address instead of his so that LEGO will send you the ordered product directly. In the end, you receive the order, the payment is rejected by the bank of the holder of the stolen credit card and LEGO only has your address as information because you are the recipient of the order.

And that's how some ended up on the LEGO blacklist without their knowledge. LEGO is now refusing to deliver their orders to them because one of these orders was made using a stolen bank card. More seriously, you could find yourself sued for credit card fraud and concealment. You should then justify yourself and explain how your address was found associated with a fraudulent payment. With your good faith you will get away with it, but the damage is done and the situation is embarrassing.

The only precaution to take if you buy a new set at an unbeatable price is to check the origin of the shipment upon delivery: If the package comes from LEGO even though you had ordered on eBay or on Bricklink, beware. The invoice will be in your name, but the rejection of the payment will get you into trouble. In that case, feel free to contact LEGO directly to confirm the scam and get a prepaid return slip to return the product to the manufacturer. It will save you a lot of trouble. Open a dispute and Paypal will refund you if you went through eBay.

LEGO is informed of this scam which is taking on an unprecedented scale, especially across the Atlantic. There was also talk last June that LEGO would stop shipping orders to an address other than that of the account concerned. But to this day, it is still possible to have delivery to a different name and a different address.

The same scam is also spreading on amazon where sellers registered on the marketplace offer new sets at discounted prices and use the same technique.

Do not hesitate to consult the details of the offer of the seller who interests you before ordering. Too many new products, too many new sets at really attractive prices, new references constantly added, are all clues that should alert you to the possibility of a scam. 

When the business is too good ... sometimes it is too good to be honest.