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LEGO CON 2022: The LEGO Online Convention returns on June 18, 2022

The LEGO 5006744 Ulysses Satellite set is available again as a VIP reward

On the LEGO Shop: the LEGO Speed Champions 30434 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro polybag is free with purchases over €40

On newsstands: May 2022 issue of the Official LEGO Star Wars Magazine

On the LEGO Shop: three cumulative promotional offers until May 30, 2022

On FNAC.com: up to 40% immediate reduction on a selection of LEGO sets

Quality problems at LEGO? It is often the customer's fault ...

14/06/2020 - 19:37 Getting mad Lego news

Today we are talking about the problems that we all encounter one day or another with our LEGO products: missing parts, inventory problems or various and varied pad printing defects. During the last Fan Media Days, we were treated to a presentation on how LEGO is handling these various issues and what steps are being taken to try to resolve some of them. So I give you here what I have retained, all accompanied as usual by some very personal thoughts on the subject.

For LEGO, the observation is simple: if 86% of complaints recorded by customer service concern missing parts, this statistic should not be taken at face value and the manufacturer is not solely responsible. LEGO only takes care of 25% of these complaints and provides us with an explanation for the rest: 50% of these requests would in fact relate to parts lost by the customer, 15% would relate to the absence of one or more minifigs. in the box and LEGO half-confirms being aware that this type of request is very often a simple attempt to be "offered" a few minifigures and 10% of requests are the result of assembly errors or interpretation of the visuals in the instruction booklet.

It is difficult to question the customer's word, it is not the brand's policy and "missing" parts are generally replaced without discussion. LEGO nevertheless confirms that it is taking measures to stem the tide of requests for the minifigs supposedly missing in the box by closely monitoring those who try a little too often to take advantage of the manufacturer's largesse.

Although the percentage of requests attributed to errors in assembly or interpretation of instructions is relatively low, LEGO says it takes the issue very seriously. When customer service finds that a significant number of requests are for the same set and the same part in inventory, the manufacturer does not hesitate to review their copy and change the instructions to make the confusing steps more legible and limit the risk of confusion between two parts with similar design and identical color.

LEGO, for example, changes the viewing angle of certain steps or adds visual pictograms which specify which part similar to another to use at a specific time during assembly. Several sets were given to us as examples with the parts in their inventory which were often indicated as missing by customers (see visuals above).

Another problem was also discussed on which it is impossible to question the customer this time: the quality of the pad printing of certain parts. It is important to note that LEGO has not launched a product recall campaign since 2009 and the brand clearly indicates this on its website, as an argument in favor of the quality of its products.

When a problem is the subject of numerous reports to customer service, the manufacturer therefore tries to offer solutions that do not require a recall or replacement of the complete product and delivers modification kits as was the case. in 2015 for the set LEGO Ideas 21303 WALL-E or a simple batch of parts that will correct the technical or aesthetic defect encountered by the customer.

Some of these fixes are made public so that the majority of set buyers can take advantage of them, but most of these changes go unannounced and LEGO just waits for the affected customer to pick up their phone to complain. Useful to avoid publicly admitting a production problem.

The pad printing alignment issues on the vehicle from the LEGO Creator Expert set 10265 Ford Mustang marketed in April 2019 were obviously mentioned during the conference. For LEGO, the source of the problem was quickly identified: It is a misalignment of the parts during their printing in the factory in Kladno (Czech Republic) and the manufacturer certifies having found a solution to this problem. . We suspected it, but that's all LEGO has to say on the subject.

We want to take the manufacturer's word for it, but those who bought the LEGO Creator Expert set 10272 Old Trafford - Manchester United in January 2020, however, had to be content with a lawn whose markings are not really aligned. We can therefore see that the speed of LEGO's reaction to this pad printing problem is quite relative. I am willing to take inertia into account in making decisions and their application within a large group, but it has been almost a year between the two products mentioned above ...

The other recurring problem that has been discussed concerns some minifigures whose flesh-colored face, pad-printed on a dark surface, appears extremely pale. The comparison with the official visuals present on the manufacturer's online store is final, the "real" product does not conform. This problem does not affect only the faces of some minifigs, it is present on almost all dark parts that receive a lighter pattern.

Here too, LEGO confirms that it is aware of the problem and has already temporarily and partially improved the manufacturing process pending "a reliable long-term solution". This answer is obviously not satisfactory, minifigs from very recent sets are still affected by this problem and one is entitled to wonder why the quality control allowed these products to end up on the shelves and did not block these parts then reported the problem. LEGO is content to admit that it should have been the case but kicks in by promising that measures will be taken in this direction ...

In the end, I didn't learn much and neither did you following this conference which seemed to me very focused on the desire to minimize all the problems that LEGO encounters. The manufacturer listens to their customers, no doubt about it, but the information given to us about manufacturing issues and the time frame for their resolution is far too vague to be convincing.

I came out of this video conference with the feeling that I had been given a well-honed speech that is more about image marketing than the transparency expected from a manufacturer who makes the quality of its products. its main argument. We know, we are working on it, solutions are gradually being implemented, etc ... I was waiting for more concrete statements to relay to you here.

I would like to point out that the examples mentioned here are those selected by LEGO to talk about its quality policy and the few other questions asked, such as the change in material which now affects the transparency of certain parts, did not obtain very convincing answers. On this specific point, LEGO is content to indicate that the change of material was necessary to progress towards more environmentally friendly solutions, avoiding the degradation of the main function, transparency, of the parts concerned.

The lesson to be learned: If you have any problem with a product you just purchased, don't wait and report it to customer service. It is hardly more than the number of returns on a particular defect that can force LEGO to react and to propose a solution. However, you will need to be patient to be successful, while LEGO understands that you are not the only one having a problem and that it may not therefore be your fault.

134 COMMENTS

Mass order cancellations at King Jouet: Not very serious ...

19/12/2013 - 00:27 Getting mad Shopping

king toy lol

The phenomenon seems to me to be taking on a certain scale and even if everything is relative, I take the trouble to talk about it here: King Jouet is currently canceling orders en masse from customers who took advantage of the last promotion to order LEGO sets.

The post comments announcing last Sunday's promotion are edifying, I add the many emails received over the past few hours which all mention an outright cancellation of an order without any explanation or apologies from the merchant who seems to have big communication and stock management problems.

I never hesitate to relay a good plan here at a toy merchant, but the turn of events convinced me to permanently remove the King Jouet sign from the list of merchants that I regularly recommend on the blog. I will therefore no longer publish the offers of this merchant who obviously has trouble getting organized during the most important period of the year for his sector of activity ....

I sent an email to their customer service which has so far gone unheeded. I'm not expecting any particular reaction from the merchant, but if someone who works there comes on the blog, they can obviously come forward to give us some explanation about this wave of order cancellations.

4 COMMENTS

You're doing it wrong, LEGO ...

19/07/2013 - 12:19 Getting mad

LEGO Booth @ Comic-Con 2013

Everyone present at Comic Con reports the same facts: The allocation of tickets for the raffle to obtain an exclusive LEGO Super Heroes minifig via the scanning of visitor badges by the members of the LEGO staff has almost turned out to riot.

Comic Con security even had to briefly intervene in an attempt to restore order among the hundreds of people gathered around the LEGO booth. The stand was then emptied of all visitors present and closed to restore calm.

Since this incident, the distribution of these minifigs has been reorganized to limit the risks.

With limited editions of 200 (Superman & Green Arrow) and 350 copies (Spider-Man and Spider-Woman), this disaster was predictable. It is now common knowledge that these minifigs are then snapped up on eBay for indecent amounts and if we can legitimately blame the dealers who take the opportunity to pay for their vacations with a piece of plastic well sold to a frustrated AFOL, LEGO has undeniably his share of responsibility in this story.

The secondary market has always existed, and responds to a simple law: Supply and demand. The demand is there, one would have to be blind not to realize it. LEGO fans drool over images of minifigs that are so exclusive that they become untouchable. These characters that many dream of adding to their collection become the nightmare of "complete" collectors who do not understand the manufacturer's policy which favors the American market. The French AFOL mocks the marketing considerations of LEGO. He just wants to be able to attend the party ...

LEGO wants to create the event and that's understandable. On this side, it is successful. All the blogs and sites on the planet have talked about these awesome minifigures that are going to be a hit on eBay. And I'm not ashamed to say I'll be the first to shell out an insane amount of money to get them. I'm not ashamed of being a collector, nor of trying to add to my plastic treasure every minifig that LEGO offers regardless of the channel. I deal with the market as it is, fueled and conditioned by questionable LEGO marketing techniques. And I don't feel guilty for a second when I am told that I am helping to maintain this market for the most expensive kilo of plastic in the world. If I don't, others will, there will always be someone to outbid. Boycott is not an option, fans cannot do it, passion comes before reason.

I blame LEGO. Others are like me and express their frustration, their dissatisfaction, their disappointment, to each their own feeling on the subject.

Obviously, I can live without a few bits of plastic, I can survive the absence of a collector minifigure on my shelf. But I'm a collector, and having to compromise because the maker of the products I love abuses questionable marketing techniques leaves me with a bitter taste.

All this is only a personal point of view, each will have his own and I readily understand the position of those who find the hunt for minifigs with big reinforcements of dollars absurd.

On the same subject you can read the rant of Calin alias Tiler on his flickr gallery.

(Whatever your opinion on the subject, please be correct in the comments ...)

2 COMMENTS

Auchan.fr: It is I who have no luck or they who do not know how?

06/11/2012 - 16:38 Getting mad

I am obviously the first to take advantage of the good deals or promotional operations that I publish here.

But I do little infidelity to amazon, and I'm starting to believe that I had better continue to stick with the online sales giant that has never let me down.

The LEGO Star Wars 3in1 Super Pack reference 66431 is available at the rather decent price of 39.99 € on auchan.fr. So I relay the info on the blog and I place my order on the site of the French merchant, telling me that everything should be fine.

43.99 € later (including 4 € for shipping), everything is fine. I await the delivery.

A few days later, the package arrives. And it doesn't contain the right product. Instead of my long-awaited Super Pack, I am stuck with a 9493 X-Wing Starfighter which I don't really need. Full of good feelings, I tell myself that the error is human and that it is enough to know how to repair it. I therefore contacted the after-sales service.

And here is the drama. The Auchan.fr after-sales service does not seem to understand that I received the wrong product and that I would like to receive the correct one. I am asked to return the product I no longer want at my expense, promising me a refund by check within three weeks. I insist, I call back, I explain, I explain again and I call back, and I end up telling me that the redelivery of the good product is not possible and that the shipping costs will be reimbursed to me if I return an original proof of the return shipping cost paid by me by separate mail.

However, it is not for lack of having explained to Hortense, Mélanie and their customer service friends that I am the victim of an error on their part and that I just want to get my Super Pack. Nothing will do. The procedure is inflexible. At auchan.fr we do not know how to replace a product. It is up to the customer to return his box and wait for his money. As in the good old days of La Redoute.

In short, amazon has nothing to worry about, the French merchants (I assure you, auchan.fr is not the only one to manage its after-sales service in such an archaic way, I gave elsewhere ...) and their procedures from another time can not compete.

For comparison, my last concern with amazon goes back a few weeks, when after having received a package containing encylopédies LEGO Batman The Visual Dictionary who had taken a little water, amazon immediately proceeded to a new dispatch without even waiting for the return of the damaged works, carried out at their expense.

You've had issues with an online merchant while shopping for LEGO, feel free to share your experiences in the comments.

Ah, I forgot, if someone comes across this Super pack reference 66431 in an Auchan store near his home, let him contact me, I pay him the product, the shipping costs, the box and all with smile....

50 COMMENTS

Out of stock: Who are LEGO kidding?

07/05/2012 - 08:44 Getting mad

What a disappointment this morning when I opened my mailbox: I received a message telling me that the set SCU R2-D2 10225 that I ordered the May 04, 2012 at 01:37 am morning, that is, from the start of the promotion, is in fact out of stock.

It was however well displayed in stock when ordering and I rightly thought that I was one of those who could hope to receive it within the time originally announced. Indeed, the out of stock was indicated online several hours after the validation of my order.

It's obviously not the end of the world, and there are much more serious things in life, but I just find it mind boggling that LEGO is unable to provide its customers with products that are the subject of. intensive promotion, sometimes bordering on saturation ...

Working myself in a structure that sells products whose availability is sometimes sensitive, I can understand a temporary stock problem due to an ongoing replenishment. But I cannot admit that the object of a promotion, launched with great fanfare, and at the center of a skilfully orchestrated marketing action (The R2-D2 poster was indeed sent to him ....), either not available in sufficient quantities to meet a demand that everyone knew was important ....

I still have to wait for the delivery of the bonuses for the order in question, and I would undoubtedly cancel the rest of the order, namely the set. SCU 10225 R2-D2. I would expect to find it cheaper elsewhere in the weeks or months to come and I would be sure to say good things to LEGO for their inability to deliver their flagship products.

When LEGO spoils the only party for AFOLs and Star Wars fans ...

1 COMMENT

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