Ordering from BrickLink

Coolsplash

Totally agree with @akuntitha. And I believe that if a individual wants to pull a scam/fraud, no matter what, he/she will do it. I am still a newbie at Bricklink but I have sold stuff to customers all over the world as that is the best part of Bricklink, it makes it possible to reach out. And with my little experience, I have met people who have been wrong, but I have also met people who have surprised me. So it is always best to look before you leap. The dropship problem really did surprise me but its a lesson well learned :)

streeker

@Coolsplash, I also thought bricklink might be a safer place to buy LEGO, but no, it's also as vulnerable to drop_shippers as Amazon, Ebay, etc, notably if you're buying current sets. Here's the thread I started a few months ago:

http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/1761/if-a-bricklink-order-is-dropshipped-directly-from-lego-com-is-it-a-scam#Item_16

The guy had 0 negatives, all glowing positives.

@The_Brick_Builder, is that store just selling current sets? If so, that's a huge tip-off that they drop-ship.

If you're buying parts for MOC, retired sets, basically anything that you can't find at a retail store today, I think Bricklink provides a great service, though I must admit, I haven't bought anything since that scam.

Coolsplash

Like I said, its always good to check and make sure you are dealing with the right people. I buy everything from parts to used sets to New sets. But yes, if I know that certain set is retailing at 100 bucks, so it cannot possibly be available for 50 bucks :D Common sense begins to kick in and then I begin to browse websites and stores to confirm the prices. Its a lot of work then. But I must say, the dropship scam is something I did not know about and it is a lesson I won't forget.

LegoFanTexas

Well, I put my toe in the deep end today, just placed my first order on Bricklink, bought a number of items from a seller in Germany, appears to be a decent sized seller, had a well written splash page with terms and shipping costs all laid out.

Total of about $400 worth of stuff ($300 Euro), seller has a total of 4,452 feedback on Bricklink, which gives me a good feeling. Only 2 negative in all that, not bad, and they were over a year ago.

Have no idea what shipping really will be, since they quote by weight and I put a ton of different items in the cart, plus I asked for insurance which will add to the cost. Have to remind myself this isn't eBay or Amazon, I don't have "automatic get out of trouble free" access to a 800-phone number who will make it all right if something goes wrong. :)

But some of the prices on retired sets could not be beat, half of the price of eBay over here, but that might be cut down by shipping I suppose.

Still, kinda fun, will have to update once the stuff actually arrives and I have a total shipping price as well...

Anyone else recently step into Bricklink?

StuBoy

I'm not recent, I started not long after I got back into Lego, about 4 years ago. It is certainly a godsend to me as I'm down in New Zealand, and the best way to get parts and sets. I havn't made an order as big as yours though, especially not for my first (and international, too)!!!

I'm sure you'll have a good experience, I know I have, only had a few orders with missing parts or wrong parts, and they were rectified easily by the seller.

You can adjust your settings somewhere that calculates the order weight when you view your shopping cart so you can estimate shipping costs a bit easier.
Its under 'My Order Settings' within the 'My Settings' tab within the 'My Bricklink' tab.
Hope this helps!

Coolsplash

My recent one from Bricklink was an order of about $280. It came in 4 days back. The seller is a good friend now. My biggest order to date was of about $900 couple of months back from a Seller in Denmark, got a great deal and many items. I usually make a list and contact the Seller with a shipping quote as too many Sellers on BL have a strict policy that if you Add items in Cart and Checkout, you are done :P But a lot many sellers are nice enough to cancel the order if shipping is not feasible (I am one of those by the way :P) I have to use BL as my options are very few to get LEGO being far away in Pakistan. Oh and just today received the 8110 Unimog and the Black Pearl set along with the Heroica Castle Fortaan game. The deal was good enough :)

cavegod

don't forget us small sellers who have only just started out and have yet to get a high feedback.

i buy from anyone on bricklink that has the parts i need, i ignore the feedback to be honest as if the order doesn't arrive i just claim the money back.

atkinsar

A lot of the buyer protection comes from PayPal, so as long as you always use that as a payment method, you'll be covered. I've made around 40 orders on Bricklink and never had any issues with small or large scale sellers. It is off putting to use for the first time, I'll admit that, mainly because the site look and feel is so outdated and because you don't know the shipping costs upfront. But, once you've taken delivery of your first order, you won't look back.

Jasen

Yeah BL is cool, I've been using it for just over a year and it's all been sweet, especially just going to a store and buying up on random stuff :D
The best thing for me is none of that bidding crap. :) (Yes I know there's a "Buy it Now" but it's always inflated....)
As @atkinsar said though, it is overdue for a facelift.

eackermann

I've also started on BL recently, and so far my experience has been very good. However, I recently purchased a small number of parts for $19.34, and accidentally paid over $1934 using PayPal!!! My own fault of course, and the seller refunded my money, but it was quite an unnerving ordeal!

LegoFanTexas

I won't forget the small sellers, but for my first order and one of this size, I picked a seller with a history. :)

I'll place smaller orders with new sellers as well.

prevere

I won't forget the small sellers, but for my first order and one of this size, I picked a seller with a history. :)

I'll place smaller orders with new sellers as well.

You may be going there quite a bit. I buy about 10-20 parts lots per week from sellers worldwide. So of the hundreds of transactions - had a problem with 1. UK seller forgot one digit on my zipcode (and still got the package 4 months later).

Great place to grab, well, pretty much everything.

choob99

I have an email out to a BL seller to see if he will take paypal for payment, his terms only say money order or cashiers check, which I hate to do, I would much rather do paypal, so hoping he will take it, I want that city hospital!! and if I have to send the money order, I guess I'll do it

madforLEGO

^--- Or you can just wait for the next LEGO Hospital in 2012

Matthew

A lot of the buyer protection comes from PayPal, so as long as you always use that as a payment method, you'll be covered. I've made around 40 orders on Bricklink and never had any issues with small or large scale sellers. It is off putting to use for the first time, I'll admit that, mainly because the site look and feel is so outdated and because you don't know the shipping costs upfront. But, once you've taken delivery of your first order, you won't look back.

I'll have to agree with atkinsar here. I've never had a problem with BrickLink, but I wouldn't like to rely only on BrickLink if there was a problem. If I'm spending over about 20 GBP, I'll always use Paypal. (I prefer physical payments (cheque) for smaller orders, I'm just strange that way :-))

As I posted here, there have been hints of a new BL site, which can't come soon enough. Personally, I hope it has improved seller tools, so that it can charge flat rate shipping and process payment immediately, eliminating the need for invoices.

I also have never looked back since my first order - It is highly addictive, and sometimes I wonder if it costs more that other addictions! I'm now on 42 feedback, and I'm pleased I've managed to sell some stuff to earn back some of the money I've spent on it.

Coolsplash

Totally agree with @Matthew. I am now on 71 feedback and it surprises me :P

bazzert

I'm a complete newbie but have made 3 orders so far on BL and all have been excellent. There seems to be a better level of professionalism amoungst sellers than your typical ebay seller. You mileage may of course vary.

Coolsplash

@streeker, I do agree with you because when I joined this forum I learned about the infamous 'dropship' scam. Pretty ingenious. But risky yes. I like the level of professionalism the sellers have then Ebay, agreeing with @bazzert. But, you cannot deny that on BL sometime you are able to find a good deal and its 100% safe and risk free. I just stay away from Sellers who have feedback less then mine (mine is 70 right now) so it works.

fyrmedhatt

I feel far safer buying on Bricklink rather than ebay. Bricklink sellers are usually well educated about Lego, meaning they are sometimes more expensive, but at least I'm sure I'm getting the right thing. Most Bricklink sellers have extremely high standards of service where they gladly replace missing or incorrect pieces, and the community as a whole polices itself, meaning there is an extremely low threshold for scammers or bad sellers.

Paypal does provide you with security for your transactions on Bricklink, and if possible pay with credit card over paypal, that way you are covered by both.

4brickmoney

I have been selling on Bricklink for 4-5 years. I quit selling LEGO on ebay because I like the fact I can put parts on BL and leave them until they sell. I also like the fact I can contact a buyer and ask further questions if needed.

cheshirecat

For individual bricks etc BL beats ebay hands down. Placed quite a few orders, never had a single problem and am always amazed at the attention to detail, careful packagaing given by the BL sellers.

With sets I'm less sure but it probably depends what you want. If its a set for collecting and you want to be sure about condition then maybe BL, but if its just an old favourite to play with or a present for a child then the bargains are still to be had on ebay. Sellers on bricklink know too much about lego and price accordingly.

I've bought quite a few lego sets (generally from between 1990-2000) on ebay. Where they've been with the box I've never once been disappointed - quite the opposite. I guess the idea that kids/families that look after the boxes look after the toy holds true. One or two of the unboxed sets I've bought have had the occasional dirty brick or a colour substitution but nothing that can't be replaced and you pay that much less.

I was recently after 6195 Neptune Discovery Lab and there was what looked like a good deal on BL, boxed complete - cheaper than the other examples. Was tempted but last time I checked it had sold. On ebay I just picked up 6195, 6175 and 6125 bundled, all boxed for the exact same price. Of course, I haven't received them yet but I'm not worried.

streeker

@Coolsplash, I'm looking forward to my next purchase on Bricklink. It's just I haven't gotten around to needing anything yet. I might get a 9v train motor.

I read an excellent exchange on the Bricklink forum about a German buyer possibly trying to defraud a Portuguese seller for 2 'missing' 7676, which later turned up, but with a 'hole' in the box, so could he get a discount? Very funny the contrast between what people write on a public forum and what they write in private emails.

tbennet2

Bricklink rocks... I've been buying/selling there since 2004. Selling fees are only 3%! and have not changed since i've been a member.

evileddie1313

Bricklink is an addictive Lego marketplace and I can't stop adding pieces to my cart... ;-)

choob99

My first experience with BL hasn't been great so far, I paid for my item 11 days ago, emailed the seller 3 times to get the tracking info and never heard back from him, finally heard from him today that he will be mailing it out this afternoon, finally after 11 days!!!! Not a good time so far, and it was a $155 MISB set so its not like it was a little .50 part or something

NicksBricks

I had my first bad experience and from a seller I had purchased from 3 times prior without issue. They immediately invoiced and I paid within 5 minutes. 15 days later and no product and they won't respond to emails. Had to escalate with Paypal. It sucks because I have purchased a lot from this particular person. I guess this is why I always use a credit card with Paypal.

vwong19

Be sure to leave nuetral or negative feedback so others are aware of these dealers.

Coolsplash

Well...its always best to spend some time looking around the BL listings. I have made some good friends from Bricklink now and as its been sometime I know where to go directly for a good prices. But going to pay attention to Ebay and Amazon as well, with respect to what I hear so much about getting better deals from there. I want to share something that happened with me on Bricklink. What I really like about Bricklink is that you can communicate with sellers easily, and work around problems very easily. I want to share something as example of customer service.

A year back I found a seller from there. He had decent enough prices. Back then I was looking to buy some Red Ninjago sets and some City. Total order value was not more then 200 USD. Everything went smooth, I got the package. But one of the Ninjago set was missing, upon emailing the seller agreed that he forgot to add that set and he will send it to me free of shipping cost.

But then I thought why not buy something more, so when I told him I want to buy more, he offered me free shipping. I had to email him twice to confirm on that just to be sure as I was quite surprised, and in the end I ordered stuff about 950 USD, got free shipping for everything and at the time I got the whole theme of PQ, Ninjago, some Technics, some City and some Star Wars (package weight was about 14-15 Kg).

I can bet there are no sellers like this on Ebay or Amazon who are willing to take care of their customers efficiently.

bixtrix77

Hi all
I have never used bricklink. I just wondered how reliable it is? What good experience and bad experiences have you had. I'm currently tracking down HP mini figs and ebay seems a bit too pricey at the moment. Although I have had the odd good lot.

Bosstone100

Four orders and received what I ordered and in a timely fashion. I'm in the U.S. and purchased from the U.S.

Matthew

I think it's great TBH. I'm now on 87 feedback from buying and selling, and have only had one problem (a non paying buyer). If you use PayPal, you're safe even without BrickLinks feedback and alert system. I can highly recommend it.

LegoFanTexas

Knock on wood, but I have had no problem with it... fewer headaches than eBay, where you have sellers who don't know what they are doing.

Some of the Lego I've received was VERY well packed... :)

Supersympa

I really like Bricklink, and I recommend it!

tategoi

I am new to Lego collecting, my recent 6 purchases on Bricklink had been smooth. And I am across the Pacific Ocean from the US, so far I made 4 purchases from the US and 2 from Netherlands, all without any problem. The only issue I have is the high shipping costs.

graphite

I've had good experience with it and would definitely recommend it. I've bought quite a few used sets over the last month and bricklink has been great for filling in those few parts here and there to complete sets that were missing items.

bixtrix77

Thanks all for your comments. I will try and stick to UK to save on postage then. Sounds good. Best keep to paypal aswell then.
Thanks again

richo

Had 8 or so transactions, all buying, and virtually hassle free. Only thing I have learnt is that you might as well buy new bricks. I bought some grey bricks early on that were used, and I did ask were they faded, and the seller said no. In reality they were very faded old grey. Didn't bother complaining for a few quid, just took it as a learning and only buy new bricks now.

joee

I have used bricklink twice and have had some pretty poor results. The first was a castle and the figures came with the wrong pants. The second was buying some minifig, and accesories, from a fellow Canadian, and all the torso's either had a crack up the side or a cracked arm, and the feathers were all chewed on. I was completely disapointed. Why would I want to buy broken parts?
The first result wasn't bad as he seller offered to send me new the correct pants, but the other was just terrible. All in all I was mainly disappointed as I figured most of the sellers would be collectors who care about what they are selling. (I expect broken parts off ebay as most of the time they are just people who don't know any better) If I did it again I'm going to ask for the condition of the items prior to purchasing.

Matthew

Had 8 or so transactions, all buying, and virtually hassle free. Only thing I have learnt is that you might as well buy new bricks. I bought some grey bricks early on that were used, and I did ask were they faded, and the seller said no. In reality they were very faded old grey. Didn't bother complaining for a few quid, just took it as a learning and only buy new bricks now.

I always complain, hopefully I get something for it, otherwise it's a learning curve for the seller. When I opened my own store, I also made sure I said everything important and more, as a pet peeve of mine is those stores where they've just used default settings for everything, so you have no idea on whether they'll post it 1st or 2nd, whether there's a packing fee and any other useful info.

Oldfan

I've used Bricklink for several years now as a buyer of sets and individual parts. I've found the sellers to be knowledgable and easy to work with. As a bonus, the set inventories are usually a little more up-to-date than Peeron with regards to very recent sets, mainly because the sellers want to part out their new sets and therefore they put an emphasis on getting the inventories worked out (capitalism at its finest!). As with everything in life, however, nothing's perfect, so pay attention.

I treat Bricklink just like ebay: read the fine print, ask questions, and be certain of what you're getting before you place the order. As long as I've been careful, I've had nothing but positive experiences with using Bricklink.

JP3804

^ Exactly. Treat it just like any other site. I remember reading on here where someone had a set dropshipped from Lego that they bought on Bricklink. Remember if it's to good to be true.....

Coolsplash

@LegoFanTexas, what is your store name on BrickLink?

Mine is Pakistan Bricks and I'm currently on 72 Feedback which is been a great experience. Only had some trouble with 2 Buyers, lost the items and the money. Both from same country which I won't name. Once I forgot to add an item which I replaced with a small refund, and once I send something extra for which I got paid afterwards :P So overall Bricklink is really good, less hassle, amazing inventory system and I have made some really good friends from there. Oh and fee is mere 3% of order total so yay!

My advice for Buyers, ask questions, confirm the shipping cost, if you find something weird in the condition mentioned then ask a few more questions, and always pay in due time :)

For Sellers, answer as many questions as politely as possible even if you don't make a sale, write up an honest description, if a Buyer is not able to pay in time then cut some slack and be understanding, and always think like a Buyer :P

brickupdate

I recently ordered from two sellers (both of which had good feedback), and now more than a week later, I have not received invoices. This has happened before: people who setup small shops, but then don't have any long-term intention of actually going through the effort of dealing with invoices, packing, shipping.

But otherwise, I have had very positive experiences on Bricklink and am a big fan!

Coolsplash

That is something usual on Bricklink @brickupdate. It could be due to lots of orders or just pure lack of professionalism as people with good feedback (say over 500) should be quick enough to respond. Maybe I am too uptight. But otherwise, Bricklink is Good!

brickupdate

@Coolsplash Both sellers had small amounts of feedback, but all positive. Seemed like the type that bought for awhile, and is now just trying out selling. I do get a sense from some that they are kids. In the end: not a big deal. My wife will be GLAD to not have additional LEGO packages arriving in the mail.

Odindusk

As a buyer, how long do you have to give a non-response to your invoice before you decommit your money and look to buy the item from someone else?

Coolsplash

@Odindusk, the store you have committed to buy, check its terms and conditions. Every seller (almost) has these policies and there is clearly mentioned the number of days the Invoice will be sent. I usually wait for a week before I go ahead with the order cancellation process, and that takes the Sellers attention as there is a risk to get negative feedback. But an email always works if you are returning Buyer.

TheBrickLadd

Hi all,

Who has the biggest selection of parts in the UK? Im new to this site and have no idea if there is a way to find this out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S Sorry if I have posted this in the wrong place.

andhe

I always found yellow farm bricks to be one of the larger stockists. But the best thing to do is to create a wanted list of parts/pieces and you can then search for them by shop, price or quantity within the UK.

Matthew

You can use this list to see who has the most lots. You can also use this guide if you need 'a dummy's guide' :-)