I had a bad experience with a seller by the name of probuilders (Mr. Steudle) who sells lego products on bricklink. I bought a lego sold as a brand new palpatine figure from the imperial inspection set and I inquired through multiple emails about the item condition. The answers were quick and what I wanted to hear-brand new and out of the box.
However, what I received was a cut up key chain figure which reeked of smoke.
For those who don't know, the original figure form the set is of higher value and
price than a key chain. Its obvious the one I got was a second hand item.
I immediately sent an email to let the seller know about it and he/she never responded.
When I filled a complaint on Paypal I just learned that it doesn't cover non ebay items.
The complaint system is flawed on bricklink. You can file a non responding seller or a non shipping seller alert. If the seller accumulates 3 of these, they can no longer sell on bricklink. But guess what? To remove a NSS (Non Shipping Seller), all the seller has to do is show proof of shipping. So theoretically, they can send a pile of manure with usps tracking and get away with it. To remove a NRS (Non Responding Seller), all the seller has to do is respond and request removal. Bricklink does not state that they have to take corrective action. I chose to file a NRS and I'm pretty sure probuilders had that removed because to this day they continue scamming every once in a while (Check their feedback on bricklink).
Therefore I went on the bricklink forum to voice my complaint. However, another
seller by the name of Fosterbengoshi was quick to dismiss my experience. His
main argument is that I have no proof. What proof do I need to be scammed?
After some heated debate, this seller immediately put me on the block list and
subsequently send the list to dozens of other sellers. Obviously I was placed
on multiple block lists of several sellers. Several sellers came on the forum
and attacked me as if I was the one to blame.
Based on another complaint on this site, its highly possible that those sellers are
all connected and they attempted to kick me out because I was threatening their
sales. The fact that a "Block list" is shared amongst sellers only points to such possibility. Another interesting tidbit is that probuilders has been a customer of fosterbengoshi.
When I ask how I can prove my experience, the response was you can't but any further
attempts to convince us will only negate your attempts. If you can't answer
that, how can you be so quick to dismiss me?
I had photo evidence that the address does not match. Probuilder's
registered sending address is in Kansas but they put Florida as their
sending address on the package I recieved. Still this did not convince
those bricklink members and I wonder why?
Although fosterbengoshi's assertions are true, I still wonder to this day why he is so supportive of probuilders. Anyhow, I was forced to apologized to the bricklink community because I was made to look like a fool without proof by Fosterbengoshi. For your information, "bengoshi" means lawyer in Japanese and such a name suits him well.
All in all, I cannot recommend Bricklink. Although there are plenty of honest sellers, the system does not protect prospective buyers. Finally beware of probuilders
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