Redisplay Messages: Compact | Brief | All | Full Show Messages: All | Without Replies| Author: | Admin_Russell  | | Posted: | Apr 16, 2024 20:16 | | Subject: | Variants Thread - April 16 | | Viewed: | 195 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello everyone,
I thought it would be good to give people an update on the variant project. As
of now, everything we announced would change in this post:
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1454437
has been completed, EXCEPT the decorated minifigure heads and new Help pages.
Link for the overview:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2625
Scheduled completion date is still the end of May.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Mar 14, 2024 17:40 | | Subject: | Expanded feature for power users | | Viewed: | 171 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hi everyone,
One of the side effects of the variant merge project is that some of our more
advanced users began asking for Alternate Item IDs to be included in the catalog
download feature.
So we have added this field to the download - see attached images. Downloads
(as before) are available in either CSV or XML format.
By way of reminder, for the variant project we are adding all original item numbers
as alternates to make sure people are able to easily find parts where the number
has changed.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Feb 16, 2024 22:06 | | Subject: | Reaction to the R.R. Slugger video | | Viewed: | 430 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello again everyone,
This is my official response to the video from R.R. Slugger concerning the merging
of part variants in the BrickLink catalog:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGRxNX8Cg_o&t=1s
Here is an initial response to the video, specifically regarding the set inventory
for the Core Magnetizer:
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1450164
Here is today's response:
*************************************
I’ll start with a couple points I actually agree with Slugger on:
1) BrickLink certainly is an invaluable tool, and one of the things that has
motivated me to invest in the catalog over the years, long before I became a
community admin or started working in the BrickLink office, was knowing that
whatever corrections or additions I would make would instantly circle the globe
and potentially benefit thousands of fans everywhere.
2) Regarding the suggestion to double down on accuracy – that is actually what
we’re doing, if you look at the big picture. I remember discussing with one of
the authors of the LEGO Collector books that came out a few years ago:
and one of the points we discussed was why certain things weren’t included in
a publication that was so comprehensive. The answer was that if a particular
data field didn’t have at least 80% of the data, then there were questions raised
as to how useful that field would be.
Of course this case does not cover all of the changes being made to the BrickLink
catalog, but it does pertain to some of them. The smooth slopes and frosted bricks,
even after 20 years of accepting data from the community, have a very weak connection
to our inventory system. Many of the parts are not represented even a single
time, and of those that are represented, there are serious questions as to the
accuracy of the inventory change requests.
The biggest obstacle in separating variants on BrickLink, especially the older
ones, is lack of real data. So the question comes up, should we have entries
on BrickLink that can’t or never will be represented sufficiently in the inventory
system?
Being orphaned or partially orphaned from the system is a bad thing, and our
stance on that is one of the things that has really changed since Dan built the
inventory system in the early 2000s. It used to be acceptable to have entries
floating around just for buying and selling, but over time we have realized the
power of our inventory system, to the extent that we now use artificial inventories
to represent certain parts (like BAM parts):
By removing some of these variants, the accuracy and inclusiveness of the inventory
system goes up, and that is the primary driving force behind these current changes.
Why not just fill out the data instead of consolidating entries? Because we simply
do not have the data, and if we did, we couldn’t handle it all anyway. There
is no way we can add thousands of new minifigure inventories to the system simply
to accommodate different types of studs.
Next I’d like to give an actual example or something that WILL be lost in
the transition.
Slugger is right – just because the example he gave may not have been the perfect
example, it doesn’t negate the point that something will be lost. So here goes:
Set 7171 from 1999 (Mos Espa Podrace):
is one of the celebrated early Star Wars sets and as such we may consider it
to be at the pinnacle of collector interest. In that set is a yellow dome with
a “blocked open stud” which is part no. 30151a:
[p=30151a,3]
The next version of that part by all accounts was introduced around 2010,
[p=30151b]
and by that time, the Mos Espa Podrace had long been retired. So we can say with
reasonable certainty that this set came originally with domes with blocked open
studs. If you see a copy of the set sitting on someone’s shelf and the domes
on Anakin’s podracer have hollow studs (no little Mercedes symbol), that is a
sure sign that the parts, and maybe even the whole set, is not original.
So if the BrickLink catalog stops distinguishing the “a” from the “b” version,
someone might build it wrong and wouldn’t even know it! However, as a quiz question
for savvy readers, why would this scenario never actually happen in the real
world? What do we know about these the 30151 variants that puts this problem
completely into the realm of the hypothetical?
Next example, set 4778-1 from 2005 (Desert Biplane):
This is not Star Wars buts it’s still a classic in my book. There is a different
kind of dome on the front of this plane (553), but it has the same issues as
the previously mentioned dome part.
[p=553b,5]
This set is from 2005, so it’s not likely that it ever came with the “c” variant.
The 2008 appearance is in the first UCS Death Star which had a really long production
run and has over 50 lines of variants in the BrickLink inventory:
But if this little set were produced up through 2010, there might be a real possibility
of seeing one with a “c” variant.
[p=553c,5]
So with the current merges, this is data that would be lost. People wouldn’t
know about the stud variants, and someone could get any of 3 different stud types
– blocked open, hollow, or even vented. All three exist in red.
[p=3262,5]
Next up is set 6745-1 from 2009 (Propeller Power).
This also has a red 533 on the nose of the plane, but here the inventory system
says it could have either the “b” or “c” variant. Check the change log to see
if you recognize any of the people who added these variants to the set:
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogInvChangeItem.asp?itemType=S&itemNo=6745-1&viewDate=Y&viewStatus=1
We’re pretty sure this came with both “b” and “c” types. It didn’t come with
a vented stud, and someone might mistakenly put one on this model if BrickLink
doesn’t educate them about it, right? That is the premise on why we need these
variants in the catalog, correct?
The thing is, how can we tolerate the difference of stud type in this model,
and not in other models where it is historically incorrect? In this plane model
from 2009, both are correct, so what does that say about the mixing of variants
in other models?
True collectors know that there actually is no replacement part that will ever
perfectly replace a part that is lost. The only truly correct part is the part
the set originally came with. It’s nice to get as close as possible to a correct
replacement part, but it’s a futile attempt.
So I will admit that something is lost in the catalog by harmonizing all the
hollow studs types. But the second message is that whatever is lost is quite
unimportant in relation to the effort it takes for the BrickLink community to
recognize these variants.
We weighed it up, and decided that stud types are not important enough. They
have some importance, and there are some workarounds available for the people
who really want to go down that path. But overall, what we seem to be losing
is less than what we believe we are gaining.
**************************************
One more detail about the video – in navigating around the BrickLink catalog,
I noticed Slugger used the new inventory tab on the catalog page instead of the
proper inventory page accessible by the link at the top of the page.
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=6989-1
There are multiple problems with this version of the inventory. First, there
is no link to the change log, which for specialists is a must. Reading the change
log lets you determine the accuracy of the data you are consuming.
Second, the match IDs do not line up with the inventory notes, so any mention,
for example, of “match ID 99” (which is critical to understanding variant inventories)
doesn’t make any sense.
Indispensable
Some of my colleagues were surprised to see such a strong reaction from our users
on this topic. But the fact is, variants are an indispensable feature of the
BrickLink catalog and they are one of the main reasons for the “sealed set” standard
we maintain for new inventories. Keeping this standard comes at a cost, and it’s
important for people to know that all of this work and energy is appreciated.
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=1103
BrickLink is not descending into a parts oblivion where nothing is distinguished.
I made that very clear from the very first announcement. This is simply a mid-way
correction to enable us to do better at what we already do. I trust that over
the coming months and years you will come around to believing me on that point.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Feb 12, 2024 22:20 | | Subject: | Variants Thread - February 12 | | Viewed: | 610 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello again everyone,
Below I have listed the general groups of variants we are tackling and the results
of the deliberation over the last month. I was originally planning to provide
a schedule for when these changes will happen, but based on the progress with
the tiles since February 1, I am hesitant to commit to any timeline except that
we will not change anything on this list prior to February 15.
Frosted bricks
These will be merged as planned, and a new Help Page is being written on this
topic.
Smooth slopes
These will be merged as planned, and a new Help Page is being written on this
topic.
Connections between studs
This whole class of variants will NOT be merged as part of this project. Complete
research needs to be done for the related 1 x 3 inverted slopes and the differing
angles, plus more work to understand how the 2 x 2 inverted slope relates to
these parts.
Sprue marks
The minifigure chair was the only one in this category and it will be merged
as planned.
Torsos with ribs
This whole class of variants will NOT be merged as part of this project. However,
we will rename these parts to remove the “ribs” depending on if we can get some
better photos. We will also place a moratorium on any new torsos distinguished
by underside ribs.
Inside supports
We will merge 46212 (Brick 1 x 2 x 5) as planned, but as part of this project
we will not be touching 32064c (Brick 1 x 2 with Axle Hole and Side Supports)
or 10247 (Plate Modified 2 x 2 with Pin Hole). More research needs to be done
in regards to the practical use cases of the parts and their actual use in LEGO
sets. As part of this project, however, we will also mark part 772 for deletion
(with a 3 month time frame before a merge), even though it wasn’t on the original
list. This variant likely does not even exist and it’s similar in class to the
46212.
X-shaped axle holes
These will be merged as planned.
Hinges with teeth
These will be merged as planned, and a new Help Page is being written on this
topic.
Duplo bricks with bottom tubes
These will be merged as planned.
Blocked and vented studs
These will be merged as planned, and a new Help Page is being written on this
topic.
Determined entries for very common parts
Update: We are well on our way through the decorated versions of 3 out of the
4 parts. Another 250 of these are scheduled to be changed on Tuesday (tomorrow).
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Jan 26, 2024 02:57 | | Subject: | Variants Thread - January 26 | | Viewed: | 1950 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello again everyone,
My initial post on this subject earlier this month has garnered almost 700 replies,
which is right about the level of the BrickArms threads a few years ago. 
A New Thread
So I'm starting a new thread with some new information, and hopefully a few
links that will help you navigate through this complex discussion topic.
Here is the original post:
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1447090
Here are three Help topics:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2625
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2626
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2629
Here is a list of my replies on this subject:
https://www.bricklink.com/messageList.asp?overTP=Y&q=variants&qS=Y&msgID=&uName=admin_russell&ID=&status=&v=c&max=50
If you don't wish to read all 700 replies in the previous thread, you can
at least look through some of these for answers to most of the questions that
have been raised.
************************************
The Responses
We sent an email out to all active sellers a couple days ago and we expected
a flood of responses in the Forum. As much as it may seem to be an overwhelming
response, we do appreciate all the members who have posted and shared their feelings
about this project. Keep them coming.
So far I have seen two YouTube videos addressing this issue, and I'll post
in this new thread to respond directly (and completely) to what they are saying.
I will be answering directly several of the more detailed replies over the next
day or two in an effort to clear up any misunderstandings.
************************************
The Research
The following is an example of the some of the research that has been done to
help determine the course of action we are taking.
When it comes to Frosted Bricks, we took a look at the price guide, the inventories
that contained these special bricks, and we studied the nature of the bricks,
at least as far as we could.
What we found was that bricks listed under the normal (umbrella) entries sold
on average for over twice the price, and the volume of sales was 17 times of
bricks listed under the frosted entries. In addition, sellers listing under the
main entries didn’t have to spend the time sorting out their parts. So from a
marketplace standpoint, these frosted entries are simply an inefficiency (see
image below).
In the inventories, there was only spotty information about which sets these
bricks are in. This is likely the main reason for the lower sales volume, because
the BrickLink inventory system drives sales for vintage parts. We started adding
frosted entries to the catalog over 20 years ago, but they are only reflected
in 24 inventories to date.
When it comes to the bricks themselves, there were actually more variants than
what are currently shown on BrickLink. And we’ve never been able to settle on
a reason for these peculiar markings. Some have suggested they are simply the
same patterns one would find on solid color bricks of the same era. Whatever
they are, though, this type of variant is typically found only in sellers’ notes
and not reflected in standalone BrickLink entries.
In fact, it is a peculiar thing that these entries were only for Transparent
versions of the part. We don’t really do that on BrickLink. Normally, all the
colors are placed under one entry.
But perhaps the best reason for removing these entries is the lack of a real
use case for any of our members. For new users, these entries clutter up important
basic parts categories, and if they end up on a wanted list, they can certainly
cause problems.
For the seller who wants to fill out vintage sets, these entries do not solve
their need completely, because there are serious color matching issues with older
transparent parts. It is not “plug and play” with these variants, and truth be
told, it would be easier to obtain the necessary selection of parts by using
the main entries.
For the hard core collector looking for information, BrickLink has very little
to offer in the case of the frosted bricks. We don’t need separate entries to
add representative photos and comparison images of variants, and we were likely
to never complete the “collection” of these entries due to the large number of
different patterns.
In order to preserve what knowledge we have, we plan to release new Help pages
for certain variants covered in this project. Stay tuned.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Jan 9, 2024 00:21 | | Subject: | Important proposal regarding catalog variants | | Viewed: | 9837 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello everyone,
As a platform, we have decided to take a hard look at some of the mold variants
that we are currently asking you to recognize. For sellers, more variants means
extra sorting and extra work while pulling orders, plus the issues that arise
from variant misunderstandings.
For buyers, excess variants mean that it's harder to assemble a wanted list,
find stores, and ultimately obtain the parts you are looking for.
I have put together a quick Help page to outline these proposed changes:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2625
Notice the date on this is coming up quickly (Feb 1), so I'm not giving a
lot of time for discussion. I'm aiming for about 1 week of discussion and
then we'll give sellers 2 weeks to adjust the descriptions on affected items
if they wish to retain the distinctions.
I plan to construct a full FAQ page with answers to all your questions. This
will serve to inform users about what was done here in February 2024, and also
help point the catalog in the right direction in the future.
To get started, I'll list a few here:
1. This sounds like you're dumbing down the BrickLink catalog to make
it easier for new users. Is that what is going on?
Not really. There are many, many other variants we expect people to sort and
care about. These ones don't really seem to matter much, and some of them
(e.g., the minifigure heads) actually cause problems for the catalog that cannot
be corrected otherwise.
2. What if I really care about a certain variant that is going away? Can I
still buy and sell that variant?
Absolutely! You can add notes to your listings to make them as "determined"
as you wish. Buyers can still search within notes for extra details, or they
can simply observe them as they browse listings.
3. How do I know which exact variants will be merged? I only see one example
in each category.
Please ask in this thread and I can be very specific. Usually we are talking
about a handful of parts and the printed versions.
4. Has a merge like this ever been done before?
Yes, there was a precedent - the Headlight Brick with Slot:
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1016584
It was marked for deletion a few years ago and was finally merged last August.
5. Are these the only parts up for consideration, or are there other variants
that will be merged as well?
This is all for now. Based on how well this goes, we may elect to remove other
entries later. However, we will keep all functional variants and important cosmetic
variants.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Nov 8, 2023 13:07 | | Subject: | Update on November 3rd incident | | Viewed: | 5237 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Dear BrickLink members,
Welcome back and thank you for your patience. We were down for longer than anyone
would have wanted. Now that we’re back up and running, we can share with you
what’s happened.
As many of you will know, we received a threat and ransom demand on Friday, November
3rd. We’d been aware of and actively managing some limited suspicious activity
since mid-October, with unauthorized sellers offering products at huge discounts
and fraudulently accepting payment from buyers.
As soon as we were aware of the potential escalation on November 3rd, we put
the site into maintenance mode out of an abundance of caution. We did this to
protect our members and keep complete control of the platform while investigating.
We found that a relatively small number of BrickLink accounts may have been accessed.
It is important to note that there is no evidence so far that our systems were
compromised.
At this stage we believe this was a ‘credential stuffing’ incident, where
someone obtains lists of usernames and passwords from a third party, often illegally,
and opportunistically tries to use them on a website.
Actions we’ve taken
Although we know that the BrickLink site was not breached, we've further
strengthened our security. We take the safety of BrickLink and our members very
seriously and will continue to step up security across the platform.
We’ve informed people where we have reason to believe that their accounts or
stores may have been impacted, and reminded members of ways they can make their
accounts safer and more secure by practicing good data security. Keep your systems
up-to-date with the latest patches, Use security software and create strong,
unique passwords for each website you use.
Again, we’re sorry for the interruption and inconvenience this has caused you.
If you have any questions or concerns, have a look at the FAQ for more details,
or reach out to customersupport@bricklink.com.
Many thanks,
Your BrickLink Team
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Oct 30, 2023 17:09 | | Subject: | New policy on Forum sales posts | | Viewed: | 1240 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Hello everyone,
We are implementing a change of policy in regard to Sales posts in the Forum.
As the number of sellers has grown and as our site becomes more and more of a
premium marketplace, there is more incentive to advertise in the Forum and this
has led to an overabundance of posts under the Sales topic.
To be sure, there are a few members who have abused the Sales post feature, running
what seem to be constant deep discounts on everything in their store or in certain
categories. Most members who post in Sales, however, are not currently abusing
the feature, but we want to reduce the overall prominence of Sales posts.
The policy has been changed from a maximum of one per day to a maximum of one
per month. Please see the screenshot below.
Sellers posting more frequently may incur a friendly flooding ban for one month.
These are non-cumulative bans and will not go on your record. Bans will be lifted
immediately if the member contacts us and lets us know they agree to the new
policy.
Only the initial post in a thread counts toward the total Sales posts. Replies
will not count unless it is obvious that someone is posting to circumvent the
new policy.
This policy will be in place for the next 6 months after which we will assess
the situation.
**************
A word about "good" sales posts
On the BrickLink platform, visual presentation is a big part of our success.
This is why nice images are so critical to the catalog. When we see the same
one-line-of-text Sales posts cut and pasted over and over, it doesn't really
engage buyers. In fact, you may turn people off with such posts, especially if
they are done with frequency.
We're thinking of running a little contest over the next 6 months to reward
the best and most creative sales posts. More details on that later.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Sep 1, 2023 15:02 | | Subject: | Two new contacts | | Viewed: | 372 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Hello everybody,
We have recently added two more staff positions to our Community Engagement team
and I wanted to make a formal introduction because you will be seeing them in
the Forum from time to time.
First, is Eric - https://www.bricklink.com/feedback.asp?u=CE_eric
Second, is Uday - https://www.bricklink.com/feedback.asp?u=CE_uday
Eric has posted a couple times so far in the main Forum. He is currently working
with the Catalog and Marketplace teams.
Uday has been handling the designer onboarding for the ne MOC Pop-Up Store and
has posted quite frequently in the Studio Forum.
Please join me in welcoming these new individuals to our community Forum space!
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Aug 29, 2023 16:36 | | Subject: | The verdict | | Viewed: | 1201 times | | Topic: | Catalog Identification | |
| Hello everyone,
Based on the report of counterfeit minifigure torsos that was discussed recently
here:
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1416623
we conducted an investigation into the four BrickLink stores mentioned in the
video. Of these four, three came back to us and said their torsos did not match
the description in the video. The other store never got back to us, so we reached
out to their buyers and asked for samples.
We received parts from several different buyers and sent them to an internal
LEGO department for testing. The test concluded that the torsos in question are
genuine LEGO elements.
Thanks to all the BrickLink users who invested time on this issue and shared
their findings.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Aug 17, 2023 21:01 | | Subject: | Site performance issues | | Viewed: | 246 times | | Topic: | Technical Issues | |
| Hi folks,
As you can see from the Forum posts, we are having some issues with the site.
Our team is aware of the reports and is working on a fix.
Thank you for your patience.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Aug 2, 2023 17:41 | | Subject: | Aggregated list of MOC-Pop-Up Store parts | | Viewed: | 419 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Dear all,
As we approach the launch of the MOC Pop-Up Store on August 29, we’re happy to
release the aggregated list of all parts to be sold through the pilot. It includes
the Element ID / PCC, the total instances of the part across all participating
designs, and the BrickLink item number. At the top of the list are the parts
in low supply on our marketplace followed by a running list of parts prioritized
by quantity based on the MOC parts list.
Here’s a direct link to download the list:
https://bricklink.s3.amazonaws.com/BL_MOC_Pop_Up_Store_BOM.xml
The list will be updated weekly, and you can always find an updated list at the
end of the Marketplace Sellers section of the MOC Pop-Up Store FAQ here:
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/moc-pop-up-store/faq.page
with the date the list was last updated. Please keep in mind the various risks
- the list is subject to change, some designers might not be able to get their
designs ready for the pilot, and designs may vary in popularity.
As a reminder, all BrickLink sellers are considered in the check-out process
for the MOC Pop-Up Store like any check-out on the platform in general; buyers
will be able to choose which stores they buy from.
We hope making this list available allows you to support this initiative by securing
these parts for your inventory, and as a result the pilot will be a success for
Marketplace Sellers, Fan Designers, and buyers alike.
Thank you,
The BrickLink Team
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Aug 1, 2023 00:57 | | Subject: | Mr Evil strikes again | | Viewed: | 698 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Hello everybody,
As some of you have noticed, we've being having a bit of an issue with Forum
spam recently. Our faithful Discussions Moderators have been doing a great job,
though, and if you have hidden canceled messages in your Forum preferences, you
may have missed most of the posts:
https://www.bricklink.com/messageFilter.asp?
For those who like spam and missed tonight's episode, here is a quick summary:
Important message: BUY GBL (gamma-butyrolactone)
For those of you following the spam cycle, this is nothing out of the ordinary.
However, something rather special happened tonight. We linked the spammer to
another BrickLink account, perhaps an "alter-ego" as it were:
https://www.bricklink.com/feedback.asp?u=MrEvil
We do have a serious plan to address the spam issue and we will be acting on
it very soon.
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Jun 21, 2023 21:24 | | Subject: | What do you think? | | Viewed: | 521 times | | Topic: | Catalog Identification | |
| Hello everyone,
We recently had a "fake parts" dispute between a buyer and a seller that
found its way into the Help Desk. This happens from time to time and normally
we don't get very involved - we just give some basic advice and ask them
to work out the dispute between themselves.
However, in this case the buyer posted a video showing the fake parts. We'd
like some opinions on whether these are really fake or are they simply an older
mold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGTpGwwhN04
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | May 30, 2023 05:49 | | Subject: | We have a new Catalog Administrator! | | Viewed: | 256 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello everyone,
As of today, we have promoted BrickLink member Turez (Jonas) from Catalog Associate
to Catalog Administrator. In practical terms, this means he will now have full
privileges on both sides of the catalog, governing both the entries themselves
and the inventory system which connects them:
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/member/community_experts.page
Jonas has done excellent work during this past year in his catalog-side-only
position, quickly masterning all the various functions in what has often been
called a "minefield" environment.
Of particular interest to him is the process of getting all the set entries added
to the database at the correct time (and with the correct details of course),
which involves staging them as pending items and doing research as to when each
set will be released:
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogListOld.asp?itemPend=Y&catType=S
The scheduled release date is usually added to the item name on a pending entry.
As you can see, we are on the verge of a huge upload of new sets. June 1 is typcially
the single busiest release date besides January 1.
We are very pleased to have such great talent on our team. So join me in welcoming
Jonas to this new position!
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | May 22, 2023 17:00 | | Subject: | Australian Tax Implementation | | Viewed: | 750 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Dear BrickLink members,
On June 1, 2023 we plan to implement new marketplace features and settings to
handle Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST). This will mostly affect transactions
where an Australian buyer is purchasing from stores outside of Australia, but
it will also affect all Australian BrickLink members to a degree (both buyers
and sellers).
Here is a summary of what will change:
1. BrickLink will now collect Australian GST for all orders being shipped into
Australia from the outside with a consignment value under $1,000 AUD. As with
other taxes collected on the BrickLink site, this means that all such orders
will require an onsite payment method.
2. When seller invoices go out on June 5th, GST will now be added to the invoice
for Australian sellers.
3. Australian business sellers who are GST registered will now have the option
to upload tax information to their BrickLink seller profile. GST will not be
added to the monthly fee invoice for such sellers.
We plan to send out emails to all affected BrickLink members later this week.
For a deeper explanation of this implementation, please see our new Help Page,
Australian Tax:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2597
Thanks for reading, and feel free comment below if you have further questions.
The BrickLink Team
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | May 14, 2023 20:57 | | Subject: | We have a new Catalog Associate! | | Viewed: | 230 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| Hello everybody,
Based on more than a year of excellent work, we have just promoted BrickLink
member TakeAbricK (Diana) to the Catalog Associate position:
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/member/community_experts.page
The Catalog Associate position is equivalent to the old Catalog Administrator
position with privileges on the catalog side only. After a year of activity in
the new area, Diana will be eligible for promotion to the new Catalog Administrator
position with privileges on both sides.
Diana was the first Inventories Administrator who exclusively used the new Inventory
Comparison Tool for inventory approval work:
https://www.bricklink.com/r3/inventorycomparison/main.page?sourceB=1&invB=60001&sourceA=0&invA=60001-1
She has also done considerable work in improving the Help Pages for those contributing
inventories to the BrickLink catalog. For example, this page explaining the Inventory
Comparison Tool was just completed recently:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2594
This page also happens to contain the first-ever BrickLink-hosted color chart
comparing BrickLink color names with official LEGO color names.
We trust Diana will continue with the enthusiasm and dedication she has shown
over the past year. Please join me in welcoming her to this new position!
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| Author: | Admin_Russell | | Posted: | Apr 26, 2023 19:55 | | Subject: | Some excellent news! | | Viewed: | 841 times | | Topic: | Administrative | |
| Hello everybody,
As many of you know, during the past couple years we have experienced problems
with lost Help Desk tickets. We did a lot of research into what may be causing
this issue, but the problem persisted. In fact, it actually got worse at the
beginning of this year.
As a result of the increased problem levels, a couple months ago we reconfigured
the connection between the Help Center and our SmarterTrack Help Desk system.
We noticed an immediate, sizeable increase in ticket volume, so much in fact,
that we were concerned about how to handle the extra tickets from a resource
management point of view.
So for 2 months we have been monitoring the levels closely, and we are confident
in saying that we have now found the problem and fixed it.
Furthermore, our great new customer service team that we hired in the fall has
stepped up to the plate and is handling the increased load of tickets beautifully.
Our overall average response time is now 27 hours, which means that for most
tickets submitted on a weekday, you will receive a personal response the same
day.
We know the running narrative in the Forum is that it takes 3 weeks to hear back
from the Help Desk. I suppose this is an improvement over what people used
to say, that one would never hear back. But we'd like to inform everyone
of a NEW reality, where our folks are getting back to you in record time, and
also with exceptional levels of service.
Because we do not anticipate needing a Missing Help Desk Ticket topic any more,
I have removed that topic from public view. It has been over two months since
anyone posted under that topic, and it just isn't a good look. I trust you
will agree.
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