Sun promotion update

 

  • Sun promotion update

    Posted by Huw, 11 Feb 2013 08:55. Filed under Shopping (UK).

    More details about the forthcoming Sun promotion have emerged.

    Head on over to BrickFanatics to find out what the word on the street is.

    Warning: it sounds like bad news :-(


    32 comments, latest one posted 3 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
    4961 views


 

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Comments

Posted by Hob in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:13

What a load of rubbish!

Posted by paul_merton in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:20

Arguably better than nothing, though.

Posted by Nesquik in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:24

I fail to see how this can be construed as a bad thing. Most retailers that give the Lego away are sold out before midday (and to AFOLS), so it makes the situation fairer for everyone if there is an equal opportunity to get the polybag.

Posted by ScottMathers78 in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:27

A bit disappointing if it's based on the sets in the picture. It gives the impression that they have a load of old polybags left that they need to get rid of.

And it seems strange wording for an advert in the paper. 'Promote this great offer and boost your sales'. Surely that's directed at the shops rather than the Sun readers?

Posted by rosney in United States, 11 Feb 2013 09:27

Given the number of comments for previous Sun promotions where some were bragging about getting dozens of polys, and being proud of it, this sounds like a good change.

Posted by Andhe in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:43

If this was a case of sending off a token to claim the set, then I'd be all for it. But it sounds like the set they'll send you back is random ie from a pile of leftovers.

Posted by af.riem in Netherlands, 11 Feb 2013 09:46

Sounds like a good solid promotion for the readers of the sun.
I think it's a good change, so it will keep out the high priced dealers.
And just like the ''good??'' lego keychain promotion that most people liked??,
you have to buy multiple papers to get one.
So it isn't bad news, it's good news so everyone in the uk can get one,
and not dozens they will sell.

Posted by beegeedee in Ireland, 11 Feb 2013 09:51

One does not read the sun. One buys it for free lego and throws away the newspaper.

Posted by akealey in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:52

I can't see what all the fuss is about. If this was instead of the normal promotions then I'd understand people being dissapointed, but I think there is a fair chance we will get the normal two promotions later in the year so this is extra - more free lego! OK so its random but its free!

Posted by mountebank in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 09:59

Sounds like a good change. It turns it more into an offer for regular readers of The Sun to get hold of one or two sets to hand to kids who, in the main, will be pleased to get free LEGO even if it's random.

Things have been getting out of hand, with many on here, myself included, going over the top on getting multiple sets. This change will help me keep that particular OCD part of myself at bay.

If this is to be the new arrangement, it was good while it lasted and I'm rather pleased with my 11-strong army of Uruk-Hai.

Posted by maniac in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 10:27

I hope they keep it like this for future promotions. Why you ask?

Makes it MUCH fairer for everyone. I find the 'best' figures are always on weekends, which is when I can't get them and i'm sure some would say they would have liked ones during the week they couldn't get.
Also keeps the hardcore scalpers away, I'm sure whoever organises these promotions, doesn't want repeats of people like the 200-polybag man EVER again.

A token send-off just keeps WHSmith and TRU a bit more civilised as i'm sure the staff members dread the promotion every time.

Posted by Adwil24 in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 10:32

ScottMathers78 - the image is taken from a Retailer Newspaper hence the wording.

Hopefully this is a one off, merely a way of clearing old stock, and both the May & October promotions will run as normal. This kind of offer will not see as big of an uplift in Sun sales are the in-store offers. We see a 600% increase whenever the offer runs.

Also far stricter 'papers per customer' rules will be enforced if the offer runs as normal in the future, as one store allowed a single customer to buy 40 copies of the Sun and get 40 polybags, it didn't go down well with head office.

Posted by Delatron in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 10:34

I think Akealey is correct, from what i've read this is in addition to the two normal poly promotions later in the year.

I don't mind the chance to collect tokens and send them off for poly's - the Mirror used to have that option for the normal promotions as well as collect in store - it was the Sun taking over the promotions that did away with that. At least then you had a chance of getting one of each even if you couldn't get to the shops (which I often can't with my work). I'd like it if they reinstated that option for the ones later in the year.

As for them being left-overs, well I can live with that too. All Lego is good Lego correct? Especially when it's almost free. Then we can all get excited about new polys in May!

Posted by mrwhizzard in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 11:03

The Sun have done the mail option for their promotions, but just haven't publicized it in their papers.

Posted by The Baron in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 11:12

It makes me chuckle. No doubt the very people who are complaining the most about this are the very same people who are to blame for the change.

The abuse of the 'Freebie' system and the subsequent bragging afterwards has no doubt inspired The Lego Group to make the changes. The Scum...sorry... Sun wants to sell papers probably couldn't care either way.

Posted by obiron17 in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 11:35

I'm glad it's being done this way. I've always missed out on at least one or two days polybags in the past because I've got to the shop late and someone has cleared them out! It was much easier when The Mirror used to do it and you could just send the tokens off (the selection looks rubbish for this one though).

Posted by rangermatt in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 11:42

Does anyone know if we can send the tokens off in the normal may and october promotions instead of going to WHSmith or Toys-are-us?

Posted by dcmal in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 11:49

The polybags in the picture can hardly be representative for the promotion. Some are really old, i.e. Ninjago wave 1, Pharaoh's Quest, Alien Conquest etc.
On top of that, the ad speaks of "5 free Lego toys", but the image shows at least 11 different sets.

I believe it's quite clear that the image really is just a placeholder because whoever wrote the ad can't or does not want to show images of the actual polybags.

Posted by Adwil24 in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 12:42

dcmal - the ad in question is directly from News Group aka The Sun and the reason more than 5 sets are shown is because by sending them 5 differently numbered tokens you'll receive 5 random sets. Not everyone will get the same sets hence why it's being called a Lucky Dip.

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 13:14

Well that is a shame, particularly that we will not be getting any new polybags, but something is better than nothing I suppose.

Posted by MLP in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 13:41

I like that you collect the tokens & send them off rather than having a few people buy them all up & sell them on e-bay but what i don't like is that it's lucky dip so you could get 5 sets from themes that don't interest you. Would be better if just had 5 polybags & everybody gets the same.

Posted by Si_Dorking_Surrey in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 15:21

You have to collect 5 tokens, so it will cost a minimum £1.50.
And even then you could get sent a City poly that you could get cheaper on ebay.
I'm not sure that the people saying it's a good thing have thought this through.

Posted by LukeSkywalker in Ireland, 11 Feb 2013 15:51

Spare a thought for Irish readers - the daily Sun is €1 every day, so that's a €5 spend for 5 polys, and there'll be an inevitable postal charge too (probably about €2). Even that's still a bargain for a quality toy. But I think it's good for parents who just want some inexpensive LEGO for their kids, and don't mind what themes they belong to. After all, LEGO is mostly for children. ;)

Posted by jockosjungle in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 16:05

Its no doubt annoying for some who buy 50 papers and sell them on ebay, don't see how its unfair. its still going to be five polys for the collection for about £2. Hopefully it will be a few I haven't got

Posted by Si_Dorking_Surrey in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 16:38

^ No it wont, its limited to one each and you need 5 tokens per poly.

Posted by lucienc in United Kingdom, 11 Feb 2013 16:48

Reading the advert. It's ONE application per house to receive FIVE free toys selected at random.

Posted by Haga in Hungary, 12 Feb 2013 07:08

So, I used to understand English, but now I am afraid I still don't know how wild this promo work...
Is there anyone here please to englight me what does my friend in the UK has to do to get polybags?

Posted by lucienc in United Kingdom, 12 Feb 2013 07:33

Haga,

The promotion this time is different to the May/October ones.

Currently we think it is :

1. Buy the paper 5(?) days between 23rd February and 1st March
2. Cut out the tokens and send them off to the paper
3. They will post back 5 random poly bag sets

Posted by Dadlego in United Kingdom, 12 Feb 2013 08:14

Seems fair to me. No queuing at WHSmiths, other newsagents get involved, and those scalpers who get 20+ polys are thwarted (although, if it is one set of five per household, I bet some will still do multiple applications by using their friends' and family's addresses).

Posted by Zander in United Kingdom, 12 Feb 2013 21:33

Dadlego,

Not all people who took advantage of previous Sun promos were scalpers and it is unfair to characterise them as such. I picked up a total of 30 Uruk-Hais in the last promo from five branches of WHS. I have kept them all for my Uruk-Hai army and didn't sell on a single one.

Zander

Posted by spokeydokeyjenner-jones in United Kingdom, 13 Feb 2013 17:08

Huh? No...it can't be! That'll mean the Lone Ranger polybags, too! Darn...:( And you know something? I was right!

Posted by Haga in Hungary, 14 Feb 2013 06:47

Thanks for the help!

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