Hello everybody. I am quite disappointed with the new promotion. After the first few set/book bundles were quickly sold out, many fans bought the other offers. It was these fans who made crowdfunding a success in a short time. The book is already financed with 115%. Why should I order another issue? Even if there is apparently an upgrade option, adding new offers only looks to me like maximizing profit. In my opinion, the book loses its promised exclusivity. It is unfair to anyone who has previously ordered a copy. Sending this message as an "exciting announcement" to fans who have already bought is not really nice. I would have expected a bonus for the fans who made the crowdfunding possible so quickly. Of course I'll stick with my order, but it now makes a less exclusive impression on me.
A currently quite disappointed fan. Harald Schulz

posted 25th November 2020

I completely agree with the above posting. This is not the sort of approach I'd have expected from Lego. Everyone likes a cool exclusive minifigure but they should have been available from the start, not just as an add on to draw in more profit for an already financed project. If you want to make this right, then just add the little extras for those that helped get the project off the ground to begin with.
Regards,
Another disappointed AFOL - Joel.L

posted 25th November 2020

$135 + Shipping, after the initial funding ~$175, is not cool :(

posted 25th November 2020

Yes, you made a mistake here. This is not how crowd funding works. We give you money to start something. And we get something excited in return for the risk we take. It's a nice way of investing with a good feel. Now it lost it.

Regards,

Dennis Münninghoff

posted 25th November 2020

Not offering this as an upgrade to existing pledges is... tacky, at best.

posted 25th November 2020

I have to agree. I backed at a much higher level, now to see I'll miss an exclusive at a lower level. If this were Kickstarter, you'd likely get grandfathered in and receive any new promos from lower tiers.

posted 25th November 2020

When I first pledged (regrettably) to this crowdfunding effort, I made a detailed comment about what I thought was done wrong and how the rollout short-changed many potential backers.

After seeing this update I can only say: Uggh! Adding insult to injury!?

I believe you were trying to make amends for some of the missteps committed during the initial rollout, but this update only seems to worsen the initial sentiment. I hope, if nothing else, you are learning from your mistakes in running this crowdfunding venture.

Once again, I sigh dejectedly about the prospects of this and (unfortunately) do not look forward to the time when I receive my book and am reminded about how awful it felt to buy into what has become a sad mess. Even if the book is great, it will offer no great pleasure in owning it.

posted 25th November 2020

what others have said. the way this should have worked is that you add these new rewards to folks who have already backed the project. instead, it looks like you are trying to leverage additional support - to the detriment of the initial backers. Please rethink this.

posted 25th November 2020

Adding in extras after it has already been funded to 115% is very disappointing. And then not retroactively giving those extras that had already funded at or above the required level for those extras is abit disrespectful to those that helped fund it to begin.

Without those backers it wouldn’t have reached 100%. Nevermind 115%

Disappointed AFOL.

posted 25th November 2020

suckered again

posted 25th November 2020

Absolutely agree with the grumbles above. Harald Schulz said it best. This is not how Kickstarters worked. Original ‘investers’ should get these new rewards. Terrible customer service and takes the gloss of an exciting product. I urge the team to reconsider. Truly disappointed.

posted 25th November 2020

I am in full agreement with the above. There seems more interest in squeezing more money out of people than letting them know what is happening with production. I do not know if this thread is monitored, John Mitchison, as I can see no responses from Unbound, but I can take it up with David Cummings instead. You are losing supporters here.

posted 25th November 2020

I for one am not saddened or disappointed by the hard work taken to get LEGO to shell out a custom minifigure for those willing to ante up. While something for early supporters would be nice, complaining about being offered more options strikes me as incredibly petty.

While I will be unlikely to up my payment I don’t begrudge the option.

posted 25th November 2020

One more data point here: Not giving the digital ebook to anyone who's pledged for a higher tier feels... icky.

I hesitated before pledging, since I try to limit the number of books I have, but eventually decided it was worth it, even adding extra to get an item I liked. If there had been an ebook option I might have gone for that.

So am I now expected to add even more just to get a digital copy?

posted 25th November 2020

I’m (obviously) not the first to comment on this, and I won’t be the last.
This genuinely hurts. It not only hurts me, and all AFOLs who bleed in their love of LEGO, it hurts the Unbound and LEGO brands, eroding trust.
Can I support other Unbound projects like this? No.
Will I continue to be enthusiastic about LEGO initiatives, and be so vocal in praising the brand I love as I do now? No.
Despite so much ‘talk’ of AFOL engagement, the Group’s approach to so many things in 2020 continues to show a decreasing capacity to take the perspective of consumers and AFOLs in particular.
@Unbound - you can take my name out of the book. Keep the cash, apparently you need it.

posted 25th November 2020

As an early funder that contributed to the 115%, I too feel disrespected.

Have a look at the Lego brand values...

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/lego-group/the-lego-brand/

... and see if this seemingly cynical effort to attract extra funding is consistent with these.

I believe that the initial funders should receive the same 'extras' as the later ones.

Please reconsider.

posted 25th November 2020

Am sticking with the pledge I have done. As much as its inticing for the £90 one, the £60 i have pledged already is a lot of money to me.

posted 25th November 2020

Also really disappointed here :(

posted 25th November 2020

Hi everyone, Unbound here.

Thanks very much for your feedback. We absolutely value all early supporters to our projects, we can’t make the books that we do without you.

As the initial rewards sold out so quickly, Unbound have been working to create additional special rewards for those who missed out. We posted this update to let existing supporters know about any new rewards as soon as they were available.

It is possible to upgrade if you would like one of the new rewards via your account page. If you want to cancel your existing reward and then pledge again for a different one, please contact support@unbound.com.

Unbound is a crowdfunding publisher that produces books for superfans that would not otherwise be made. This book will not be available in shops, so we are committed to keeping it available to pre-order until it goes to press in May so everyone who wants one gets the chance to pre-order it.

We’re sorry if anyone feels let down and will take these comments on board.

posted 25th November 2020

Given the extremely fast pace at which the 500 minifigures are selling, I am obviously not alone in personally being happy with the upgrade offer.

posted 25th November 2020

Im honestly disappointed too. What the H? What about those who paid big funds if not the average that already reached its goal? If This deal came out I would have given this amount but due to the fact that I can't get a refund from the one I already gave out Id be spending basically 135$ for a Minifigure prototype.
If there was a way for me to take my money back I would in a heart beat right now.

posted 25th November 2020

m honestly disappointed too. What the H? What about those who paid big funds if not the average that already reached its goal? If This deal came out I would have given this amount but due to the fact that I can't get a refund from the one I already gave out Id be spending basically 135$ for a Minifigure prototype.
If there was a way for me to take my money back I would in a heart beat right now.
Especially when we funded this being told the awards given were the only ones to be and during a pandemic where many of us can't really be able to buy more than one of the books/deals. It's ridiculous.

posted 25th November 2020

I am a little disappointed with this kind of reward. I had ordered my book, there were only posters and now you come around the corner with a 3D figure. I hope they come up with something for everyone who supports this book.
Lego Ambassador

posted 25th November 2020

Hello Unbound Team It's me again, Harald Schulz.
I thought for a long time whether I should write again, but something is seething inside me.
Your explanation is not acceptable to me. The AFOL who really wants the book has ordered it. This is how I feel about the current action. In order to get an extraordinary and certainly interesting LEGO prototype, an order is placed. The book will then be sold on eBay afterwards. As a result, it loses its value for the book fan. Is this really just about the book?
Sorry to everyone who has just ordered, but that is my personal impression.
I would be interested in what the author thinks about it!?

posted 25th November 2020

I'm concerned about this, because apparently this book is no longer exclusive. Sure, it won't be in stores, but the very moment this project reached 100% funding, rewards began rewarding pre-orders, not supporters. Nearly every book release does pre-orders these days, and the fact that this "pre-order" phase will last over a year makes me concerned that the original supporters' names will be drowned out by pages and pages of late arrivals.

posted 25th November 2020

I feel myself really disrespected. I so agree with every comment above!

posted 25th November 2020

Well it’s all irrelevant now as they have managed to get 500 people to pay for the minifigure. I along with many others feel totally let down and will never back another book from unbound. I am also incredibly disappointed with the author and lego for doing this. Even if I had wanted one of the minifigures by the time I found out the option was sold out. A very sad episode all round

posted 25th November 2020

I agree with all the previous comments. We commit and get this project off the ground. You hit your goal. This now feels like a way to extort more from the very people who gave this project life. Very disappointed in this new announcement.

posted 25th November 2020

Totally agree. Thought this was an exclusive limited perchase for fans? Limited numbers have been dashed to the point of my wanting my pledge back! Pretty aweful to be honest, and I'd be delighted to have a response from both Lego and Unbound!!!

posted 25th November 2020

Can some of us have the option to get our money back? This is totally unacceptable. Where is the exclusivity that was promised for the original group of backer? Smells like a scam now.

posted 25th November 2020

I left early for work, just saw this email, and now impossible to “upgrade” since 500 others got there before me. It would be most fair to include this upgrade to everyone who already backed the project, period. Thanks

posted 25th November 2020

What gives LEGO? I was one of the first backers of this project. That should have been an option from the start of the campaign for those who truly wanted to back the project.

Beyond disappointed that I missed out on the exclusive minifigure. I REALLY wanted one of those...

posted 26th November 2020

This isn't Kickstarter, the rewards aren't in 'tiers', so I appreciate Lego adding new reward options given how quickly the "good" rewards sold out initially. I agree that to have such an awesome reward limited to 500 makes it disappointing for those who miss out, but it was capped at one per household and it's not like there are tens of thousands of existing backers. One thing that could have been done is to share the new reward offers with existing supporters first -- including a clear explanation of how to upgrade -- then opening it up to new pre-orders after 24 hours, say, rather than almost immediately.

posted 26th November 2020

@Nic Win
I completely agree with your idea. That would've given us, the *original* backers, the privilege of claiming one of these rare minifigures as a bonus for backing the project. Having them open it to the general public immediately feels like a HUGE slap in the face to their fans.

posted 26th November 2020

I am a little bit disappointed, that the minifig option is limited to 500, I went for the A2 artwork, but would love to upgrade to the minifig option. But this is already sold out within one day, so maybe Lego/Unbound should make this upgrade available for all original backers?

posted 26th November 2020

Dissapointed all over again. The minifigures have already sold out. This only compounds the insult of almost being fleeced for more money on an already financed project. Damn you!! I'm annoyed at myself for even being drawn into an upgrade with the promise of an exclusive minifigure.
Does anyone know what the minifigure inclusion upgrade would have costed?
I'm tempted to withdraw my funding, wait till 2022 and use that money to buy one of the minfigures on eBay. After all, that's where most will end up :(

posted 26th November 2020

Thank you for your feedback and comments.

When the opportunity arose to create a project with a book for AFOLs, we wanted to use Unbound’s crowdfunding platform the same way we have for hundreds of books. We gathered some great rewards for the launch, and where some reward-planning didn’t come to fruition in time for that launch, we made a plan to release more rewards later as they became available. Multiple rewards is something we regularly do with our other crowdfunding books.

The difference with this project to our other projects is that once the pre-orders for this book close in May, it will not be available to buy in shops. As a result, it has always been a plan to keep promoting this book throughout the pre-order phase to ensure any AFOLS that want the book have the chance to get it. This project with the LEGO Group is about trying new things. We are capturing responses which we will use to inform future projects.

What we’ve learned this time is that multiple releases of rewards isn’t the best option for AFOLs so we won’t do that next time. Thanks again for your comments.

posted 30th November 2020

This is a joke right “ What we’ve learned this time is that multiple releases of rewards isn’t the best option for AFOLs so we won’t do that next time.”? That doesn’t address the fact that people have been ripped off by this process.

posted 1st December 2020

Reading through these comments, it seems people are upset about having contributed to a reward tier far above the exclusive minifig tier and not being able to upgrade (or perhaps downgrade) to receive the minifig alongside the reward they already ordered. I, for one, was happy to upgrade a signed copy to the exclusive minifig but was a bit disappointed I couldn’t maintain the signed book as well. I could see that, for some, the promise of other more exciting rewards and not being able to keep both would be frustrating. Unlike most others, I see no particular issue with offering more rewards, I think it gives more opportunities for exciting new content. Though, I think the “upgrade” system might be a bit too linear, causing the consternation.
On another note, I find no worry in allowing the book to be preordered and sold online through Unbound after 100% backing! It gives more time for more casual AFOLs to discover the book and order a copy. While I believe there should be a special place for those early backers, to limit the production entirely would be a bit of a shame for so many.

posted 6th December 2020

I will add and say, it’s great that there is a digital option, but it would feel right if those who purchased the printed book also had access to a digital copy. Just a thought!

posted 6th December 2020

Agree with many of the comments above.

Day 1 backer, extremely disappointed, there should have been more consideration for folks who supported early. Instead of an empty apology, maybe find a better way to thank early supporters.

posted 25th March 2021