I am thinking of buying Vampyre Castle at $96. It would save me almost $7 in taxes plus free shipping. I just don't want to have to deal with boxes again that are dented, rubbed edges, etc., as I want to hold on to this set for investment in the future. I had to return one large set to Lego that was dented, ordered 3 sets from TRU and am waiting for the store to get in some more sets so I can exchange one set that was bad. None of these were because of damage in shipment - just damage I assume in the warehouse. We do not live near a Lego store where you could pick out a box that was in mint condition.

The super saving shipping option is horrible in my opinion. Yes its free but know this, they will in no way be in a rush to get your item to you. Typically it will take up to 5 days for it to ship then it will ship at the cheapest and slowest rate. Which means it will spend more time bouncing around in a truck or however else it is transported. All this plus Amazon does not pack well on many occasions.

I use amazon prime. Boxes come in mint condition and 2 days shipping But yeah, maybe it depends on which warehouse the lego set is coming from. They usually give you some money back if you complain that the box was damaged.

Amazon prime is the way to go for sure!

They usually come in good shape but I've ordered two larger sets recently that I've had to request a replacement for. The boxes were damaged in shipping and not packed very well - they put a piece of paper in the box instead of air pack material. Their customer service has been great.

So far (knock on wood) I've had good luck with Amazon even with free shipping. I would say most boxes have been received in what I would consider as mint condition. Not sure if it's just been luck or if it's the warehouse or.............

Amazon prime is the way to go for sure!

I agree with this. Amazon has an excellent return policy for damaged sets.

Indeed.......if you have the time and patience you will get the set in the condition you desire eventually. Sometimes its the first time but it could just a well be the fifth time.

I got a damaged SSD from them, called them up told them I was a prime member and was unhappy with the condition of my purchase and they sent me a 45 dollar gift card. Not too bad for a few box wrinkles!

I have had some pretty great experiences with Amazon. If they do mess up, they are very good about making up for it.

I got a damaged SSD from them, called them up told them I was a prime member and was unhappy with the condition of my purchase and they sent me a 45 dollar gift card. Not too bad for a few box wrinkles!

same here. i had to send 3 back due to poor packing prior to shipping. gave me $60 for free.

It seems like the bigger the box the more likely there will be some creasing or rough edges. I really wish Lego would reduce the package sizes, there's no need for most of their sets to be in such gigantic boxes. If you're doing mail order be prepared for this if you're getting mid to large size sets, but also be careful about requesting too many refunds/returns as that can flag your account and get it terminated by Amazon. How many is "too many"? Nobody knows.