[UK/EU/AU/NZ] Double VIP points at shop.LEGO.com

"UK/EU", "UK and Europe" :-?

UK is for ever in Europe and even (still) in the EU... Why differentiate something that isn't different?

@Huw agreed.

So we don't get 2xVIP in Denmark?

EDIT: Works now :)

Not working in Portugal... Maybe it hasn't kicked in yet?...
EDIT: same here!

@Huw

Are we talking about a Brickxit ?? ;)

Also in Australia at time of writing.

@huw

What about Ireland? Are we not part of 'Europe'?

I think this may be more to do with currency as opposed to actual location.

It does work in Holland. Just ordered Disney Castle!!!

Is it just me or is the new website an utter bag of broken bricks?

It never displays the correct selections I make from the filters and now it won't accept my postcode when I try to purchase online.

The layout is clunky and everything is hidden far too deep.

I've tried on multiple browsers and it's just garbage.

There goes 60 pounds you could have had this morning LEGO :(

@gunther.schnitzel, @huw: I must say, "part of Europe" sounds for me even better.

And Huw, I'm afraid I don't get the point of differentiating... Is it because UK is mostly on islands? First, ok, it is mostly on islands, but it's close. Even that close, that with a single train (a typical "earthly" way of travelling imho btw), Great Britain is connected with mainland. Secondly, the inhabitants of Helgoland are on an island and they feel nevertheless really german and european.

Is it because most of the country isn't on mainland? First, it doesn't seem fair to me for the british people who are living on UK mainland. Are they less british than you? Secondly, there are other european countries that are even exclusively on an island, and they don't differentiate their country of Europe.

Cum grano salis, London is geographically by far nearer of Brussel than for example Berlin.

In conclusion, the difference you make simply sounds weird in my ears.

That said, thank you very much for your answer. Next week I go again for a few days to the garden of England to people I know and I'm obliged to say, that they mostly think like you and Grimlock, which is a real pity in my view. So in fine I can understand that a clarification about this LEGO offer wasn't that bad.

The issue is that the EU and its apparatus has misappropriated the word 'Europe' for its own devices. We need to take the word back. :)

I must agree again with gunther.schnitzel. :-) As far as I know, TLG doesn't differentiate between EU-members and non-EU members. So if TLG makes an offer for "Europe", whole "Europe" is meaned. The clarification "UK, Europe, etc." is de facto useless.

The only fact I would like to know, is what TLG does/plans to do with oversea territories (=not in geographic Europe anymore) and/or countries which are partly in geographic Europe and partly not. If anyone knows the answer, please tell it. :-)
For the moment, LEGO.com isn't available in Russia or Turkey, so I presume the second problem isn't current at the moment. But what with oversea (e.g.: the Falkland islands for the UK)?

Of course it's "UK/Europe" - nothing to do with the UK not being in Europe. The article is being written from a UK perspective. It's like Hoth Bricks saying "France/Europe" - perfectly natural.

Given where the UK is situated, and with the English Channel physically separating us from continental Europe, it's surely easy to understand the 'us' and 'them' mentality that permeates through British society. The same is true of Ireland, rightly or wrongly, many in the UK see as part of 'us' - and not because it was once part of the Empire but simply because it's part of the British Isles.

British Isles: the UK, Ireland and the Isle of Man
UK: Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Great Britain: England, Wales and Scotland

Confusingly, the term 'Britain' can refer to any of the above.

Europe, to many Brits: the British Isles and Continental Europe.

And the EU has not misappropriated the name Europe. What tosh. It is a Union of European countries, what would be more natural than the name European Union.

@Tijgeric - I presume that TLG uses standard international classifications for postal territories. The Falkland Islands, like the overseas countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the overseas Departments of France, have their own distinct entries and are assumed not to be included when speaking of the parent European countries. In EU terms, it's complicated, some are thought of as being in the EU, some not, and in either case, some EU law may apply, and some not.

politics aside - thanks for the heads up - ordered the U Wing ;-)

@aleydita: thank you very much for your explanation.

I agree with most, unfortunately not with everything. Especially I think "Europe" as name for "EU" is at least misunderstanding and probably even wrong. At least for now, it is almost correct because most of the european countries are within the EU and between them all of the most important ones. As for now, if the EU has spoken, (almost) Europe has spoken. But especially because of the Brexit, it is more important of ever to notice there is a difference. It can be - if not probable - that soon one of the top three countries of Europe quits the EU for at least some time. And then, it will be more important than ever to know if the UK has the same positions than the EU or not on whatever the question.

And for oversea, I'm still interested. What is for example the situation on Gibraltar? Which LEGO.com do they have?

Is this also in the Official Stores?
Edit: YES, also in the stores.

If you just stated Europe in this context I'd initially read that as meaning the countries that use the Euro currency. Nothing to do with politics or geography.

2x VIP kicks-in only as from midnight, i.e. efectively as from October 15th.

@Tijgeric - Lego don't deliver to Gibraltar. Seems they don't deliver to any of those small European countries and territories that are not members of the EU or where their EU status is not straight-forward:

"We regret that we are unable to ship to the following European destinations: Åland Islands, Canary Islands, French Overseas Departments and Territories, Channel Islands (including Jersey and Guernsey), Gibraltar, Greenland, Monaco, Faroe Islands, Heligoland, Andorra, San Marino, Ceuta, Melilla, Madeira and the Azores."

For some reason they haven't listed the Holy See/Vatican though, so maybe the Pope enjoys Lego :)

@nikolani Not true. It's active already.

@aleydita: wow, superb! A pleasure to read your comments. So I know now everything. :-)

TLG didn't write every single place which could be unclear (for example the dutch territories you named), but we get the point.

For the Holy See and Vatican, there is like Russia nor Turkey no LEGO.com for them, so TLG wouldn't have to explain anything about shipping to them. And anyway, the Holy See isn't a country (like the Sovereign Order of Malta which isn't a country too). At least, logically, that should be the reason. But TLG speaks also about some other countries like Andorre or Monaco, so TLG has been on this point once more illogical...

@Huw, I agree with you entirely on UK/Europe.

Though I don't agree you "opened a can of worms". In my opinion you may have inadvertently presented a can of worms, but I would suggest it was @Tijgeric who actually opened it! ;-)

@Spideog Denmark is in the EU but doesn't use the Euro. Sweden is in the EU but doesn't use the Euro. Plus the UK of course. And others.

@aleydita, Cyprus is not in Europe but is part of the EU. So the E in EU hasn't been valid since 2004.

I want to order the UCS Tie and currently have £50 in points, am I better waiting until Black Friday / Cyber Monday to purchase? The double points will only net me £10 which I can only use on another purchase.

You also have Norway, it is in Europe but not in the EU union.
But it looks like i got dobbel for todays shopping.

@Gunther.schnitzel - that depends on who you consider to be the authority on such things. Geographically it's on the small Anatolian tectonic plate rather than the Eurasian plate, which could in theory place it in Europe, Africa or Asia depending on your point of view.

The 'border' between Europe and Asia is decided by historical convention rather than an official demarcation, and as such may be marked differently by different authorities. For us Brits, Cyprus has long been placed in Europe, likely because it was under British control as early as the 1870s. Every atlas I own shows Cyprus as being part of Europe.

The Council of Europe (not the EU) believes that countries accepted as being geographically in Eurasia could also therefore be said to be European. Consequently, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Russia and Turkey are all members, and Kazakhstan could apply to be a member. Eurasia technically goes all the way to the Pacific which, given the CoE's stance, could in theory see China, Mongolia and many others considered as European.

Obviously it depends what you're talking about I suppose - geography or geopolitics - but to us Brits (or at least this is how I was educated), Cyprus qualifies on both counts :)

I always thought of Europe as meaning mainland Europe.. I know what you mean Huw.. there are sites that say ship within Europe but don't include the U.K.. this is due to postage costs!!

Is there any site/listing/or whatever that gives u a heads up about Double VIP in Europe? I know the calendar sheets have the US ones listed, but there doesn't seem to be any advanced warning for outisde the US. Just bought the Sandcrawler and missing out on big extra points by a couple of days always pisses me off.

@gunther.schnitzel, aleydita: I agree mostly with aleydita. As far as I thought to know, Cyprus is geographically part of Europe even if that can sound a bit strange I agree... Obviously I easily found maps on the web that show that (for instance; https://www.countries-ofthe-world.com/img/continents-map.png ; http://tnatlasgeographie.tableau-noir.net/pages/limites-europe-carte.html). But, when I asked our well-known friend about this question, I mean Google, it seems that it isn't that clear... ,':-/

So as aleydita says, "it depends". :-D

@Pup3741: Generally, Will from Hoth Bricks does that effort. :-)

@Tijgeric Thx very much mate. Will bookmark that:)

@Huw: Only Pup3741 knows it best, but I presume he meant a place where he can quickly look which LEGO offers are currently happening and/or will begin soon. If a person doesn't visit Brickset daily and/or didn't write the offers somewhere down, that person cannot easily appreciate the current LEGO situation. He will have to search to spezialised articles. Imho, this is a little gap in the otherwise fantastic Brickset that Will from Hoth Bricks fills on his "bons plans shopping" page; there everything stands ready whenever the reader wants the information.

Honestly, 10% cash back doesn't even come close to making up for the price markup sets got in Australia this year. Everything is overpriced, even at 10% off.

Got two buses. Restraining myself until next week so I can get the Holiday Calendar.

Of course this occurs after I put in three separate orders last week! If I'm going to get a freebie I might as well make the most of it! But damnit!

@Huw lol didn't mean to hit a sore spot mate, though the latent troll side of me loves that I did:P But seriously Tijgeric has it spot on. Everythough I do look at Brickset all the time I totally missed ur heads up. My comment wasn't a negative thing about Brickset, its a great site and I don't expect you to tailor everything to my personal preferences. Any irritation I have is more towards the fact that the US get calendar sheets, which not only tell them about this stuff, but with leaks, do so months in advance. In retrospect I probably would have made my purchase when I did, as I wouldn't have wanted to risk not getting the Bus gift (£12.50 in points being less than the £20 I may have had to pay on eBay). Anyway if u do try a calendar thing, thats cool, but as I said I don't expect it and would probably still check the Hoth Bricks page, just in case they got info earlier.

Excellent idea for a 'quick look' calendar and it would be much appreciated.

I do know that double VIP occurs around March and again in October, and as I check this site a couple of times a week, I am always on the look out for the information, however the calendar would be excellent - thanks also to Tijgeric and Pup3741 for suggesting it.

Will be purchasing the Temple of Airjitzu for the bus and double VIP (have waited to see if it would turn up in Australia either in bricks and mortar or online shops, but seems it never will).

In the UK I put over 50 pounds in orders and it just shows the Lego Christmas Build Up (for which I've already got 4 already).
Have they ran out of red buses already :|