LEGO Collector Slams Target Over Ruined $300 Set (& The Official Response Made it Worse)

We’ve all been there, opening a package that was delivered to find that the item we ordered only takes up a small piece of the entire box. As hilarious as the wastefulness can seem in that moment, the opposite might be even worse, meaning the item itself doesn’t come in a box at all but has a label slapped on it and sent through the postal system without anything to conceal what it is or even protect it from the elements. A LEGO fan recently found themselves in this exact scenario with a very expensive new building set, only to find that it hadn’t been shipped in any kind of container at all

Over on X (formerly Twitter), user @BuildingMyLEGOs took to the social media platform to call out Target for how his The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree set was shipped, with the $300 set arriving with Target-branded tape across its seams and the shipping label slapped on the front. “Hey @Target @AskTarget this is unacceptable,” they wrote in their post, accompanied by a photo of the box. The post quickly went viral thanks to fans horrified by the mangling of the box itself, but Target’s reply only made it worse, and has LEGO fans reconsidering ever ordering LEGO products from the online retailer ever again.

Expensive LEGO Set Ruined by Target Shipping

In response to the image, Target’s help account replied that they appreciated the concern, and added: “Target is constantly trying to ensure that we are environmentally responsible. Putting a box inside a box to mail an item is counter to this principle. We hope you understand.” Though this stance makes sense, the story gets worse, with @BuildingMyLEGOs noting that not only is the box that the LEGO building pieces come in part of the item itself, but that the set was purchased as a gift, and thus the surprise was ruined.

We appreciate your concern and are happy you reached out to us. Target is constantly trying to ensure that we are environmentally responsible. Putting a box inside a box to mail an item is counter to this principle. We hope you understand. Thanks for asking!

— AskTarget (@AskTarget) June 4, 2026

One might assume, as many responses on X did, that perhaps the gift option wasn’t selected, but the original poster included a screenshot confirming it was. Some may believe that the shipping condition is irrelevant since the box will be opened, the bags ripped, and the set assembled, but the reality of these more expensive LEGO sets is that the box is a part of the collectible for some, and ruining it before it even arrives would be disappointing for countless other items too. Naturally, the post has gone a bit viral with collectors online, gaining so much traction that it has naturally found the eye of plenty of trolls as well. Though some saw it only as a chance for mockery, other collectors were quick to note how upset they would have been as well.

“You can disagree if you want to, but man this would make me mad too,” one user wrote. “The box is destroyed…if I collected legos this would not be good. Some of the replies make me roll my eyes. If you’re a collector ..this isn’t acceptable.”

Target’s responses, which are not confirmed to come from a human, to be clear, have stopped at this point, with the user noting they were taking the item to their local store for a refund. Though the troll attraction is strong, there are also plenty of LEGO fans who have taken this as a means to not order the sets from Target in the future.