1 & Only Amazon Japan Thread

[Jen526]

I can't speak to marketplace sellers, but for reference sake:

I ordered an artbook a while back that was damaged in shipping. I initiated a return, but they told me to just keep it, and sent me a replacement.

That policy might have only applied because the item was damaged and they'd just have to throw it away when it came back anyway, but it was very nice of them.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by something

And for 810 yen... I paid over 3000 yen on Yahoo Auctions for that and thought ti was a steal.

I'm still looking at some auctions for the Key albums I am missing... but I only have the CD and no case (original) so I'll need to re buy it someday. still need to buy the movic kanon cd I am missing as well :o

[HitokiriShadow]

I noticed the overcharges pretty early on (back in January, based on the notes on my spreadsheet) but never quite got around to actually doing anything about it until today. The one time I previously felt like doing and tried, I couldn't figure out how to contact them. I've figured it out now though.

The whole thing is really bizarre in what is and isn't overcharged. All of my DVD/BD imports thus far are from two orders (though the first was actually two or three, from back when they actually let you combine orders, but its been one big order for most of the time things have been shipping out). The second order is all of my Vampire Bund BDs and four other discs from four different series, the first order is everything else up until today's order. Both orders had some items charged properly and some overcharged.

The second order has overcharged me on every single volume of Vampire Bund, but charged me the right amount on the other three discs that have shipped. I was not overcharged on even a single volume Sasameki Koto on either order, but was overcharged on every single volume of Hayate except the ones that were already out when I placed the order and the one that I later put in the second order. I was overcharged for the first 4 volumes of Railgun, but not for the next two (one in each order). I was mostly charged correctly for Bakemonogatari, except for volumes 2 and 5, all of which were in the first big order except the yet to be released final volume.

Anyway, I should have about $23 coming back for that big order. I'm going to wait on the second order, since its looking like I'm just going to have to have them refund me for every single volume of Vampire Bund.

[something]

Originally Posted by HitokiriShadow

The whole thing is really bizarre in what is and isn't overcharged.

It's all just coincidence really, since there's no rhyme or reason I can figure out for when Amazon increases a discount by a percentage point or two. (Decreased discounts don't adjust the price and should have no effect. For your items that weren't charged sales tax, it simply implies that the price didn't decrease (i.e. discount didn't increase) between the time you ordered and the time it shipped. If the discount had increased, you'd get hit.

Since Haruhi is a few months out, and was 26% off when I ordered, I'm almost certain it'll get hit, because I expect that at some point before 10/22 it'll be 27% off.

It's sort of ironic, in that preordering as early as possible should in theory guarantee you the best price because you get charged the best price that was ever offered during the time you had it on order, even if it only decreases in price for a day... but in reality it makes it much more likely you'll end up paying more because more time for a price decrease = more likely to hit the bug. Oh well at least there's the refund.

Actually seems like it would pay to wait to request a refund until the dollar is shitty against the yen. Maybe them having to refund me at 88.8 JPY<>USD when a lot of those were purchased at 90+ will convince them to fix the bug. ...nah probably not. And some of those were purchased at like 85 yen so I'm not entirely sure if I come out even or not. Of course it's an exceptionally small difference either way.

[Draneor]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

but I only have the CD and no case (original) so I'll need to re buy it someday.

FYI, the case was made of paper. You're not missing much.

[HitokiriShadow]

Originally Posted by something

It's all just coincidence really, since there's no rhyme or reason I can figure out for when Amazon increases a discount by a percentage point or two. (Decreased discounts don't adjust the price and should have no effect. For your items that weren't charged sales tax, it simply implies that the price didn't decrease (i.e. discount didn't increase) between the time you ordered and the time it shipped. If the discount had increased, you'd get hit.

I never did go back and check what my original order prices were for everything. It turns out Sasameki Koto was never further discounted than when I originally ordered it, so that explains that. And by sheer coincidence, the last volume of Hayate never had a higher discount while all of the other volumes did. But it doesn't explain how I was properly charged for Railgun 5 and 6, as the prices for those DID go down and I was charged the correct price (or at least, I never recorded a lower price, the one it charged was actually lower than the lowest prices I had observed for those two discs) and no sales tax.

Actually seems like it would pay to wait to request a refund until the dollar is shitty against the yen. Maybe them having to refund me at 88.8 JPY<>USD when a lot of those were purchased at 90+ will convince them to fix the bug. ...nah probably not. And some of those were purchased at like 85 yen so I'm not entirely sure if I come out even or not. Of course it's an exceptionally small difference either way.

Since Amazon charges and refunds in yen and the amount they refund would be the same regardless of the exchange rate. The exchange rate only makes a difference on our end, its still the same amount of yen for them. Anyway, I had thought about that too, but its too hard to know when it might start going that direction and I'd really rather it didn't, since the refund increase would be maybe $1 total, but my import costs would go up significantly.

[something]

Originally Posted by HitokiriShadow

But it doesn't explain how I was properly charged for Railgun 5 and 6, as the prices for those DID go down and I was charged the correct price (or at least, I never recorded a lower price, the one it charged was actually lower than the lowest prices I had observed for those two discs) and no sales tax.

Railgun was listed as ¥5,772 for me for 4 and 6 (bought 5 at CDJ for the external bonus). It shipped at ¥5,533, meaning I saved ¥239. You probably saw something similar.

But those were still hit by the bug. The only we saved anything is because the price must have dipped fairly considerably at some point, so much that even the application of sales tax couldn't erase the savings and we still came out positive. It was probably briefly 30% or something like that. So basically you may have saved ~¥200 but should have saved more than that. The reason I'm sure they were hit by the bug is because Amazon agreed with my claim and refunded me almost ¥300 each even though shipped cost was already ¥239 less than initial cost.

For the record, Railgun 7 and 8 have changed price since I ordered. I ordered at ¥5772 and ¥5770 respectively, but both if purchased today would be ¥5550. So I already know both will get hit with the bug for me.

Since Amazon charges and refunds in yen and the amount they refund would be the same regardless of the exchange rate. The exchange rate only makes a difference on our end, its still the same amount of yen for them.

Yeah true, nevermind that.

Here's a list of the 18 titles I got refunds for, btw. Almost all ordered well before release.
Angel Beats!, Vol. 1 - ¥256
Durarara!!, Vol. 04 - ¥219
Durarara!!, Vol. 05 - ¥229
Hidamari Sketch x ☆☆☆, Vol. 3 - ¥249
Hidamari Sketch x ☆☆☆, Vol. 4 - ¥251
Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 1 - ¥140
Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 2 - ¥240
Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 3 - ¥140
Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 4 - ¥148
Sasameki Koto, Vol. 3 - ¥214
Sasameki Koto, Vol. 4 - ¥214
So-Ra-No-Wo-To, Vol. 3 - ¥256
So-Ra-No-Wo-To, Vol. 4 - ¥256
Spice & Wolf II, Vol. 3 - ¥278
Spice & Wolf II, Vol. 4 - ¥278
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (2009), Vol. 8 (5.999999) - ¥168
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Vol. 4 - ¥284
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Vol. 6 - ¥276

Volumes 3 and 4 must be cursed...

[danhawk]

does amazon.jp pre charged your credit card when you place an order with them. thinking of ordering both Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya sets from there i just cant remember if they pre charged the card or not.

[Moe Moe Taiga]

Originally Posted by danhawk

does amazon.jp pre charged your credit card when you place an order with them. thinking of ordering both Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya sets from there i just cant remember if they pre charged the card or not.

They charge when the order ships.

[something]

Originally Posted by Moe Moe Taiga

They charge when the order ships.

Yeah, if they precharged there would be no such thing as a difference in initial cost and shipped cost, the basis of this thread.

Precharging is pretty rare in general, really.