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Did anyone ever order something from eBay from Japan?
- Thread starter Perfessor
- Start date
I have done business with Japanese dealers many times on both ebay and reverb and have never had any issues.
Never had any issues. Bass always looks better than it did in the photos. Shipping faster than domestic ground! The only minus is not much room for haggling … BUT make sure you buy from the shop that owns the bass, not one of the many middlemen that buy and ship it for you for a premium.
I've bought like 5 of them. No issues. Most were shipped in 2-3 days. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I remember folks buying gear from eBay Japan then on the shipping day the sales were put on hold 
Reason.
Seller spotted undeclared marks while packing. No further movement until photos were sent and buyer was OK with the condition.
Japanese folks take business and reputation very seriously. I never think twice about buying from there.
Reason.
Seller spotted undeclared marks while packing. No further movement until photos were sent and buyer was OK with the condition.
Japanese folks take business and reputation very seriously. I never think twice about buying from there.
And I would add, Japanese sellers in my experience are less likely to
This. I had the same thing: a truss rod maxed out that they discovered when setting up before shipping. Full refund that day with sincere apologies. For some MIJ “sleeper basses,” they can be really cheap, but other instruments can cost way more than here. Packing is always so thorough I’m usually mock-cursing them after 20 minutes of sawing through layers of wrap with a knife. They are so honest in the write ups that they undersell the basses, referring to rust or dents you can’t find yourself when it arrives five days later. Wanna save a couple of hundred bucks? Buy directly from Gakki or Ishibashi (spelling corrected!) using Google translate.I remember folks buying gear from eBay Japan then on the shipping day the sales were put on hold
Reason.
Seller spotted undeclared marks while packing. No further movement until photos were sent and buyer was OK with the condition.
Japanese folks take business and reputation very seriously. I never think twice about buying from there.
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I got hit with an unexpected 8% customs duty on a new bass shipped from Ishibashi. The seller was great. Shipping was fast but high. The bass was perfect on delivery.
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I bought a bass from Kurosawa using Google Translate.
kurosawagakki.com
It was a good experience. A sales rep communicated with with regular updates, the bass arrived on-time, and the bass is great.
kurosawagakki.com
It was a good experience. A sales rep communicated with with regular updates, the bass arrived on-time, and the bass is great.
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At least 4 purchases from there for me, all perfect, fast and professional. Ask for EMS shipping and you shouldn't have any customs or duties added on, if its coming DHL, you will have fee's and duties...
D
I just bought a pedal on eBay from Japan.
I thought the shipping would take a long time but i got it within a week. The pedal was used but it looks and works like new. There was a hand written note thanking me for my purchase, it was wrapped in Japanese news paper, and had an origami swan with it.
They said in the eBay add that it was cleaned and sterilized… i have no doubt that it was.
I certainly saved that seller
I thought the shipping would take a long time but i got it within a week. The pedal was used but it looks and works like new. There was a hand written note thanking me for my purchase, it was wrapped in Japanese news paper, and had an origami swan with it.
They said in the eBay add that it was cleaned and sterilized… i have no doubt that it was.
I certainly saved that seller
I purchased a bass from Tokyowax on eBay back in 2015. I bought it on a Sunday and had it in my hands on Tuesday. I was surprised at how fast DHL delivered. The bass was better than described.
I still have it.
I still have it.
I’ve bought basses and they ship faster and arrive in better shape than UPS or FEDEX. No problems at all.
I've bought 3 basses from japanese ebay sellers (pretty sure they were all middlemen accounts).
All three times, they were all very prompt and answered all my questions when asked.
It was a pleasure to do business with all of them.
I would not hesitate to buy another once I have the money
All three times, they were all very prompt and answered all my questions when asked.
It was a pleasure to do business with all of them.
I would not hesitate to buy another once I have the money
yes...the item i bought was from china tho, it just took a bit longer...no problem doing business overseas like that.
No bass purchases but I have bought old film cameras and lenses from Japanese sellers on ebay a handful of times.
Zero issues.
Always very good descriptions, items always seem in better shape than the photos might suggest, shipping was prompt and packing was really good every time.
Zero issues.
Always very good descriptions, items always seem in better shape than the photos might suggest, shipping was prompt and packing was really good every time.
D
In my experience Japanese sellers are honest. However, ebay listings from Japan tend to be EXTREMELY overpriced. You will also often find the exact same instrument (not just the same model) listed by several different sellers. The way I've been told this works is that the seller doesn't really own the instrument but acts as a sort of middleman. He will buy the instrument from a store, add a nice profit for himself and then ship it to you. Which means that there's a small chance the instrument will be purchased by someone else after you've placed the order. Personally I would rather buy directly from a Japanese store but with some brands like MIJ Fender I think they're not allowed to ship them outside Japan. Hence the market for these middlemen.
