Japan Culture Stock (JSC)

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About Japan Culture Stock
What is Japan Culture Stock

Japan Culture Stock is an online shopping service of Japanese products.

We help our customers to purchase Japanese products from Japanese online marketplaces and auction sites and ship them to their countries.

 

Why we are able to provide the services at lower prices?

We are able to offer our services at surprisingly low prices because
- we have managed to systematize many tasks.
- we place orders after we receive orders from our customers, thus minimizing inventory risk.
- we don't add large margins to the item prices or international shipping fees.

How can I purchase items using the request function?

1. Please submit a request for an item
If you have already found the item you want on a Japanese online store, please send us the URL of the item page. If you have found the item on a blog or other website, but have not found the item on a Japanese online store, please send us the URL of the blog or other website and a photo of the item. JCS will find the correct item for you.

2. Please add the item to your shopping cart
If the item suggested by JCS meets your needs, please specify the quantity, size, and color of the item and add it to your cart.

3. Please pay for the items and the domestic shipping fee
If you are satisfied with your order, please pay for the items and the domestic shipping fee. After the payment, please specify your preferred shipping method.

4. Delivery to our warehouse & storage
JCS will purchase the items on your behalf. It usually takes 2-3 days for the item to reach our warehouse.
Items sold at flea market sites may take 1-2 week(s) to arrive.
* Items that are on backorder or pre-order may take longer.

5. Please pay the international shipping fee
After your items are packed and weighed by us, you can pay the international shipping fee from Japan to your home.

6. Receiving your package
Please wait for 1-2 week(s) for your package to be delivered to your home.

Is it possible to create multiple Japan Culture Stock accounts?

As a general rule, only one account can be created per person.
If you need to create multiple accounts, please let us know in advance why you are creating them.
Please note that if you do not provide us with the reason for creating multiple accounts in advance, we may place restrictions on the use of your account.

Commission
How much does it cost?

You always pay the following fees:
- Item price
- Japan Culture Stock service fee: JPY500 / item
- International shipping fee

You sometimes pay the following fees:
- Taxes in Japan
- Domestic shipping fee
- Bank transfer fees incurred in Japan
- Optional Service fees
- Customs duties
- Import taxes and fees

You never pay the following fees:
- Registration fee
- Membership fee
- Standard packaging fees
- Costs relevant to consolidating multiple items
- Basic communications with the seller/consignor

Is there a registration fee for Japan Culture Stock?

No, there is no registration or membership fee.

How much is the service fee for Japan Cuture Stock service?

Our basic service fee is a flat fee of 500 JPY per item, regardless of the item price.

Examples:
You purchase three identical t-shirts (same color and size) in one order, the total service fee will be 500 JPY in total.
You purchase three T-shirts in different colors or sizes, the total service fee will be 1,500 JPY.
Each shirt is considered a different item due to the difference in colors and sizes.

What is included in Japan Culture Stock basic service fee?

Our basic service fee includes the following services.

- Basic communication with the seller/shipping company
- Purchase of items within Japan
- Quick inspection of items
- Consolidation of items
- Packing & shipping of items

Our basic service fee is sufficient to cover normal requests. (So far, more than 90% of requests have been classified as normal requests.)

Payment
What payment method do you accept?

All payment is made via Stripe, a world-famous payment service provider.
3D secure enabled debit card and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JBC) are accepted.

When should I pay for the item and shipping?

When you place an order on our online shopping site, the item prices will be displayed on your cart.
If you are happy with the price there, you can pay for the item(s).

You will be charged for the international shipping fee after our staff has packed your items upon arrival at our warehouse.
If you know the approximate weight and size of your package, you can use our Shipping Fee Calculator to find out how much it will cost.

Are receipts provided?

Yes, once you make a payment for your item and international shipping, you will receive it via e-mail from stripe.com.

The currency of the amount shown on the site is Japanese Yen, can I pay in another currency instead?

Yes, you may choose from one of the currencies shown on our website. If you pay by a credit or debit card, Stripe's exchange rate will be applied.

Shipping
What types of items are prohibited from being shipped overseas?

There are items that can't be shipped overseas. Below you can find a list of some common prohibited items:

- Flammable items (lighters, perfume, nail polish, spray cans, shock absorbers, etc.)

- Plants and animals

- Meat

- Items that violate Japanese law

- Currency

- Air guns

- Swords (including replicas)

- Items restricted by the CITES Treaty

- Adult goods

 
You can refer to the Japan Post pages for more information.
We are unable to cancel or refund an order or bid after it has been placed.
What are the customs duties?

You can import a certain amount of goods without having to pay any customs import fees (customs duties, VAT and/or any other fees required by the import laws of the receiving country, etc.).
The customer is solely responsible for covering these additional costs.
As these fees and restrictions differ for each country, please contact your customs office if you have any questions.
Please ensure you have checked your country's customs rules before shipping a parcel.

What shipping methods do you offer?

We use Japan Post international services : EMS(Express Mail Service), International Parcel Post (Air), International ePacket(Small packet with tracking).

When can I expect my order to be shipped?

In general, once you pay for international shipping, your items will be shipped within 3 business days.

Refunds, Returns and Cancellations
There was a problem with the product I received. Can I get a refund?

Returns, exchanges, claims, etc. regarding merchandise shall be accepted only within 7 days of receipt of the merchandise.
Members agree that if, as a result of inspection, it is discovered that the actual product differs from the description of the product on the seller's online shopping site, the Company may negotiate with the seller for a return or refund of the product. The Company shall refund to the member the amount of money returned by the seller as a result of such negotiations. The Company does not guarantee the results of negotiations to members.
If the member returns merchandise to the seller in accordance with the preceding paragraph, the member must bear the cost of the return shipping and handling as well as the actual cost of return shipping.

Can I cancel the purchase of an item that has not yet been shipped to JCS warehouse? If so, will there be a cancellation fee?

In principle, cancellations will not be accepted after an order has been placed. 

If an item I ordered is sold out, can I get a refund?

You will only be charged for the item we were able to purchase.

My order was cancelled. When will I get a refund?

Refunds usually take between 5-10 business days.