eBay Japan - any experiences?

[Sammybass]

Hello fam

 

Has anyone bought anything on eBay from Japan? I love old Ibanez Roadstars and there are loads on there. I’m just scared to pull the trigger. 
Cheers! 
Sam

[SH73]

5 minutes ago, Sammybass said:

Hello fam

 

Has anyone bought anything on eBay from Japan? I love old Ibanez Roadstars and there are loads on there. I’m just scared to pull the trigger. 
Cheers! 
Sam

Yep, I fancy one of them, would be interested to learn more. I played roadstar in early 90s . I remember how thick the neck was, almost like the Steve Harris Royal blue p bass. Steve played during number of the beast era , I think.

Edited December 5, 2021 by SH73

[BassTractor]

Each and every time I've ordered something from Japan, everything has been perfec'.

I've ordered from eBay and different Japanese websites.
Last time was 2017 or before, but I gather nothing has changed there.

[Reggaebass]

I’ve seen some really nice jazzes on there but never bought any, I think you still have to pay customs on top , one I was looking at had this in the description 

 

International Buyers - Please Note:

 

Import duties. taxes. and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying

[Dood]

I think the general figure of adding 28% on top of the cost of the item and shipping combined should cover all the additional costs to get it delivered to your door?

[Burns-bass]

I’ve bought items from Japan and the experience was simple, quick and painless. The descriptions of items are always exceptionally accurate, I’ve found.

[uk_lefty]

Probably worth looking up the seller and seeing if they have their own site, might be cheaper bypassing eBay.

[ambient]

I generally buy my camera film from Japan via eBay, I’ve bought a couple of posters too.

Items generally arrive within a few days. Obviously those purchases don’t attract VAT or customs charges, which might affect the how long it takes to arrive.

[zbd1960]

I bought something from Japan for the first time a few weeks ago - a film back for a medium format camera. Very straightforward and surprisingly quick. Even with cost of airfreight was cheaper than buying in UK/

[Gwilym]

I would recommend https://www.bassjapandirect.com too. Bought a bass from Danny earlier this year and all went smoothly. No language barrier either.

[Bunion]

I used to buy water stones and straight razors from Japan regularly and never once had a problem with customs or service from the vendors. 

[Dood]

Shame the cost of shipping and VAT on the total is so painful to the wallet; Japan sure do have some nice basses in stock!

[ubit]

I don't know about Japan but I have bought many items from China with no problems. I started with things that I wouldn't be too bothered about if they didn't come and gradually as I grew more confident bought more expensive items. If China is ok, I would imagine Japan would be better. At the end of the day it's down to the individual sellers decency. Pay pal has protection too.

Edited December 9, 2021 by ubit

[Sammybass]

Thanks for the replies everyone - very interesting! 😁