This might be useful to fellow members...
I used to buy parts from Japan especially parts that are hard to find, unavailable in US, or very expensive. The usual place I'm using is amayama.com
Last month when some of the dealers in US had the 25% spring sale, I looked to buy some parts. The total came to $624 for the parts on sale with free shipping.
I was not in a hurry so I looked for them on Japan and amayama.com savings were minimal.
I remembered that someone posted a site that I've never used: impex-jp.com. I looked the part up and the savings looked great: the total was $342 plus $50 estimated shipping.
I placed an order and here is how it went...
They charge you first only for parts in Yen. I paid with PayPal. After payment cleared the amount increased from the estimate. Then they contacted their vendors and come back with an increase in price to a total of $386.36 after payments cleared. Then they actually placed the order with their vendors. After they got the parts I got a notification that I need to create a shipment for my order. They asked for an estimated shipping of $88 that is totally different than what their shipping estimator showed when I placed the order. Then they packaged it and asked for a shipping difference as now the weight included packaging, $5.64 more. Then they shipped. Next the carrier asked for payment of import duties of $74.49. I was surprised as that is more than the tariffs I calculated. They calculate the duties fees of $55! Then there is a regulatory charges fee $1.34, and a duty processing fee $17.50. In the end the cost of parts shipped increased by 42%. My savings ended up $61 compared to buying from US when parts were on sale.
Although impex-jp.com is legit, was responsive via web site messages, the catalog is huge and you can also find all kind of other parts even non-OEM, the experience is not seamless, it requires you to push the order along, the savings end up a lot less than you may initially think, and it takes longer to get the parts. Lesson learned, make sure the savings are so great that you can absorb the fees and price changes that may show up.
BTW the old tariff regulations for Japan that parts for repairing cars older that 20 years are exempt, is no longer in effect.
Amayama.com has the advantage of what you pay it is, as the prices are in USD and the shipping and duties are clearly shown and paid at the time of your order. Be on notice that the prices are so much higher than they used to be.
I used to buy parts from Japan especially parts that are hard to find, unavailable in US, or very expensive. The usual place I'm using is amayama.com
Last month when some of the dealers in US had the 25% spring sale, I looked to buy some parts. The total came to $624 for the parts on sale with free shipping.
I was not in a hurry so I looked for them on Japan and amayama.com savings were minimal.
I remembered that someone posted a site that I've never used: impex-jp.com. I looked the part up and the savings looked great: the total was $342 plus $50 estimated shipping.
I placed an order and here is how it went...
They charge you first only for parts in Yen. I paid with PayPal. After payment cleared the amount increased from the estimate. Then they contacted their vendors and come back with an increase in price to a total of $386.36 after payments cleared. Then they actually placed the order with their vendors. After they got the parts I got a notification that I need to create a shipment for my order. They asked for an estimated shipping of $88 that is totally different than what their shipping estimator showed when I placed the order. Then they packaged it and asked for a shipping difference as now the weight included packaging, $5.64 more. Then they shipped. Next the carrier asked for payment of import duties of $74.49. I was surprised as that is more than the tariffs I calculated. They calculate the duties fees of $55! Then there is a regulatory charges fee $1.34, and a duty processing fee $17.50. In the end the cost of parts shipped increased by 42%. My savings ended up $61 compared to buying from US when parts were on sale.
Although impex-jp.com is legit, was responsive via web site messages, the catalog is huge and you can also find all kind of other parts even non-OEM, the experience is not seamless, it requires you to push the order along, the savings end up a lot less than you may initially think, and it takes longer to get the parts. Lesson learned, make sure the savings are so great that you can absorb the fees and price changes that may show up.
BTW the old tariff regulations for Japan that parts for repairing cars older that 20 years are exempt, is no longer in effect.
Amayama.com has the advantage of what you pay it is, as the prices are in USD and the shipping and duties are clearly shown and paid at the time of your order. Be on notice that the prices are so much higher than they used to be.