Q: What do I do to have Celga buy items for me from Japanese websites?
A: First, if you haven't already done so, you need to (signup)sign up for a Celga account and (login)log in to it on our website. It's fast, easy, and FREE!
Next, you need to find items you want to buy! We have lots of links to Japanese webshops on our (specint)special interest pages, but you're not limited to this list if you have your own favorite websites to buy from. (And if you (contactus)send your list of favorites to us, we can include them on our site, too!)
Once you've found your items, just send us a (shoprequest)shopping request – make sure you've filled out the form completely and have included all the information about each item (like color or size) that we'll need to place your order.
You'll then need to send us your (shopdep)deposit for the items so we can purchase them for you. You don't need to wait for confirmation of your order from our staff – the sooner we have your deposit, the sooner we can buy your stuff for you!
Your shopping request will be sent to our staff who will check it over and enter it into our system. Once we've accepted your request it'll appear on your (items)items page and you'll receive confirmation email.
We'll place your order as soon as possible after we accept your request and receive your deposit. Once we know what the total cost of your order will be, we'll invoice you for any costs above the amount of your initial deposit.
Then just sit back and wait for your items to arrive at our Japanese warehouse! Some webshops ship items quickly, some take more time, and we've got no control over either. You can check your (items)items page for status - when we've received your items, they'll change to a status of "in stock".
Then you can (shipfaq)request that your items be shipped to you!
Q: How can I find Japanese webshops to buy from?
A: A good place to start is our (specint)Special Interest pages, where we have lots of our customers' favorite sites listed. We also have a (shopsearch)search function for all our shopping links.
You're not limited to the shops we have listed, of course – we can purchase items from almost any Japanese web site! We're always happy to add more links, so if your favorite webshops aren't listed, please (contactus)contact us and let us know!
Q: Are there any additional fees for orders from Japanese webshops?
A: In addition to the (genfees) purchase price and usual Celga fee, (genmorefees) bank wire transfer fee, internal shipping fee, and international shipping fee,, Japan has a national 5% sales tax. This tax is charged on all web sales, so we must pass it on to you.
Q: Why are there two prices listed for an item on a seller's website?
A: The lower price is the base price, and the second price includes the (shoptax)national 5% sales tax. The two prices are provided as a convenience for shoppers. If you do the math, you'll see it all works out!
Q: What is the deposit required for purchasing from a Japanese website?
A: We require 100% of the purchase price in US dollars as a deposit before purchasing items from a Japanese website for you. This is because we do know what the final purchase price will be (in contrast to auctions, which may vary), and know that we will be spending at least that amount of money on your behalf.
Q: Can you ask a seller if a certain item is in stock?
A: We can only ask about items being in stock if you are 100% committed to buying the item if it is in stock and have already sent us your (shopdep)deposit for it. It is a cultural difference that Japanese sellers understand inquiries about items being in stock as a commitment to buy, and will often put the item on hold for us when we ask. Therefore, we can't ask questions unless you're planning to buy the item right away.
Q: What happens if an item is out of stock?
A: Most Japanese webshops are very good about keeping their web pages up to date with stock information. Unfortunately, some are not, and we may not find out an item you requested is not in stock until days or weeks after we have placed your order. In this event, we will refund you the cost of the out of stock item and all fees associated with it as soon as we are notified.
Q: Can I ask you to buy something for me from a Japanese website without creating an account on your website?
A: In the past, we were able to process emailed requests to buy items, but with our web site upgrade, we now require that all customers (signup)create an account on our web site and use our (shopform)online web form to request all purchases. Creating an account is fast, easy, and FREE, and it will help us process and track your requests much more quickly and accurately!
Please also see our (accountfaq)account FAQ for more help with creating Celga accounts.
Q: Can I cancel or change a website purchase request?
A: We're sorry, but once we have placed an order for you, it cannot be cancelled or changed. You will be responsible for the purchase price and all additional fees associated with that order.
If you want to order additional items, we can place another for you from the same website, but please understand that this will be a separate order and will incur additional shipping fees from the website. We cannot combine new orders with any outstanding previous orders even from the same shop.
Q: Can you buy an item for me from a physical store in Japan?
A: We're sorry, but we only offer shopping services for Japanese webshops. If the physical store also has a web site we can shop from, we can help you, but we're afraid we just don't have the staff to be able to shop directly at brick and mortar stores!
Q: Can you return items for me if they don't fit or are the wrong color?
A: We're sorry, but we cannot accept returns or exchanges from customers. We make an exception solely in the event that the wrong item was sent from the webshop. In that case we will work with the seller to obtain the correct item for you. Otherwise, please check carefully to make sure the color, item, and size you request are correct, because all sales are considered to be final.
Q: An item I want goes on sale on a website at midnight. Will you be able to buy it for me?
A: While we will do our best to purchase these items for you at the time they go on sale, due to staffing limitations we cannot guarantee we will be able to. Please (contactus)contact us if you have a time sensitive order!
Q: Can you pre-order or reserve order an item from a Japanese web site?
A: We are happy to place pre-orders for our customers! Pre-orders are placed exactly like regular orders - they have the same deposit requirements and may not be cancelled even if the shop takes an extraordinarily long time fulfill it. If the shop cancels your pre-order or there is any other reason that we cannot obtain it, we will refund 100% of your deposit and any associated fees as quickly as possible.
