Strange ,I just got an email from Manda Nayuta about 2 separately sent/returning items saying; "Currently, DHL is the only way to resend your luggage. If there is a difference in shipping fee, we will charge you."
Just checked and realised I have something also heading back to Nagoya. Was hoping it got under the wire but I guess the backlog built up real quick. Fingers are crossed the DHL option is offered.
It was Nagoya for me too. I think you should be offered the DHL, but no idea what the rates are like or how they are calculated. It was Nayuta that did not even ship it out. I wonder how many things are supposedly en route, only to be sent back. I don't blame Mandarake of course, no way anyone could predict this, but a pain for all of us. And I am sure the shops (if this is happening everywhere) are quickly going to become overwhelmed with packages, new and old.
Looks like Manda are gonna have to deal with at least 5 days of EU/UK shipments being returned to them.It looks like nothing left Tokyo Int since 4th March but stuff was still being dispatched there from branches up til 8th March.
I find it a bit odd there is very little information or explanation being actually offered on Japan Post's website, looking at it now. It doesn't actually make any explanation of flight or air space restrictions which are leading to this service disruption. Perhaps more strange to me now though, in looking at it, is that actually this is not even an EU-wide ban, but only seems to have affected specific mail destinations, which - kind of makes even less sense? I can't see, for example, how flights/post to the Netherlands would be fine, but France, Belgium, and Germany (all sharing borders, and of course with the UK being just across as well) would be unavailable. This appears to be the complete list of disruptions:
It could be Netherlands are also concerned. The national flight company KLM is part of Air France and so it could be that all mails/parcels from Japan goes through France first...
'Due to the suspension of postal service, your order has been returned to us. There are 3 options we can do. 1. cancel the order and issue a full refund 2. hold the order until the suspension is lifted 3. reship by DHL Sorry to trouble you, but please let us know your preference by "March 20". If we can't get your reply, we will cancel the order and issue a full refund. We are sorry for the inconvenience.' Went for the reship option and received an invoice for ¥1,650 (which I was anticipating being way higher) an hour later. It seems that all new orders to UK only have DHL available as a shipping option.
So far I've oddly only got the returned/cancellation messages from those two shops, too, Andy: Nagoya and Nayuta. Not sure why the other ones seemed to have 'slipped through.' But yes, definitely nothing is going to be leaving anytime soon with options other than DHL it would seem. Strangely though, on repeated messages from them they seem to suggest that they might have been able to hold the packages, if they had not been paid through Paypal, which now makes me wonder IF one were to create an order and use credit card payment instead, if they could keep hold of the parcel until the situation somewhat resolves itself.
Mandarake seem to be in a bit of a mess at the moment.I have yet to hear anything from Cocoo regarding a box that was sent on 2nd March and returned. Nayuta sent messages about two boxes being returned that were sent on 5th/7th, saying they would contact me when they recieved them with my options... edit; just got email from Nayuta offering DHL or refund.No hold option.
Oh FFS, just got hit with another surcharge notice from another returned package, this one Shibuya. They didn't even bother with the explanation or anything, unlike the other stores, just straight into the supplemental shipping invoice. This is becoming really unpleasant.
Making Lemonade out of Lemons! . . . . the DHL cost wasn't much more than EMS and unless I'm going to get hit with post-delivery invoices, both DHL packages were delivered with no customs/import/handling charges, despite being well over the limit.
Fortunate for you then, Andy, because I can say that every single Mandarake shop I have asked said that for DHL they are absolutely unwilling to change (even use the original) under-declared value, and I have definitely been hit with customs/import fees from them [DHL]. I really hope Japan Post arranges something else soon, still not quite clear the real logistical burden that has changed here if flights are continuing via other routes.
The post Brexit raising of the vat threshold to £135, combined with one week cheap shipping with 'small air parcel ' had made buying 'bargains' off Manda too tempting for me.This downtime is really making me consider whether I 'need' whatever shiny thing catches my eye. Hopefully I can get back to blowing my lunch money on toys soon
It has definitely made me evaluate closely every single thing I consider now, as it has to be something really special to overcome these obstacles. But, with all this bemoaning, it also seems like there might be some good news. I keep checking regularly, hoping that they have found a solution to this issue, and actually as of the 18th, Japan Post has resumed some service - which is great! (also, suspended some further services, too, so it depends on where you sit on this one). So right now it looks like this is only for letter post, but still, this is definitely a plus, and hopefully a sign that, as the systems get worked out and they can handle more capacity, maybe this will be extended to parcels also. Fingers and toes crossed.
Well, I now have to counter my earlier optimism with some further grey clouds. I just received noticed from my buying service in Japan that a large package of aggregated items (e.g. YJA, etc.) may have now been returned also, despite it actually shipping out before the service interruption. This one is much more of a concern to me. I really don't want to have to go FedEx route (they are advising). Argh, so frustrating. I also still have a few packages MIA that were apparently in transit during this buffer period [but about which I have not received any notice, nor delivery], so I am really starting to wonder where those are right now.
I just got a re-sent package from Manda Nayuta via DHL.It looks like they are having to repack each box as there was no evidence Japan post had touched it. The earliest missing item (sent 3/3) still hasn't come back to Cocoo ,a second Nayuta box has been Awol for 2 weeks now...
No doubt. It must be all the shit-talking (or more likely, just plain ignoring) I do of all those amazing artisans and skilled designers of new 'toyz' [often featured by Moog in his favourite thread] .
Argh. I thought I was done buying stuff from Japan for the time being but I just found something at Mandarake Nakano. What's the cheaper method for shipping to the US right now, EMS or DHL?
All I can say is, DHL was 2060¥ for a couple of sticker-sized pieces of paper via M. Nakano last month. I'm not complaining too much about it, but that's the starting point. Also, the Cincinnati stargate/portal of 36 hour deliveries for east coasters seems to have closed.
I think EMS is back to being cheaper. Whatever agreement mandarake had with DHL to offer cheap pandemic shipping must have expired.