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Returns & Refunds

Returns & Refunds

Note: Due to the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Friends may have to hold onto your items until the situation improves. In this case, you may find that Otsukai will have changed the estimated time until shipping to ‘Pre-order’.
Please understand that Otsukai is unable to process cancellations due to shipping delays related to the pandemic. Your understanding during this time is greatly appreciated.

The Friend is taking too long to ship my order. Can I cancel it?

First, please check the offer page to see the number of days your Friend has indicated it will take for them to ship your item, or whether or not the item is a pre-order. Remember that the estimated shipping time is just that — an estimate.

Please note that items offered by your Friends in Japan are usually items they have found on online stores or marketplaces (including flea market sites) etc. Therefore it takes time for the item to be delivered to the Friend before they can ship it on to you.

If more than 1 day has passed since the estimated shipping date, you will be given the option to send a reminder to the Friend. Please go to the Errand page for the order and select the Please ship my item button. This will notify the Friend that you are waiting for the item to be shipped.

If more than 3 days have passed since the estimated shipping date, you will be given the option to send a cancellation request. To do this, please go to the Errand page for your order and select the Request a cancellation button. You can do this regardless of whether or not you sent a shipping reminder.

Once you press this button, the Friend will receive a notification asking them if they agree to a cancellation. If they agree, the order will be canceled and you will receive a refund. If the Friend does not respond after 72 hours, the order will be automatically canceled and you will receive a refund.
Please allow 3 working days for the refund to be processed.

If the Friend has a reason to not want to cancel the order, you will be contacted directly by Otsukai support.

Where is my parcel?

Be sure to check the tracking number of your package regularly. Depending on your location and the time of year, it may take more or less time to arrive. Customs may also temporarily retain your package for inspection.

Feel free to create a new support ticket including your Otsukai username and the URL of the Request you have a question about. However, please contact your country’s postal service before contacting us if the package has already landed in your country.

I accepted an offer but I've changed my mind. Can I cancel the order?

In order to protect the Friends, orders on Otsukai cannot be cancelled once they have been started. It is your responsibility to confirm the details of offers before you accept them. This includes the ‘more info’ field and any comments written on your Request page. If you have not yet accepted any offers, you can delete your Request at any time. However, once you have made payment you cannot cancel your order. All orders are made at your own risk.

Please contact us by creating a new support ticket (including your Otsukai username and the URL of the Request) if your Friend in Japan has sent the incorrect item or if it is not as described. We will then contact your Friend and try to find a solution.

My order has arrived but it is not as described.

If the Friend has sent you a completely different item to the one you accepted, then please contact us by creating a new support ticket (including your Otsukai username and the URL of the Request). We will then contact your Friend and try to find a solution.

All orders on Otsukai are made at your own risk. Please check the offer carefully before accepting, and make sure you research the item that you are purchasing.

My order has arrived but it is damaged. What now?

Your Friend will pack your items to the best of their ability to protect them from being damaged. However, there may still be occasions where damage or even loss occurs. In the case that your order has arrived but is damaged, please do the following:

  • Please contact your local post office immediately. An employee will check the condition of the damaged articles. Please note that you have to present the contents of the package and also the packaging itself. You may be able to claim the insurance up to the amount stated on the customs declaration.
  • If you feel the item was packaged very badly by the Friend (for example, they did not use any bubble wrap or cardboard around a badge and it was dented), then please contact us by creating a new support ticket (including your Otsukai username and the URL of the Request you have a question about) and we can contact the Friend to find a solution.

Can I return my order and get a refund?

Items cannot be returned except in very special cases. Please check both the information you put into your Requests and the offer details carefully before accepting and paying for the items. All orders are made at your own risk. Don’t forget that you can ask as many questions as you like before accepting any offers. Please use the commenting feature available on the browser version of Otsukai.

There was a problem with the order and I've been asked to return the package

You must return packages to the sender only if you have been instructed to do so by a member of the Otsukai support team.

It is important that you write RETURNED GOODS on the customs declaration form in order to prevent extra customs duties from being applied to the package.
If you fail to write RETURNED GOODS on the package and the Friend ends up paying customs charges, you will be liable to cover the charges. The charges will be deducted from any refund you are owed for the returned package.

I found a problem with my item after marking my order as arrived

Please understand that marking your order as arrived is the final stage of orders on Otsukai.
It is important that you check the contents of your package before marking it as arrived.
Otsukai cannot assist you once you have completed the order.
If you find a problem with your item, be sure to contact the Otsukai support team before marking your order as having arrived.
Please bear in mind that packages are automatically marked as arrived 27 days after being shipped. You must be sure to take some kind of action on Otsukai before these 27 days have passed.
Read more here: Why must I take action within 27 days of my order being shipped?

Can the Friend cancel my order?

If the Friend has a reason to cancel the order, they can make a cancellation request.

Once the Friend makes the request you will receive an automated email informing you of the request and why. You will also be notified via the Errand page for that particular order.

The Friend can choose from the following reasons for cancellation:

・The Friend was unable to get hold of the item
This means that the Friend could not get the item they offered you. For example, they may have ordered an item from a secondhand store and the order was canceled by the seller, or the item was lost in the post.

・The sale of the item has been postponed
Sometimes pre-order items may not be released when first announced. The Friend may possibly need to cancel the order in such cases.

・The item will longer go on sale
The production of the item has been canceled.

・The item is no longer in stock
The item has already sold out from the store the Friend was planning on purchasing the item from.

・The item is broken or is missing parts
When the Friend inspected the item, they found it was broken or missing parts.

・Unable to ship
The Friend is unable to ship this item. This may be due to the item being prohibited, or due to restrictions based on your country's postal service.

You can agree to the cancellation by going to your Errand page and selecting I agree. Please note that if you do not respond within 72 hours of the cancellation request being made, the order will be automatically canceled.

Please understand that we cannot reverse the cancellation of an order.

Once the cancellation has been processed, you should receive a refund within 3 working days. Be sure to check any correspondence from PayPal regarding the refund.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Otsukai support team if anything is unclear.

Where can I see my canceled orders?

Once an order has been canceled, the Errand page created for it will be erased.
You can see a list of orders which have been canceled by going to My Page > Your Requests > See canceled orders. Here you will be able to see a history of orders which have been canceled and why. Please note that only orders canceled since the 24 April update will be reflected on this page.