Amazon Japan - CD cases cracked

[LuxKiller65]

Decided to buy some game soundtracks from Amazon Japan, shipping to Hong Kong (not even a long way).

I used globabl priority since it was only 500 yen more than global economy. They dispatched the order in 2 thin cardboard envelopes, one with 3 albums and one with 7 albums. No bubble wrap, no plastic bag, nothing. Just the cases flying around inside the envelopes.

Out of the 10 albums, 7 are cracked. I'm glad 3 are OK, i thought all would be cracked just looking at the envelopes coming my way.

Have you guys had similar experiences with Amazon? Will they accept a refund or exchange?

Now I know - never buy from Amazon except it's something that's absolutely unavailable everywhere else. Very ridiculous.

One of the albums was the OST of GT3 which they only have 2 more copies available, and it's becoming hard to find, the last few copies are gone from the other retailers.



EDIT: took photos of the damage and asked for all albums to be refunded, except GT3 for which I asked a replacement.

Now I will return the items PROPERLY PACKED to them. Upside down automated world of the 21st century.

Amazon Japan - never again! Now onto CDJapan which has the same albums and where a human being actually packs items properly...

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

Have you guys had similar experiences with Amazon? Will they accept a refund or exchange?

Their packaging has really gone down the drain over the years. It used to be pretty good, proper cardboard, proper fixing of items etc. Nowadays (~2019), it's as you say, "cardboard envelopes". Had a new item get dented because of that and refunded it. No issues then. Some other items had issues as well, but no clue whether it was because of Amazon or if they were like that beforehand (third-party sellers).
It's also Amazon in general, not just Japan. Last month I got a book in such an envelope and the cover was partly torn. I didn't even bother accepting the second book which had already been on the way.
I've also given them feedback regarding this, especially when it comes to expensive items...but it seems like they don't care. They should be good regarding refunds, so definitely go for it.

[yindesu]

Been bad since before 2019. Pretty much everyone's Xenoblade 2 OST (2018) got damaged because of the envelopes they used.

[LuxKiller65]

Hey there,
Yeah I was definitely complaining about Amazon in general, not because it was from Japan. They must have the same shipping systems in all their shipping plants.

Good to know I wasn't an isolated case. It's crazy they ship 7 albums in a single envelope without any protection or padding. I told customer service, and unsurpringly, they told me:
- This is normal, not a mistake, it was supposed to be shipped like this. Their system evaluates the type of packing depending on what the items are etc.
- They can't accept custom requests for better packaging or more padding/bubble wrap, as their shipping is "highly automated".

I'm guessing that means there is ZERO human handling. Items are pushed inside the envelope by a machine and then taped by machine again. They sure save a couple of salaries, so I'm guessing they don't mind losing a customer.

I asked for a refund for all, except GT3, let's see how the 2nd copy comes in. i expect a crack again, after which I will be asking for a new copy but I will push to keep the damaged copy. No way I'm paying 40$ to ship it back by DHL again, and hope they refund me later.

Lesson learned - I will be paying a small premium and use CDJapan and other more reliable CD sources.

Hope this can help others

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

Hey there,
Yeah I was definitely complaining about Amazon in general, not because it was from Japan. They must have the same shipping systems in all their shipping plants.

Good to know I wasn't an isolated case. It's crazy they ship 7 albums in a single envelope without any protection or padding. I told customer service, and unsurpringly, they told me:
- This is normal, not a mistake, it was supposed to be shipped like this. Their system evaluates the type of packing depending on what the items are etc.
- They can't accept custom requests for better packaging or more padding/bubble wrap, as their shipping is "highly automated".

I'm guessing that means there is ZERO human handling. Items are pushed inside the envelope by a machine and then taped by machine again. They sure save a couple of salaries, so I'm guessing they don't mind losing a customer.

I asked for a refund for all, except GT3, let's see how the 2nd copy comes in. i expect a crack again, after which I will be asking for a new copy but I will push to keep the damaged copy. No way I'm paying 40$ to ship it back by DHL again, and hope they refund me later.

These days, yes. It was different ~10 years ago, as their packaging (cardboard with cats or dogs on it that neatly folded itself after opening) was definitely different and they did the proper item fixing I mentioned. It was absolutely superior to what we had here at the time and it was a sad day when they stopped using it. There was also enough space to avoid crushing the items.

At least they told you the reason. And yeah, it's crazy. In my case, no idea how they can put a PC game box and a jewel case in an envelope to the point it's bulging, sent it away for international shipping and then expect it to be fine. It's stupid and while they may be fine with losing money that way, some rare items can get badly damaged because of it.

They definitely refunded me properly for sending things back. The funny part is that the item was worth like 9000 Yen but they damaged it (probably when the machine put it inside). It was from a third-party seller. So, they told me to send it back via DHL X. However, we didn't have DHL offering X here, so I went with the shipping method that was basically equal and it cost a bit more than 70€...for a game worth 9000 Yen which got damaged (point being that shipping it back cost more than the item itself). So in the end, they refunded me the game, the partial shipping costs (the second item was fine) and the shipping costs for sending it back. Another interesting thing here: They started selling the item I had sent back on their own. For less money and "used" this time as opposed to "new" and from the third-party seller.
Ah, and you have to make photos of the receipts you get for shipping it back.

Will be interesting to see whether you get to keep the damaged copy when "pushing" for it. A friend of mine imported some Granblue...something which got damaged and they told him to keep it. The interesting part here is that it probably wasn't cheap and that there was some digital code for some thing inside. So he got a second copy and he wanted to try to sell that code...but no idea if he ever did it. So you can get "lucky" or you can't. No idea what it depends on but price doesn't seem to matter too much?

[sechsterangriff]

The trick is to also add some big item in the same order that guarantees they won't be shipping items in a flimsy envelope. If that is not feasible then it's not worth the risk.

[ilef]

That ain't work, either. Ordered some PC parts for a new rig and stuff still needed replacement.

[LuxKiller65]

Man, what a trainwreck. I love that they know this happens a lot, and that's why it's so easy to start a refund/replacement process on their website. Instead of fixing the problem at the source, they just prefer to buy a lot of bandaid and keep skating naked on the highway. They even CAN'T pack it better even if they want to, since it's all automated.

[LuxKiller65]

They resent the soundtrack I asked a replacement for. This time in a thin cardboard box that's used for thick magazines (A4 size or close). Still no wrapping or padding, so the case was flying around happily. Luckily no cracks.

And the 6 albums I asked a refund for have been refunded, apparently. Not yet checked the amount, and I'm curious how much of shipping they will refund, if any.

Really a shame, they have the best prices for some recent and older stuff, including most of Sega's ebten catalog (those that are still in stock). They could simply offer a choice for box with bubble wrap at extra cost. They could even overprice it so only those who care like me would choose it. They really have no excuse for not offering this, they are an empire with shipping plants all over the world, dealing with thousands of shipments daily.

[LuxKiller65]

Just got a package from CDJapan after the Amazon debacle.

Sure they're slightly more expensive on items (Amazon usually has x% off retail price) and on shipping, but it's "day vs. night" regarding packaging. They ship in a box that's big enough, padded with paper and items are bubble wrapped (though not always individually, which is still a bit risky with heavy items packed with light items).

I also feel they handle their stock more carefully, so you always get nice clean items with no defects, or barely noticeable ones. Stuff from Amazon had more scuffs and plastic wraps were a bit warped/wavy (not that it's a big deal), as if it had been moving around and touching things more.

Since play-asia and yesasia seem to have dried up their stock of old albums and don't seem to care much about VGM anymore (especially play-asia), i feel CDJapan is one of the last big retailers for VGM.

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

They ship in a box that's big enough, padded with paper and items are bubble wrapped (though not always individually, which is still a bit risky with heavy items packed with light items).

Is it? Unless the workers are either completely inept or don't care at all, the heavy items should always be at the bottom.

[LuxKiller65]

4 albums were wrapped together (3 jewel cases and 1 double jewel case). Then another jewel case was in a separate bubble wrap. Not the best choice but still pretty safe unless you sit on the box.

Not sure top and bottom means much, as they flip packages all the time. That's why wrapping them properly is so important.

Heyyyy 1st world problems eh! Anyway very happy with CDJapan.

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

4 albums were wrapped together (3 jewel cases and 1 double jewel case). Then another jewel case was in a separate bubble wrap. Not the best choice but still pretty safe unless you sit on the box.

Not sure top and bottom means much, as they flip packages all the time. That's why wrapping them properly is so important.

Heyyyy 1st world problems eh! Anyway very happy with CDJapan.

Not sure about the flipping, unless the guys doing the shipping really don't care (and shipping papers are generally on the top). As for wrapping...I would think standard wrapping (bubble wrap) is enough and fixating the items is more important, so that they don't move at all inside the package, no matter what happens to it.
One of the main issues is when you buy from private sellers and they don't pay attention to that kind of stuff and then the proxy service doesn't correct it (which is fair).

I mean, spent money is spent money. And it's right to pay attention to things. Since I generally buy from third-party sellers, my issues lie more with awful/lack of pictures of the product or other issues concerning the item itself. Like one item that arrived yesterday had a plastic barcode on it and since it is from the 90s, I couldn't get the glue off the shrinkwrap at all (only the plastic bit). So now I have a yellow stain and a bit of soap didn't help unfortunately. Meh.

[LuxKiller65]

I just bought a small bottle of GooGone (bundled with some sort of spatula to help lift stickers).

Just yesterday night I removed a thick anti-theft metal barcode from a shrinkwrap with it.
(like this one)

Lift an edge as much as you can, then with some loose cotton or a cotton swab, put product on it and massage the glue until it goes soft (almost liquid). keep massaging and you should be able to lift millimiter afer millimiter away. I managed to remove it all and the product doesn't leave any stain on shrinkwraps (good shrinkwraps with pulltabs at least - not sure about those super cheap shrinkwraps done with cheaper heat sealing machines).

I used to use white spirit but it's more aggressive and leaves traces on hard plastics. GooGone is basically the same stuff (dissolves glue) but made in purpose to be as gentle as possible on most surfaces. Some have even used it on cardboard boxes. I wouldn't do that though. Must leave a stain on paper.

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

I just bought a small bottle of GooGone (bundled with some sort of spatula to help lift stickers).

Just yesterday night I removed a thick anti-theft metal barcode from a shrinkwrap with it.
(like this one)

Lift an edge as much as you can, then with some loose cotton or a cotton swab, put product on it and massage the glue until it goes soft (almost liquid). keep massaging and you should be able to lift millimiter afer millimiter away. I managed to remove it all and the product doesn't leave any stain on shrinkwraps (good shrinkwraps with pulltabs at least - not sure about those super cheap shrinkwraps done with cheaper heat sealing machines).

I used to use white spirit but it's more aggressive and leaves traces on hard plastics. GooGone is basically the same stuff (dissolves glue) but made in purpose to be as gentle as possible on most surfaces. Some have even used it on cardboard boxes. I wouldn't do that though. Must leave a stain on paper.

Yeah, I have seen different ones over time and it's really annoying when people don't remove them when they buy the item. 20+ years later and it really can't be easily separated anymore...

No stain or damage to the shrinkwrap? That's good. I mostly buy older stuff, so the shrinkwrap tends to be of higher quality compared to what I see nowadays (for games at least). But sometimes professional sellers "clean" the product and in the process damage the shrinkwrap.
The shrinkwrap can also be cheap enough that when you remove a sticker like that (even when the glue is still fine), it tears.

It really can be infuriating, especially if you damage a really expensive item when removing something.

[LuxKiller65]

I've been removing stickers and sticker residues/glue from all kinds of Sony shrinkwraps (PS/PS2/PS2/PSP/PSV...) with very small amounts of white spirit and lots of patience. Now switching to GooGone and still lots of patience.

Anyway, you know even if you remove an old sticker successfully, the shrinkwrap behind it is forever warped. Still worth it most of the time.

Some stickers are incredibly hard to remove, and some peel no matter how slow you pull. It's really a nightmare. I can only imagine removing stickers from unsealed Nintendo cardboard boxes must be 100 times worse and more risky.

[LuxKiller65]

It's incredibly tempting again! If I order 4 items from Amazon Japan, I save 3200 yen compared to buying from a local Japanese website using a proxy which includes agent fee and double shipping.

That's a huge saving but again if Amazon ships in a cardboard envelope it's going to be a massacre, especially since one of the items is the Link's Awakening 4-CD boxset.

I don't mind paying more but that will involve double shipping so there's still risk that the shop doesn't pack properly.

Ahh first world problems

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

I don't mind paying more but that will involve double shipping so there's still risk that the shop doesn't pack properly.

I wouldn't worry about that if you use a proper proxy service. The issue is that Amazon Japan will still ship the items in awful packaging to that service. There is, of course, less moving around and thus lower possibility of damage involved. You could also ask the service to photograph the items for you. If they are good, they will ship it back to Amazon (if items are damaged) and you get your money back (except for the fee for photos).
Also, is it really that much cheaper? Amazon Japan was really good when you paid flat fees for item categories. So it was like 1200 Yen for international shipping to me + 1 DVD (X Yen) + 1 book (Y Yen) etc etc. Weight didn't matter which was absolutely great as buying books via proxy service will bankrupt you (I did the mistake with artbooks once...like 1000 Yen for two dozen books but 14000 Yen in international shipping...). That's how I bought all 15 Legend of the Galactic Heroes books and paid less than 9€ for international shipping which is absolutely crazy if you think about it. Just checked again with the same item and now I would pay almost 38€, lol. Size didn't matter either.
Man, Amazon Japan was so worthwhile back then. Now you pay way more for absolute garbage packaging.

[LuxKiller65]

Oh, no, I meant either shipping directly from Amazon to me, or buying from 1983.jp through a proxy. The first choice saves 2,000 yen on item price, plus 1,200 on proxy fee, plus (a guess) 800 yen in local shipping. International shipping from Amazon is 1,700 yen, which is sort of what the proxy would charge for a similar weight.

That's a whopping 4,000 yen or 30 usd saved, but with a 90% chance of damaged items that I will have to return through DHL with the most expensive service, if Amazon agrees to the return.

I've heard people order blankets or plaids to decrease the chance of getting their order damaged, but it still depends how they insert the stuff inside the box, if they really use one. Now that Amazon seems to have gone almost completely automated in their warehouses, they simply can't offer a "send in a box with bubble wrap" service, no matter how much you're ready to pay for it.

There's no way round it, except maybe go live next door to their main warehouse in Japan? Must be pretty noisy with all the trucks.

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

Oh, no, I meant either shipping directly from Amazon to me, or buying from 1983.jp through a proxy. The first choice saves 2,000 yen on item price, plus 1,200 on proxy fee, plus (a guess) 800 yen in local shipping. International shipping from Amazon is 1,700 yen, which is sort of what the proxy would charge for a similar weight.

There's no way round it, except maybe go live next door to their main warehouse in Japan? Must be pretty noisy with all the trucks.

Ahh, right. Tough choice then. Even buying from that other website doesn't guarantee that it's packaged well from them to the proxy service. Paying more money in this case just means a much higher chance of getting the items unharmed. Still, with a middleman in between, it creates more points of friction.
From how I see it, in the end it boils down to whether you are willing to deal with the possible headache of sending it back (Amazon Japan). Personally, I hate that a lot, so I would probably go for the other option. Then again, if money matters, sticking with Amazon Japan would probably be preferable.
Also, it's interesting that the Amazon Japan price is cheaper. I guess they still scam the Japanese government by not making foreigners pay Japanese taxes when buying from them?

Can also just break in and leave money in place of the item :P


Currently having a dilemma as well:



I already have the item but marked it as "re-buy", probably because of shrinkwrap damage or some small crack. Considering it's 25 years old, I doubt the bottom sticker will be able to be removed easily, which means damaging the shrinkwrap in the process. The starting price is incredibly cheap though (800 Yen). So the question is whether to pay that + fees + all the shipping for a low chance of an undamaged item.

[LuxKiller65]

If the square sticker is a plain sticker (i think it is) and not an antitheft sticker with metal coil, it's easily removable with some googone or white spirit and patience - eve if it's the type that peels off lik crap. if cheap and sealed and old and you like the item, i'd definitely go for it.

looks like gameboy ost?

regarding my order, one of the items jumped from 800 to 2500 yen, then went back to 1400 yen. they have these auto adjustment criteria based on people viewing items and adding to carts / or ordering.

[ina-chan012]

Typically, Amazon sellers. They don't mind how the product is delivered, but still, they want good reviews.

When I buy CDs, especially rare ones, I want them to arrive in mint condition. I've ordered my CD collections from CDandLP, and they've been great about packaging. They usually sandwich the CDs between two sturdy cardboard pieces and wrap them in bubble wrap before putting them in a box. So, even if the outer box gets dinged, the CDs inside are safe.

If you will order from them, look up on DontPayFull for deals or discount coupons. I recently scored a 30% off deal for a Bob Dylan collection there.