Japan flea market apps attracting overseas users on weak yen

Finally Japanese company realize that foreign market can be lucrative business after all those years.

Wait, Mercari ships abroad? But the app won't even let me sign in from outside Japan unless I'm using a VPN.

It’s also not possible to access Yahoo either.

Japanese are not quite as international as this article makes out

It is through these kinds of services.

https://buyee.jp/?lang=en

There are similar counterparts in US (and most likely in other countries too) where they can "buy" on your behalf for a fee.

https://www.myus.com/

People usually use this if the seller/vendor doesn't ship abroad or only allow local buyers.

If these apps and sites would setup their own international shipping methods like, ya know, any other company online in 2023, they’d take in significant profits. Now international users have to go around to third parties to do so.

leaving money on the table

It is now a real pain sending a packet from the PO requiring online EMS and not cheap. Other services are more expensive. Last month I spent more than one hour in the PO sending packages to the UK and the US.

Last week I made an order from the US, costing just ¥700 for shipping arriving on the 12th via Yamato.

Everyone likes good deal, even more given high global inflation and economic growth prospects rapidly slowing this year & next with rising rates really starting to bite consumers, businesses & Govt. debt servicing costs!

Global Stagflation = Inflation above official GDP 'growth'

Thus, VOTERS = NOT HAPPY, throw the Bums Out!

Postal options from Japan are a bit of a block to buying from there. SAL understandably vanished during the pandemic (although most other managed to keep their international postal services going better than Japan). The range of international services hasn't been fully reinstated since, so buying from Japan often means the extra expense of couriers.

If you do want to buy from Japan with minimal fuss, use ebay. There are lots of Japanese sellers on there and no need to go through third parties. Relatively few Japan-based services accommodate foreign users directly. Those that do, deserve the extra trade. New international tax/customs rules may also cause problems, which sites like ebay can handle seamlessly.

Americans may have additional problems with international purchases from larger sellers as disparate state tax laws can be too much for foreign sellers to cope with.

Although I have an Amazon Japan account they point blank refuse to ship lots of stuff abroad, unlike other Amazon sites which generally do. In such cases, many Japanese ebayers will act as proxy buyers for you. Suppliers such as CDJapan also have proxy buying services.

Use a PC rather than an app. It's much easier to examine details of a product on a bigger screen. You can also do price comparisons and background research on products by opening new browser tabs. Things quickly get fiddly on mobile devices.

Buyee is simply wonderful! I buy tons of goods from Japan through them. Yahoo! Japan Auctions, Yahoo! Japan Shopping, Rakuten and Mercari are my favorite sites. Buyee buys the goods for you and you pay them. They ship to your home, even consolidate multiple items into a single shipment to save money. I just unboxed a package from Japan an hour ago.

@Desert Tortoise

Thanks for that comment. I've seen buyee but I was skeptical about it. They asked for a Western Union payment and my mind instantly associated that to my dreamed Nigerian prince. I'll give it a try.

Thanks for that comment. I've seen buyee but I was skeptical about it. They asked for a Western Union payment and my mind instantly associated that to my dreamed Nigerian prince. I'll give it a try.

I use my debit card and have no problems. They seem very honest.