#it’s so I can hopefully order contact online 😂

[minnov]

it only took me over a year but I finally set up online banking with my Japanese bank lmao

[fanilys]

Ordering from the TOBE Store + first time using EMS

I've made a post about my experience buying jpop stuff from CDJapan and DHL. I wanted to buy Number_i goods too but currently, they're only available on the TOBE official store which only ships through EMS. I wanted to share my experiences in case it might be helpful to fellow international fans (especially those from the PH like me) who are new to this kind of thing. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes 😂

1st purchase: delivered straight to PH address

My first purchase included the GOAT standard edition and 1 photo. I would've gotten the limited editions as well, but they were already sold out. This was after the preorder period but about a month before the release date. I got a confirmation email after placing the order, and then nothing more until the package got shipped around a month later.

I received the shipment email with the tracking number a week after the release date. The tracking number couldn't be found on the shipping company's tracker provided on the email (Sagawa), but I was able to track the package on parcelsapp after a couple of hours or about a day after. This website shows the status of the package across all the services where it can be tracked. In my case, it was on Japan Post, PhlPost, EMS and Universal Postal Union.

One concern I had with EMS is that I wasn't sure whether they'll be delivering to my address or if I will have to pick it up at a post office. I also wasn't sure how much the additional fees were for receiving the package. I found this reddit thread that explained the process for EMS and it helped clear some things up for me.

A couple of days (less than a week) after I started tracking the package, the status updated to "Letter Courier enroute to delivery", which as the thread says, means that the package will be delivered to my address.

I was asked to pay 212 PHP before getting the package. I wasn't issued a reciept, but I didn't question it since it was also stated in the post. But upon reading other people's comments online and a lot of digging through PhlPost's pages, it seems that the correct amount, called the Presentation to Customs Charge (PTCC), is only 112 PHP for all EMS packages. I tried to contact PhlPost through email and messenger to confirm this, but never heard back from them.

In summary, I ordered the CD after the preorder period and got the shipment email about a week after the release date. It arrived at my address about a week after it was shipped.

2nd purchase: had it delivered to JP address but didn't get it in time, reshipped to PH instead

My second purchase was quite troublesome. I was going to stay in Tokyo and was hoping to just get my package there to lessen the shipping fee, and more importantly, to avoid PhlPost since I had issues with them.

I ordered the Numbering bundle after the release date, as well as 1 photo. I would've ordered more photos but again, the ones I wanted were sold out. The expected shipping dates for each item are indicated after you add them to cart. The bundle was to be shipped as soon as possible, while the photo was to be shipped after early June.

The place I was staying at allows packages to be sent to them as long as they meet certain conditions. I thought "after early June" meant that my package could be delivered during my stay (3rd week of June), so I placed my order around 2 weeks before my flight to Tokyo, and hoped for the best.

I was actually concerned that the package would arrive before I do, so I emailed the accomodation before placing the order to confirm if this was okay, and they promptly replied that it was fine. If I had known about this much earlier, I would've ordered everything, including the Ariake Arena concert goods, beforehand. Unfortunately, the presale period was already over that time.

While in the middle of my stay in Tokyo, I still hadn't received the shipment email. I sent an inquiry to TOBE store to ask if my order can be delivered before the end of the week and if I can cancel if it couldn't, since I won't be at the address anymore. I didn't say that I will be overseas by then.

They replied a few hours later, only saying that they can't change my shipping information since the package has already been prepared for shipping and that I should coordinate with the shipping company specified in the shipment email.

I was a bit confused since I still haven't received any shipment email at this point, but I didn't reply anymore and just hoped that I could still get the package before the end of my stay. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and I left Japan without receiving it.

I only received the shipment email a few days after my flight back home, around 4 weeks after placing the order. I contacted the shipping company (Yamato) immediately to cancel the delivery.

The next day, I saw on their tracker that the package was on the way to the delivery address. I still haven't heard back from them, but I contacted my accomodation to inform them to just disregard it, which they acknowledged right away.

After the delivery attempt, the status on the tracker said that it was under investigation. I waited for a few days, but neither Yamato or TOBE store contacted me.

I sent another inquiry to Yamato, this time asking if they can just forward it overseas. This time, they responded right away, saying they can't. They asked for the original delivery address (my accomodation) and processed returning to sender once I sent them the details. I contacted TOBE store again to inform them that the shipping company could not forward the package overseas, and asked if it was possible to get a refund instead.

They sent an email on Friday of that week, saying they will confirm the situation first. The package was returned to sender the following week based on the tracker. TOBE store emailed me within that day, confirming that they received it. They apologized for the refund request and asked for the updated address to resend the package instead.

I don't know what would've happened if I insisted on getting a refund. I just agreed and sent them the details needed since I felt like that was the fastest way to be done with this issue. I also updated my details on the store website as per their instruction.

They said that they would send the payment instructions for the additional shipping fee in mid-July or later, but I received it on Friday of that same week (1st week of July). There was nothing to pay yet, they only advised what I would need to do once I receive the actual email for payment.

The next week, I received the invoice for the additional shipping fee and paid it right away. Then I got the shipment email on Friday of that week (2nd week of July).

I tracked the package again on parcelsapp. It was the same as last time until the status updated to "Item for Customs examination" on Monday night of the following week. I was worried since I don't remember seeing this status last time.

My package didn't have anything out of the ordinary and was below 10,000 PHP, so there shouldn't be any problems. Thankfully, the status updated to "Returned from Customs" and "Letter Courier enroute to delivery" at around Tuesday noon. Seems like the status was updated late, though, since the timestamps say that it was already for delivery at around 9 AM, but I was frantically refreshing the tracker all morning and it didn't appear until around noon.

The package was delivered to my address a few hours later and I was asked to pay 212 again. I told the delivery person that EMS packages are 112 as per PhlPost, and they apologized and said they forgot that that was the fee for EMS. I think the PTCC depends on the type of package, so maybe it really was an honest mistake, or maybe it wasn't. I also wasn't issued a receipt again. In any case, I paid 112 this time and finally got my package after about a month since my stay in Tokyo, around 1 1/2 months since I placed the order.

To recap everything...

TOBE store ships via EMS and the package can be tracked on parcelsapp a few hours to a day after you get the shipment email. It may take a while from the time you purchase before the package actually gets shipped. The estimated shipping period for each item can be seen when you add them to cart, so take that into consideration if you wish to receive the package within a certain timeframe. If multiple items with different shipping times are checked out together, the package will be shipped based on the latest shipping time.

For any modifications (such as change in delivery details, request for cancellation or refund, etc), you will have to contact TOBE store. They may not always be able to accomodate to your request, but they were responsive to my inquiries and were able to have my package reshipped to PH after a failed delivery to the place I was staying at in Tokyo. For changes in orders within Japan, you can contact the delivery company indicated on the shipment email directly. Reshipments will incur another shipping fee.

For PH deliveries, when the tracking status updates to "Letter Courier enroute to delivery", that means the item will be delivered to the address you provided within that day. I've only used EMS twice and my packages were delivered to my address both times.

From what I've read, you may have to pick up the package from the post office yourself and pay additional taxes in certain cases, such as when the package: exceeds 10,000 PHP (including shipping fee), is too large, contains restricted or suspicious items, or contains more than 6 discs. I'm not sure if this information is still accurate or up to date, so it might be good to do more research online or try to contact PhlPost directly if you need more clarification. Though in my experience, they're not responsive to emails or on messenger. This reddit thread may also help explain how EMS works.

When the package arrives, the receiver will have to provide their name and signature. You will also have to pay 112 PHP for the Presentation to Customs Charge (PTCC). PTCC is only 112 PHP for EMS packages as stated on PhlPost's page. If you get charged more, you can inform/remind the delivery person that it's only 112 for EMS, or at least ask for a receipt if they insist on a higher price.

Opinions, other options I've looked at

The actual process from purchasing to delivery is quite simple overall, but for me there are a lot of factors that complicate it. Buying items overseas costs a lot, so I want to include all the products I want in one package to reduce the shipping fee. The problem is that some items may already be sold out by the time you're ready to order, so it can be hard to time it right.

Right now, there's no option to specify your preferred date of delivery. TOBE store will ship your order based on the timeframe stated on your cart.

Preorder items have an exact delivery date, but they will arrive after this date if you're outside Japan. When I ordered a CD after the preorder date but before the release date, it arrived around a week after the release date.

For other items, there is no exact delivery date stated. Some items can be shipped as soon as possible, while some items may just have a broad delivery date such as "will be shipped after early/mid/late July" or whatever month is indicated.

I ordered a package scheduled to be shipped "after early June". I thought it could be delivered within the 3rd week of June when I was staying in Tokyo, but it only got shipped on the 4th week. It was delivered the day after I got the shipment email, but I wasn't there to receive it anymore. I coordinated with the delivery company (Yamato) to return the package to sender, and then with TOBE store to have it reshipped to my PH address.

TOBE store currently only uses one delivery company for overseas orders, which uses EMS. EMS packages will go through the post office, which I personally think can be a bit of a risk in itself in the PH. To be fair, both my packages were delivered in good condition less than a week after I got the shipment email. But you will have to do some resrarch in order to make sure the delivery goes smoothly. I found it difficult to find a comprehensive and updated guide regarding overseas packages from PhlPost themselves, but a few helpful articles and reddit threads came up during my searches. It's helpful to know what you can, can't, or how much you can include in a package, as well as the corresponding fees when you receive the package. Sad to say, but some post office employees may try to scam you, so it would be good for you to have some knowledge about the process too.

Obviously, I ended up spending more than originally intended, but at least I know better now. If I have the chance to go to Japan again, I'll have a better idea on what to do and how to time my orders.

Maybe some time in the future, TOBE products will also be available in physical stores or other online stores that have other shipping methods. I think having different options can make it more convenient and enticing for fans to buy the goods they want. But it's times like this that I remember that TOBE is still a relatively new company even though their artists have been in the industry for a while.

There's also the option of using package forwarding services, where you can have multiple packages shipped to one JP address, which can then be combined and sent overseas as one package. Before you can start using the service, you will first be required to submit an ID or document to verify your identity. There are also additional fees depending on the specific website you use. I opted not to try it at this time since I didn't want to make things more complicated for myself, so I can't give any insight on how it works.

Right now, I'm just waiting on one more package. I decided to try CDJapan's proxy service for the first time and preordered the No.I album bundle though them. They will be the one to purchase it from TOBE store, then they will ship it to the customer's address after it arrives at their warehouse.

The advantage of this is being able to select other shipping methods, which can offer more flexibility for the customer. Of course, the downside is that there are additional fees per proxy item. Aside from the service itself, some shipping methods like DHL also recently started charging an additonal fee of 430 PHP for items below 10,000 PHP. This fee is currently not being charged for EMS packages. Proxy orders on CDJ also can't be cancelled or modified as stated on their terms. Despite all this, I thought to try it anyway just to see how it compares.

After that, I think I'll be taking a break from buying any more merch for now. Aside from the costs, constantly tracking the package and making sure it gets to you can also become stressful. I might just buy again if there are a lot of goods I really like and can order at one time, or if I'm able to go to Japan again and can plan it accordingly.

As much as I wish I could buy everything I want without a second thought, I'm not rich nor carefree enough to do that 😅 I'm still thankful though that I'm able to spend for these things at all, and I'm satisfied with the stuff I do have.

So yeah, if want to buy merch abroad then it's always good to know how it works, but I think the most important thing to remember is to be mindful of your purchases. I love Ni, but I really don't need to buy everything they put out. Spend according to your own budget and if you do choose to buy something, consider if it's really worth it to you. I've spent a good amount on merch and I don't regret my purchases, but I'm still mindful about how much I spend. This is a hobby after all, and being a fan is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. It's okay to not buy everything or anything for whatever reason.

Hope this post can be helpful. Thank you for reading, especially if you read through this entire thing!