You can use the calculators to get an estimate with fees based on your type of shopping.

Fees applied to all shopping services:

Commission Fee:

The fee you pay Tenshi Shop to handle your order from start to finish.

For In Store and Online Shopping (professional shops)

• 5% of the total cost of ALL ITEMS ($5 minimum)
• Some Reservations and Spot Claims may have a 10% fee.

For Auctions and App Shopping (private individual sellers)

• 5% of the total cost of of EACH LISTING ($5 minimum)

Payment Processing Fee (PP FEE):

Covers fees between currencies/accounts/banks.

• 4%-6%  depending on your country of residence

International Shipping Fees:

Covers delivery of your items from Japan to you.

• Please see the Package Consolidation and Shipping section.
• This fee can only be calculated after all of your items have arrived and been prepared for shipping.

Fees Applied Depending on Shopping Type:

These are fees that apply based on the type(s) of shopping you request.  They cover fees that Tenshi Shop incurs while shopping on your behalf.

In Store Shopping Specific Fees:

Transportation Fee: 400 yen

Online Shopping Specific Fees:

Domestic Shipping Fee:  Usually between 300-1700 yen, the actual fee depends on the shop.

COD (cash on delivery), Bank Transfer, and ATM fees: Most shops take credit cards so these fees will usually NOT apply.  They only apply if Tenshi Shop must pay for your order in cash because a shop does not take credit cards or only accepts Japanese credit cards.  In this case, payment must be made via COD or Bank Transfer.

• COD (Cash on Delivery) Fee: around 400 yen
• Bank Transfer Fee: between 200-500 yen
• ATM fee: $5 USD covers $500 worth of cash shopping

The following is a list of commonly requested online shops where Tenshi Shop cannot use credit cards (not a complete list): Zozo Town, omni7 (Seven Eleven Online), Sex Pot Revenge, Nintendo Online, Online Parco, some small indie artists/handmade shops, and all stores in the Yahoo Shops network.

If you would like to confirm if a store you are interested in shopping from charges these fees, please ask on your request form.

Auction and App Shopping Specific Fees:

ATM fee: $5 USD minimum

• $5 USD covers $500 worth of cash shopping
• All auction and app shopping is cash based.  This fee applies to all auctions and app requests regardless of platform.

Yahoo Auction Specific Fees:

• Domestic Shipping: Usually between 300-1700 yen, but the actual fee depends on the seller

MBOK Auction Specific Fees:

• Domestic Shipping: Usually between 300-1700 yen, but the actual fee depends on the seller
• MobaPei System Fee: Around 200-400 yen per listing, this fee is charged by MBOK to use their secure payment system.

Mercari and Rakuma-Fril App Specific Fees:

• Payment System Fee: 100 yen per listing, this fee is charged by Mercari and Rakuma (Fril) to use their payment system.
• Domestic Shipping: The vast majority of sellers include shipping in their price.  Shipping is charged only for listings marked 着払い and starts around 750 yen.

PayPay Flea Market App Specific Fees:

• Domestic Shipping: The vast majority of sellers include shipping in their price.  Shipping is charged only for listings marked 着払い and starts around 750 yen.

Payment is required within 3 days of invoicing unless we have discussed another time frame before shopping has started.

Tenshi Shop accepts payment via PayPal and Japanese Domestic Bank Transfer only.

• You will be invoiced via PayPal. Please do not send money directly to Tenshi Shop.
• PayPal “Friends and Family” payments are not accepted.
• If you have a Japanese bank account and wish to do a domestic transfer, please mention it in your request form. Multiple transfers may be required.  Customer is responsible for any transfer fees charged by their bank.  International Bank Transfers are not accepted.

A partial deposit may be required before any purchases are made.

• This is decided on a case by case basis considering your feedback, history with Tenshi Shop, and the cost of your order.
• Deposits are refundable only if Tenshi Shop cannot fulfill your request.  In this case any deposit paid will be returned in full.

Tenshi Shop does not offer layaway, payment plans, or similar loans.

• Funds should be ready when you submit your request form.
• If there is a special circumstance, please explain it in your request form.
• Please feel free to use payment plans offered via your credit card company or PayPal (such as Pay in Four).

Late payment may result the refusal of service in the future.

All invoices are in US Dollars.

• Tenshi Shop uses a US based bank and card for all purchases. The exchange rate used for your invoice is dictated by this bank, not the market rate (the one found on Google, xe.com, etc).
• The exchange rate used for your shopping service corresponds to the rate on the day your item(s) were purchased.
• The rate is about 4 yen lower than the market rate.  For example, if the market rate is 120 yen to the dollar, Tenshi Shop will use a rate around 116 yen for conversion.

Language

Tenshi Shop can communicate in English and Japanese only.

Contacting Tenshi Shop

If you have a question about or an addition to an open shopping service, the best way to reach Tenshi Shop is to reply directly on the active e-mail thread associated with that service.

If you want to start a new shopping service, it is best to submit a new request form. Using the request form will get the most immediate reply and purchase of your items.

If you have general inquiry, please send an email to service@tenshishop.com.

Tenshi Shop also answers DMs sent to the Tenshi Shop Instagram, but response times may be slow, and shopping requests cannot be made via DM. You must submit a request form.

Response Time

When you submit a request form you will almost immediately get an auto response.  A personalized answer usually comes within 24-48 hours.  If you do not get an auto reply nor a personalized response to your request form within this time frame, please check the News Section for possible announcements.  If there is no announcement that replies will be delayed, there may be a technical issue, so please send a message to service@tenshishop.com

If a response from you is required, you are expected to reply promptly. If you will be unable to respond to messages within 24-48 hours, please mention it in your request form.

Direct Contact with Shops and Sellers

All communication with a shop or seller will be handled by Tenshi Shop.  You should never contact a shop or seller directly if you intend on requesting Tenshi Shop’s assistance with a purchase.

This includes, but is not limited to, placing items on hold, making a custom order, asking for sizing information, and volunteering Tenshi Shop to buy any item without first contacting Tenshi Shop to confirm.  Please read full details here.

Shipping Information

Any specific instructions regarding the shipping of your package should be included on your request form at the time of submission.  Instructions made after shopping has begun may not be honored.

• Tenshi Shop only ships with tracked methods.
• All packages are fully or at least partially insured against loss or damage.  Theft after the package has been delivered may not be covered.
• The cost of packing materials is factored into the cost charged on your invoice.
• Shipping materials are a mix of recycled and new.
• Packages can be shipped domestically (within Japan) via YUPACK. Please make a note in your shipping instructions.
• Due to PayPal’s policies, packages will be shipped ONLY to the address registered on your paid invoice.  Shipping addresses listed in your request form are not valid, you must choose the correct address during the payment of your invoice.  If you need something shipped to an address which you cannot register on PayPal, please explain in your request form.  There is a chance your request cannot be met.

Package Consolidation and Holding Orders

• If you order from multiple shops/sellers, your items will be held until all of your orders arrive and will be combined into one box to ship to you.  When the last item arrives, the box will be sealed and the finalized invoice sent.  If you have received your final invoice, at that point your shopping service is considered closed.
• There is no fee for consolidating multiple orders.
• Adding additional items to an open shopping service is permitted.
• If you continuously extend your shopping service by requesting additional items, eventually the order may need to be cut off for storage and organizational reasons or customs value reasons.  You will be informed if your shopping service needs to be closed out, and you can choose to start a new one if you still have items you wish to purchase.
• If you order ready to ship/in-stock items along with pre-order items, these orders cannot be combined for shipping even if you send them in the same request form.  They will be treated as separate shopping services and shipments. When an item you have pre-ordered is due to arrive, you are welcome to add items to that shipment/order.

EMS Details:

EMS takes about 4-7 days to most locations.

Maximum weight is 30kg. There is also a size limit that varies by country.  Extremely large items cannot be shipped.

Shipping cost is based on weight.

EMS is automatically insured up to 20,000 yen.

• If the value of your package exceeds 20,000 yen, it will be insured for the full cost of the items themselves, and for some countries, the full value including all fees.
• Please note that a package will only be insured up to the marked valued if that value is under 20,000 yen.

If your package exceeds 200,000 yen in value, the package can only be shipped with EMS. An additional fee of 3,300 yen on top of the shipping cost is required due to special customs procedures required for packages valued over 200,000 yen.

EMS packages can be tracked here.

Registered Airmail Small Packet Details:

Delivery takes about 1-2 weeks to most locations.

Maximum weight is 2kg.

Shipping cost is based on weight.

Packages over a certain size cannot be shipped via Airmail Small Packet. It has the smallest size limit of the four methods offered.

Airmail Small Packet can only be insured up to 6,000 yen, and you use it at your own risk if your items are over this value. If you want insurance over 6,000 yen, you must use EMS, Yamato/UPS, or Surface Mail.

• Please note that a package will only be insured up to the marked valued if that value is under 6,000 yen.

Airmail Small Packet packages can be tracked here.

Surface Mail Details:

Delivery takes about 2-3 months to most locations.

Packages are transported by ship.  Tracking only updates on land/at port, not while at sea.

Maximum weight is 30kg.

Shipping cost is based on weight.

The size limit for Surface Mail is smaller than EMS for some countries. Extremely large items cannot be shipped.

Surface Mail includes a base level of insurance based on weight but can be fully insured for a small fee.  Generally your package will be fully insured automatically if you choose Surface Mail, however some countries do not allow full insurance on Surface Mail and can only be insured for the base level. Surface Mail is not recommended if you definitely want full insurance coverage.

Surface Mail packages can be tracked here.

Yamato/UPS Details:

Delivery takes 6-10 business days to most locations.

Maximum weight is 25kg. There is also a size limit.  Extremely large items cannot be shipped.

Shipping cost is based on package dimensions (size), although each size class does have a weight limit.

Packages are automatically insured up to 200,000 yen.  Packages valued over this amount cannot be sent via this method.

• Please note that a package will only be insured to the marked valued if that value is under 200,000 yen.

Yamato/UPS does not permit ANY food products, ANY cosmetics/body care items, or ANY batteries in their packages, so if your order contains any of these you must use another method.

Yamato/UPS packages can be tracked here.

Estimated Shipping Times

Items are shipped within one week of receiving your payment (excluding weekends, Japanese national holidays, and any travel dates that will be listed in the News Section).

Delayed, Damaged, Lost, Stolen, and Returned Packages

Delivery times listed for shipping types are estimates only. There are cases where packages are held up in customs or are otherwise temporarily delayed.

If your tracked package seems to be lost, at least a month must pass from the the last tracking update before an investigation can be opened.  Investigations can take 2+ months to complete.

An insurance claim for damage cannot be made without your cooperation with reporting the damage to the shipping company in your country.  If an item is broken or damaged in transit due to mishandling of your package, please save all the packing materials and send a photo of the damage to Tenshi Shop.  Bring the item and packaging to your local post office to report the damage (for EMS, Airmail e-Packet, and Surface Mail) or contact UPS in your country (for Yamato/UPS) immediately.

The shipping company may deny an insurance claim for damage even for a fully insured package if they determine they are not at fault.  While Tenshi Shop packs items as securely as possible, if you are are buying a particularly fragile item, please understand that the item may break even of the package does not show signs of mishandling.

Insurance may not cover theft of packages after they have been delivered (porch theft/porch pirating).

If you do not accept your package in a timely manner it will be returned to Japan.  You will need to pay any fees associated with the package being returned to sender as well as the reshipping cost.

Tenshi Shop is a Small Business

Tenshi Shop is run out of a regular home office, does not have a warehouse, and is run solely by Tenshi with no other employees.  Please understand that this means when order volume is high, Tenshi may need more time to process your order and cannot answer messages 24 hours a day.  Tenshi cannot accommodate long term storage of orders due to limited space.

While rare, when Tenshi is unavailable, services may be completely closed.  Outside of unforeseeable emergencies, planned closures will be announced in the News Section.

Reselling and Scalping

Tenshi Shop is strictly against reselling for profit, also known as “scalping.” If it is discovered that you are buying items for the purpose of reselling them at significantly higher prices than you paid, then you will be refused service in the future.

Please be Sure That You Are:

1. of age to accept the items that you order.
2. familiar with the import laws of your country.

Returns and Cancellations:

Returns, exchanges, and cancellations are not accepted, NO EXCEPTIONS.

• In general, Japanese shops and sellers DO NOT accept returns, exchanges, or give refunds unless they sent you a faulty or incorrect item.

• You are obligated to buy all items listed on your request form (any questions will be answered before purchase).  Please only submit requests for items that you have the money set aside for, and are 100% committed to purchasing.

Defects/Problems with your Order:

In the case of orders from professional physical stores or online store:

When an order is made from a professional store, physical or online, it is assumed that the store provides the correct items, quantity of items, and that all items are free of defects or are as described by the store. Tenshi Shop does not inspect the items closely.

If you find an issue with your order after it arrives, please contact Tenshi Shop to discuss the matter.

• You should never contact the shop/seller directly.
• If the shop is at fault, Tenshi Shop may be able to help facilitate an exchange or repair, but it may not be possible in all cases due to the store’s policy.
• Any postage fees incurred, domestic and international, in facilitating an exchange or repair are the responsibility of the shopping service customer.

In the case of orders from private individuals selling on auctions or apps:

If you are buying items from private individuals (sellers on auctions or app markets), you must accept the inherent risk of buying second-hand items.  Tenshi Shop does not inspect the items closely upon their arrival and cannot help if you find defects that the seller did not describe or missed. Please see the Auction and App Shopping Caution Points and Limitations section for more details.

If Tenshi Shop is at fault:

While Tenshi Shop strives to process all orders correctly, sometimes mistakes do happen.  If Tenshi Shop accidentally orders or sends you the wrong item, please send a message and Tenshi will try to resolve the issue for you as soon as possible.

The following is a list of items that Tenshi Shop cannot help with purchasing.

Concert Tickets/Event Tickets (there are issues with digital only tickets, names not matching on tickets, etc).  Please read here for more information.

Graphic/uncensored adult items (it is illegal to export pornography or anything uncensored from Japan, your items may be seized)

Fan club, magazine, or any other subscriptions

Nail polish, perfume, room/body sprays, sun lotion, or any pressurized or flammable liquid or gas (these are not permitted for international post)

Glues/liquids used for hobby models (these not permitted for international post)

Some items with batteries (these are not permitted for international post)

• Lithium batteries must be enclosed in their product. A max of two enclosed batteries are permitted per package.  “Loose lithium batteries,” like mobile batteries or charging cases, are not allowed.
• Alkaline/dry cell batteries will be removed to prevent issues.
• Enclosed button batteries will be shipped in their items.

Extremely large/bulky items (size limits prevent what I can send in international post)

“Net Print” services (photo printing services at convenience stores in Japan)

Items sold at ticketed events like concerts, Comiket, and WonderFest. Exceptions may be made if you are willing to cover travel and entry to the event, and if the sale of goods at the event is not by lottery or otherwise complicated.

Tenshi Shop reserves the right to refuse any request.

Location

Tenshi Shop is not located near major metropolitan areas like Tokyo or Osaka.  Japan’s rail system is extensive but also expensive, so often it is not practical for Tenshi to shop for customers at physical stores outside of her immediate area.

It is possible to travel to Tokyo in some cases, but the round trip easily takes a full day so commission is 10% and the transportation fee is around 22,000 yen.  If you are in need of in person shopping in Tokyo and are OK with the the aforementioned costs, please send an e-mail to service@tenshishop.com to discuss it further.

Sale (Discounted) Items

I am happy to shop for items during sales and discount events.  In Japan, the major sale periods for physical stores are at New Years (from around January through February) and summer (from around July through August).

Sale items are usually limited to what is in stock at the local store. Regular priced items can be transferred between locations, but sale items usually cannot (unless you are willing to pay the full price).  If you are open to multiple colors/types of an item or have back up choices if something is sold out, it can increase your chances of a successful purchase.

For items sold at a reduced price, the 5% commission fee will be charged on the ORIGINAL PRICE of the item, not the sale price.

Reservations and Release Day Shopping (Spot Claiming)

Due to their complicated release systems, some reservations or spot claims for release day shopping have special commission rates and terms.  Please read here.

Location

Tenshi Shop is located in Japan and specializes in shopping within Japan. If you are interested in purchasing from an online shop located outside of Japan, Tenshi Shop may be able to help if communication with that shop is in English or Japanese and the shop ships to Japan.  Any import fees incurred when shopping from abroad are the responsibility of the shopping service customer.  Generally, Tenshi Shop cannot help with shopping from China and Korea unless they specifically support non-domestic customers.

Sale (Discounted) Items

I am happy to shop for items during sales and discount events.  In Japan, the major sale periods are at New Years (from around January through February) and summer (from around July through August), although online stores run their own sales and special offers throughout the year.

For items sold at a reduced price, the 5% commission fee will be charged on the ORIGINAL PRICE of the item, not the sale price.

Reservations and Pre-Orders

Tenshi Shop will gladly help you with items offered for pre-order on online shops.  Depending on the shop, they may charge for the order when it is made or when it is shipped.  You should have your funds ready up front just in case. Pre-order items cannot be shipped with in-stock/ready to ship items and will be treated as a separate shipment/request even if submitted in the same form with ready to ship items.  Some stores may have special commission rates. More details can be found here.

About Auction and App Shopping:

Auction sites (like Yahoo Japan and MBOK) and smart phone based flea market apps (like Mercari, Rakuma-Fril, and PayPay Flea Market) are platforms that allow regular people/private individuals to sell their personal belongings. These sellers are NOT professionals and the items are generally second-hand/used.  Each listing requires one on one interaction with the seller in Japanese, knowing how each platform works, and also often understanding a bunch of unspoken rules/manners/cultural norms, all of which Tenshi Shop handles for you.

Auction and App shopping are very different from professional physical and online stores. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

Understanding Listings:

Please use translating tools to check the basic info of the listing you are interested in (including the seller’s feedback and item description) before contacting me.

• If you still have a question about something written in Japanese, please ask in your request form.
• Tenshi can also ask the seller a question if you are unsure of something or have a special request. Depending on the seller, certain questions may not be possible.
• Please never contact sellers directly yourself if you want Tenshi Shop to assist with the purchase.

Please be aware of the shipping that the auction/app seller is using:

• In the case of MBOK and Yahoo Auctions, shipping is almost always paid for by the buyer, with some exceptions.
• In the case of Rakuma-Fril, Mercari, and PayPay Flea Market listings, sellers often include shipping in the item price, but maybe only via the cheapest (non-traced method). Please see below for how this relates to buyer protection.
• Look for the symbol 送料込み or 送料無料 for free shipping.
• Look for the symbols 着払い , 送料別 , or 送料負担: 落札者 for shipping paid by the buyer.

Purchase AT YOUR OWN RISK:

• Please shop from auctions and apps only if you understand the risk of buying used items from private individuals.
• If the seller does not send the item, and Tenshi Shop has already paid for it with no way of recovering the funds, you will still be responsible for payment.
• The same applies to items that are not as described. Tenshi Shop does not inspect the condition of items upon arrival. Packages are partially opened to see that they match the listing. Tenshi Shop will not take action against a seller for an item not being as described unless the item is completely incorrect or visibly damaged in transit (such as the breakage of fragile items).  Tenshi will contact the seller for very obvious issues, but does not look for small details, such as inspecting for stains or smells, checking for missing parts/pieces, and so on.

Auction Specific Risks and Limitations:

The following caution points apply to MBOK and Yahoo Auction Bidding:

• Bidding on some listings may not be possible due to the seller’s personal rules.
• Please give your maximum bid in yen.  Bid prices in other currencies will be refused.
• Please list your maximum bid on your form. Your maximum bid should be what you are willing to pay for the item itself, not including any fees.  You can raise your max bid by replying on your request with your new bid details, but it cannot be guaranteed that your message will be seen before the auction closes.
• Tenshi Shop will not negotiate prices on auction listings, the platforms are not designed for it.
• Tenshi Shop bids at the time of your request.  Snipe bidding is generally frowned upon and is also difficult to accommodate as a shopping service run by a single person.

MBOK Specifics:

• MBOK offers buyer protection. To be covered, Tenshi Shop (the buyer) uses MBOK’s Mobapei Payment System. Money is withheld from the seller until the buyer confirms the item has arrived. If an item never arrives or is significantly different than described, MBOK will refund the buyer. For this reason, nearly all MBOK sellers require the buyer to pay for tracked shipping. There is little risk for the buyer on MBOK.

Yahoo Specifics:

• Yahoo Auctions offers limited to NO buyer protection. If an item doesn’t arrive or arrives significantly different than described, Yahoo will generally leave it to the buyer and seller to work out the issue. They will generally not step in unless the seller is 100% unresponsive.  It can be difficult or impossible to get a refund. Please keep this in mind.
• Many Yahoo Auction listings use an auto time extension system that prevents snipe bidding.  If a bid is placed in the last 10 minutes of the auction, most listings will automatically be extended by 10 minutes.
• Yahoo sellers can delete bids, even winning ones, without penalty.

App Specific Risks and Limitations:

The following caution points apply to App Shopping (Rakuma-Fril, Mercari, and Paypay Flea Market):

• The purchase of some listings may not be possible due to the seller’s personal rules.
• Tenshi Shop can negotiate the price or ask to split sets on some listings. Some sellers forbid negotiation of any kind. Offers that may offend a seller, result in negative feedback, or otherwise put Tenshi Shop’s account in jeopardy will be refused.
• Tenshi Shop can ask to combine listings from the same seller into one listing (sometimes the seller will offer a small discount). If you want multiple items from one seller to be combined into one listing, please group them in your form and state that you want to request a combined listing. App listings are often “first come first serve,” so Tenshi will not ask to combine listings unless you specifically request it due to the risk of something selling out before the seller is able to answer/combine listings.

Buyer Protection on Rakuma-Fril and Mercari:

Rakuma-Fril and Mercari offer limited buyer protection. Both apps hold the money from the seller until the buyer (Tenshi Shop) confirms they have received the item.

• To be completely, 100% covered by the app buyer protection, the seller must use the app’s “official shipping method.” In this case, the app will completely cover the buyer against loss and damage. Sellers will often change to the official shipping method if the buyer agrees to pay the extra cost.
• If the buyer purchases a listing using non-tracked shipping and an item becomes lost or damaged in the post, it is completely up to the seller to refund or not, and most sellers will refuse.  Because many sellers offer free shipping, they often use the cheapest type, which is not tracked or insured.  PLEASE BE AWARE that sellers DO NOT hold the burden of proof or liability in this case!
• Other tracked methods may be covered by the courier, but the app will not facilitate the claim, and you have to rely on the seller to cooperate. For example, a shipment might be traced, but not insured against damage or loss.
• If a seller does not send a shipping notice at all within their specified shipping window, the app will always favor the buyer and refund. This may happen if the seller no longer has the item or is inactive and not monitoring their account anymore.

Buyer Protection on PayPay Flea Market:

PayPay Flea Market is a subsidiary of Yahoo, and their buyer protection is similar to that of Yahoo Auctions as described above.  There is no official shipping method that offers 100% buyer protection like Rakuma-Fril and Mercari. If an item doesn’t arrive, or arrives significantly different than described, generally it is left to the buyer and seller to work out the issue. PayPay will generally not step in unless the seller is 100% unresponsive.  It can be difficult or impossible to get a refund. Please keep this in mind.