Customer Service Policies
While most of what is written here is common sense, we ask that first-time customers please read through this to make sure that you understand how we feel about important mail-order issues that may concern you, and some of the unique aspects of ordering from overseas.
Privacy:
Your privacy is very important to us. Except for cases where we comply with a lawful demand for information by law enforcement authorities, or attempt to secure relief in cases of customer fraud (such as credit card "chargebacks"), HobbyLink Japan will never disclose any personal information you provide us (such as your name, shipping address, e-mail address or telephone number), or any information related to your purchase history with us to any third parties.
Returns & Refunds:
If you contact us first, we always accept requests to return saleable-condition merchandise for any reason if made within 10 days of its delivery to you. "Saleable" condition means the item is in like-new condition with all parts and components present, that it's packed exactly as packed by the manufacturer, and there is no damage to the outer package. Opened "blister pack," "blister card" or sealed "blind box" (collection-type/gashapon/capsule toy items) merchandise which cannot be opened without cutting or tearing the package or its seal may not be returned. Please note, however, that unless the return is necessary because of a shipping error or defective merchandise, the cost of shipping the item(s) back to Japan is your responsibility. Always consult with us (by contacting trouble@hlj.com) for our instructions before returning any merchandise, regardless of the reason.
If a return becomes necessary due to a mistake in shipping, shipping damage or a defect in the product, we will compensate you for the shipping charges to return the item to Japan if you ship the item as directed by us. All claims for returns or refunds due to shipping damage or manufacturing defects must be made within 10 days of its delivery to you. We reserve the right to reject claims of manufacturing defects on mechanical items (R/C cars, battery-operated toys, etc.) in cases of obvious user abuse.
If a product description is lacking or does not answer a question you have about an item, simply ask us (products@hlj.com)! We're always happy to answer any questions you have about products prior to your placing an order. Because of this, please understand that we will not pay for a return of merchandise simply because it was not what you expected. Ask us before you order if you have any doubts about what you're buying!
Cancellations:
While we accept customers' cancellations of all or part of their order at any time prior to shipping, we ask that you keep cancellations to a minimum by avoiding heat-of-the-moment orders and making sure that you really want something before you click the "Buy This" button. Overstocks due to customer cancellations affect our ability to offer great prices, so this is in everybody's interest! We reserve the right to limit or close the accounts of customers who abuse the cancellation policy, or abandon shippable orders without submitting payment.
Shipping:
Because of the many variables involved in international shipping and the products we carry, it's not possible to give you an exact shipping cost figure at the time you place your order. The final shipping costs will be confirmed to you in an e-mail at the time your order is shipped. Complete details about how to estimate your shipping costs are shown on our shipping page, and we strongly recommend that you read it.
We will process your order for shipping and charge you if either (a) all items on your order are available, or (b) more than two months have passed since you placed the order and one or more items are available, or (c) you request shipping of available items. Backordered items will remain on your order until you cancel them yourself, or we become convinced that an item will not be available for the forseeable future and cancel it ourselves. You will be informed in an e-mail from us if this happens. When processing any given order for shipping, we will also check any other order(s) you have placed with us, and add any shippable items from that order(s) to the shipping order.
If the size of any one item in your order prevents the use of SAL Small Packet shipping (if you requested SAL), we will ship your order by SAL Parcel Class, EMS or FedEx (even though you requested SAL), depending on where you live. Orders that have a merchandise value of 15,000 yen or more will be shipped by EMS or FedEx (even if you request SAL). All additional costs related to changes in your shipping class for any of the reasons above will be charged to you.
Problem Resolution:
HobbyLink Japan is committed to customer service and will promptly address any customer claims of shipping errors, damage, defects, missing items, etc. if we are contacted within 10 days of delivery at trouble@hlj.com. Missing shipments are also replaced or refunds issued if our designated delivery period passes without your taking delivery of your order. Because we're committed to helping you, under no circumstances should you ever contact your credit card company or PayPal to dispute charges from HobbyLink Japan without contacting us first. We will solve all genuine customer service problems through refunds, reshipments, discounts or whatever else it takes to reach a fair solution to the problem, and that's our promise! But it's your job to tell us a problem has occurred. As such, not only will we vigorously contest any credit card "chargebacks" (refusals to pay) filed by customers or complaints with PayPal, but such customers may be blacklisted from using our service, meaning we will accept no further orders from them, ever. We also share information about blacklisted customers with other online merchants offering similar merchandise.
IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT LATE PAYMENTS: As any business does, we expect our customers to make payments in a timely manner when their order is ready. If more than eight days pass from the time we alert a customer to a payment issue without the problem being resolved, and without any contact from the customer, that order and all of the customer's outstanding orders will be canceled, and their account(s) will be disabled. We ask that customers who are having a temporary payment problem contact us at trouble@hlj.com to work out a solution and avoid cancellation of their orders.