FMODELS

[cteno4]

Pile of tomytec coming on the 60% off. The invoice price they show is 5% higher than the list price on the English hs page so I guess their price is list plus the 5% tax, then they give the discount.

 

Jeff

Edited March 23, 2013 by cteno4

[hectorton]

Jeff,

 

From what I have seen in the brick and mortar fmodels store they add the 5% sales tax to the MSRP and then they take the sales discount percent off. This is currently the case at many stores. However, this has recently become increasingly confusing in Japan. It is becoming much more difficult to determine the actual MSRP, tax, and discount price on any item. Many Manufacturers have stopped printing the MSRP on the packaging and or listing it on their website. Hector.

[cteno4]

Hectorton

 

Thanks that's pretty much what it looks like, makes sense. Just good to know how it's working with fmodels--they are a brick and mortar shop. Still good prices and great service. Nice to have more options, got slim with the loss of hobby world and r10. Nice to have loco1 and fmodels now!

 

HObbysearch, hobby world, and rainbow ten used the straight msrp w/o tax, but that was for online, overseas folks.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited March 24, 2013 by cteno4

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Mr cteno4,

 

So sorry, Liberty is not interested in international customers.  They do not have English speaking staff either.

 

I have also placed an order with Loco1.  

 

I am reminded that retailers come in and out of fashion.  The crowded of the various Liberty shops in Akihabara have lost their appeal to me, except to explore the bargain bin.

[cteno4]

Thanks for checking, it was with a try. Having loco1 and fmodels now is very nice again!

 

Jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

What is a good email for fmodels?

[JR 500系]

What is a good email for fmodels?

Hi Skipper:

 

order@fmodels.jp

 

It works well (i have ordered some from the recent Tomytec sale), and Motoko Ann is very friendly and provides very good customer service!

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Great! I search for parts from time to time and am looking for a new source.

[Densha]

I have recently placed a reservation for some items but it seems there is some misunderstanding, probably of my side. The prices on their website are 30% off for customers coming to their shop. She told me the price is usually 20% off, but I will await a reply for further explanation.

[hectorton]

I have been confused as well and have not been able to get it cleared up. 99pct of the merchandise in their shop is sold at 30pct off the MSRP + 5pct sales tax, and whenever I have purchased something at the shop this is the discount I have received. To a japanese buyer or a foreigner physically in japan this translates to a true 30pct discount. However, to one of us accustomed to mail order it would only translate to 25pct off MSRP as we would not be subjected to the sales tax. I suspect that this is part of the confusion. I am currently in Japan and have been in the shop twice, but Motoko Ahn was not there. No one else in the shop appears to speak English and my Japanese is horrible. I plan to visit the shop once more before I leave and will hopefully be able to speak with her. hectorton.

 

[Densha]

So far as I understood it the offer is 20% off the Japanese retail price* for overseas - 5% tax = 25% off. But I've not been able to clear the tax thing and I think that there is no pre-order discount for overseas. Pre-ordering from HS is about the same as that price, so for next pre-orders I'll take a look at keitaro's shop.

* Mentioned on their website and is the same as on the manufacturers website so far I've seen.

[cteno4]

Fmodels order was 20% off list for me. The discounts they give for overseas is off the list price + 5% tax price (ie their store price).

 

On my preorder I missed the 25% off preorder window.

 

The 60% off tomytec was off the store price (that has the 5% tax increase) so 55% in the end.

 

So the discount is off their store price usually it seems.

 

Jeff

Edited April 3, 2013 by cteno4

[Densha]

Well, just got my reply and I think they are going to revise their policy now:
 

Thank you for your comment about our prices through Paypal.
Your question is very useful for us.

We have to decide our prices with careful, it takes time, so please buy other items at another shop.
Sorry about that.

Still, I'm confused about what happened exactly and I'm looking to get my Kiha111+112 somewhere else now.

 

Jeff, do you mean minus or plus the 5%? The 5% tax should be deducted right?

[Darklighter]

I always paid the regular price shown at HS (which doesn't include the 5 % tax) minus 20% (on rolling stock, the discount on structures seems to differ). 

An example: I paid  16,700 yen * 0.8 = 13,360 yen (+ 1,080 yen for shipping) for http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10192856.

[hectorton]

FYI for those that may have not known it. The English HS website displays true MSRP, as well as the HS discount price off the MSRP which is currently 10% Of MSRP. Their Japanese website list MSRP + 5% sales tax, as well as the discounted off this price.

Hector.

[Mudkip Orange]

FYI for those that may have not known it. The English HS website displays true MSRP, as well as the HS discount price off the MSRP which is currently 10% Of MSRP. Their Japanese website list MSRP + 5% sales tax, as well as the discounted off this price. Hector.

 

Some of the items are 15% off, but there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason as to which.

[cteno4]

Bill found some Picts of their store

 

http://akibamap.info/archives/51265962.html

 

Hobby Toy section

 

http://akibamap.info/archives/cat_574413.html

 

Jeff

Edited April 11, 2013 by cteno4

[macdon]

Bill found some Picts of their store

 

http://akibamap.info/archives/51265962.html

 

Hobby Toy section

 

http://akibamap.info/archives/cat_574413.html

 

Jeff

 

Awesome stuff - thanks for posting Jeff!

 

Any 'in-store' videos perhaps?

 

Mardon

[Ochanomizu]

Well, just got my reply and I think they are going to revise their policy now:

 

Thank you for your comment about our prices through Paypal.

Your question is very useful for us.

 

We have to decide our prices with careful, it takes time, so please buy other items at another shop.

Sorry about that.

 

Still, I'm confused about what happened exactly and I'm looking to get my Kiha111+112 somewhere else now.

 

Jeff, do you mean minus or plus the 5%? The 5% tax should be deducted right?

 

So sorry Mr Densha.  It appears FModel would prefer you took your business elsewhere.  I suggest Loco1Hobby or Bigman.  If you are in Tokyo perhaps one of the Liberty stores might save you an extra 50円.  Of course, I do not know what comment you made to them, but would not bother with FModel if I received such an email.

[Densha]

I simply asked how much percent off they usually offer, if it applies to reservations and if the tax is included. So that I would have an insight in what to expect if I would order other items. Maybe they thought I was angry that they didn't mention the correct prices before, and that suddenly the prices of the items were higher than I expected. I just wanted explanation about that.

 

I somehow have the feeling my communication with Japanese shops doesn't always go as planned, maybe I say things in a way they don't like or something and English isn't my native language so sometimes I may write something that may be interpreted differently perhaps. I had communication trouble with Popondetta and HS before, I even decided not to return my train with broken motor to Popondetta because I couldn't figure out what address I should have sent it to.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Densha

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Mr Densha,

 

So sorry that you experience communication problems with the retailer. One must consider a soft and indirect approach when dealing with the Japanese. The prices are as marked on the website. I do not believe FModels have the permit to sell product tax free as they make no such representations. Liberty Store also common situation. FModels also refuse to take the product return. One must consider before making international purchase.

[Densha]

That was the problem, when I placed the order I looked for the prices on the website and because she didn't comment on them I thought they were the correct prizes. When I had to pay it suddenly was quite a lot more than expected. Maybe she found it rude how I asked for more information or something.

Not to forget I had to wait two weeks before I was able to actually pay with paypal because there was a problem on their side, at the moment that first order is shipped so it should arrive soon. That will be my first and last order from them. Loco1hobby does offer the same if not lower prices.

[JR 500系]

@ Densha: You aren't the only person with communication problems with Japanese retailers! I had a slight issue once with Popondetta, and they didn't respond, well, quite as nicely. Perhaps the phrasing is important...

 

HHmmm... Luckily for me, my first experience with F Models was very good. Personally i found Motoko Ann quite friendly and helpful.. Perhaps because i do have Japanese phrases in my email. Susposed that helped? Well i'm not sure but she did took the time to explain slowly to me the order, and even took a photo for me!

 

Let me share the experience. I wanted to order from the recent Tomytec sale, after seeing the photos on facebook. I mean, who can resist those prices! I started to contact them with a 'want-to-buy' list, from as much as i could see on their facebook photo. Motoko Ann replied nicely and told me the sale was over, and that they only had the 5-storey pagoda left. Since i initiated the first move, i decided to go along with the order. Having one item shipped over to me is never my style, so i asked if i could order more from her. She told me no problem as long as i gave her a list of what i wanted. To this point, all was fine.

 

Then perhaps some miscommunication the item list was not correct. Luckily, and i do mean luckily, she took the time to take a picture (see below) to confirm what i wanted! I was impressed (well i'm easily impressed) with her gesture, and made some amendments to it. She then re-confirmed again with anotherp picture and all was fine and paid.

 

She did mentioned that in order to maximise shipping, i would better delete 2 items i have on order to fit into a SAL box below 2kg, if not i would have to go for EMS instead which costs about 600yen more. I was even more impressed with her honesty, i mean, she actually bothered to tell me that the items are too much and if i wanted a more economical shipping method to save me $$$! Even at the expense of losing the business of the deleted items! Now isn't that cool!

 

So i took her advice and deleted 2 items, which wasn't exactly a real need for my town... She packed the box and sent it out SAL, and dropped an email to let me know it was shipped. Item arrived nicely and postage is EXACTLY how much she said it was.

 

Honesty, Customer Service and Good Prices. I'll definately be returning to them to order some again.

[cteno4]

Densha,

 

Yes as jr mentioned i think this is just some lost in translation going on. I read her note as a polite way of saying thats how we price things. Motoku-san has been super polite and helpful, but in japanese business they get very embarrassed very quickly if there is a perceived communication problem. This is why so few shops sell overseas. In business unless they can communicate to a very good level they would just rather not try than to do something embarrassing and i think that she was just trying to back out of a situation like that. politeness in all phrasing is good as even anger is done politely in this sort of situation. its delicate.

 

my tomytec 60% off order they were super good about finding as much on my wish list for the sale. they were very very nice about it. they will continue to be one of my goto shops along with loco1, hs, and poppendetta. all these have given great service.

 

from my orders its been their % off is % off retail plus 5% tax. so if you want to figure roughly it would be take 5% off what they say the discount will be. they dont appear to deduct any tax in the percent off they tell you its percent off their store price of retail+tax.

 

perhaps if you post your full communication with them we can figure out where things got crossed up.

 

Best yet just send them a wish list and politely ask for the pricing of the items you would like. then you can email back an order knowing exactly what the price will be. Like jr said once you know what you want they will let you know the shipping costs on the total.

 

she has said tomytec is usually 20% off in their store, so that would 15% off the HS site retail price on their us site (they dont show the 5% tax on their us site). 

 

jeff

 

ps on the regular sal the price starts to shoot up to EMS prices at around 2kg. over 2kg ems is actually cheaper! this is why they now only do sal small packet that stops at 2kg and does not do the quick rise in price from 1kg to 2kg.

 

if you have a order that is a bunch of smaller items just break it into two boxes of sal small packets and it will come down again. you pay for the extra box, but in the end cheaper than sending the two together ems. i had this with the aoshima apartment buildings. I ordered two of them and the would have had to come ems as one box, but they greatfully split the order into two sal boxes (1 per box) and shipping was about half what ems would have been.

[Densha]

It was a problem with reservations made (because the site prices are not the international prices), and I found myself brainlessly asking why that happened repeatably. For Japanese I may have been a tad rude perhaps. Apart from the prices the communication wasn't bad at all, it was just that and the payment that there was trouble with. I'll see if I'll post it here or not.