Hobby Search Handling Time

[katoftw]

Just a question (or two) about it.

 

Recently made my first purchase from HS as come highly recommended by others.  Unit prices are good, shipping is a bit higher than previous used retailer on track pieces/variation set.  Shipping on locomotives is on par.

 

Purchased some items on Sunday, items were marked as shipped on Wednesday.  I check the tracking number.

 

Picked the ems option (tracking + quick) as the SAL option was 2-3 weeks and no tracking and not much cheaper.  Although I have recently got alot of item from another supplier using SAL, and they have turned up in 8-10 days from purchase date.

 

Anyone think 3 days handling time is acceptable?  Is it normal of this retailer?  Why pay extra or priority if it is gonna sit in the shop for 3 days?

 

I cannot comment on timeframes as this is my first purchase with them.  If it comes as quick as other ems items I recieved from Japan in the past, it should arrive 5-6 days after it was shipped.

 

If it does take 5-6 days, then add the 3 days of idleness, and it's a 8-9 day process using EMS.  where SAL stuff comes in 8-10 days normally.

Edited November 8, 2013 by katoftw

[keitaro]

hs send them in bulk to get a discount for themselves on the shipping.

 

their time rather depends on how busy intl sales is at that time.

[katoftw]

So I guess it depends on when you purchase.  Sometimes it will be good, sometimes there will be a delay. Thanks for the info.

 

I had 2 options, 2220jpy for EMS or 980jpy for SAL.  I probably would have just gone with SAL if I had known it would have an extra 3 days delay for EMS.

 

From previous experience SAL arrvies in around 10 days to my location, and EMS arrives in 5 days.

Edited October 30, 2013 by katoftw

[marknewton]

As keitaro noted, it must depend on how busy they are. I've EMS parcels arrive 3 days after purchase - which I think is pretty good!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[cteno4]

kato,

 

yeah the handling delay at HS seems to vary from shipping out the day paid to taking 2-3 days. I think it just has to do with how slammed they are and perhaps also if the english speaking person is around to Shepard things along.

 

in therms of shipping times ems use to be 2-3 days to the usa, but now more like 3-5. sal has been really steady at just about 2 weeks for most stuff.

 

once you get near 2kg the sal price goes up to ems and then above 2kg ems is cheaper i think up to like 5kg or so.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

You also have to take the time difference into account.  In eastern North America Sunday night is Monday morning in Tokyo. Additionally, HS is closed two Saturdays per month as shown towards the bottom of their home page.  Your wait my have been days when HS wasn't working.  Another thing to take into account are Japanese national holidays. Businesses like HS are closed and the post office does not operate.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello katoftw,

 

Please remember also that there are other retailers represented on JNSForum who provide better pricing and similar shipping.  For example, HS offer 10% off RRP.  Several other retailers, such as Loco1Hobby, offer 20% off.  HS offer 15% off for pre-order.  Loco1Hobby offer 22% off.  Many local retailers offer similar pricing but do not ship overseas.

[katoftw]

You also have to take the time difference into account.  In eastern North America Sunday night is Monday morning in Tokyo. Additionally, HS is closed two Saturdays per month as shown towards the bottom of their home page.  Your wait my have been days when HS wasn't working.  Another thing to take into account are Japanese national holidays. Businesses like HS are closed and the post office does not operate.

You probably need to read the 1st post again.

There is no Saturday between Sunday and Wednesday.

There was no public holidays in that 3 day period.  I checked the link you provided.

There is a 1 hour time difference between my location and the shop location.

 

Thanks to those that provided information and possible reasons about the situation.  I don't think there is any more to duscuss about it.  It is what it is.

Edited October 31, 2013 by katoftw

[katoftw]

Hello katoftw,

 

Please remember also that there are other retailers represented on JNSForum who provide better pricing and similar shipping.  For example, HS offer 10% off RRP.  Several other retailers, such as Loco1Hobby, offer 20% off.  HS offer 15% off for pre-order.  Loco1Hobby offer 22% off.  Many local retailers offer similar pricing but do not ship overseas.

Thank you for the tip.

[katoftw]

Items arrived in Australia today.  Today being a Saturday.  So most likely sit at customs for the weekend.  And I'll see them late Monday or tuedays.  8-9 days after purchase.  Same timeframe as SAL.

[cteno4]

as in the old kung fu show, "patience, grasshopper, patience" i keep reminding myself of this with the trains. having the patience saves me lots of money (using sal most all the time) and worry what is taking so long! i guess i have enough trains now that i can have plenty to play with and can take the attitude of just being excited when it hits the mailbox and not try to get stressed in between. like you said, it is what it is, and if you are getting what you want at a good price then having the patience will make it all fine in the end.

 

i only use ems these days if i really want to have a train for a show like the e2 penguin and its something rarer that if something were to ever get lost it might have some tracking to find it. but that being said at probably over 300 sal packages over the last 15 years or so and none have gone poof or damaged goods.

 

jeff

Edited November 2, 2013 by cteno4

[bill937ca]

Shipping time is always business days, which varies country by country, and does not count time in customs. EMS gets priority on planes and SAL gets only available space.

 

 

Another Japanese dealer shows EMS as 7 to 14 days and SAL as 14 to 56 days, not including customs inspection.

Edited November 2, 2013 by bill937ca

[katoftw]

as in the old kung fu show, "patience, grasshopper, patience" i keep reminding myself of this with the trains. having the patience saves me lots of money (using sal most all the time) and worry what is taking so long! i guess i have enough trains now that i can have plenty to play with and can take the attitude of just being excited when it hits the mailbox and not try to get stressed in between. like you said, it is what it is, and if you are getting what you want at a good price then having the patience will make it all fine in the end.

 

i only use ems these days if i really want to have a train for a show like the e2 penguin and its something rarer that if something were to ever get lost it might have some tracking to find it. but that being said at probably over 300 sal packages over the last 15 years or so and none have gone poof or damaged goods.

 

jeff

loved fung fu when i was a kid.

 

patience was never the issue.  i'm happy to wait for SAL items.  i just thought that is paying ems to save 5 days (express).  only to find out the retailer didn't send the item for 3 days.  only to turn up a day or 2 before what a SAL package would've.  then the point of paying extra for ems was a waste.

 

if i ever shop with said retailer again.  which in the end only saved me $3AUD, then i wont be picking the ems option.  would've been $13AUD cheaper shipping with SAL, and arrive 5 days later.

[Lawrence]

Shipping time is always business days, which varies country by country, and does not count time in customs. EMS gets priority on planes and SAL gets only available space.

 

 

Another Japanese dealer shows EMS as 7 to 14 days and SAL as 14 to 56 days, not including customs inspection.

 

Usually get my SAL stuff about 2 -4 weeks, then I get the (financial) pain of UK Customs and Royal Mail ripping me off

[katoftw]

Items turned up this morning (Tuesday).  9 days after payment.  3 days sitting in shop.  6 days EMS transit (includes weekend).

 

Luckily in Australia, we don't pay any custom duties or taxes unless the cost of the imported items are over $1000AUD.

Edited November 5, 2013 by katoftw

[westfalen]

Items arrived in Australia today.  Today being a Saturday.  So most likely sit at customs for the weekend.  And I'll see them late Monday or tuedays.  8-9 days after purchase.  Same timeframe as SAL.

I find it can take longer for a parcel to get from Sydney to my local post office in Ipswich once it clears customs than it does to get from Japan (or the USA or UK) to Sydney.

[cteno4]

With ems here in the states once it clears customs it express mail so 1 day. Use to be even Sundays and holidays with ems, but maybe not any more.

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

I thought I'd give them another go on some cheaper items that I'm not in a rush for like station pieces etc.  Have gone past 1 8:30am order cutoff processing time already, and are 26 minutes away from another 8:30am order cutoff processing time, and still marked as 'preparing to ship'.  Only picked SAL option this time as was 60% cheaper.  Still sitting at the shop, 1 day and heading towards 2...

 

edit//  Order was processed at 10:47 Toyko time.  Maybe they'll ship today?

Edited November 7, 2013 by katoftw

[katoftw]

Still marked as 'waiting for shipping'.  3 days after ordering.  Guessing their handling time is just a little slower than I expected.  Must lower my expectations.

 

edit// Was marked as shipped by the end of Friday. Yes so 3 days again in handling time.

Edited November 9, 2013 by katoftw

[keitaro]

i told you and i know i`m 100% correct they wait for a bulk amount to ship. This is because they get a discount on shipping for sending xx amount together and do not pass that saving on to the customer.

[katoftw]

Yeah I'm cool with that.  It really should be on their website though that they have extended handling times.  That is not what I'm cool about.  Considering it is a Japanese based company, and Japan which has service standards are far superior than other parts of the world, I'm surprized all my stuff from the USA and Hong Kong are shipped within 24 hours of payment.

Edited November 9, 2013 by katoftw

[keitaro]

I think the main issue is though. That paypal take 3.6% commission on shipping so say for example you buy 3 model trains and the ems shipping is 5000 yen. paypal take a commission of that 5000 yen (dirty yes?). so now 180 yen has be taken from their profits even though there is no profit to be had on shipping....

 

while i am confident they get a better whole sale price and clearly make much more profit per item sold than a small guy like me does the profit margin on models is much much less than what a shop would expect in aus, us etc.. It still means they will use any means possible to save on that loss. hence trying to get the discount through bulk shipping.

 

I think their policy is 3 or 4 days then ship though they don`t say and won`t say this to customers.

 

being a long time ex customer this is what i worked out.

 

many times i bought an item paid for it then something restocked and i bought separately and boxes shipped same time 1 day latter 3 or 4 days later for the original package.

 

I think i pointed out a while ago with fmodels as well that they didn`t want to do the same price they do for jp customers, this is because of paypal commission.

 

Not saying paypal is the bad guy because even if they were to offer credit card services on their site not through paypal the commission would be much the same.

 

 

I guess though the wait is the price you pay to get it cheaper than buying local, i know i sure saved a lot buying from hs than from the local store in the city which stocks some jp models.

[cteno4]

Paypal taking the standard commission on the cost of shipping and the product is not dirty as to them it is no different money wise. The cost of running the credit transaction is based on the total amount of money. Visa mc charge them on the amount of money (all merchant accounts do this. Paypal cc vendor fees are about the same rates as most of the merchant account systems. Much cheaper than thru the banks as they charge about the same rates but heap a lot of other account fees onto the vendor monthly that add up unless you have a high volume!

 

What is dirty is they charge the same rate for a cc transaction to the seller as if the payer used their bank transfer or from paypal funds. The two latter are much cheaper to do than the transaction.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited November 10, 2013 by cteno4

[katoftw]

Still marked as 'waiting for shipping'.  3 days after ordering.  Guessing their handling time is just a little slower than I expected.  Must lower my expectations.

 

edit// Was marked as shipped by the end of Friday. Yes so 3 days again in handling time.

Arrived 21/11/2013

[Anevalian]

Hi Kato, I just placed some order to Hobbysearch yesterday (Sunday), today is Monday. I only receive an order list from their auto reply, is there anything else I should be expecting? I don't see that they send me a payment request in paypal yet? Is there anything wrong, or should I contact their admin? Would love to hear what is your experience when you dealing with them , thanks.