So it was inevitable that I would end up on Yahoo Japan's auction site, furiously riding the Google Translate extension on my browser and looking at all the neat stuff that I, as a visiting furreigner, could bid on as long as the price din't go over Y5,000 (appx $CA55). I want a used lens and another low-end android cell phone! Be careful what you wish for, boyo!
Unlike Rakuten, you usually can't march down to a combini store and pay at their odd electronic kiosk (used for bill payments, ticket sales, etc). Nope, you need a credit card (Western cards not accepted), a yahoo wallet account (sorry you can't have one) or an auction that offers COD shipping. Or you need to pester your friend living in Japan - who may hold a dim view of your habits of collecting odd bits of used Japanese tech junk as souvenirs. Sometimes you can get away with sticking the cash in an envelope and sending it "registered courier" via Kuroneko delivery service (Did ya know they were a sponsor of Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service?).
Sometimes you get a seller who just wishes the irritating tourist who won his auction would give up and go away.
Of course Yahoo Japan has not fixed their credit card input section since last year. What do you mean input my name as on the card in Kana? I heard that one can use strange custom character called double-byte or something to do this, but the last time I tried it drove me mad, so this one is a fail, again.
Using Google xlate, I offer to tape the Y3500 into a letter and Kuroneko the seller the cash. "Just pay with Japan Post transfer" comes back as the reply.
Last time I tried something like this, I was told that Japan Post will not let me open an account because I am a short-term visitor. But I never tried a simple deposit to/ cash transfer. So off to the nearby Post Office for a bit of research...
First off, the Post Office does mail, banking and bill paying, so the 7 or so wickets are divided between these functions. Then I noticed that you had to grab a numbered ticket. Then a bit later I noticed that there were 3 different series of numbered tickets: separate ones for mail, banking and bill paying. Banking it is, grab a ticket, sit down and smile.
Now it may be my imagination, but both wicket-staff seemed to have noticed my presence and began to slow down whatever they were processing. Obviously a troublesome customer - let the other idiot deal with him. Eventually, the young guy left his window for something, leaving the young woman to deal with me. So up I waddled, with 3 pages of printed out web page, with the "Just pay with Japan Post transfer" part, in the original Japanese circled, as well as his Japan Post transfer number info circled on the next page with an arrow and the Y3500 drawn with thick magic marker next to it.
Well today is my lucky day! Instead of the expected crossed forearms "you can't do that" sign, I get a lot of polite instruction that I cannot understand, and then a calculator showing me that the transfer fee is going to be Y5,100 (appx $CA 5.50)
OUCH!
Oh well, chalk it up to research expenses and reply with a polite "Hai".
Next comes the transfer form: She cannot fill it out - I have to (I guess this makes sense). So she laboriously guides me by marking a note pad with what I need to fill in where, including the katakana for mobile phone account (I'm guessing) which I render in a horridly illegible way, but close enough for rock and roll. Finally all is done and she pantomimes that I can go have a seat and wait. No problem, I saw this with the last customer.
A few minutes later, I notice she is running into trouble, but is a bit worried as to how to bring up the subject. Finally she motions me back - there's something wrong with my name. I hope she doesn't want it in katakana! Nope: avoider guy next wicket over is back and has a few words of english - enough to tell me that my full name is too long! You to have a name that is at most 13 characters total to transfer funds via Japan Post. After another bit of back and forth, I settle on my first initial, last name, and after much confirmationthis seems to to be acceptable. Four minutes later, I get my change, receipt and get to thank both politely and profusely. I even throw in a "gomenasai", which is a serious "I'm sorry" apology rather than the more formulaic "sumimassen" excuse-me variety.
So....
It can be done! But the cash in the envelope sent kuroneko will run the cost of the envelope, plus Y90. Credit card payment from a helpful friend will run Y158. A bank transfer from a friend will run Y300- Y400. Rakuten's 7-11 kiosk system is easier and in the middle range of these fees, but the best deals for stuff are on Yahoo.
Now for a bargain used lens.. Something aspherical, Canon EF mount, zoon to 200 or 300 mm, no scratches or fungus. Japanese camera buffs are the pickiest in the world and bargains are available o'plenty, but summers are humid and mold spots in used lenses are common. Lets see how this one goes. Or I could try hiking some historic passes again.
No comments:
Post a Comment