Hi, and welcome to the new holistic J-List FAQ. Please contact us using the link to the left if you have any questions about our products not covered here.
Q) So, tell us what J-List is?
A) Well, J-List is an online shop based in Isesaki, Japan, just about in the center of Japan. We ship fun and unique products to those not fortunate enough to live here. We also have an office in San Diego, where T-shirts, PC dating-sim games, region free DVD players and a few other products are sent from.
Q) I live in (England, France, Aruba). Can I buy from J-List?
A) Certainly! We ship worldwide, and can send your order to anyplace products can be shipped. (Kuwait, Iraq, probably not.)
Q) I'm in Japan. Can I order from J-List?
A) Sure. Please note that any order shipped to Japan is subject to the 5% Japanese consumption tax, which we'll add onto your order after it's received by us. If you're having trouble accessing the J-List website from inside Japan, go here: http://www.jlist.com/ACCESS first to get access
Q) What currency are prices on J-List in?
A) Everything is posted in US dollars.
Q) What forms of payment does J-List accept?
A) VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover, of course. Paypal, for paying for non-adult products. Check or money order sent to our San Diego office. If sending a check for payment, the address is
J-List
5555 Magnatron Blvd Suite J
San Diego CA 92111
USA
(Make checks payable to "J-List"*)
NOTE: If you're from Canada or Japan and are paying with a Postal Money Order from the post office, please make payment out to "Laura Pientka" instead.
NOTE: If you are ordering with a money order, or ordering with a check and your name is not the name on the check, J-List requires that you send a copy of your photo ID showing that your age is over the age of eighteen. Any copy will do, but we need it to verify that you are who you say you are. This is to keep minors from ordering adult material from J-List. Note that it is okay to "black out" the ID number (say, the drivers' license number) if you wish. ID copies will be noted and destroyed. You don't need to send ID if ordering non-adult items.
We've also recently added the option for both Paypal and Google Checkout, allowing you to checkout and pay with these two payment systems. Note that adult products may not be purchased (if you have one or more adult items in your shopping cart, the Paypal and Google Checkout options will not appear.).
Q) Can I send payment via Western Union?
A) Yes, we can accept payment via Western Union. Please contact us for payment details if you'd like to pay using this method.
Q) I made an order from J-List and got my first, automated email, but not the second email from the J-List staff.
A) We process all orders manually, six days a week. If you made an order on Saturday evening or Sunday, there'll be a delay while we wait for Monday to process the order. Certain ISPs are known to block mails from us from time to time, including Hotmail and Yahoo, so if you're not getting our emails please check your spam box and white list us so we can send emails to you. If you have a question you can contact us and we'll reply ASAP.
Q) I ordered a download product and haven't gotten the download link. What's up?
A) See above. We process all orders by hand, and so it will take 12-24 hours for us to send you the link, or an extra day if you ordered on the weekend. We apologize that automated processing of orders is not possible at this time.
Q) Help! I'm having trouble contacting you. Why aren't you replying to my mails?
A) J-List takes communication with our customers very seriously, and works hard to reply to all emails. Unfortunately, often mails don't reach us, or our replies don't reach our customers, due to spam filters. To combat this problem, we're experimenting with many methods of contacting customers, including using alternate email accounts with Gmail. We're currently beta-testing a system that will allow you to read all J-List mails on your J-List Account page (note, in the beta period not all mails will appear in the database). You can also contact us by voice mail if you're having problems getting through to us via email. Note that voice mails may take longer to reach us since we are based in Japan and can't always return phone calls due to time difference issues.
Q) Do you ship to APO addresses? What about PO Boxes?
A) Sure, we can ship to both with no problem.
Q) I have a question about your "reserve subscription" system for magazines.
A) Sure. Our unique "reserve subscription" system allows you to buy popular Japanese anime, manga, fashion, toy & hobby, and adult magazines. You have a choice: go with our month-to-month revolving subscription whereby we'll charge your card on file (or notify you that the magazine has come in, for check/money or Paypal customers) each issue, until you ask us to stop. There's never any obligation to buy past the current issue and you can stop or change to another magazine at any time. Some magazine have the option of pre-paying for a year (usually 12 issues) with a discount and shipping included, so you don't have to worry about invidivual payments (recommended for customers who want to take advantage of the discount, libraries wanting to stock Japanese magazines, and so on).
Q) I want to make sure my order is sent in a discreet fashion. Can you show me examples of what your packages look like? Do you send any advertisements or other crap to your customers?
A) J-List never sends anything to you other than what you purchased, and of course we never share your personal information with any third parties whatsoever. All orders are shipped with tender loving care by our all-Japanese staff (for items shipping out of Japan), or by our hard-working team in San Diego (for CD-ROM, T-shirt, DVD players and other items that are stocked in the U.S.), and all packages are packed in a totally discreet and professional fashion.
SAL (economy airmail) is the most popular shipping method at J-List, because it's so affordable. SAL packages take 2-4 weeks normally, although customs delays can extend this. Also, SAL can slow down terribly near Christmas and is not recommended if you're in a rush to get your package.
First class airmail is an excellent option for customers who are in a hurry and still want an affordable shipping rate. Here are two examples of airmail packages. Printed matter is usually sent in tough Tyvek or Rigur-style envelopes (left), while toys, snacks and other oddly-shaped items are sent in a shipping box (right). Airmail takes approximately 7-10 days to arrive. Note that Airmail and SAL are not trackable (but EMS, below, is).
The best way to order products from Japan is EMS, the super-fast shipping method that takes around four business days to reach you. Orders are fully trackable online (note: there's a 24 hour gap before the Japanese post office picks up the package and enters it into their system), and all orders come with an automatic $200 worth of insurance.
Below are J-List's shipping rates. Note that seamail is only recommended if you're ordering 1 kg or more, and that SAL and airmail may not be more than 2 kg, so if your order is more than that weight amount, we'll automatically split it into smaller orders on our end.
| Shipping method |
Weight and cost information |
| SAL |
first 100g $2.80 |
add $1.20 per 100g |
| airmail |
first 100g $3.60 |
add $1 per 50g over the first 100g |
| seamail |
|
1kg $13.80 |
2kg $22.30 |
over 2kg, $8.50 per kg |
Q) Tell me about the free Japanese pocket tissue I get when I order from J-List.
A) J-List sends freebees with each order, like cool J-List Pocket Tissue, the same pocket tissue that pretty girls hand out on every street corner in Japanese cities. Note that we don't send the tissue with every order -- in cases where the product you order would be bent or damaged by the inclusion of the tissue, our staff will usually leave it out. You can also order 12 packs of J-List tissue for just $3, too, in case you love wacky stuff from Japan or have a very runny nose.
Q) What is your return policy?
A) J-List stands by its products, and if anything we sell you is defective or has a problem, we're willing to send you a replacement or take the item back for a refund. However, items must be new and in sellable condition. Shrink-wrapped items (CD-ROMs, DVDs, videos) must be in shrink-wrapped form and unviewed. In the case of buying CD-ROM anime games for Windows, please verify that the games work with the OS you're (some older games don't work with Windows 2000/XP, for example). Some items cannot be returned, such as the custom-made high school uniforms of Matsukameya or seasonal items such as calendars.
Q) While I'm asking about policies, what's J-List's privacy policy?
J-List takes pride in what we've built over the past few years -- a wonderful place where fans of Japanese pop culture, in all its many forms, can enjoy and express the object of their interest without limitation. J-List thanks the over 175,000 customers who have supported us since 1996 and made us something special. Because we value our relationship with our customers, we would never do anything to abuse that trust. We promise to never share your personal information or email addresses with third parties in any way.
