For all customers who have sent us inquiries recently and are currently awaiting our reply, we sincerely apologize for the worries and inconveniences caused due to the Covid-19 situation.
We are currently receiving very many inquiries every day, and are unfortunately unable to reply each one individually.
In order to answer many of the questions we are receiving, we have compiled a Q and A of the most received questions.
So please check below.
Q) If I select a shipping method that is temporarily suspended for my order, what will happen to it?
A) We will charge you for your order as usual, but your order will be paused if we cannot ship it due to the temporary shipping suspension.
Your order will be paused if any of the following applies:
1. If your pre-order item is stocked and you had selected a temporarily suspended shipping method for it.
2. If you place a new order for in-stock items and you had selected a temporarily suspended shipping method for it.
3. If your order was shipped prior to the shipping suspension but Japan Post returns them to us due to it their temporary shipping suspension.
*You can change shipping option of pre-order items from your account if they are yet to be stocked.
Upon completion of payment, we will be holding these orders until shipment is resumed. Shipping methods currently suspended are as follow.
- SAL class shipments (such as SAL Parcel, Registered-SAL, SAL Small Packet, ePacket Light) are suspended for all countries.
- EMS and Airmail class shipments are suspended for some countries (such as USA, Australia, Brazil, Italy, and many others)
For the latest information, please check the Japan Post website.
Q) Will Hobby Search offer other shipping methods?
A) We have introduced Airmail and Surface mail shipping services as temporary alternative options.
We are also planning to introduce DHL shipping, although this may take some time due to system difficulties.
Q) I want to change shipping method for my pending order.
A) We will check your available options, so please contact us with your order number.
For paid orders, we may need to charge or refund the difference in shipping cost.
*For shipped orders being returned, please wait until we contact you of your package.
Q) My EMS package has been dispatched from Hobby Search, but it seems to be stuck in Japan. What is going on?
Can I change my shipping method?
A) We have contacted Japan Post, and have been informed that there is great delay in processing of EMS shipments.
As packages are loaded onto spare luggage space of passenger flights, and flights around the world has been reduced greatly, it may take some time for packages to be shipped out of Japan.
Your packages are not lost, so we hope for your patience while they ship your package.
For non-EMS packages, these may be in process of being returned.
We will be sure to notify you if your package is returned to us.
For change of shipment method, we are afraid this can only be processed if your package is returned to us.
Q) My package seems to be returned to Hobby Search already but heard nothing from Hobby Search. Can you confirm this?
A) We are terribly sorry for being unable to notify you.
We have confirmed that all our packages returned from Tokyo International post office are on hold with our local post office.
However, there are many packages beyond our capacity and we physically cannot have these returned to us at the moment.
We are asking them to list up all the packages they have of ours, and we plan to inform customers of their package situation once we find out exactly which packages are there. So we hope you can wait while we notify you.
For packages that have already been dispatched from us but have not left Japan yet, we are afraid we are not able to help you unless those packages are returned to us.
As there is nothing we can do for you until then, we really hope you can wait until we notify you, and refrain from inquiring about your packages.
We sincerely hope for your understanding and patience regarding this matter.
Q) Why is Hobby Search asking for payment of orders that cannot be shipped?
A) Due to the suspension of many shipments by Japan Post, we are currently holding very many orders for our customers, to a point we are required to rent extra storage space. As much as we would like to hold your orders without charging them, we are afraid we are in no capacity to secure your items without payment for them in advance. We hope for your understanding with this matter, thank you very much.
We appreciate your understanding and patience with this problem.
E-mail: hs-support@1999.co.jp