How different is ZenMarket compared to other proxy services?

So you're looking to order some items from Japan, and you have discovered that there are some different services out there that can help you do that. Which one should you choose?

This guide walks you through the different services you can use to get items from Japan delivered to you.

Before we get started on the different companies out there, it is important to understand the difference between some of the services that are available.

The two major types of services that can help you are proxy buying services and parcel forwarding services (sometimes called freight forwarders).

What is a proxy buying service?

Proxy Buying Services such as ZenMarket help you purchase Japanese products through stores that don't ship internationally, such as JDirectItems Auction or Surugaya. When using a Japan proxy buying service, you can expect your purchase(s) to go through the following process:

When dealing with a proxy buying service, all payments and communications go through the proxy, rather than directly with the store where the product you are buying is available.

What are the advantages of using a proxy buying service to buy from Japan?

When using a Japan proxy buying service you have many advantages:

• Convenience and Ease of Use - Proxy buying services in Japan typically have an easy to use interface that will help you order your items from Japan, pay for your items, and manage your parcels.
• International credit cards accepted - many Japanese stores do not allow international cards for online purchases, but proxy buying services are all set to accept cards from almost anywhere.
• More payment methods accepted - Japan, despite being regarded as a technologically advanced society, still largely relies on cash for purchases. However, websites that do let you order online often have limited payment methods.
• No Japanese necessary - Proxy buying services in Japan typically have bilingual staff that can provide you with customer service, while being able to deal with Japanese retailers so that you don't have to.
• Only one account needed - You do not need to create accounts on every single website you wish to order from. A single account with your chosen proxy service is all you need. If you know how many emails Japanese ecommerce companies send you, you will know that this is a big deal.

What is a parcel forwarding service?

A Japanese parcel forwarding service is typically a company in Japan, usually a warehouse, that enables you to use their domestic address for shipping Japanese goods. 

Unlike proxy buying services, they take more of a hands-off approach, letting you do most of the work. You can expect purchases using a parcel forwarding service to go through the following process:

When dealing with a Japanese parcel forwarding service, you need to communicate with and pay each individual Japanese retailer you purchase from, while also communicating and paying the parcel forwarding service for storage, packing and shipping.

What are the advantages of using a parcel forwarding service?

• More control over the ordering process - because you are ordering the items directly yourself, you do not have to have someone in between you and the seller if you can communicate in Japanese.</strong >
• Access to loyalty programs - because you use your own account on each seller site, you get access to points and loyalty rewards that the seller may offer.

Which should I choose, a Japanese parcel forwarder or a Japanese proxy buyer?

It depends on your needs and whether or not you have expertise in buying and shipping the item you are looking for.

If you have a high enough level of Japanese, as well as the time and knowledge to to liaise with sellers, correctly fill out customs declarations and organize international shipping, you may be able to benefit from a parcel forwarder. 

For everyone else, it is usually much easier to use a proxy buying service to order goods from Japan.

If you have the knowledge, time, and skills to use a Japanese parcel forwarding service, you may still face challenges with stores that don't accept your payment method. However, this issue is resolved when using a Japanese proxy buying service.

Now you know the difference between a proxy buying service and a parcel forwarding service, let's look into some of the differences between ZenMarket and other services.

ZenMarket vs. Buyee

Buyee is a popular Japanese proxy buying service. They are generally known for their partnerships with various stores and have been around for some time. Despite being commonly used, their reputation may leave you questioning if it's the right service for you. See our Buyee vs ZenMarket comparison table below:

_{This table was last updated 12/12/2024}

While Buyee does have a lower service fee compared to ZenMarket, watch out for package consolidation, bidding, and inspection fees!

They are known to pack multiple parcels exactly as they arrived at their warehouse into a larger box - this can result in an unnecessarily large or heavy box, and inflated shipping prices.

Occasionally, items you buy may not be as advertised: missing pieces, a different color, wrong size, or the wrong product. In ZenMarket's case, we do this basic inspection without any extra fees for every item you order. On the other hand, Buyee will charge 300 yen per inspection.

Verdict:  You may be able to save money if you go for the minimum services offered, but you also increase the risk of getting the wrong items or being dissapointed in the end. Also, you could incur greater costs when you require more special requests.

ZenMarket vs OneMap by From Japan

From Japan is another popular proxy buying service whose regular service is generally okay and has fees similar to ZenMarket. They can be more expensive if your order falls out of their usual service, however. See the From Japan vs ZenMarket comparison table below:

_{This table was last updated 12/12/2024}

Some services where you will be charged extra is their 3rd party packing fee (for orders that cannot be packed in-house) or their FedEx customs clearance fee. It should also be noted that From Japan have set bidding limits for certain payment methods when bidding on auctions, which could limit your ability to win auctions.

Another thing to look out for is that after the free storage period of 45 days has ended, the items will be discarded without an option for extension.

ZenMarket have a free period of 60 days, plus a paid period of an additional 30 day (90 days storage total). This can be useful if you are waiting on one last parcel to consolidate that has not quite arrived yet, and you need a few extra days to finalize your order.

Verdict: Similar in cost compared to ZenMarket, provided your requests are not out of the ordinary. You may struggle if you make multiple orders across different stores that could exceed the 45 day limit.

ZenMarket vs Neokyo

Neokyo is another proxy buying service that are generally known to focus on the shipping of anime goods such as figures and other related merchandise. Their general service fee is just 250 yen, but they also charge a weight-based packing fee.

_{This table was last updated 12/12/2024}

Neokyo's packing fee of 500 yen means that the minimum fee you will pay is 750 yen. Also, if your item(s) weigh more than 2kg this fee continues to increase, which is a double whammy when it comes to shipping your items, as shipping fees also tend to increase with weight.

Like ZenMarket, Neokyo allows you to pay to extend your storage time after the free period has ended. They charge weekly, and their prices increase based on the size of the boxes you are paying to store. This can get quite expensive if you have large items. 

Another point to keep in mind is that Neokyo may have higher-than-average shipping fees compared to similar proxies.

Verdict: A little on the pricey side for small purchases, but good for shipping many small, lightweight items. For larger/heavier parcels, it may be more cost effective to look elsewhere. If you are looking for long term benefits and loyalty programs, ZenMarket can offer store points and cashback!

ZenMarket vs. Japan Rabbit (The Proxy formerly known as Whiterabbit Express)

Japan Rabbit is a smaller proxy buying service. Their fee structure makes them more expensive than most other services, though they can sometimes accommodate special requests at an additional cost. They can only accept payment in US dollars, which may increase your overall costs if you have a currency weak against the US dollar. See our Japan Rabbit vs ZenMarket fee comparison below: 

_{This table was last updated 12/12/2024}

Not only that, Japan Rabbit also mentions that if your calculated fees add up to less than $9, you will be charged the minimum service fee of $9.

If you plan on shopping at a lot of auction sites or flea markets, your fees will very quickly add up.

Although they offer free item consolidation, their service, item, and store fees typically make this option more expensive than others.

Verdict: Expensive. Maybe okay if you need something  really specific that you are willing to pay anything for, and other service providers are unable to accommodate your request.

ZenMarket vs DeJapan

DeJapan is a small proxy buying service with very low fees if you're purchasing from specific websites. However, the site is available only in English, and their service quality can sometimes fall short. See our DeJapan vs. ZenMarket comparison table below:

_{This table was last updated 12/12/2024}

If your language is not covered by DeJapan, you may find it difficult to get the services you are looking for. Also, given the varying store fees, they might be best utilized for non-fleamarket stores. Finally, if you have an item that you need clarification on, such as sizing for clothes, or authenticity on collectibles, you might want to look elsewhere, as DeJapan will charge per question.

Verdict: Might be okay if you only want to buy from retailers rather than fleamarket sites, and you don't have any questions to ask the seller.

ZenMarket vs Tenso

Tenso is a parcel forwarding service. As explained above, they do not do any purchasing for you - you buy what you want, and let the service provider know which parcels will be arriving at their warehouse. Tenso owns Buyee, and operate their Buyee service as a means of penetrating the proxy service provider market. 

Because this is a package forwarding service, you may find there are different fees compared to a proxy buying service. See our Tenso vs ZenMarket comparison below:

Being a parcel forwarding service means that they do not offer a purchasing service, so obviously they don't have fees for that. Their fees come into play once you ship items to their warhouse. Their fee structure is weight based, starting at 30 yen for 50 grams, working its way up to 550 yen for 30 kilograms, plus a one time 100 yen usage fee. Keep in mind that these fees are in addition to shipping fees.

When consolidating items, you pay a 200 yen base consolidation application fee, plus 300 yen for every package after the first. Given that this is owned by the same company as Buyee, their packing methods are largely the same, as can be seen in their customer reviews.

Verdict: You are likely better off using a proxy buyer instead, as you get additional services for the fees you pay.

Purchasing Examples

Let's put ZenMarket and these other services to the test. For this, we will try out a few different scenarios and compare the associated costs for each service. We will provide 2 examples of ordering various products to simulate a few different orders.

For companies that charge their fees in currencies other than Japanese Yen, the fee amount will be converted so that a comparison can be made.

Example 1 - A Single Item

For this example we will assume that we are shipping one item. We are purchasing a small booklet of Pokemon cards bought on a flea market service for 1,500 yen with free domestic shipping within Japan. Including packaging, it weighs about 500 grams. Because there is only 1 item, no consolidation service is needed.

Example 2 - Shipping 3 Commonly Purchased Items

In this second example, we will assume that we are shipping three items: two anime figures purchased from different stores and a figure stand. 

The first figure weighs 750g and was bought for 3,500 yen from a flea market.

The second figure has a solid base and weighs about 1.4kg and costs 6,000 yen.

The figure stand weighs about 250g and was bought for 1,000 yen.

3 items total:  Weight =  3.4kg,  Value = 10,500 yen

As you can see, most services are quite similar in cost. Even though the service fees may be different, some companies will make up the difference in shipping fees. Whether you are a veteran user of proxy services, or new to the scene, ZenMarket strives to make the payment process smooth and easy to understand. There are no hidden costs or calculations you have to perform before you buy.

Not only that, many additional services that are offered by other proxies for a fee, are included within the service fee on ZenMarket! So if you plan on grabbing the latest products from Japan or expanding your collections, we make it easier for you in the long term.

Why Choose ZenMarket?

ZenMarket have a number of benefits that make it easy and more affordable for you to order, regardless of the size of your haul. It should also be noted that due to our 500 ZenPoints signup bonus, if the above examples were your first order with ZenMarket, the total fees you would pay would be 500 yen less than indicated in the total.

In addition to having low fees across multiple order types as shown above, ZenMarket has the following benefits:

• Amazing Customer Support in 19 languages (and counting).
• We have over 100 payment methods available across countries, including Bank Transfer, PayPal, Wise, Credit Card, Stripe, Google Pay and more! (depending on location).
• A loyalty program that earns you credit to use based on your order volume. Gain access to credit and point rebates!
• Free Consolidation of your orders, no many how many items you order.
• Pre-paid Customs System , including IOSS for Europe, LVG for Malaysia, GST for New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and more!
• A store point system to help offset the costs of shipping fees. You can earn 500 ZenPoints as a signup bonus, essentially covering the service fee on your first item.
• We also offer many popular shipping methods , worldwide! And insured parcels</a > too. 

We hope this article helps you choose your proxy service provider. If you ever have any questions or would like some advice, feel free to contact us. We hope to speak with you soon!

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