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Rakuten Global Market Closure - [A Helpful Solution]

Over the last 5 years, we have sent an almost countless amount of items from Japan to people living overseas from different Japanese online retailers, including goods from Rakuten Japan.

Rakuten Global Market has been a popular choice for those of you who are only looking to purchase items from the Japanese Rakuten marketplace. However, with the recent changes to Rakuten, many of you may be wondering now, how to buy from Rakuten Global?

Due to the official Rakuten Global Market closure taking place on June 1st, 2020, you will no longer be able to have Rakuten items internationally shipped directly from Rakuten Japan.

But don't worry, we have a solution for you. 

 Rakuten Global Market

Here we'll not only tell you how to safely and reliably still make orders from Rakuten Japan and have them shipped to you internationally, but we will also answer some of the most common questions people ask us when placing their Rakuten orders.

 

How To Order From Rakuten Global Market After June 1st?

A proxy shopping service is by FAR, the easiest way to have items from Rakuten's marketplace shipped to you overseas. By using a proxy service you can have almost any item from Rakuten sent to you for a small fee. 

Sure. If you are lucky enough to have friends or family living in Japan that have some spare time on their hands, they could buy Rakuten items on your behalf and send them internationally to you. You would probably end up saving a little bit of money doing it this way too. 

ProxJDirectItems Shopping Service Saves Time

But for most of us, that isn't a real option. Many of us just aren't fortunate enough to have close friends living somewhere in Japan. And even if we did, would you really feel comfortable having to pester them every time you wanted a new piece of anime merch or Japanese fashion from Rakuten? 

Trust me. As someone who bought products regularly from Japan and has family living there, that gets old - real, real quick. 

So, using a proxy shopping service is the easiest and best way to get everything you could have ordered from the Rakuten Global Market, and more, from Japan.

 

What Is A Proxy Shopping Service?

 

Basically, "Proxy shopping service" is just a fancy way of saying, a service that purchases your items, receives them on your behalf, and then ships them to an address of your choosing. 

"Why would I ever use a proxy shopping service?" I hear you ask.

Why use a proxy service from Japan?

Well, now with the closure of Rakuten Global, Rakuten - like many other stores here in Japan - will not directly ship their goods to you internationally - they just won't.

Proxy services give you a way to get your hands on that limited edition piece of merch that you've spent hours searching the web for, only to find it locked behind a wall of domestic shipping, halfway around the world. 

Proxy shopping is probably something you are already familiar with - ever heard of Amazon? 

Amazon Japan

Most people don't realize this, but Amazon, yes THE Amazon.com, is a kind of proxy shopping service. When you buy items on Amazon, you aren't in fact buying them from the Amazon company. Instead, you are actually paying a 3rd party retailer that has their items stored in Amazon warehouses and listed on the Amazon website.

What's the difference? 

Unlike traditional retailers, Amazon doesn't buy or pay for the items listed on their website until you, the buyer, choose to purchase the item first. 

And that's exactly what proxy shopping services like ZenMarket do for online Japanese stores like Rakuten. 

 

Want to see how it works? Here is a quick video showing the process. 

 

How To Buy From Rakuten Using A Proxy Service?

 

It's really simple with ZenMarket. Add funds to your account, pay for the items you want, pay for international shipping, and then wait for the postman to knock at your door - that's it. Done!  

How to use a proxy service?

Have questions? I know you do, I had them too.  

When I first heard about proxy shopping services, I wanted to buy Japanese goods that weren't even available on Rakuten Global Market at the time.

So for those of you that want a detailed, in-depth guide to buying items from Rakuten, as if Rakuten Global hadn't gone anywhere, you can check out ZenMarket's complete, step-by-step guide to buying goods from Rakuten Japan here - HOW TO BUY FROM RAKUTEN JAPAN: A COMPLETE GUIDE

 

Concerned about buying from Rakuten Global Market or Rakuten? 

Many of ZenMarket's customers had questions about buying from Rakuten before coming to us. ZenMarket over the past few years has sent hundreds of thousands of Rakuten parcels to people living outside of Japan and so we know a thing or two about Rakuten. 

Below, you'll find a list of the most common questions customers would ask us about Rakuten or Rakuten Global Market. 

 

FAQ

 

Q. “Why did Rakuten Global Market close?”

Rakuten reportedly chose to shut down Rakuten Global Market, so they could refocus and strengthen their local position here in Japan. With ever-rising competition from their local competitor Amazon.jp, they made the decision to priorities improving their domestic services they offer. Not great for us international people, but that is where ZenMarket comes in to help.

 

Q. "Is Rakuten Global Market Legit?"

Rakuten Global Market, or now simply "Rakuten", is 100% legit.

For those of you that have never lived in Japan, you may be forgiven for not knowing how huge a company Rakuten is as they mainly operate only in Japan.

But make no mistake, until a few years ago Rakuten was the largest online retailer in Japan, keeping even the behemoth that is Amazon.jp in second place for many years. Currently, Amazon now holds the number one spot when it comes to online shopping in Japan, but Rakuten isn't going to just give up that spot without a fight. 

 

Want to see how Rakuten compares to Amazon? Here is a video comparing the 2 companies in Japan.  

 

Q. "Is buying from Rakuten Global Market safe?"

Buying items from Rakuten is arguably safer than buying from Amazon in Japan.

Amazon Prime with its free domestic shipping can sometimes make the buying process slightly cheaper and faster, but anyone can create an account and sell items on Amazon for little to no cost. 

In comparison, to become a seller on Rakuten is a bigger investment. Rakuten's monthly seller fees ensure that sellers on Rakuten are serious about selling quality items, as having a poor Seller Rating on Rakuten can mean a quick end to a store's Rakuten career.

 

 

Q. "Are items sold on Global Rakuten authentic?"

Although not impossible, items sold on Rakuten are rarely ever counterfeit. This is due to high seller fees associated with Rakuten and how important it is to have a high seller rating on Rakuten. 

Alongside this, Rakuten is well known for its aggressive stance and no tolerance policy for counterfeit items. Rakuten even has a customer protection program in place in the rare occasions counterfeit items are caught being sold through the Rakuten marketplace.  



Q. “Where can I find a Rakuten Global Market coupon and discounts?”

Discounts and coupons that were once available for Rakuten Global Market, will no longer be valid with the closing of Rakuten Global Market.

However, for those of you who want to buy from Rakuten and enjoy a good discount, ZenMarket frequently offers discounts when you purchase from Rakuten through our website.

We regularly have no commission fees and offer a 5% cashback on all orders from Rakuten, you can click here to find out more about our Rakuten discounts - ZenMarket x Rakuten Campaign



Q. “Does Rakuten ship to USA?” // “Does Rakuten Japan ship internationally?”

With the Rakuten Global Market shutting down as of June 1st, Rakuten will no longer ship items directly to Canada, Europe, or the USA.

However, for those of you living in Europe or North America and wish to buy items from Rakuten Japan, you can do so through ZenMarket.

We ship worldwide, so regardless of where you live, we can help deliver most Rakuten items to your front door. 

 

Remember, you can check out ZenMarket's step-by-step guide on how to buy from Rakuten here - HOW TO BUY FROM RAKUTEN JAPAN: A COMPLETE GUIDE

 


Who is ZenMarket?

Article| 28/05/2020 | rakuten

 

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