Buyee Japan and eBay US (export) Warning

[phipli]

I'm sure everyone else is already aware, but folks, just a quick warning.

It is a few years since I've bought from Buyee. I knew there were more export restrictions these days when purchasing from Japan, but assumed that if they let me bid on something (many things won't let you) everything would be fine. I had read in the past that they were refusing to ship CPU upgrade cards and that it was daft, but had assumed it was limited to electronic components and things with CPUs.

I bought a DigiDesign Session 8 sound card, boxed with manuals. They have catagorised it as "Silicon Substrate" (if it counts as that and is banned as such, then Japan would not be able to export any electronics) and said they will not export it, my only options are for them to destroy it or send it to an address in Japan. I have tried arguing but as you can well imagine, they don't care, they've taken their cut. Thieving ********.

Don't risk buying through Buyee. If there is any chance they'll do this with your order, you've just lost what you've paid, and some bit of Mac history is at risk of being destroyed.

I'm both furious and upset as I've been looking for a setup like this for years and was over the moon to find one with all the trimmings. I am also aware that it is my fault, but to be fair, it isn't exactly normal to be that aware of another nation's laws and you kind of rely on being told by the company that is working as an intermediary.

TLDR - Just don't risk buying from Buyee.

EDIT

Updated to note that there now also appear to be export restrictions from the USA on vintage electronics causing eBay to terminate shipments. They are refusing to explain why, so I can't be confident in the reason, but there is suspicion that it is due to a new rule banning the export of electronic waste, that is over reaching in application - FYI only, as eBay would not after repeated requests tell me, and then started bouncing my emails to the support email address.

https://tinkerdifferent.com/threads/buyee-japan-and-ebay-us-export-warning.5535/post-49691

 

[AlpineRaven]

Yep same here - I have stopped buying from Buyee - same issue what your having..

Sad isn't - I've argued and argued - they don't care - basically padlock and its you taking the risk.
I would like to see if there is alternative site that is same as Buyee that would have good stuff on it.

Cheers
AP

 

[phipli]

Yep same here - I have stopped buying from Buyee - same issue what your having..

Sad isn't - I've argued and argued - they don't care - basically padlock and its you taking the risk.
I would like to see if there is alternative site that is same as Buyee that would have good stuff on it.

Cheers
AP

Oh, for the days of $50 CPU upgrades and accelerated Nubus video cards. Sadly that time has passed.

At least we did manage to get something at the time.

I personally feel that their business has ceased to exist and they're just making money by taking fees and refusing to send things.

 

[Oelmuvun]

...my only options are for them to destroy it or send it to an address in Japan.

So is everyone flooding JDW with random computer bits for him to check out on video?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

I just don't import anything anymore unless they explicitly ship direct and say they cover the tariffs.

 

[bakkus]

I'm sure everyone else is already aware, but folks, just a quick warning.

It is a few years since I've bought from Buyee. I knew there were more export restrictions these days when purchasing from Japan, but assumed that if they let me bid on something (many things won't let you) everything would be fine. I had read in the past that they were refusing to ship CPU upgrade cards and that it was daft, but had assumed it was limited to electronic components and things with CPUs.

I bought a DigiDesign Session 8 sound card, boxed with manuals. They have catagorised it as "Silicon Substrate" (if it counts as that and is banned as such, then Japan would not be able to export any electronics) and said they will not export it, my only options are for them to destroy it or send it to an address in Japan. I have tried arguing but as you can well imagine, they don't care, they've taken their cut. Thieving ********.

Don't risk buying through Buyee. If there is any chance they'll do this with your order, you've just lost what you've paid, and some bit of Mac history is at risk of being destroyed.

I'm both furious and upset as I've been looking for a setup like this for years and was over the moon to find one with all the trimmings. I am also aware that it is my fault, but to be fair, it isn't exactly normal to be that aware of another nation's laws and you kind of rely on being told by the company that is working as an intermediary.

TLDR - Just don't risk buying from Buyee.

Are you in the US?
Because if so, there have been several recent waves of changes to import rules - straight up prohibitions or tarrifs on and off.


It could be that what you're hitting isn't necessarily Japan's export rules - more US import rules.

 

[phipli]

So is everyone flooding JDW with random computer bits for him to check out on video?

The Buyee but not Shippee Reviews?

Are you in the US?
Because if so, there have been several recent waves of changes to import rules - straight up prohibitions or tarrifs on and off.


It could be that what you're hitting isn't necessarily Japan's export rules - more US import rules.

No, I'm not in the US. While we have our own import taxes, they haven't really changed lately. Yet.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Doesn't it transfer through the US, though? I thought their warehouse was States-side.

 

[phipli]

Doesn't it transfer through the US, though? I thought their warehouse was States-side.

They may have a US warehouse, but anything I've bought in the past has not come via the US.

Even if something did transit via the US, it is not being "imported" into the US and so would not be subject to US import laws. If it was... then they wouldn't ship it via the US because that would be a waste of money.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

When I used Rinkya, and granted this was a few years ago, they were indeed the importer of record because they were the purchaser of record. Stuff arrived and went to them, and tariffs/duties on anything over the de minimis exemption had to be paid to them (I had to do this once or twice). They then mailed it out.

I don't recall how my Buyee purchases worked, so perhaps they use multiple warehouses to avoid that problem for buyers not in the United States. But then that doesn't explain what you're seeing.

 

[JDW]

So is everyone flooding JDW with random computer bits...

Not "everyone," thankfully, but I've helped out several people over the past couple years, the most recent being @phipli , and the only reason I mention that is to simply let everyone know his predicament has been resolved.

TLDR - Just don't risk buying from Buyee.

Agreed.

I will go further to boldly say that Buyee needs to go out of business. They are borderline fraudulent these days in that they advertise a service, but then when you buy something through their service, they turn around and tell you lies shrouded in mystery by labeling a normal vintage item as "Silicon Substrate" (which implies that an import ban exists -- it doesn't! ). And even if you confront them with facts, they cite policy in the end. Buyee is utterly worthless now, and that is true even if you have used them with success in the past.

Steer clear of Buyee, folks. Please.

Complicating matters is a stupid legal change in the USA that is now flagging our beloved vintage Machines as "e-waste", making it impossible for those of us outside the USA to buy from EBAY or someone in the USA anymore. Nothing with a CRT in it, and apparently no CPU cards either . Might even impact people inside the US trying to get stuff imported too, for all I know.

 

[Froggy814]

Thanks for the warning everyone! I will steer way way away!

 

[phipli]

the most recent being @phipli

Apologies, yes - JDW was kind enough to help me, but I didn't want to post about it here to avoid it becoming an expected service. I've already overly taken advantage and didn't want to cause further inconvenience.

The Session 8 card and software arrived last week. Over the moon as it is a full set of card, manuals, software and the weird SCSI cable they came with.

Complicating matters is a stupid legal change in the USA that is now flagging our beloved vintage Machines as "e-waste", making it impossible for those of us outside the USA to buy from EBAY or someone in the USA anymore. Nothing with a CRT in it, and apparently no CPU cards either . Might even impact people inside the US trying to get stuff imported too, for all I know.

By really bad luck, I also got caught by this. I've not had a very good experience buying internationally in the last couple of months.

My understanding is that it is a restriction on exporting vintage electrical devices from the US. I haven't seen any confirmed instances for importing into the US, I'm not sure that the latter might be a misunderstanding somewhere along the way unless someone can point me to something confirming it.

Be aware I spent a significant amount of time trying to get eBay to confirm why they did it (i.e. under what rules) and how they categorised the purchase that it was a problem so I could make informed decisions in the future. They repeatedly gave evasive answers and never answered and I believe are trying to actively hide why (they may be scared to attribute blame). My advice is to not buy any vintage electronics from the USA, at least via eBay, TBC via other methods, and possibly no high value items at all from the US to be safe.

Note that eBay did refund me, it just really, really sucks because I wanted my purchase.

Between Japan, the US and European "by line item" VAT fixed changes, it is feeling like governments are purposely shutting down all international trade not undertaken by large corporations. It is reaching the point where it will be cheaper to buy a second hand TV instead of recapping the power board on your existing one if it fails. Another nail in the coffin of hobby / vintage electronics and repairing your own devices.

I've updated the thread title to also mention export from the US.

 

[AlpineRaven]

It's really disappointing of what is happening now - but I am just grateful what I have obtained from Japan in the past until this year to be honest - now the only way to get it out from Japan is via eBay which is also scam (money grub!) as well.
Cheers
AP