How It Works
Back to homeWe source items from Yahoo Auctions Japan and other Japanese marketplaces on your behalf, handle the purchase and import, and hand them to you in Pomona, California. Most of what we bring in is cars and car parts, but the process is the same whether you want a set of wheels, a motorcycle, or a vintage shop display. Here is the whole process, what it costs, and who it is and is not a good fit for.
Review the listing
Photos, details, and condition. The seller’s description is translated in full.
Set your max bid
Listings show the current bid, which moves. Use the Set Your Max Bid calculator on the listing to work out your maximum with all costs included. We only bid enough to stay one increment ahead of the next highest bidder, so you can win for less than your max. If nobody outbids you, you win at whatever the final price ends up being.
Review service terms and timeline
The terms of service and the shipment schedule. Email us at hello@get-jpn.com if anything is unclear.
Authorize the bid, or confirm the purchase
The form on the listing is where you commit. On an auction it authorizes us to bid up to your max and commits you to the final winning price if we win. On a fixed-price item it commits you to buy at the all-in price shown. Generally, no deposit is required to authorize a bid.*
Auctions: we place your bid
The bid rises only as far as it needs to in order to stay ahead of other bidders, up to your maximum, so you often win below it and are invoiced for what it actually went for. If we do not win, you owe nothing and there is no charge for having tried. A bid cannot be retracted once it is placed, which is the auction platform’s rule rather than ours.
Buy It Now: we send an invoice
For fixed-price items we purchase directly once you submit, and the invoice follows within 24 hours.
We coordinate the import
Seller to our Osaka warehouse, ocean freight to California, then pickup in Pomona, California, or domestic shipping if you requested it. We keep you updated by email at each stage.
* Higher-value items and vehicles do require a deposit before we bid. The bands are in Deposits and Payment below, and we tell you which applies before you commit to anything.
A quote is all-in for pickup in Pomona, CA. The figure on a listing is the Japanese item price on its own, which is what the calculator converts. A quote is built from these components:
| Winning bid | Commission |
|---|---|
| Under ¥250,000 | 33% |
| ¥250,000 to ¥299,999 | 28% |
| ¥300,000 and above | 25% |
Export company commission, import tax, and Japan and U.S. customs paperwork.
| Winning bid | Service fee |
|---|---|
| Under ¥1,000,000 | ¥250,000 |
| ¥1,000,000 to ¥2,999,999 | ¥300,000 |
| ¥3,000,000 to ¥5,999,999 | ¥400,000 |
| ¥6,000,000 to ¥9,999,999 | ¥500,000 |
| ¥10,000,000 and above | Quoted individually |
A vehicle carries a flat service fee rather than a percentage, so a more expensive car does not cost proportionally more to import. The fee covers export company commission, Japanese and U.S. customs paperwork, storage, transload, and handling. U.S. import duty is not in it: it is passed through at 2.5% of the item price as its own line in your quote. Vans, pickups, and trucks built to carry goods are dutied at 25% in place of that rate, also as its own line. Domestic shipping in Japan and ocean freight are separate lines in every quote.
These are the rates we quote from, per item, in U.S. dollars. They cover the sea leg from Japan to California and are already included in the total shown in a quote.
| Bumper, front or rear | $250 |
| Lip, front or rear | $150 |
| Side skirts, pair | $200 |
| Fenders, pair | $200 |
| Full lip kit, 3 piece | $400 |
| Full body kit, 3 piece | $500 |
| Hood | $350 |
| Door | $250 |
| Trunk or hatch, low profile | $250 |
| Trunk or hatch, tall | $400 |
| Rear wing, low profile | $150 |
| Rear wing, tall | $300 |
| Hard top | $400 |
| Light set | $80 |
| Wheel, each | $50 |
| Wheel and tire, each | $65 |
| Tire, each | $50 |
| Large off-road wheel and tire, each | $70 |
| Wheels, pair | $100 |
| Wheels and tires, pair | $130 |
| Tires, pair | $100 |
| Large off-road wheels and tires, pair | $140 |
| Wheels, set of four | $200 |
| Wheels and tires, set of four | $260 |
| Tires, set of four | $200 |
| Large off-road wheels and tires, set of four | $280 |
| Engine | $500 |
| Transmission | $250 |
| Differential | $150 |
| Coilover set | $120 |
| Exhaust system, compact | $200 |
| Exhaust system, full or oversized | $450 |
| Front seat | $185 |
| Front seats, pair | $370 |
| Rear seat | $250 |
| Door panels, pair | $200 |
| Scooter or small motorcycle | $450 |
| Large motorcycle | $750 |
| Kei car | $2,800 |
| Car, standard | $3,200 |
| Car, large (vans and trucks) | $4,000 |
Anything not on this list is quoted once we have its dimensions, and the figure appears in your quote before you commit. These rates cover ocean freight only. Domestic shipping in Japan, commission, and import charges are separate lines, and U.S. domestic shipping is quoted on its own if you are not collecting in Pomona.
A quote is all-in to Pomona: the winning bid, Japanese taxes and export fees, domestic shipping to our Osaka warehouse, ocean freight to California, and U.S. import duty. No surprise charges when your item arrives. The price shown on a listing is the Japanese item price on its own, which is why the calculator is there.
| Under $2,500 | None | Full payment due within 48 hours of the win or purchase. |
| $2,500 to $10,000 | 20% to place your bid | Balance due within 48 hours of the win. |
| Over $10,000 | 25% to place your bid | Balance due within 48 hours of the win. |
| Vehicles | 20% of your max bid | Then two charges, see Vehicles below. |
Your deposit is refundable in exactly two situations: we do not win the auction on your behalf, or the Japanese seller cancels the sale after we win.
In every other situation the deposit is non-refundable. We have placed a real bid on your instruction, and Japanese auction sites hold us financially responsible for what we bid.
We collect deposits on higher-value items so that we are not committing our own capital to items buyers change their minds about.
We accept Zelle, wire transfer, and Shopify checkout. Deposits and balances can use different methods if that is more convenient.
- Vehicles must be 25 years or older, which is the federal rule for imported vehicles.
- We handle the whole process: bidding with our accounts, dealing with the seller, arranging domestic transport, and managing the Japanese export and U.S. import paperwork. You receive everything needed to title and register it.
- A deposit of 20% of the maximum bid you authorize is due before we bid. It is credited against the first charge below.
- Charge one, due when we win the auction and secure the vehicle: the vehicle price and domestic delivery to our Osaka warehouse, less the deposit you have already paid.
- Charge two, due when we book the international shipment: the service fee above, which covers our commission, Japanese and U.S. customs paperwork, storage, transload and handling, plus U.S. import duty at 2.5% of the item price and ocean freight to California.
- The two charges usually fall four to eight weeks apart, because a vehicle sits in Osaka until a container is booked. The price you are quoted is the total of both, and it is the whole cost to Pomona.
- Vans, pickups, and trucks built to carry goods rather than people are dutied at 25% rather than 2.5%. It replaces the standard duty instead of being added to it. We tell you before you commit when a vehicle is subject to it.
- We notify you once your item reaches our Pomona shop. Pickup is free.
- U.S. domestic shipping is available at your cost, quoted separately based on destination and item size.
- Items must be collected or shipped within 30 days of arrival. After that a small storage fee applies to cover the warehouse space.
We ship by consolidated container, which is what keeps freight affordable, but it means we cannot give you a firm arrival date. A container leaves when it is full. Estimated arrival dates are approximate and are not guaranteed.
You will receive updates by email as your item moves through purchase, consolidation in Osaka, sailing, and arrival. Once the container is unloaded, pickup is available immediately and domestic shipments go out within one to two weeks.
- Small parts by air freight: 2 to 4 weeks from the win to Pomona.
- Larger parts by ocean freight: 8 to 12 weeks.
- Vehicles: 10 to 16 weeks.
If you need something by a specific date, this service is not the right fit. We would rather tell you that up front than miss your deadline.
- You want something that is hard or expensive to find in the U.S., whether that is a specific part or an unusual one-off.
- You are flexible on timing and not working to a hard deadline.
- You want a known all-in cost before committing, rather than bidding blind on a proxy service.
- You can collect in Pomona, or you are fine paying separately for domestic shipping.
- You need the item urgently, or by a specific date.
- You need confidentiality, because our process includes publicly posting photos and video of shipments.
- You want the ability to cancel after a bid is placed. Once a bid is won, the purchase is final.
- You need a guaranteed condition or a warranty. Used items carry seller risk, and vehicles are sold as-is.
- Ask questions first.Once a bid is placed or a purchase is finalized, it cannot be canceled. If anything about an item's condition, description, or photos is unclear, ask us before you confirm and we will follow up with the seller.
- Seller risk is real. Items occasionally arrive not as described. It is uncommon, but GET Japan LLC is not responsible when a Japanese seller misrepresents an item.
- Most performance parts are off-road use only. Unless a listing says otherwise, aftermarket parts we source are intended for competition and off-road use, may not be CARB-certified, and may not be legal on a street-registered vehicle in your state. Confirm legality before you buy.
- Vehicles are sold as-is. We are not a licensed motor vehicle dealer and do not handle registration, titling, insurance, or emissions compliance. Confirm a vehicle can be legally imported, titled, and registered in your state before purchasing.
- We post photos publicly. Our import process includes sharing images and video of shipments, parts, vehicles, and loading activity. If you need confidentiality, this service is not for you.
This page is a plain-language summary. The complete legal terms, including warranty disclaimers, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution, are in our Terms of Service.