How It Works
Pacific Base buys items from Yahoo Auctions Japan and other Japanese marketplaces for you, handles the purchase and export, and delivers them through our container service. Car parts and vehicles make up most of what we ship, but the process is the same whether you want a set of wheels, a motorcycle or a piece of vintage audio. Here is the full process, what it costs, and who the service suits.
The Process
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01
Look over the listing
Review the photos, details and condition. Every title and description is translated into English, and the original Japanese is there if you want it.
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02
Decide your maximum bid
The price on a listing keeps moving while the auction runs. Use the estimated total on the listing to work out the most you want to spend with every cost included. We only bid as much as it takes to stay in front, so you can win for less than your maximum. If nobody bids against you, you pay whatever the closing price is.
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03
Read our terms and the container schedule
Check our Terms of Service and the dates for the next container. Contact us if anything is unclear before you go ahead.
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04
Send your bid request or confirm your purchase
Your request is your commitment. For an auction, it authorises us to bid up to your maximum and commits you to the final price if we win. For a Buy It Now item, it commits you to buy at the price shown. Most bids do not need a deposit.*
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05
Auctions: our team places the bid
We bid from our own Yahoo Auctions Japan account and raise the bid only as far as needed, never above your maximum, so you are invoiced for the real closing price. If we do not win, you owe nothing. Yahoo Auctions does not let a placed bid be withdrawn.
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06
Buy It Now: we purchase and invoice
For fixed-price items we buy as soon as you confirm, and your invoice follows shortly after.
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07
We take care of the shipping
The seller sends the item to our warehouse in Japan, it travels in our next container, and you collect it or have it delivered. We email you at every stage.
* Higher-value items and vehicles may need a deposit before we bid. The details are under Deposits and Payment below, and we always confirm before you commit.
What You Pay For
The estimate on a listing covers everything needed to get the item to you, apart from optional local delivery. The listing price on its own is the Japanese item price. An estimate is made up of:
Item price
The winning bid or Buy It Now price, in Japanese yen.
Pacific Base commission
Covers bidding, purchase handling, communication with the seller, paperwork and storage until your container ships. Charged on the item price only, at the rates below.
Domestic shipping in Japan
From the seller to our warehouse in Japan, where your item waits for the next container. Depends on size and the seller’s location, and is shown before you confirm.
Ocean freight
From Japan in our consolidated container, at the rates below.
Local delivery
Optional, and the only cost not in the estimate. Quoted separately if you prefer not to collect.
Commission and Fees
Commission, parts and accessories
One flat rate across every category.
| Item price | Commission |
|---|---|
| Any item price | 15% |
| Minimum commission | ¥2,000 |
Service fee, vehicles
Export paperwork, handling and customs documents.
| Vehicle price | Service fee |
|---|---|
| All vehicles | Quoted individually |
Vehicles carry a service fee instead of a percentage commission, so a more expensive car does not cost proportionally more to handle. Import duties and taxes in your country are not included and are charged at the rates set by local customs.
Ocean Freight Rates
These are the per-item rates our ocean freight quotes are based on. They cover the sea journey from Japan and are already included in the estimated total on a listing.
Body and exterior
| Bumper, front or rear | TBC |
| Lip, front or rear | TBC |
| Side skirts, pair | TBC |
| Fenders, pair | TBC |
| Full lip kit, 3 piece | TBC |
| Full body kit, 3 piece | TBC |
| Full body kit, 4 piece or more | TBC |
| Hood | TBC |
| Door | TBC |
| Trunk or hatch | TBC |
| Rear wing | TBC |
| Hard top | TBC |
| Light set | TBC |
Wheels and tires
| Wheel, each | TBC |
| Wheel and tire, each | TBC |
| Tire, each | TBC |
| Wheels, pair | TBC |
| Wheels and tires, pair | TBC |
| Wheels, set of four | TBC |
| Wheels and tires, set of four | TBC |
| Tires, set of four | TBC |
Engine, drivetrain, suspension
| Engine | TBC |
| Transmission | TBC |
| Differential | TBC |
| Coilover set | TBC |
| Strut brace or cross bar | TBC |
| Exhaust system | TBC |
Interior
| Front seat | TBC |
| Front seats, pair | TBC |
| Rear seat | TBC |
| Door panels, pair | TBC |
| Steering wheel | TBC |
Vehicles
| Scooter or small motorcycle | TBC |
| Large motorcycle | TBC |
| Kei car | TBC |
| Car, standard | TBC |
| Car, large (vans and trucks) | TBC |
Everything else, by size
| Very small item, fits an envelope | TBC |
| Small item, fits a shoebox | TBC |
| Medium item, up to a wheel | TBC |
| Large item, bumper or panel | TBC |
Items with a named rate use that rate. Anything else uses the size rate, and oversized items without a named rate are quoted once we know the dimensions, always before you commit. These rates cover ocean freight only. Domestic shipping in Japan, commission and import charges are separate lines.
Deposits and Payment
Your estimate includes the winning bid, export costs in Japan, domestic shipping to our warehouse and ocean freight, so there are no surprises when your item arrives. The price on a listing is the Japanese item price only, which is why every listing shows an estimated total.
| Standard items | No deposit | Pay your invoice after the win or purchase. |
| Higher-value items | Deposit may apply | We confirm the amount before we bid. |
| Vehicles | Deposit required | Amount confirmed before we bid. Paid in two stages, see Vehicles below. |
Deposits are refunded in two situations only: we do not win the auction, or the Japanese seller cancels after we win. Otherwise deposits are non-refundable, because a placed bid is binding and Yahoo Auctions holds us responsible for it. Accepted payment methods are shown on your invoice.
Vehicles
- Check the import rules in your country first, including any minimum age requirement for imported vehicles.
- We manage the whole process: bidding from our account, dealing with the seller, transport to our warehouse, and the export paperwork in Japan.
- Motorcycles and scooters are handled like any other item, with one invoice when we win.
- For a car, a deposit is due before we bid and is credited against your first payment.
- First payment, when we win: the vehicle price and transport to our warehouse, less your deposit.
- Second payment, when the container is booked: the service fee, ocean freight and any applicable charges.
- The two payments are usually a few weeks apart while the car waits for a container. The total you are quoted covers both.
After Your Item Arrives
- We let you know as soon as your item is ready for collection.
- Local delivery is available at your cost, quoted by destination and size.
- Please collect or arrange delivery promptly. Items left for a long time may carry a storage fee.
Timelines
We ship in consolidated containers, which keeps freight affordable but means we cannot promise a fixed arrival date. A container leaves when it is full, so arrival dates are estimates.
We email you as your item moves through purchase, consolidation, sailing and arrival.
- Small parts: TBC
- Larger parts: TBC
- Vehicles: TBC
If you need something by a specific date, this service may not be the right fit. We would rather tell you now than miss your deadline.
A Good Fit If
- You want something hard or expensive to find outside Japan, whether a specific part or a one-off.
- You are flexible on timing and not working to a deadline.
- You want to know the estimated all-in cost before you commit.
- You can collect your item, or are happy to pay for local delivery.
Not a Good Fit If
- You need the item urgently or by a fixed date.
- You need full confidentiality, as we share photos of shipments publicly.
- You want to cancel after a bid is placed. Once won, the purchase is final.
- You need a guaranteed condition or warranty. Used items carry seller risk, and vehicles are sold as-is.
Before You Commit
- Ask questions first. Once a bid is placed or a purchase is confirmed, it cannot be cancelled. If anything about the condition, description or photos is unclear, ask us and we will check with the seller.
- Seller risk is real. Occasionally an item arrives not as described. It is rare, but Pacific Base cannot be held responsible when a Japanese seller misdescribes an item.
- Many performance parts are for off-road use. Unless a listing says otherwise, aftermarket parts may be intended for competition or off-road use and may not be road legal where you live. Check before you buy.
- Vehicles are sold as-is. We do not handle registration, insurance or emissions compliance in your country. Confirm a vehicle can be imported and registered before you buy.
- We share photos publicly. Our process includes posting photos and videos of shipments, parts and vehicles. If you need confidentiality, this service is not for you.
This page is a plain-language summary. Our full legal terms are in our Terms of Service.
