About parallel imports

Our store doesn't carry many products from overseas, but there are some pretty dodgy people selling parallel imports on flea market services and the like, so I would like to talk about parallel imports as a warning.

Parallel imports are not prohibited

First of all, as a general rule, parallel imports are not considered a crime. It is a natural right to do so. In contrast, official imports are handled by an agency approved by the manufacturer, so you can use the product safely in Japan, and even if a problem occurs, the agency will deal with it.

If there is a problem with a parallel import, the store that sold it must deal with it. However, there are ways to avoid this, which is very unfortunate.

The way around this is to sell the product under the pretense of introducing overseas retailers, rather than acting as an import agent. In this case, the contract is between the buyer and the overseas retailer, so the parallel importer does not have to get involved even if a problem occurs. This is usually the case when the sales page says something like "We will provide support in the event of a breakdown, etc." It's no longer even a parallel import.

You probably shouldn't buy products that are shipped directly from overseas when you order them.

Parallel imports cannot be repaired in Japan.

If a parallel imported product breaks down, you will have to ask the retailer to repair it. However, if the retailer is overseas, the shipping costs can be quite high.

So what happens if you ask a domestic dealer to repair it? In most cases, they will refuse. Even if they can repair it, the fee will be high.

This is not because they are trying to rip you off, but because the specifications are different between the overseas and Japanese versions, and the parts used are different, etc. Also, the reason why genuine imports are more expensive than parallel imports is probably because they pass on some of the costs of repairs to the buyer.

Therefore, if you ask an agency for support for a product that has been imported without going through the agency, it ends up costing quite a bit.

Some people may think that different specifications are not a big difference, but there is a big difference between a 100V power supply and a 120V power supply, and even if gas products look exactly the same, the contents can be different.

It depends on the manufacturer, but some of them say, "You should do proper repairs even for parallel imports." The distributors were very unhappy about it.

Some parallel imports cannot be sold.

Parallel imports are the sale of products imported from overseas, so they are considered a business.
There is no problem if you use the products you import from overseas for personal use, but if you sell them, you will be subject to various legal restrictions. (Even for personal use, there may be cases where the product is subject to legal restrictions.)

In particular, there is something called the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act (PSE Act) for home appliances. This law requires that electrical products must meet Japanese standards for durability, etc., and any product that is inspected and found to be free of problems must bear the PSE mark.

Next are products that use radio waves. For coffee related products, this would be the ACAIA scale. Even with the weak radio waves of Bluetooth, it is necessary to obtain a construction design certification, also known as a technical certification, in order to use it in Japan.

This is very confusing, but you cannot sell products that do not have the PSE mark, but you can sell products that have not received technical approval.
There is no problem with using products that do not have the PSE mark for personal use (although of course, you will be responsible for any problems that may occur, such as a fire), but if you use a product that does not have a technical approval, you may be held accountable for a crime.

Some parallel importers who operate on flea market sites are unaware of or ignore these legal restrictions when selling products, so it is not a good idea to use them.

summary

Let's sum up. Until you get the product, there is no difference between genuine products, parallel products, and counterfeit personal imports. However, there is a possibility that the product may not be legally binding when you use it, or may not meet Japanese specifications in the first place.

Therefore, when purchasing parallel imports, it is a good idea to carefully check whether the product can be used in Japan, what the repair system is like, and whether the company will take responsibility if a problem occurs due to the product.

If you are still able to take responsibility for it yourself, then personal import is an option, but you should not resell it even if you make a mistake. Personal imports are made easier under the assumption that you will use it yourself. If you import for business purposes but choose personal imports, you will be held responsible to a degree that will go beyond just being scolded.

Why did I write this article? I've been planning to import various gadgets, but I've had to give up on it more than once or twice due to legal issues, and it's frustrating when I see people reselling those products, whether they know it or not!