Many people have asked us if they can safely buy items from the Amazon Japan website. This is a brilliant question, and we’re here to help you find the answer!
In this article, we will cover some pros and cons of shopping on Amazon Japan, as well as provide other shoppers perspectives on whether it is safe to buy from them, so keep reading!
Is Amazon Japan Safe In 2024?
Although many exclusive and hard-to-find items are on the Amazon Japan website, many safety risks occur with online shopping, especially internationally. First, buyers run the risk of having their identity stolen. Second, there is a risk of being sold fake products. Amazon Japan has security features like two-step verification and the anti-counterfeit policy to protect online shoppers in 2024.
To learn more about the risks of shopping online on the Amazon Japan website, and more steps available to protect online buyers, keep reading for more facts!
What Are the Benefits of Buying From the Amazon Japan Website?
A benefit to shopping on Amazon Japan is finding many exclusive Japanese brands and products.
In order to appeal to a global audience and grow Japan’s economy, many sellers have set up online shops or partnered with international sites like Amazon.
Therefore, shoppers will often find some products not available on the US Amazon site, such as anime and manga, or authentic Japanese food staples and snacks.
What Are the Risks of Shopping on the Amazon Japan Website?
While there are many benefits to online shopping, it’s also much easier for criminals to carry out their schemes.
Frequently, criminals lurk in digital spaces, intending to lure people and get their hands on personal information.
After they have your information, cybercriminals have numerous ways to steal from online shoppers through innovative methods that constantly change.
Although the risks of shopping on Amazon Japan are minimal, anytime personal information is shared online, there is always a risk, especially with international transactions.
Lets look at a couple of these risks in further detail:
1. Identity Theft
One of the most common threats for online shoppers is identity theft.
With identity theft, thieves obtain your personal information, and then use it to make purchases on behalf of others or for themselves.
There are various ways to steal someone’s identity, including the following:
- Hacking (which includes malware)
- Dumpster diving (going through trash looking for valuable items, like discarded receipts or bank statements)
- Phishing scams (fraudulent emails imitating a trusted company in an attempt to gain access to its user data)
Before entering your credit card number on Amazon, you should always be cautious.
Likewise, be careful about responding to any email messages claiming to be from Amazon Japan that look odd to avoid being scammed.
If you receive an e-mail or suspicious SMS, never open any attachments or links to see whats inside. Additionally, don’t call the phone number in the email!
Some examples of trusted sender email domains for Amazon Japan are as follows:
- amazon.co.jp
- amazon.jp
- amazon.com
- business.amazon.co.jp
- email.amazon.com
- marketplace.amazon.co.jp
- m.marketplace.amazon.co.jp
- gc.email.amazon.co.jp
- gc.amazon.co.jp
- payments.amazon.co.jp
Additional domain names can be found on the message center.
Generally, website security is not an issue on Amazon Japan, which has a secure HTTPS certificate.
The company also has a privacy policy, stating that the company will never sell your personal information to other companies for marketing purposes.
2. Credit Card Fraud
Another common risk online shoppers face is credit card fraud.
Here, hackers intercept online stores at the payment portal, and redirect customers to their site, rather than the legitimate gateway after purchasing.
Often the page looks identical, so it can be challenging for customers to determine if it’s real or not! This thief then uses your credit card information for themselves.
Therefore, when shopping online, always check for a lock symbol in the address bar of websites like Amazon Japan to be on the safe side.
This means that the company uses an encrypted protocol to share information, ad allows shoppers to avoid third-party monitoring.
In other words, customers’ data is kept safe, and their credit card details remain hidden from prying eyes!
An excellent way to ensure you’re on a secure webpage is by checking if it starts with “HTTPS://.” This is how your data remains private.
For extra account security, shoppers may consider setting up Two-Step verification for logging in to the Amazon Japan website.
With Two-step verification, shoppers are provided a unique security code by text or via the authenticator app.
When logging in, the shopper will be required to enter both this unique code and their password as a form of identification – that way, nobody could just use one of them to login instead!
Does the Amazon Japan Website Sell Fake Items?
Amazon Japan requires all products offered for sale on its website to be authentic.
According to the Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting policy, selling counterfeit products is strictly prohibited.
When a seller fails to abide by this policy, it may result in the loss of selling privileges, funds being withheld, and destruction of inventory in Amazon’s possession.
For shoppers, the key to buying products safely is to know which sellers and manufacturers can be trusted.
For example, suppose you purchase an item from brands like Disney or Lego; in that case, the product is likely legitimate.
However, when in doubt, it’s best to contact customer service before making your purchase.
Do Shoppers Feel It’s Safe to Buy From Amazon Japan?
First and foremost, shoppers recommend that you research the website and read past customer reviews.
When buying from a marketplace seller, it’s also recommended to only buy from merchants with an excellent reputation and return policy.
With that being said, shoppers would not recommend shopping on Amazon Japan if you are looking for an item that is not made in Japan.
For something like this, which is commonly found in the US, its recommended to use the US version of Amazon instead.
Also, it’s recommended to buy from Amazon Japan when purchasing Japanese products.
These products are typically cheaper than what you might find in stores in your country, and often have items that are more difficult to find.
Although most shoppers have never had any problems receiving packages or items purchased on Amazon Japan, it is always best to be cautious when making online purchases.
If you are looking to learn more, you can also see our posts on what is Amazon 4-star, do Amazon reviews affect sales, and if Amazon is safe to shop on.
Conclusion
Many shoppers may be reluctant to buy products from the Amazon Japan website. While making purchases online, shoppers are vulnerable to identity theft and credit card theft.
However, this risk is minimal on the Amazon Japan website, as verified by its security features. In addition, shoppers can set up Two-Step verification as an additional measure to safeguard their information.
