wednesday_10_00 | /sighhhhh

I was really starting to wonder why it was taking my August manga order so long to get here (over a month!), and it finally arrived yesterday. Turns out it was not a random fluke that it took so long.

In case you can't read that little sticker, it says:

This item is destined for your country. The sender's and addressee's addresses are in opposite position. It would be greatly appreciated if you would deliver it to the addressee. Thank you.

I don't know who to blame for this: Honto for printing up the weird label (where the heck was the usual green and white international/customs label??) or USPS for getting a package from Japan and sending it straight back. Either way, I feel like I should get a refund on my shipping charges. Also, do I need to worry about this happening in the future? Should I specifically request the international label to be put on? (If so, what's the best way to phrase this request? I don't know what those labels are called in English, let alone in Japanese. 緑色の国際用ラベル?)

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That's kind of a dick move on behalf of the USPS. I mean, they manage to deliver some stuff that they have no business figuring out; if they understood the problem (as evidenced by the label), they could have just, oh, you know, delivered it to you.

if they understood the problem (as evidenced by the label)

Pretty sure that label was added after it got sent back to Japan.

Ohh. (Hmm, maybe that was obvious, but I haven't had coffee yet.)

I remain of the opinion it was a dick move on the USPS though because I can read the words To and From.

I can read the words To and From

Yeah, I'm guessing those were also added after it was sent back. I'm not trying to take all the blame away from USPS, but I think the mistake on their part (which I'm guessing is entirely because of automated address readers) was way more understandable than Honto not putting on the international label that has been on EVERY PACKAGE I've ever sent or received from Japan. I'm surprised Japan Post even let this thing leave the country without customs information on it.

I'm surprised Japan Post even let this thing leave the country without customs information on it.

All my packages have always had the green labels, but I suppose we could speculate that is changeable since these days so much is done via computer printed stuff, but yeah, the customs part at least does seem awfully strange. Just glad you got your stuff - I hope you didn't have to pay to ship twice, though.

I hope you didn't have to pay to ship twice, though.

Ha, fortunately not. Still feel like I should get at least a partial refund on my original shipping cost, though, since at the rate it took to get to me, I might as well have shipped surface rather than SAL.

I'm waiting to hear from s_vamp to find out if that's Honto's standard shipping label. Truth is, I will be ordering from Japan infrequently (and usually for G-Defend), so I probably won't be using Honto, but it would be good to know if this is their SOP or if there's a user profile attribute that will flag for an international address that you neglected to check. (Which means I have undoubtedly neglected to check it as well. Because your delayed shipment is somehow all about ME and MY NEEDS.)

Your poor books, back and forth across the ocean. They want you to read them now. Start with Hana wa Saku ka.

Edited 2012-09-28 19:54 (UTC)

This is my second order with Honto, and I'm fairly certain they used the standard label last time. (I don't save the boxes so I can't be 100% sure, though.) But I'm not sure they HAVE a SOP for anything, because I also remember s_vamp saying somewhere that they used some weird taped-together cardboard for the "box" on her first order, and mine have both come in the same sort of boxes that BK1 always used (same packing material, too, unfortunately--I'd love to see some alternative to that styrofoam-y stuff).

Maybe their new SOP is to use random stuff they have lying around the office when they run out of their normal supplies. ("We don't have any boxes? Oh well, let's tape this cardboard together!" "We don't have any international mailing labels? Oh well, I'm sure it'll get there just fine without it!")

Start with Hana wa Saku ka.

That was last month. I read it (and Yuuutsu no Asa) while Choco was sick, so I was too distracted to write about it, but a post about it is on my to-do list.

But I'm not sure they HAVE a SOP for anything, because I also remember s_vamp saying somewhere that they used some weird taped-together cardboard for the "box" on her first order, and mine have both come in the same sort of boxes that BK1 always used

I believe I've gotten three shipments from them so far. The first one looked like someone had scored a piece of cardboard with a craft knife and then taped it together into a box shape. The second one was a regular box. The third one (my August order) had the same label on it that you illustrated, but since my shipment arrived pretty much on time, I just figured it was a new company policy rather than that anything had happened to my order in particular.

My September order was delayed due to the publication of Castle Mango #2 being pushed back (again), so I haven't received it yet.

I just figured it was a new company policy

Instated after mine got sent back, no doubt. Do you remember if your previous packages had the green international label on them?

I (stupidly) placed my September order with one book (Kono Yo Ibun 6) that comes out October 10th; originally there were going to be a couple early October books, but then Honto wouldn't let me put them in my cart (one it made me take out after going through the entire order process, sheesh) and I didn't realize until I finished the order that I accidentally left one book that would hold up my whole order for so long (almost two weeks I think). So, long story short, I'm going to be waiting for my September books for a while.

Do you remember if your previous packages had the green international label on them?

I don't recall seeing one, but then I wasn't looking for it either.

/sighhhhh

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