Today we’re announcing a variety of changes to HobbyLink Japan to improve our service going forwards.
Since 1997, HobbyLink Japan has provided a high quality of service to collectors across the world. In that time we’ve become renowned for our commitment to a high quality of customer service, our collector-friendly Private Warehouse system, and our comprehensive selection of hobby goods from all over the world. We’ve changed with the times to meet the evolving needs of hobby enthusiasts.
In 2025, we’re looking to start the next step in HobbyLink Japan’s evolution, with a range of changes designed to make our service even more fulfilling for every customer. We’ve heard your thoughts on the current limitations to the Private Warehouse, backorder supply issues and more, and we’re looking to reduce difficulties with our platform to make it better than ever before.
We’re also committed to expanding our service even further in the future with more options for the customer. To do this, we have to make some necessary changes to our terms and conditions and some big improvements to how we operate.
We’ve summarized the major changes here, but for each change, we’ve created a separate page to further explain - please head to each policy change page and our FAQ below for further information!
Private Warehouse: Unlimited!
For the last 2 years, we’ve maintained a storage limit for storing items in the Private Warehouse, offering a maximum of 6 months storage.
Now, with the situation surrounding international shipping changing every day, we want to make it even easier for customers to store their items with us and ship when convenient for them.
From October, all currently stored items will have their storage timer reset, giving you an extra FREE 6 months of storage.
For customers who need extra storage after that point, a small monthly storage fee will be charged for any days over 180 used, allowing you to store as long as you need without any limitations!
Of course, customers who don’t need more than 6 months of storage can continue using 6 months of storage per item completely free. For those looking to get the best possible value, storage for much longer is now possible!
We will also continue to analyze global situations that make shipping difficult for customers in certain areas, and may offer temporary extensions to our free storage policy.
A more detailed explanation of the Private Warehouse Unlimted system can be found here, which also breaks down expected fees for storage, the benefits of using the Private Warehouse to save on shipping, and other rules.
We hope you’ll enjoy using the Private Warehouse for as long as you need to complete your collection!
Cancellation Policy
As a means of increasing availability of key stock and reducing the impact of harmful accounts, we’re also reducing the period of time where the customer can directly cancel preorder items.
Until this point, we’ve offered a fairly flexible cancellation system on HLJ. Whilst we still want to offer the customer a degree of flexibility, to provide a better experience for all customers, we’re limiting the period that cancellations can be made.
This means that the customer will be able to make cancellations up until the point that our preorders for that item close. We will no longer be able to accept cancellations for items that have arrived in the Private Warehouse except in certain circumstances.
Current backorder items can continue to be cancelled as usual after the policy change.
A more detailed explanation of the new Cancellation policy can be read here, which outlines the exact intended changes to our cancellation policy within our terms and conditions.
Please note that with the current international shipping situation, we will deal with any concerns regarding cancellations on a case by case by basis and offer leniency to difficult situations, even after the new policy is implemented.
Changes To Backorder System
We are also making improvements to the backorder system, as part of our adjustments to the cancellation policy.
In principle, backorders will transition to a new ‘notification system’ which will allow customers to be contacted via e-mail as soon as new items of stock become available for order.
The intention is to provide further clarity and a fairer system for those who want to get their hands on items with limited stock, such as popular Bandai Hobby preorders. Instead of taking orders via the backorder system, our incoming stock levels will be carefully monitored to ensure that only that exact number of people who can receive an order will be able to place an order.
If and when new stock becomes available, everyone signed up to the waiting list for the item will be invited to place an order. This means you will only have an order placed if you are definitely going to receive it in the future, and there will be less ambiguity about if you made it into the first release of a product or not.
Future Developments
These changes are being made to work towards a future where HobbyLink Japan provides the highest quality of service to collectors and fans all over the world.
For the future, we are focused on an internal roadmap that will also see us expanding our services. This includes a customer-to-customer hobby marketplace, a HLJ purchasing service that will add even greater flexibility and value for our customers. Whilst we can’t give any further details on these systems right now, we look forward to sharing development updates with you in the future.
Although these changes may be frustrating for some, we’d appreciate your support in our attempt to make our service better and more useful for all of our customers.
With our Private Warehouse Unlimited service, collectors can store items for as long as they need, and we’ll never pressure anyone to ship again. With our changes to cancellation and backorders, we’ll reduce supply and update issues for popular items and bring that benefit back to the customer.
For now, we hope you can appreciate the intention behind these changes which will be made starting in October. Please refer to the individual pages for Private Warehouse Unlimited and the New Cancellation policy respectively, and please refer to our answers to any questions about these changes in the FAQ below.
We appreciate your continued support, and look forward to continuing to serve you.
FAQ
- What is changing about the Private Warehouse?
Private Warehouses are becoming unlimited! Your first 6 months (180 days) of Storage (starting in October) will be free, and after that, you will pay a small monthly storage fee based on the number of items stored above 180 days. You can store for as long as you need to above 180 days with no restrictions on storage time, provided you are able to pay the storage fee.
- Will I have to pay for the Private Warehouse?
If you ship your item within 6 months, you don’t need to pay for the Private Warehouse. If you want to store for longer than 6 months, a storage fee will be charged monthly, calculated based on the size of your Private Warehouse items and how long they have been stored above 180 days. You’ll only pay for days that your product was stored over 180 days!
- I am in the US and currently cannot ship, how will these changes affect me?
Our team is currently attempting to restore courier-based shipping methods as soon as possible, and will likely be restored before any of these changes come into effect in October. However in the worst case scenario, we will not unreasonably apply any storage charges or limitations in situations where customers cannot ship.
- How much free storage do I have?
180 days, or 6 whole months. For those who currently have stuff stored, the timer will reset in October, giving you 6 extra months!
- How much is the storage fee after 6 months?
The storage fee is calculated based on the size of the item in cm, multiplied by the number of days over the 180 day free period. This determines what will be paid at the time of the charge.
- How often will the storage fee be charged?
Storage fee will be charged in principle at the end or middle of a month depending on how long your product is stored. You will be notified of upcoming storage fees before they are charged.
Please refer to this chart to see an exact breakdown of the payment structure.
- What is the maximum amount of time I can store?
In principle, there is no maximum storage period anymore! Store as long as you need!
We may reach out just to check in or notify you of upcoming charges, but we won’t impose any restrictions or pester you to ship.
- How many items can I store?
In principle, there are no limits to the quantity of items that can be stored.
- Can I cancel an item after it arrives in the Private Warehouse?
With our change in cancellation period, this will no longer be possible. Please consider carefully if you want an item before placing your order.
- Will I be reminded about storage fee payment?
You will be reminded via e-mail throughout the storage process of upcoming fees and when they will be charged.
- What happens if I can't pay for storage?
In the event that a storage fee cannot be paid, we will enter conversation with the customer to resolve the issue, and can extend payment periods if necessary. If the storage fee remains unpaid after a long period of time, HLJ may begin a process to reclaim the item.
- What happens if my goods are lost/damaged/stolen in storage?
This is an incredibly unlikely scenario. HLJ provides full assurance for the items that have entered the private warehouse.
- What is changing for Cancellations?
We are reducing the period of time that cancellations can be made. From the point of policy change, cancellations will not be able to be made after the preorder item’s cut-off date, which will be shown on the product page and in the My Account section. After the cut off date, the cancel button will disappear for that product.
- Can I still cancel my old Gunpla orders?
Once the new policy begins, existing backorders will have 1 year after the implementation of the new cancel policy to cancel before they are transitioned to the new notification system style. During this time, existing backorders can still be cancelled.
Existing backorders older than 3 years will be removed after the implementation of the new policy.
- What if I need to cancel urgently due to personal circumstances?
If you foresee difficult circumstances affecting you (such as going to prison for an extended term) please contact the customer service team.
In this instance, please contact the Customer Service team and we will endeavor to assist you. We will not force anyone to keep a product or pay for its storage in extenuating circumstances.
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