Purchasing from Kupiku.com

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by mwheelerk, Jan 30, 2019.

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  1. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    I'm wondering if anyone else has used this site in Japan for music purchases. They are listed as a seller on Discogs but if you go to their website and search for Japan releases that you are interested in I found in all instances (six Japanese version CDs) I was looking for it is significantly less expensive to acquire them direct from this site. I made two purchases today. The first title I have been sitting and waiting and searching for over a year. The only available version I found in the US was over $138.00 plus shipping. I found it there for $62.00 plus shipping. Still expensive but a price I was willing to pay for an album I really wanted. Another example was a Jazz title for $39.00 in the US and I paid $12.00 plus shipping.

    I like that you can choose versions with or without the OBI and they are priced accordingly. The translations are easy but CD conditions are rather general in description.

    I thought I would try these two and see how both the service and the condition of the CDs are before committing to the rest and using this site going forward as a source for Japanese releases I may have interest in.

    Has anyone else had experience with Kupiku?
     
    ispace likes this.
  2. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I've bought from 'Dude' a few times over the years with no issues :cheers:
     
  3. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    "Dude where's my OBI?" I assume
     
  4. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Yes, I believe that's the ebay handle
     
  5. yohalfprice

    yohalfprice Forum Resident

    Location:
    Salt Lake City
    I bought from Kupiku on discogs with positive results.
     
  6. Rob Hughes

    Rob Hughes Forum Resident

    Nothing but good experiences with Kupiku here. Used them maybe a dozen times.
    Remarkably well packaged. Items as described. Good communication. Friendly English-language service.
    Note: shipping charges are reduced as you order additional titles with Kupiku. So, I make a note of Japan-only titles I want and, when I can't wait any longer, I order a batch of them together. When I do that, Kupiku is usually the one to get my business (though not always -- depends on price and availability).
     
  7. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    For the future I would suggest going to their site directly. You might get the same surprise I did at the difference in prices which are very much lower.

    Not only is the note about shipping charges valid on their site it was even suggested as I checked out. I had made the one purchase and returned to the site to add the second. That is when I was informed about my first order not having shipped (it was ordered only 20 minutes prior) but given the option to have them shipped together and saved significantly.
     
    ispace likes this.
  8. Rob Hughes

    Rob Hughes Forum Resident

    I had not heard of Marc Ribot passing. He did so much wonderful work. Sorry to hear of it, RH
     
  9. yohalfprice

    yohalfprice Forum Resident

    Location:
    Salt Lake City
    Thanks. I looked and tried a couple searches. It appears their search engine provides results from multiple Japanese vendors (e.g. amazon.jp) and they serve as an intermediary to fulfill your order. The items they list on discogs appear to be in their own stock, are much more detailed in their descriptions and may be more reliable as a result.
     
    ispace and Rob Hughes like this.
  10. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    ?
     
  11. Rob Hughes

    Rob Hughes Forum Resident

    Perhaps I misunderstood (happens all the time!). Mwheelerk's sig gave me the notion -- and maybe can clear it up.

    Edit: Ah! It appears that MWheelerk's sig refers to an album title Ribot recently released. In any case, Mr Ribot was born in 1954 (according to Wikipedia) not 1942.
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2019
  12. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    It does indeed refer to his latest album which I really like and is so time appropriate
     
  13. beelzebomb

    beelzebomb Well-Known Member

    I thought Kupiku was purely Japan based, but after seeing a few Russian alphabet words on the blog contact form I did a bit more hunting around:

    “Our team is distributed between Japan (logistics), Vietnam (development/IT), Russia (marketing), and the U.K. (design). Our founders are Canadian, and Japanese.
    We are registered in The Switzerland, as Kupiku A.G. with KvK number 218.847.356. Our registered address is Untermüli 9, 6300 Zug, Switzerland”
     
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  14. Rob Hughes

    Rob Hughes Forum Resident

    Hm! That would explain the CHF currency they use to price on discogs. Also, the special nuances of English-language politeness that they deploy so gracefully in their communications.
     
    ispace likes this.
  15. beelzebomb

    beelzebomb Well-Known Member

    Indeed. They have great feedback & I will continue to purchase (CD mini LPs) from them - though I’ve always been led to believe most counterfeit CD mini LPs come from Russia!
     
  16. ispace

    ispace Senior Member

    Location:
    Sydney Australia
    I’m not a fan of their opportunistically high prices on Discogs. For less frequently sold items, it makes other sellers think that that is what the CD is worth, so they list it at a similar price. And they then sit there unsold for years.
     
  17. beelzebomb

    beelzebomb Well-Known Member

    I think you can pay more for trusting Kupiku - maybe it’s worth it for peace of mind: An example of my suspicion with any mini lp coming from Russia: today an item I want, which was released in 2007 & usually now sells for 160Euro, is being advertised new & sealed for about £15 from a seller from Russia. Would you buy this? Seller has 100% feedback, but like buying electric goods from China on eBay - is it worth the risk or is the counterfeit charge against Russia exaggerated?
     
  18. ispace

    ispace Senior Member

    Location:
    Sydney Australia
    Yeah maybe but not ~$890 for a Chick Corea SACD...

    Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior (SACD, Japan, 1999) For Sale | Discogs

    This example illustrates my point: Kupiku are the only seller & they have made up this ridiculous asking price, so Seller #2 comes along & thinks “I’m going to list this at a bargain $500”. It distorts the perception of the market by less experienced sellers & buyers. And who loses out? The public because they can’t buy it for a reasonable price reflecting true supply & demand.
     
    Dave and beelzebomb like this.
  19. beelzebomb

    beelzebomb Well-Known Member

    I agree, and then it can take years for the price to stabilise again to a respectable level. I sell a lot on eBay (not just music) and there’s not much point listing something at an inflated price if no one is willing to buy at that price. Yet others looking to sell see the inflated price, think it’s the real world going rate, & use it as their guide - even though in reality, it’s quite possible never going to sell at the inflated price!
     
    ispace likes this.
  20. Kupiku does THIS: they will list an item on Discogs (not on their site), I wanted it badly, was likely to be my LAST CD purchase,
    they only had a couple former rental copies, one listed as better condition than the other, both costly,
    and the better NON-RENTAL one they had from 3-4 days ago was gone since a day or two ago,
    so when I asked about the stickers, they sent a photo and wrote acting like they were doing me a favor holding it for 24 hours,
    so after debating I give in to my OCD and bought it already,
    then I go back to Discogs to remove it from my wantlist minutes after buying it,
    and they've listed the ORIGINAL, non-rental copy for sale at the SAME PRICE!
    Scum of the EARTH!!!!!!!!!!

    I have let them know I want a *REFUND*!!!!!!! :realmad: My order CANCELLED!!!!! (ooh, they'll LOVE my feedback if they don't....)

    DON'T BUY FROM THEM!
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2020
  21. Gene Parmesan

    Gene Parmesan Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA, USA
    You want a refund because they lowered the price on a different copy of something you had purchased from them at an agreed-upon price?
     
    E.Baba likes this.
  22. Or they created an illusion of scarcity by de-listing a better condition copy to make it appear as though they were selling and there was "only one copy left". Which whereupon the selling of the "one copy left" they re-list the better condition copy at the same price as the lesser condition "just sold copy". Manipulative. Game playing.
     
    Jimmy B. likes this.
  23. Gene Parmesan

    Gene Parmesan Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA, USA
    Everybody plays the game. How many of us put items in online shopping carts, waiting for the inevitable coupon to drop?
    I'm no fan of corporations or companies that try to screw the individual consumer but, c'mon ... some things are worth teeth gnashing over and some ain't.
     
  24. Yeah - it wasn't worth it.
    But I wouldn't say all play the game.
    But it wasn't worth it. Seller gave me a refund as I demanded. I'd ask for my post to be deleted, but...am unsure.
    yeah I agree though with zphage that it was game playing and manipulative - "we'll hold this for you for one day". And then turning out to actually having a much better copy that they had pulled while they first tried and get the poorer quality copy sold (and for the same price, which was what really galled me). Not worth going on more about it. That was just a bad way to treat buyers, manipulative.
    I was super over tired when it happened, then got more so, obsessed while exhausted, etc, and thus got angrier. A really bad cycle. There was no need for it; if they hadn't been deceptive, I wouldn't have went through that.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2020
  25. Thank you.
    I may have overreacted (I did) but it's nice to know how someone else knows why I felt so extremely burned, and what was wrong about the listing practice.
    And the seller can always say anything after the fact but I can only go by what they did.
     
    zphage likes this.
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