Disappointing Customer Service After an Avoidable Packing Decision
I've spent approximately $17,782 USD (about ¥2.88 million) with ZenMarket since March, so this review is based on extensive experience using their service—not a single purchase. Overall, I've been satisfied with ZenMarket, which is why this experience was so disappointing. I recently created a parcel using the "Leave items at warehouse" packing strategy and selected AVIA Small as my preferred shipping method. My parcel contained several vintage wristwatches and one much larger alarm clock. When the warehouse packed my parcel, they removed several of the smaller watches while leaving the single largest item—the alarm clock—in the box. As a result, the parcel value dropped below the Japan Post threshold for U.S. shipments, my preferred shipping method was no longer available, and I was automatically moved to a much more expensive shipping option. The frustrating part is that this outcome appeared entirely avoidable. Removing the one oversized alarm clock instead would likely have allowed the original shipment to remain within the intended size limits while preserving the parcel value required for my selected shipping method. I spent nearly two weeks working with customer support to explain this. Every representative was polite and professional, and I appreciate the time they spent responding. However, despite multiple escalations to management, ZenMarket refused to make a simple goodwill exception. Rather than correcting the parcel by removing the obvious oversized item, they insisted I pay a repacking fee to undo a packing decision that ultimately created a significantly higher shipping cost. I understand that ZenMarket has internal procedures, and they repeatedly explained that the parcel was packed according to those procedures. My disappointment is not that they followed a policy—it's that there was no willingness to apply practical judgment or customer service when the result clearly conflicted with the shipping outcome I intended. For a company that has received nearly ¥2.88 million in business from me in just a few months, refusing to make a small customer-service exception over a repacking fee was disappointing. The issue was never the fee itself—it was the unwillingness to resolve a situation that could have been handled much more reasonably. If you use ZenMarket, I strongly recommend leaving detailed packing instructions for every parcel. Do not assume the warehouse will remove the most logical item if a parcel exceeds shipping limits. Be extremely specific about which items should be left behind and which shipping method you want to preserve.