Animate Japan's tax refund fee hits 20%, Ocean apologizes and promises compensation

A recent online discussion has brought attention to a new tax refund policy at Animate, a well-known retailer for anime and manga merchandise in Japan. Shoppers visiting the store, often seeking to purchase goods during trips to Japan, discovered that the newly implemented tax refund system comes with a substantial 20% handling fee.

“

Recently, we discovered that when some Taiwanese travelers receive their Japanese consumption tax refund, due to the current tax refund operating mechanism not fully reflecting the potential fees and restrictions during cross-border payment processes, the actual amount received by some travelers was lower than expected, or the payment could not be completed successfully.

This high fee has led to disappointment among consumers, as it significantly diminishes or even negates the financial benefit of tax refunds. Some shoppers have pointed out that the accumulated points on their membership cards might offer a better return through discounts or rewards than the new tax refund process. The situation has sparked conversations among fans about the practicality of the new system.

Ocean, the tax refund service provider involved, has acknowledged the issue and issued an apology. In a statement on the social platform Threads, the company recognized that the current refund mechanism did not adequately reflect the costs and limitations associated with cross-border payments. This has resulted in some travelers receiving less money than expected or encountering difficulties in completing their refunds.

“

For this inconvenience and trouble caused, we offer our sincerest apologies.

Ocean has pledged to address the inconvenience caused to affected travelers. The company stated that it will contact affected customers via email within a week of the announcement to offer compensation based on individual circumstances. Furthermore, Ocean is actively developing a new tax refund service designed to offer lower fees, faster processing, and more stable payment delivery. The company promised to notify customers once the new service is launched.

“

Regarding travelers affected by this tax refund operation, we will proactively contact you via the email address used to register your Ocean account within one week of this announcement, and provide corresponding compensation plans based on the actual situation of each case, to make up for the relevant losses incurred by you due to this tax refund deposit, and do our best to protect your rights.