International Mail Forwarding - US and Japan Locations - Personal Shoppers Available

1.	How do I use the OPAS forwarding service?

Ans.

Once you sign up with OPAS you will receive your two addresses, each in USA and Japan. You can use them as a shipping addresses when purchasing goods from these countries. OPAS will forward your goods/mail to you upon your request. Your address in USA and Japan will look similar to:

USA address:

Your name
6600 NE 78th Ct. #A3-(Your OPAS Membership #)
Portland, OR 97218 USA

For example,

John Johnson
6600 NE 78th Ct. #A3-12345
Portland, OR 97218 USA

Japan address:

Your name
c/o OPAS-(Your OPAS Membership #)
Art Fukushima Bldg. #801
7-12-2, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku,
Osaka-shi, Osaka 553-0003
Japan

For example,

John Johnson
c/o OPAS-12345
Art Fukushima Bldg. #801
7-12-2, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku,
Osaka-shi, Osaka 553-0003
Japan

2.	What will my OPAS address look like?

Ans.

OPAS will provide you with two personalized addresses, one in the US, and one in Japan. Your addresses will look similar to:

US Address	Japan Address
Your Name 6600 NE 78th Ct. #A3-(Your OPAS Membership ID) Portland, OR 97218 USA	Your Name C/o OPAS-(Your OPAS Membership ID) Art Fukushima Bldg. #801 7-12-2 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku Osaka-shi, Osaka 553-0003 Japan

For example:

John Johnson

6600 NE 78th Ct. #A3-12345

Portland, OR 97218

USA

John Johnson

C/o OPAS-12345

Art Fukushima Bldg, #801

7-12-2 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku

Osaka-shi, Osaka 553-0003

Japan

3.	What are the differences between the Package & Mail membership plan and the Package Only plan?

Ans. Package & Mail members are able to receive personal correspondence such as letters, magazines, bills and bank statements. Customers who wish to receive mail at our US address must submit PS Form 1583 to our US office along with two types of identification after completing the online registration. Customers who wish to receive mail at our Japan office must submit a copy of a valid passport.

Package Only members are able to receive packages only--personal correspondence will not be accepted. Package Only members do not need to submit any documentation after registration.

4.	Can I change my membership plan after registration?

Ans. If you decide a different membership plan suits your needs better than your current plan, you may change your membership plan at any time by contacting us at service@opas.com.

5.	Why do I need to submit PS Form 1583?

Ans.

As per US law, all persons who wish to have US mail delivered through an agent (such as OPAS) must complete PS Form 1583.

Your information will be used to authorize the delivery of your mail to OPAS as your agent. Providing the information is voluntary, but if not provided, we cannot provide this service to you. We do not disclose your information without your consent to third parties, except for the following limited circumstances: to a congressional office on your behalf; to financial entities regarding financial transaction issues; to a USPS auditor; to entities, including law enforcement, as required by law or in legal proceedings; to contractors and other entities aiding us to fulfill the service; and for the purpose of identifying an address as an address of an agent who receives mail on behalf of other persons. Information concerning an individual who has filed an appropriate protective court order with the postmaster will not be disclosed except pursuant to court order. For more information on our privacy policies, see the privacy link on www.usps.com.

A version of PS Form 1583 pre-formatted specifically for OPAS customers is available here.

This form is only required of Package & Mail members who wish to receive mail at our US office. Members who wish to receive mail at our Japan office must submit a copy of a valid passport to the Japan office by mail.

Package Only members do not need to complete PS Form 1583.

6.	Why do I need to submit a copy of my passport?

Ans. As per Japanese law, all persons who wish to have Japanese mail delivered through an agent (such as OPAS) must submit a copy of a valid passport by mail (fax or electronic submission is not acceptable).

This is only required of Package & Mail members who wish to receive mail at our Japan office. Members who wish to receive mail at our US office must submit PS Form 1583 to the US office.

Package Only members do not need to submit a passport copy.

7.	What if my OPAS membership number is not on my package or mail?

Ans. Please be sure to always include your OPAS membership number in your address when placing orders. Otherwise, we may not be able to identify your packages or mail.

8.	How can I use the Personal Shopper service?

Ans.

To use our Personal Shopper services, first log into your account, then click "Shopping Requests." From the Shopping Requests page, there are two ways you can use our Personal Shopper services.

Click "Create New Shopping Request" to use our Shopping Request form to let us know the details of the retailer(s) you are interested in and the product(s) you would like to purchase. One of our Personal Shoppers will purchase the items on your behalf using our domestic credit card, and you will see the item in your Item Manager once it arrives.

Or:

Click "Contact Personal Shopper" if you know what you're looking for but aren't sure where or how to find it. Use our Inquiry form to provide a general description of what you're interested in, and one of our Personal Shoppers will work with you to locate and purchase the item.

9.	Why must I include item prices and descriptions when making a forwarding request?

Ans.

OPAS must provide an itemized shipping invoice to the customs agent in order to forward your items to you. The item details you enter when making a forwarding request will automatically be transfered to this invoice.

In order to expedite your forwarding and shipping requests, please be sure the item details (including prices and descriptions) you include with your request match the details of your purchases exactly. If the details do not match, there may be a delay in the processing of your request.

10.	What if the prices I include with my forwarding request do not match the prices on the retailer's invoice?

Ans. If the prices you include with your forwarding request do not match the prices on the retailers's invoice, your items may be held in customs and you may be assessed additional duties by the customs office of the destination country.

11.	Can I receive mail or packages addressed to names not registered under my account?

Ans. OPAS is only able to receive and forward mail and packages addressed to names registered under member accounts. However, up to five names may be registered under a single account. To add multiple names to an account after registration, please contact service@opas.com.

12.	Is it okay for multiple people to share an account?

Ans.

Package & Mail members may share an account with up to five additional users for an additional fee of $8/month per user.

Package Only members may not share an account with another user, sorry. If you wish to share your account, please upgrade your membership plan to Package & Mail.

All members registered under an account who wish to receive personal correspondence must submit PS Form 1583 to our US office along with two types of identification. Members who wish to receive mail at our Japan office must submit a copy of a valid passport by mail.

13.	Can I add or delete names to or from an existing account?

Ans. Yes. You may add or delete names to or from an existing account at any time by contacting us at service@opas.com. Each additional name requires a membership fee of $8 per month, and all persons who wish to receive mail must submit the required documentation to the appropriate office (PS Form 1583 to the US office, a copy of a valid passport to the Japan office).

14.	Can I use multiple shipping addresses with a single account?

Ans.

Yes. To add multiple addresses to your account, log in and click "My Account." Scroll down to the Shipping Address section and click the button that says "Add Shipping Address."

You may add as many addresses as you like, and select which one to use each time you make a shipping request.

15.	How can I change my forwarding address?

Ans. To change your forwarding address, log into your account and click on "My Account," then scroll down to Shipping Address and click "Edit."

16.	How can I change my e-mail address?

Ans. To change your e-mail address, please contact us at service@opas.com.

17.	How does OPAS determine shipping fees?

Ans.

Because of our special relationship with the leading international carriers, OPAS is able to offer its members discounted shipping rates far lower than regular posted rates or the rates offered by online retailers. Per industry standard, OPAS charges either the actual weight of a shipment or the dimensional weight, whichever is greater. If your package is light but very large, you will be charged by dimensional weight.

To see our current shipping rates by weight, please use the Shipping Calculator.

18.	What can I do to reduce shipping costs?

Ans. The easiest way to reduce shipping costs is to ship multiple items at a time rather than ship each item piece by piece. Ask us to consolidate your items into one shipment, and we will provide a customized shipping solution in order to keep your shipping costs as low as possible.

19.	Why is there a fuel surcharge and how is it determined?

Ans. The fuel surcharge is a fee charged to OPAS by the carrier on all items shipped from our US office. (Items shipped from our Japan office will not be assessed a fuel surcharge.) The fuel surchage is determined by the carrier and varies from month to month depending on the cost of fuel. Due to the fluctuating cost of fuel OPAS is unable to provide the exact amount of the surcharge until the time of shipment.

20.	What countries does OPAS ship to?

Ans. OPAS ships to most countries worldwide, however there are some restrictions on which items we can ship to specific countries. For a complete list of all countries we service along with the restrictions for each country, please see our Restricted Commodities List.

21.	Are my packages insured?

Ans. Yes. All packages sent by OPAS are automatically insured against loss or damage. OPAS charges an insurance fee of 2% of the total cost of the items shipped. Please enter the total cost of your items (including the domestic shipping charage) in the Shipping Insurance field when making shipping requests.

22.	How long does it take me to get my shipment?

Ans.

In most cases, we are able to fill all shipping requests within 24 hours from the time they are placed. You will be able to see that your request has been filled by logging into your account and checking the Item Manager. Once filled, the status of your request will read "Shipped."

Depending on the carrier and the destination, it usually takes between 4 to 10 business days for a package to arrive once it has left our warehouse. We will provide you with a tracking number once we have shipped your item so that you may follow its progress while in transit.

23.	Will I be responsible for customs duties upon receipt of my packages?

Ans. Depending on the contents and destination country of your shipment, you may be responsible for duties on items purchased overseas. To minimize the required duties, it is recommended that you accurately claim prices for all merchandise on all forwarding requests made to OPAS.

24.	I live in the US, but can I use OPAS to avoid paying sales tax?

Ans.

Yes. We have many customers in the US who use our service to avoid paying sales taxes on domestic purchases. By shipping purchases to our Oregon office and having them forwarded to your home state, you can save up to 9% when shopping online.

To ship from our US office to a US destination, we charge a flat fee of $20 on top of the actual shipping cost charged to us by UPS. US residents are welcome to sign up and begin using our service immediately.

25.	Is it possible to have my packages inspected before shipping?

Ans.

Yes. Upon request, OPAS will inspect your packages prior to shipment for a fee of 3% of the total cost of goods. We will check the contents of each package against the retailer's invoice to ensure accuracy of quantity, color, size, etc.

This service is free for customers using our Personal Shopper service.

26.	What can I do if a store does not accept my credit card?

Ans. Many retailers do not accept foreign credit cards. If this is the case, please use our Personal Shopper service and we will purchase whatever items you're interested in on your behalf using our domestic credit card.

27.	What credit cards does OPAS accept?

Ans. We currently accept all credit cards issued by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and JCB.

28.	Can I make payments to OPAS using PayPal?

Ans. Sorry, OPAS does not accept payments via PayPal at this time.

29.	Can I make payments to OPAS by check or money order?

Ans. At this time, we are only able to accept payments by credit card. We currently accept credit cards from all over the world, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB.

30.	How can I use OPAS to receive a fax?

Ans.

To receive a fax at your OPAS address, please include a cover sheet with your name and OPAS membership number. Faxes may be sent to:

US number:	Japan number:
1-503-262-7037	81-06-6440-0645

Once your fax has been received, it will be available in your Item Manager. You may then have it either forwarded to you by mail, or scanned and uploaded for a fee of $5.

31.	How can I cancel my membership?

Ans.

Our aim is to provide quality service to all of our customers. If for some reason our service is not meeting your needs, please contact us either by phone or e-mail and let us know what we can do to help you.

If, however, you still wish to cancel your membership, you may request a cancellation by e-mailing service@opas.com with the following information:

Name
Membership number
Reason for cancellation