Bicamera defeats FG's attempt at tax-free purchase

[IkemenTommy]

OK, the title of this topic is a little misleading but I needed some attention.

I just got back from shopping at Shibuya Bicamera where I found out that as of December 1, they stopped allowing FGs with a valid passport to waive off the 5% sales tax AND at the same time rack up the reward points. So that means you are now left to choose one or the other.

I was so pissed because I bought a 50 in Pioneer pdp today and it was definitely not cheap... I was hoping to get the 5% rebate on top of the 20% reward points towards the next purchase.

[FG Lurker]

Doesn't that only work if you are on a short-term visa anyway? I mean a visa with a term of 6 months or less. I think "officially" that is the way it is supposed to be.

As for reward points... I find Bic is a bit cheaper than Yodobashi, but overall the points are a scam. I can always find the same thing cheaper elsewhere -- by cheaper I mean cheaper including their "discount points".

I only spend money there if I have a bunch of things to buy and no time.

[Grumblebum]

I'm a little confused here. So you bought a 50in plasma tv and wanted to get it duty free? Are you on a tourist visa? If you live here and intend to use the tv here why should you get it tax free?

[emperor]

in order to get a points card i remember having to fill out a form which included details like 'permenant address' (in Japan).
like FGL and Gb said - in or out - you gots to be one or the other.

tourists are better off shopping in Akihabara anyway.

[FG Lurker]

I was so pissed because I bought a 50 in Pioneer pdp today and it was definitely not cheap...

I didn't notice what it was that you purchased the first time through.

Yeeeeeah, lots of tourists purchase 50" TVs. Carry-on for the return flight, right?

Waiting another 6 months to a year would have saved you far more than the 5% tax. They have come down recently, but they will drop far more next year.

[Grumblebum]

So basically Tommy is pissed off because Bic wouldn't let him scam the system. Poor boy.

Anyway, as FGL said, doing some shopping around could have probably got you a better deal than Bic anyway.

For example, biccamera.com shows the PDP-506HD as 547,800yen. Whereas Kakaku shows a bunch of places selling the same device for around 411,000yen.

[Kuang_Grade]

Ehhh. Yodobashi has been doing this for a while (at least since last year) when I tried to double dip on no tax and points.

While a bit of a con at times, points are much simpler to deal with than all the paperwork and hassle of tax free...In my experience, short of buying things on a 'duty free/gaijins are suckers' section, asking to get things tax free takes about 10 minutes of the clerk find the forms and then asking a half dozen people how to fill out the forms correctly. And you don't need to buy at least 10,000+ yen at at time to get them.

[IkemenTommy]

I was so pissed because I bought a 50 in Pioneer pdp today and it was definitely not cheap...

I didn't notice what it was that you purchased the first time through.

Yeeeeeah, lots of tourists purchase 50" TVs. Carry-on for the return flight, right?

Haha.. not quite.
My work visa expired 2 months ago because I quit my old job so I was basicly here on a holiday visa. So technically, I would have qualified to get more mileage out of my gaijin status so I was trying to take full advantage of the situation. 5% on a 500,000 yen purchase was a good 25,000 yen

Fuckin a.. like I would try to haul the 50" on a plane to fly back.

[FG Lurker]

Sorry dude, but if you can't manage 25,000 for tax then you can't afford the 500,000yen TV. It's like buying a fast car and then bitching about the gas.

You coulda got it a lot cheaper elsewhere anyway... If the 25,000 meant that much then you shoulda spent an hour or two shopping around.

[IkemenTommy]

Hey if you can hand me that 25,000 then I wouldn't complain...
Yeah, I didnt think so.

But my point is, I could have qualified for that amount because of my status.

[FG Lurker]

Hey if you can hand me that 25,000 then I wouldn't complain...
Yeah, I didnt think so.

I made 50,000 for 4 hours work today, but no, I'm not passing 25,000 your way. It's not me who's dropping 500,000 yen on a TV that will be 350,000 or less by this time next year.

But my point is, I could have qualified for that amount because of my status.

I doubt it. Logically speaking NO tourist is going to buy a 50" TV that runs on 100V and has a tuner that only works in Japan. Too many people trying to buy big-ticket items like this (J-only TVs, fridges, aircons, etc) is probably why they changed the policy. Actually, more likely they were TOLD to change it by the tax authorities who review such purchases.

[IkemenTommy]

I made 50,000 for 4 hours work today, but no, I'm not passing 25,000 your way.

Well good for you. See if any one of us cares.
25,000 means a lot to anyone just as much as it does to you so why can't you just admit that?

[FG Lurker]

25,000 means a lot to anyone just as much as it does to you so why can't you just admit that?

25,000 means less as you earn more. Simple fact of math. Make 3,000yen per hour and it takes 8 hours and 20 minutes to make 25,000yen. Make 12,500 per hour and it takes two. Make 100,000 per hour and it takes 15 minutes. I think it is clear who that 25,000 will matter more to...

If you can't afford the piddly 25,000 for tax then you shouldn't have bought the TV. Or you should have shopped around for a better deal -- Bic is an expensive place to buy things.

[cstaylor]

I agree with FGL. A $5,000 TV is a luxury item. Don't ruin duty free shopping for the real travelers.

[cstaylor]

I made 50,000 for 4 hours work today, but no, I'm not passing 25,000 your way.

Lucky bastard.

[Cubed]

I made 50,000 for 4 hours work today, but no, I'm not passing 25,000 your way.

Lucky bastard.

Eeehh, you didn't see how he earned it

[kamome]

Eeehh, you didn't see how he earned it

Actually, if he's earning his pay as a J-porn actor, that would make him a bona fide stud. (Those guys are like the Energizer bunny--they keep going and going).

[FG Lurker]

Eeehh, you didn't see how he earned it

Actually, if he's earning his pay as a J-porn actor, that would make him a bona fide stud. (Those guys are like the Energizer bunny--they keep going and going).

Maybe Cubed is one of those anti-porn religious nutballs.

[Mulboyne]

Maybe Cubed is one of those anti-porn religious nutballs.

Having met him with sillygirl on Sunday I can safely say he isn't.