Buying car parts from Amayama Asian store

Has anybody even bought car parts from Amayama?
www.amayama.com

They appear to be a Japan-based online car parts selling store, with a main warehouse in Japan, but also additional warehouses in Australia, United Arab Emirates and Russia.

What's specific about them is that they offer genuine OEM car parts of Japanese car brands, for significantly lower prices than the official brand dealers do.
Apparently they source the items from the same places from where the car manufacturers themselves get them.

Anyway, Australians appear to be very satisfied with Amayama (according to Australian forums).
Russians love them too.

Has anyone in Europe ever bought anything from them, or even heard of them?

The trick is that buying from them would probably involve paying significant import customs fees and duties (on top of a significant postage price), but their prices are usually so low that it pays off even after all those additional expenses, especially for bulk orders.

I am planning to order some things for them for my Jimny, but I would like to hear some "European" experiences first.

I've used them a few times for Land Cruiser parts. Worked well, and even with delivery and import duty worked out well under 50% of Toyota prices. When I've used them they delivered faster than their estimates. I've looked at a few Jimny parts on there and the saving has been much less. Have also used Partsouq who deliver very quickly, and you can see postage prices online, rather than having to request a quote like you do with Amayama. I've only had parts from UAE, the Japan stuff tends to have longer delivery lead times.

From a Toyota perspective where UK Land Cruiser parts specialists have OEM parts they are usually the same or better price, especially if you have to pay duty. I use the UAE places where the parts I want aren't available from the UK places. They are my alternative to the main dealer.

VAT will be payable on the parts and the delivery cost. You pay duty at 4.5% only where the total cost, including delivery, but less VAT exceeds £135. The courier is likely to charge you about a tenner (+VAT) for the job of collecting the VAT from you. Some couriers need you to pay them the VAT before they deliver, some give you the bits and then bill you for the VAT. Have had both and can't recall which courier does which.

Bosanek wrote: Has anybody even bought car parts from Amayama?

Yes me. I use them a fair bit for my Junior as it is a Japanese domestic market only vehicle. They get parts from UAE as well as Japan.

And what about "SSG Asia" parts store?

www.en.ssg.asia/

They work in a similar principle to Amayama (selling genuine OEM parts, as well as some aftermarket parts), and it appears that they source their items from the same warehouses in Japan and in UAE from where Amayama sources them. However, SSG has typically at least 20-30% lower prices than Amayama.

They say that their top customers are from former Soviet states.
However, the purchasing process at SSG appears to be even more inconvenient than on Amayama (at SSG, postage price is not known until they package everything up, and you have to pay in adavance before they even start packaging !?!?).

Bosanek wrote: at SSG, postage price is not known until they package everything up, and you have to pay in advance before they even start packaging !?!?).

Postage is a killer with these sites and customs include it in the price for the purpose of import duty but if I am getting an item I cannot find elsewhere I tend to grin and bear it.