[Web Shop] Hobby Genki

So by chance I've had a ton of pre-paid pre-orders align to late-jan/early feb so I've received a number of packages from them. Anyone else not seeing them actually notify you when it's shipped?

Sent • 1 month ago • #120592279
Anyway, another question: how long it usually take for your tracking numbers from Genki to start working? My past two orders were ok in just one-two days after email confirming shipping, but for my recent one (other than aforementioned pirvate warehouse preorder) I've recived the shipping email on wednesday and it's still gives me "** Your item was not found. Confirm your item number and ask at your local office"

Check the other shipping methods (so if you were expecting EMS, try another courier). Last week they stated that they shipped via DHL and gave me a tracking number for it, but in reality the tracking number was for Fedex.

Anyone have any experience with them when it comes to figures with defect especially the ones from Aniplex or just in general?

JoanKincarron • 1 month ago • #120650752So by chance I've had a ton of pre-paid pre-orders align to late-jan/early feb so I've received a number of packages from them. Anyone else not seeing them actually notify you when it's shipped?
From what I've seen with my epacket parcels, it's a bit more complicated. First, the tracking number spontaneously shows up on your order detail, THEN in the next few hours/days you're getting the email with shipping confirmation and the same tracking number, and THEN after another few hours/days they're finally delivering the parcel to the post office. For some people the step 2 is missing for some reason and they never get their emails.

JoanKincarron • 1 month ago • #120650752Check the other shipping methods (so if you were expecting EMS, try another courier). Last week they stated that they shipped via DHL and gave me a tracking number for it, but in reality the tracking number was for Fedex.
nah, it was clearly the j-post tracking number. Anyway, issue resolved itself though. It looks like getting email with shipping confirmation doesn't mean the parcel was actually shipped. Tracking works now, but my parcel was only collected today.
Anyway, I hope that your issue with courier was just a mistake, because I also have one parcel awaiting shipping with DHL and I would be VERY dissapointed if they ship it with fedex instead. Mostly because their service is terrible in my country and I specificaly mde a note about it on my order.

I have an ongoing issue with them right now, and I'm beginning to lose faith if it will be solved with a good ending.

So, I have 8 in-stock items accumulated in the private warehouse. I decided to try getting them ship out, since I didn't have anything else coming up soon.

I always use Air Small Packet when I can with every shop, so I guessed my items would fit into about 3 packages. However I don't exactly know what the dimensions and weight for all items are. Because of this I thought it would be better to just let Hobby Genki themselves handle how my items should be grouped into packages.

I live in the EU so it also makes sense to not let any of the packages go over the value of 150€, because then there is an extra 4.7% duty fee to be paid, not to mention the additional nuisance of the need to send in various documents to customs like invoice, receipt and a declaration of the items and values.
All in all it's a thing better avoided obviously. It's also a very important fact that the 150€ limit is calculated together with shipping fee.

So what I did was to send the following message to Hobby Genki:
meI would like you to ship out my in-stock items,
but it doesn't seem like you answer any of my messages lately.

I would like to group my in-stock items into the fewest
possible number of Air Small Packet packages in an optimal way
that possibly not any of the packages' total value exceeds 21000¥ (150€)
(together with shipping fee)
Could you help me with finding the best way to group them?
Thank you!I believe I managed to formulate my request in a comprehensible and short manner. I could have explain my reasons for all these, but why take up their time with it needlessly, right? (Btw before this they ignored some of my messages for weeks, that's what I referred there first.)

The same day I get the following message from them, quite quick for Hobby Genki:
HobbyGenkiThank you for your message
We will calculate shipping rate and let you know asap
Thank you for your understanding
Best regardsAnd the next day with their next message I was simply presented with 2 URLs to 2 orders, and got told that I can choose the shipping method and pay for shipping.
The URLs looked like this below, that is they both included all the order IDs in question and one of them noted as "part2".
HobbyGenkihobby-genki.com...
hobby-genki.com...
The shipping fee for each package turned out to be 2795¥ with Air Small Packet (or Epacket as Hobby Genki calls it)

I started quickly calculating, and simply there is no way that my items could be distributed into only two packages so that together with shipping fee they would be under 150€. Without the shipping fee it would be possible, but with the shipping fee it's not.

Then I told them that I didn't expect the items to fit into just two Small Packets, and I asked them how exactly did they group the items, which items got into which packages? I also started to explain them my reasons, and told them that sorry but please regroup my items into three packages. I calculated that even in case the shipping fee of a third package ends up costing the same as the first two, in the end I still would pay less altogether for taxes, duty fee and shipping added.

Then they told me that they simply won't regroup my items, the packages are sealed and ready to ship. That there is only two possible outcomes, either they send the packages this way or that they cancel all the orders.

Through multiple exchange of messages they systematically ignored my questions about which items did they put into which packages. They also told me that both packages are actually under 150€, ignoring me bringing to their attention, that it needs to be calculated together with the shipping fees, and that I already had written this limitation in my very first message, which they ultimately ignored.

I didn't let it go, and I asked everything again. Maybe it's better if I just quote their whole reply:
HobbyGenkiHello
Thank you for you message
To answer your questions, I asked the shipping team if they could re-create your packages, they told me no
Your packages are made, sealed and stocked in their places, they have a label, with size, weight, your address and all already
I do not know what is inside package on or package two, and they probably have no idea anymore neither, all we have to know is all product from the link I sent you are inside the packages
it seems way too complicated and time using to do some calculation and packaging means that they are working a lot and are way too busy to make special request from special customers, they will just make packages and stock them until the customer is ready to pay for it and have it sent
Please I and they do not want to spend hours and hours on this easy warehouse shipping
If you want your products shipped, as every customers we packed them and they are ready to be shipped for you
If you do have special request from now, we will not be able to do it, except undervalue you package
If you want a special price written down, just let us know
Please understand that this might be the last time I try to answer those message since this is taking way to long and you made it way more difficult than 99% of our customers
Thank you for your understanding
RegardsI don't even know where to begin to explain what's wrong with all these...

1. I only asked them to help me grouping my items. Apparently they didn't want to spend any time adhering to my request, so they just went and packed everything immediately. I very much doubt that it would have taken hours trying to combine the items the way I wanted them. Way too complicated? It's basic math. But even then: If they didn't want to do it why not just tell me that? I would have tried to group them myself. Obviously it would have been a hard thing to do without knowing all the exact dimensions and weights of the items and especially without knowing what size shipping boxes do they have, and how they pack, but whatever.

2. They don't know what got into which packages? For god's sake, they need to declare the contents of the packages for export together with their value. And since it's the EU to where they need to ship, they need to submit this also electronically. (EAD, Electronic Advance Data) So there is no way that they wouldn't have a record of it. It's simply absurd to think that they don't know the exact content of the packages. Also when the packages will arrive in my country first thing customs will ask me is sending in documents regarding the contents of each package. What do I do then?

3. They also say that even the shipping labels are ready? How? I didn't even choose the actual shipping method yet. As they first told me I am actually still able to select other shipping methods like DHL and Fedex when going to checkout. I doubt that the label would fit all, although I'm not sure really.

4. So they are telling me off because of being a "special customer" and that it's too much time to deal with me? Forgetting the fact that all this is because they decided to just ignore me and didn't ask for any acknowledgement on my part. Of course I won't just let it go.


In the end I don't really have many options I guess...

1. Keep questioning them, and see where it goes. Although I guess it would continue to be like I banged my head into a concrete wall.

2. I just let it go. Pay for shipping. And pray that the customs office will be understanding, and they won't just invoice me for the tax and duty fee for all the items twice, for both packages when I try to explain the situation. (I know by experience that it's really problematic when multiple packages originate from the same one order, and this case is way more complicated than that.) But even in the most optimal case, I still will need to pay the extra 4.7% duty fee.

3. I let them cancel the orders related to these two packages. They supposedly keep 5% of the paid amount however, I don't know if they really keep themselves to that. I could reorder the items from other shops. That would be more expensive as well. Maybe I should try to find them as preowneds. Also at that point I just should go and cancel all my other paid orders and preorders as well. At least then I wouldn't need to deal with them anymore.

IxianNavigator • 1 month ago • #120671865snipSo, I just skimmed through this:

1) 4,7% of 300€ is 14,1€/2005Yen which is the cost of shipping another package. From a monetary standpoint, sorting out packages to under 150€ value doesn't seem that relevant to me if talking about genki's items, especially figures regarding small package limitations. Unless there's some other fee added in your country.

2) There's a bunch of people complaining about them being slow, so I understand that they don't have time to math+puzzle packages. They should've just said that they can't fulfill that request tho, you're right on that.

3) Do you need to go to customs every time? Then I understand the frustration of the added paperwork. The only time I had to go to customs was for a package over 150€ and it definitely made things more annoying.

4) Genki seems to automatically undervalue to most places. I'd assume that was the plan for those packages as well, which would remove the need for the calculations.

5) Them not knowing which orders are in which packages is pretty weird. I'm not sure how precise the EAD has to be (my JP package slips have been as vague as always), but I can't believe they don't have the content written down, if only for insurance and inventory purposes. I hope they are copping out on that point, because if they actually don't know ... ???

Sent • 1 month ago • #120592279Thank you everyone for your answers. It's Nice that they're doing that by default, but I've added a note to my order anyway, just to be sure. Fingers crossed they are gonna comply.
to be honest, I usually don't have THAT much problem with paying taxes/customs - I keep them in mind when preordering stuff, but if it comes undervalued and I'll pay less, that's a nice bonus for me.
This time it's a bit different, because I originally planned to spend less than 19000 yen in total to safely stay below the 150€ threshold, but due to sudden hike in shipping cost, I've ended up with order worth 23800 yen. It's not even about the fees itself, but every parcel over 150€ requires a lot of extra unnecesary paperwork and I try to avoid it like a plague. Even if they undervalue it by just 3000-4000 yen I'll be more than happy. I don't think that my custom office would belive that those figures were worth just 1000 yen anyway :P
There was one to apologise for the delays in november, but it's expired now.
--------
Anyway, another question: how long it usually take for your tracking numbers from Genki to start working? My past two orders were ok in just one-two days after email confirming shipping, but for my recent one (other than aforementioned pirvate warehouse preorder) I've recived the shipping email on wednesday and it's still gives me "** Your item was not found. Confirm your item number and ask at your local office"A new code just showed up. They do exist! Went ahead and preordered them but didn't pay for shipping yet.

IxianNavigator • 1 month ago • #120671865(...)
From my experience - even if they dont undervalue your order (my <4000 yen items were not), they DO NOT declare the shipping cost on the dispatch note, which is used by the customs office to calculate the fees. I guess Genki just pretend it was free and (at least in my case) customs office goes along with that, because they also prefer to avoid the extra paperwork for 150€+ orders.

I think Hobby Genki is slowly improving.

They shipped me the missing bonus items from my Azul without any hassle (yes I had to pay extra customs but ye..)

For my latest private warehouse order, I was waiting for one item to arrive and to combine everything. That item had been released, but I didn't get a notification that it was in the warehouse yet. When I checked, the status was still pre-order. When I checked a few days later, it had changed into private warehouse. I didn't get a message yet, but whatever.
I requested a shipping quote. The next day they replied that they will give me one asap. The day after they got me a shipping quote.

I paid, and they shipped 2 days later. That's a whole lot faster than the other private warehouse orders I have gotten so far!

(Though my last 3 shipments from hobby genki, 5 packages total, have all arrived beat up. Only 1 item had the box damaged because the box was about the same size as the shipping box, the rest was securely packed in a way that even the quite heavy damage to the box didn't break anything. It's not Hobby Genki's fault what the courier does to the packages, but it's great that in general, they pack well.)

Sent • 1 month ago • #120682830From my experience - even if they dont undervalue your order (my <4000 yen items were not), they DO NOT declare the shipping cost on the dispatch note, which is used by the customs office to calculate the fees. I guess Genki just pretend it was free and (at least in my case) customs office goes along with that, because they also prefer to avoid the extra paperwork for 150€+ orders.It's not a bad idea at all, because you even pay the shipping fee separately, and there is no summarized invoice either, I could just say that shipping was free. However according to my experience declaring the shipping fee is not up to the shops, because that's always included on the shipping papers attached to the package. It still could work, but customs is sure to catch the package either way. Theoretically for packages under 150€ there is an automatic customs processing, so no paperwork would be needed, but nowadays customs just catches everything regardless of declared value.

And in that case, putting aside the question of whether I'd need to pay the extra 4.7% or not, the bigger problem here now actually is that I am unable to make an exact list of the contents and values for the packages. I'll need to send in screenshots of order acknowledgement emails, invoices, PayPal receipts etc. to prove how much I really paid for the contents. The customs office isn't interested in the possibly faked values from the dispatch note. If I just send in everything, saying that these are distributed between these two packages, that could go really bad in all kind of ways.

kennysdead500 • 1 month ago • #120682694A new code just showed up. They do exist! Went ahead and preordered them but didn't pay for shipping yet.
Better check that one out - I've used this new code for a new preorder, paypal confirmed payment, but Genki website gave me the "payment error". For now, I'm left without money and the item... time for ticket I guess :X

IxianNavigator • 1 month ago • #120683373(...)
did you make two separate payments for the shipping? If so, every one of them should have included orders reference numbers in the invoice title.

Sent • 1 month ago • #120683648did you make two separate payments for the shipping? If so, every one of them should have included orders reference numbers in the invoice title.I didn't yet pay for shipment nor did I select the shipping method. But yes, there is two separate "orders" representing the two packages. Also yes, the reference numbers are also there in the titles. However they listed all the references in both orders, so it's useless.
They look like this:
SHIPPING INVOICE <ref1> <ref2> ... <ref7> 109, ZONE 1
SHIPPING INVOICE <ref1> <ref2> ... <ref7> 109, ZONE 1 PART2
That is, they are the exact same titles except that the second one has a "part2" slapped on at the end.

cathrel • 1 month ago • #120650848Anyone have any experience with them when it comes to figures with defect especially the ones from Aniplex or just in general?
They do next to nothing from what I experienced (altho it wasn't Aniplex figures I had issues with). My Nendo Denji had lots of defects and they told me I'd have to contact GSC support on my own, which in itself is fair enough I guess, but that took them 2 weeks.
I also received a MAFEX figure with missing paint and that took them 3 weeks to respond to.. saying it was supposed to look like that (it is, in fact, not supposed to look like that) and promised me a 1,000JPY voucher as a sign of "goodwill." 2 weeks and counting, no voucher.. :,)

batvaleska • 1 month ago • #120749367They do next to nothing from what I experienced (altho it wasn't Aniplex figures I had issues with). My Nendo Denji had lots of defects and they told me I'd have to contact GSC support on my own, which in itself is fair enough I guess, but that took them 2 weeks.
I also received a MAFEX figure with missing paint and that took them 3 weeks to respond to.. saying it was supposed to look like that (it is, in fact, not supposed to look like that) and promised me a 1,000JPY voucher as a sign of "goodwill." 2 weeks and counting, no voucher.. :,)Hoboy, I guess that does check out. They have not responded to my email as well at all. :( Thank you so much! :)

So I have 1 paid order still pending for shipment. And Hobby-Genki ignored my email & order message for a couple of days already.

I'm warning everyone (be really careful) with Hobby-Genki , this is the only store (besides Nippon-Yassan) who ignored their customers' inquiries, nevermind the shipping takes forever.

I will update (here) if there's any news regarding the status of my order.

Metatronz • 1 month ago • #120783242So I have 1 paid order still pending for shipment. And Hobby-Genki ignored my email & order message for a couple of days already.
I'm warning everyone (be really careful) with Hobby-Genki , this is the only store (besides Nippon-Yassan) who ignored their customers' inquiries, nevermind the shipping takes forever.
I will update (here) if there's any news regarding the status of my order.

See if they respond on Twitter. They respond quick on there, but yeah please update with whatever happens!

YourbabyAnqwq • 1 month ago • #120815217See if they respond on Twitter. They respond quick on there, but yeah please update with whatever happens!

Unfortunately, they also ignored me on Twitter.

Honestly, its so unprofessional. Like they don't even bother to take the job seriously.

Metatronz • 1 month ago • #120815320Unfortunately, they also ignored me on Twitter.
their twitter is weird. At first I got a response quickly for one of my issues, but after that, I was ignored ever since. I'm not sure if my messages were even read. Same for the emails - when I asked them about something in September, I got a response fairly quickly. When I asked another question this month, I was ignored.
I didn't have any problems with the notes under my orders though, but It always took them between one to three days to respond (or they resolved the issue without commenting on it). They even resolved my issue with the payment error, but it took a bit of back-and-forth to convince them that the money actually went through.
It was the same with the shipping - after paying for the invoice, it took them a week to provide a tracking number (and another three until it finally started working).

They're definitely not as bad as Nippon-Yasan (been there, done that), but theres definitely a lot of room for improvements. There's nothing worse than leaving a consumer in the dark regarding shipping of his items or his missing money.

IxianNavigator • 1 month ago • #120671865I have an ongoing issue with them right now, and I'm beginning to lose faith if it will be solved with a good ending.
So, I have 8 in-stock items accumulated in the private warehouse. I decided to try getting them ship out, since I didn't have anything else coming up soon.
I always use Air Small Packet when I can with every shop, so I guessed my items would fit into about 3 packages. However I don't exactly know what the dimensions and weight for all items are. Because of this I thought it would be better to just let Hobby Genki themselves handle how my items should be grouped into packages.
I live in the EU so it also makes sense to not let any of the packages go over the value of 150€, because then there is an extra 4.7% duty fee to be paid, not to mention the additional nuisance of the need to send in various documents to customs like invoice, receipt and a declaration of the items and values.
All in all it's a thing better avoided obviously. It's also a very important fact that the 150€ limit is calculated together with shipping fee.
So what I did was to send the following message to Hobby Genki:
I believe I managed to formulate my request in a comprehensible and short manner. I could have explain my reasons for all these, but why take up their time with it needlessly, right? (Btw before this they ignored some of my messages for weeks, that's what I referred there first.)
The same day I get the following message from them, quite quick for Hobby Genki:
And the next day with their next message I was simply presented with 2 URLs to 2 orders, and got told that I can choose the shipping method and pay for shipping.
The URLs looked like this below, that is they both included all the order IDs in question and one of them noted as "part2".
The shipping fee for each package turned out to be 2795¥ with Air Small Packet (or Epacket as Hobby Genki calls it)
I started quickly calculating, and simply there is no way that my items could be distributed into only two packages so that together with shipping fee they would be under 150€. Without the shipping fee it would be possible, but with the shipping fee it's not.
Then I told them that I didn't expect the items to fit into just two Small Packets, and I asked them how exactly did they group the items, which items got into which packages? I also started to explain them my reasons, and told them that sorry but please regroup my items into three packages. I calculated that even in case the shipping fee of a third package ends up costing the same as the first two, in the end I still would pay less altogether for taxes, duty fee and shipping added.
Then they told me that they simply won't regroup my items, the packages are sealed and ready to ship. That there is only two possible outcomes, either they send the packages this way or that they cancel all the orders.
Through multiple exchange of messages they systematically ignored my questions about which items did they put into which packages. They also told me that both packages are actually under 150€, ignoring me bringing to their attention, that it needs to be calculated together with the shipping fees, and that I already had written this limitation in my very first message, which they ultimately ignored.
I didn't let it go, and I asked everything again. Maybe it's better if I just quote their whole reply:
I don't even know where to begin to explain what's wrong with all these...
1. I only asked them to help me grouping my items. Apparently they didn't want to spend any time adhering to my request, so they just went and packed everything immediately. I very much doubt that it would have taken hours trying to combine the items the way I wanted them. Way too complicated? It's basic math. But even then: If they didn't want to do it why not just tell me that? I would have tried to group them myself. Obviously it would have been a hard thing to do without knowing all the exact dimensions and weights of the items and especially without knowing what size shipping boxes do they have, and how they pack, but whatever.
2. They don't know what got into which packages? For god's sake, they need to declare the contents of the packages for export together with their value. And since it's the EU to where they need to ship, they need to submit this also electronically. (EAD, Electronic Advance Data) So there is no way that they wouldn't have a record of it. It's simply absurd to think that they don't know the exact content of the packages. Also when the packages will arrive in my country first thing customs will ask me is sending in documents regarding the contents of each package. What do I do then?
3. They also say that even the shipping labels are ready? How? I didn't even choose the actual shipping method yet. As they first told me I am actually still able to select other shipping methods like DHL and Fedex when going to checkout. I doubt that the label would fit all, although I'm not sure really.
4. So they are telling me off because of being a "special customer" and that it's too much time to deal with me? Forgetting the fact that all this is because they decided to just ignore me and didn't ask for any acknowledgement on my part. Of course I won't just let it go.
In the end I don't really have many options I guess...
1. Keep questioning them, and see where it goes. Although I guess it would continue to be like I banged my head into a concrete wall.
2. I just let it go. Pay for shipping. And pray that the customs office will be understanding, and they won't just invoice me for the tax and duty fee for all the items twice, for both packages when I try to explain the situation. (I know by experience that it's really problematic when multiple packages originate from the same one order, and this case is way more complicated than that.) But even in the most optimal case, I still will need to pay the extra 4.7% duty fee.
3. I let them cancel the orders related to these two packages. They supposedly keep 5% of the paid amount however, I don't know if they really keep themselves to that. I could reorder the items from other shops. That would be more expensive as well. Maybe I should try to find them as preowneds. Also at that point I just should go and cancel all my other paid orders and preorders as well. At least then I wouldn't need to deal with them anymore.No offense, but every other store would just tell you "customs are the responsibility of the buyer" and ship all your stuff together or, if they're nice and have time, ask you to tell them explicitly which items to group together for shipment (and even that many won't do, especially large stores).

I get asking a store to group specific items in a shipment, but you think they have the time to play trial and error with your items until they suit your arbitrary wishes (optimal distribution in 3 boxes under a specific size for cheapest shipping + value of each box can't exceed a specific value *including the shipping fee, so it'd be taxed less in a country half-way across the world). If a store sat down with a calculator and did this circus for every customer, nothing would ever get shipped.

I rarely side with a store but your exceptations were unreasonable, and it's nice that they tried to fulfill your specific request at all.

Linkeatbanana • 1 month ago • #120885372No offense, but every other store would just tell you "customs are the responsibility of the buyer" and ship all your stuff together or, if they're nice and have time, ask you to tell them explicitly which items to group together for shipment (and even that many won't do, especially large stores).
I get asking a store to group specific items in a shipment, but you think they have the time to play trial and error with your items until they suit your arbitrary wishes (optimal distribution in 3 boxes under a specific size for cheapest shipping + value of each box can't exceed a specific value *including the shipping fee, so it'd be taxed less in a country half-way across the world). If a store sat down with a calculator and did this circus for every customer, nothing would ever get shipped.
I rarely side with a store but your exceptations were unreasonable, and it's nice that they tried to fulfill your specific request at all.With the Japanese shops I use regularly I certainly have the possibility to fully decide in a way or another what to ship together, and I also consider this a normal thing to be able to do. But this "private warehouse" thing is new to me, so far I only had at most a few items to ship out with every other shop. I thought that the very purpose of this "private warehouse" thing is that you can decide how, when and what to ship together in order to spare money.

Also yes, I actually think that a shop should have the time for something like grouping items into packages adhering to a certain value limit. You are either underestimating your own abilities or overestimating the complexity of the task. This is basic math. It certainly can't take hours. They already accepted my request to group the items into the fewest possible number of packages, taking into account only this one extra thing about value limit really wouldn't require much more time. They already told me that without the shipping fee each package is under the limit. (It's weird that they were able to tell this, but not the exact contents of each packages.) At this point the only thing they would need to do is to take out any one item from each package and put those two items into a third one.

Also I did not know beforehand how many packages would these items fit into optimally. And that's the reason I asked them what I asked, instead of trying to figure it out myself. I don't know what exactly are the dimensions of their available shipping boxes. I also only have a vague idea about the weight and dimensions of my items. However these are things that they know exactly. Even one centimeter difference could mean that some items wouldn't fit into a box together. It simply seemed a good idea to let them handle this. This is also not the first time I asked a shop (not HG) to do something similar.

I also think that they fully have the rights to refuse my request. But in that case I also would have fully expected, that they tell me this before doing something instead that I absolutely didn't wanted.

IxianNavigator • 1 month ago • #120885586With the Japanese shops I use regularly I certainly have the possibility to fully decide in a way or another what to ship together, and I also consider this a normal thing to be able to do. But this "private warehouse" thing is new to me, so far I only had at most a few items to ship out with every other shop. I thought that the very purpose of this "private warehouse" thing is that you can decide how, when and what to ship together in order to spare money.
Also yes, I actually think that a shop should have the time for something like grouping items into packages adhering to a certain value limit. You are either underestimating your own abilities or overestimating the complexity of the task. This is basic math. It certainly can't take hours. They already accepted my request to group the items into the fewest possible number of packages, taking into account only this one extra thing about value limit really wouldn't require much more time. They already told me that without the shipping fee each package is under the limit. (It's weird that they were able to tell this, but not the exact contents of each packages.) At this point the only thing they would need to do is to take out any one item from each package and put those two items into a third one.
Also I did not know beforehand how many packages would these items fit into optimally. And that's the reason I asked them what I asked, instead of trying to figure it out myself. I don't know what exactly are the dimensions of their available shipping boxes. I also only have a vague idea about the weight and dimensions of my items. However these are things that they know exactly. Even one centimeter difference could mean that some items wouldn't fit into a box together. It simply seemed a good idea to let them handle this. This is also not the first time I asked a shop (not HG) to do something similar.
I also think that they fully have the rights to refuse my request. But in that case I also would have fully expected, that they tell me this before doing something instead that I absolutely didn't wanted.This type of entitlement is why I feel bad for people working in customer service and could never do it. If you made them read an essay about every little trivial thing like this, I'm not surprised they started ignoring the messages eventually. Imagine working in a warehouse packing boxes and every customer has a special request like this and even after you try to help, they ask you to take the stuff back out and repackage it again. And there is a difference between YOU deciding what to ship together and the trial and error thing you asked the store to do. It's also not just a case of dimensions and value, JP Post charges based on weight so they have redistribute everything and weigh it again. It's absurd.

I live in the EU, I know how shitty customs are but I'd never waste a warehouse worker's time like this only so I could save a couple of €.