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Japan - Establishment of consumer complaints handling desk - Cross-border Consumer center Japan (CCJ) - for consumers who encountered cross-border transaction troubles

On November 1, 2011, the consumer complaints handling desk for consumers who encountered cross-border transaction troubles, "The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) Cross-border Consumer center Japan (CCJ)" was  established as a part of the 2011 projects commissioned by CAA, “Experimental project on the international cooperation of consumer complaints handling relating to cross-border trading".

The survey of CAA shows that about 20 percent of users who has ever experience of overseas internet shopping has encountered troubles, such as “delay of goods", "arrival of wrong goods” and etc.

On the other hand, it has become clear that about 30 percent of users who has ever encountered troubles of overseas internet shopping does not inquire the traders due to several reasons, such as "difficulty to contact in a foreign language", "uncertainty of traders’ contact address", and etc. Therefore, CAA established "CAA Cross-border Consumer center Japan (CCJ)".

Since November 1, 2011, "CAA Cross-border Consumer center Japan (CCJ)" has received consultation from consumer who encountered cross-border transaction troubles (not only by internet shopping but also by “face to face” shopping) and has provided the support to solve the troubles, and also gather information for trouble relevant to overseas shopping to find peaceful solution.

To solve such troubles, CCJ works cooperatively with the overseas consumer support organizations and relevant consumer support institutions (see below), and gathers the information concerning troubles related to a traders in a country and an area where the affiliated organizations does not presently exist as much as possible.

Affiliated consumer support organization:

1. United States, Canada: The Council of Better Business Bureau
2. Taiwan: Secure Online Shopping Association
3. Singapore: Consumer Association Singapore

Read the press release.