"What to do if you're overcharged when buying Japanese cosmetics and medicine?" 3 essential Japan shopping tips

▲ Matsumoto Kiyoshi is a well-known Japanese drugstore. (Photo / Reporter Cai Wenjun)

Reporter Cai Wenjun / Taipei reporting

Taiwanese travelers visiting Japan often stock up at drugstores, but do you check whether the amount charged matches what you bought right after checkout? In recent years, more and more netizens have shared on Facebook groups or PTT that they only discovered they were overcharged after returning to their hotel or even back in Taiwan. To address this issue, well-known Japan travel writer Sami offers three tips to remind travelers to stay vigilant while shopping and avoid ruining their trip.

▲ Special packaging for tax-free items at Japanese drugstores. (Photo / Reporter Cai Wenjun)

In recent years, many netizens have posted on Facebook or PTT saying that after shopping at Japanese drugstores, they only realized some items had been overcharged when checking at their hotel, or that although the invoice showed the correct amount and quantity, fewer items were actually placed in the tax-free sealed bag. Since they had already left the store, they couldn’t get a refund and had to accept the loss.

▲ Many travelers sometimes only realize items are missing or the amount is wrong when checking the invoice back at their hotel. (Illustration / Authorized by Wisely Take Photos Write Words, please do not reproduce casually)

If you want to avoid the above situations, Japan travel writer Sami offers the following three tips:

1. Calculate the price in advance before checkout so you have an idea in mind, which can help prevent being overcharged
2. Whether it's during checkout or when the staff is packing, always watch them work so you can spot any omissions early.
3. Sometimes due to long queues behind you, many travelers hesitate to check immediately for fear of holding up others. Sami also suggests taking the invoice and purchased items aside to confirm. As long as you're still within the store, raise any issues immediately. The counter will have surveillance cameras, and if you don’t speak Japanese, most drugstores in big cities now have Chinese-speaking staff who can assist.