How to: Use Noppin

While I'm being productive....
About a month ago I said I'd try to write up a tutorial on how to use Noppin for the auction service on the TM forums, well I started straight away and then forgot about it...
Well this is my (probably patchy) instructions.
Noppin use to have a good page on their site of how to use their website and how the flow of service works but it seems to page is broken now, or I just couldn't find it.
Please forgive me if I 've missed things, although I've been using Noppin for a few years I may overlook something that I find obvious because I use it so much but a new person using it will need explaining...

Ok!

*First of all you will have to sign up:

*Read all the important info, and apprently you have to be 18+ to use Noppin.
*Then you will create your profile.

And then I'm a bit fuzzy on what happens next!

I can't remember if your registration begins right away or if they need to verify stuff...

When you're all good and signed up you'll need to deposit some money to Noppin so you can bid on items.

You deposit in 2000yen amounts with a multiplier of 3.

So: 2000yen of your deposited money will allow you to bid up to 6000yen on auctions. 

Make sense?

You can deposit money using Paypal or a credit card:

Sorry about the black lines, they appeared on some of the screen shots...

I personally have only used Paypal with Noppin so I don't know about using a credit card...

So deposit what you think you will use.

You can have your deposit refunded as long as you aren't bidding on any items or don't have any items that you've won but not paid for.

Don't quote me on it but I think you will get back most of your deposit if you refund it within 60 days.

If its more than 60 days you will still get back a refund but it won't be the full amount.

Ok, deposited the money? Great. Let's go shopping!!!

When searching for things on Noppin the best results will show up if you search in hiragana/katakana/kanji rather than English. Searching in English will turn up results but its more likely to be touristy junk.

As I'm writing this for TM I'll use their Hanamachi Dictionary as a reference for search terms.

This Dictionary is great! I use it all the time for searching/labelling posts, so a big thanks to all the members who contributed to making the dictionary.

So I'm going to search "maiko/舞妓"

So I've clicked on the second item, a maiko painting.

You can translate the page if you want to read the description, some Internet browsers will do it for you but otherwise there are orange tabs half way down the page that you can click for English, French, Spanish and Chinese I think.

Say I want to bid on this.

What I have to do is click on the "Bid on this Item" orange button at the top of the page.

It will take you to another page. If you have enough money deposited you can add how much to want to bid to. You will also have to name the item so you can find it in your watchlist later.

I name it but also put the ending date and time in the name so I don't forget.

If you don't have enough money deposited you will have the chance to deposit more money and then be able to place the bid.

Once you have placed your bid it will take you back to the auction page and you can see if you are winning or not.

Noppin's user ID will be "cre*****".

Just to be sure that you are in the lead you should go to the "My Noppin"  white tab at the top of the page, click into your watchlist and look at the status there, as another Noppin member may have outbid you.

This is what is in my watchlist right now.

You can see what the symbols mean at the bottom of the page.

If you win an auction a little box will appear in the "Pay" column on the left hand side of the item name. 

It will show you what you will need to pay for the item. It breaks it down so you know how much the domestic postage and fees are.

I don't have a screen shot of this but I write all of this down for every auction I win

EG: 1970's Miyako ( I didn't know the exact date lol) 

I won the item for 1000 yen, Plus 340yen for domestic shipping, 250yen for a bank wire, 500yen for Noppin service fee. Total 2090yen

Plus international postage on top of that whenever you decide to get it sent to you. You have 60 days from the time your first item arrives at Noppin before you must ship them to yourself.

I will get to the fees later.

So in my watchlist below you can see that I am watching items and some items I have bid on and lost.

be sure to check the status on the items you are bidding on in case another Noppin member outbids you. 

When Noppin was Crescent Shop only one member could bid on an auction but that's changed now!

So you have won and paid for your item!

The item then gets moved to the "Storage space" where it can wait until you have more things to post off.

When you are ready to ship your items check the little box next to the item name and click the blue "continue" button.

As I've written on the image there is a box for "special shipping instructions" here is where you put your chosen postage method, whether you want a box or bag or if you have recently moved your new address.

If you don't specify what postage method you want Noppin will send it EMS in a box.

Then your items move to the "Shipping Status" area.

It will take a day or two for Noppin to pack your items and calculate the international postage you have chosen.

Here you can see I have a package that I have just chosen to ship.

Noppin is currently packing my items together and calculating the cost.

They are "Processing" my request right now.

When they are done it will change to "Ready to Ship" ( I think) so then you can pay for the international postage and get it sent to you.

That's basically it.

Fees:

Noppin Auctions Fees

Every auction you bid on Noppin will charge you for using their service.

For auctions up to 5000yen the fee will be 500yen and then it increases depending on how much the item sells for.

If you have any questions about an auction or shipping you can contact Noppin through your contact board in "My Noppin".

Just choose the appropriate "general"/"auction" or "shopping service" message board to contact them through.

I have always found the Noppin workers to be very nice and courteous with my silly questions.

After all you are the customer, if their service isn't good you'll use someone else's. 

I'm sure I've missed something though so please ask any questions you may have and I'll try to answer them as best I can.