Terms of Service


This contract applies once JapanWifiBuddy has received an online application from the customer.

JapanWifiBuddy will test and inspect each pocket wifi device before rental, assuring all products are sent in a legitimate and satisfactory condition.

We strive to provide the best service possible for all of our users. We utilize the Docomo, Wimax 2+, AU, Softbank and Y!Mobile networks, which boast excellent service in most areas of the country, though we cannot guarantee service area, speed or data traffic conditions at anywhere or any time. The provided network/device claimed maximum speeds are assuming optimal conditions, and are generally not experienced by the general public, on any network or pocket wifi device or provider. For those requiring connectivity to Google Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire or other similar streaming devices, please inform us prior to shipment.

All customers are responsible for any costs resulting from any legal processes that are conducted due to failure to fulfill a contract, or any other illegitimate loss caused by failure to comply with the contract.

All correspondence will be carried out via email using the email address registered at the time of rental or the email used in any prior email correspondence. Any failure to receive or view emails in a timely fashion (due to spam blocking or any other reason) will be the responsibility of the renter. To be safe, please register “Buddy@JapanWifiBuddy.com” in your contacts to prevent blocking.

All customers are granted only the right for personal use of the pocket wifi rental product and may not sell or rent it to other party. All pocket wifi rental products must be used only for legitimate and legal purposes. This applies to users in the renter's party as well who may be accessing the device.

We cannot make any refunds or replacements for reasons such as coverage, service area, data traffic/speed, trip cancellation or delay, or otherwise. If at any time you have any questions, please let us know!

JapanWifiBuddy is not to be held accountable for damage or loss resulting from incidents such as war, terrorism, riot, labor strike, production cancellation, fire, volcano eruption, earthquake, energy trouble, weather, flooding, snow, storms or other natural disasters. The user is responsible for operating and maintaining the device in a sanitary, satisfactory way. In cases where airline travel is restricted, for example in the case of a pandemic, the standard cancellation fees will apply if we’ve already shipped the package and need to cover our recovery costs - see appropriate portion of this document for more information.

Shipping

The client is responsible to make a timely pickup at the requested airport or hotel, using the name that was included in the order.

The Japan Post Office is unable to change the name on packages once we've already mailed them, and is also unable to forward packages if the delivery was not completed.

JapanWifiBuddy is not responsible for undelivered packages due to delayed flights, mistakes in arrival time or post office closures. Please confirm your desired post office will be open for your arrival by looking at this page: https://japanwifibuddy.com/airport-shipping .

Customs, luggage pickup and immigration can often take up to 2 hours, so please be aware of that time requirement when selecting your pickup location.

In the event that a delivery to hotel/hostel/AirBNB or lodging is impossible due to an incorrect booking name provided during ordering, or the lodging doesn’t provide a package holding service, your package will be forwarded to a local shipping office for your pickup, and details of the location and tracking number will be provided. In the event that we’re charged a fee by the lodging for holding the package, we will charge your card on file the same amount to ensure prompt and accurate delivery.

In the event that a shipment has been made to a local shipping office, the client is responsible for a timely pickup. Most shipping offices will charge a holding fee if the client’s pickup is more than a day late, and they may even send the package back to us, incurring another shipping charge which we will apply to the client’s supplied billing information.  Shipping to Kyushu or Okinawa, even with “Expedited Shipping” can take 3-7 days due to longer distance shipping. We will generally be able to clarify how long shipping should take if you get in touch with us.

WifiBuddy cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that appear in map apps or any other type of app displaying the user’s position. The nature of pocket wifi is that apps will make a general estimation of your location, but sometimes will not be 100% accurate.

SIM Cards

As SIM cards require some setup and changes to current device settings, we recommend SIM cards for users who are more comfortable making these changes. For users who prefer a simpler setup, we recommend renting a Pocket Wifi Buddy rather than a SIM card.

Please note that sim cards are only valid for the rental period selected when ordering on the website. In cases where we ship multiple short-term sim cards to you, activate them one-by-one over the course of your stay as mentioned in the included instructions. Inserting them into your device will activate them and start the count-time timer on their active period, so do not insert them all on the first day.

Please note that you may need to notify your carrier that you will be using a rental SIM card abroad. Recently more carriers are putting locks on devices blocking Japanese SIM cards EVEN WHEN THE DEVICE IS “UNLOCKED”, especially for smaller carriers such as CRICKET. Please call and confirm with your carrier before completing your rental. We cannot be held responsible for cases like this and will not be able to provide refunds.

Rental SIM cards will only function correctly on SIM unlocked devices. Some pocket wifi devices from other countries will work, but please confirm with the manufacturer or service provider prior to coming to renting a sim card. All SIMs are currently only offered in the “Nano” size, so please purchase an optional sim adaptor/pin set if necessary for your device. For the setup, there is an included package of information, explaining the installation and setup. No return is required.

Please note that the service provider's network maintenance window is between Tuesday at 10PM to Wednesday at 10AM, so you will not be able to activate new sim cards during that window (though you will be able to use activated cards as usual). 

JapanWifiBuddy will not be held responsible in the case of user error, device incompatibility or incomplete setup resulting in an incomplete connection, hence we recommend this for more advanced users only.

Unlimited Data Sim Cards : The client accept the Fair-Use policies in place by the providing companies:

  • • Docomo (All Unlimited Data Sim Cards) - There is no defined fair-use policy as far as a number goes, though they reserve the right to restrict your speeds or access if there is excessive data consumption. This most likely depends on network traffic and location as well. We’ve had some situations where there’s no throttling even after 20GB of daily use, but we’ve also seen throttling after just 3GB of daily use.
 

See the chart below to confirm that your phone can operate on these frequencies/bands :  LTE : 2100Mhz/ 1700Mhz / 1500Mhz / 800Mhz Unlimited-Data Sim Cards (Heavy users): ・Band1/2.1GHz W-CDMA,FDD-LTE  ・Band3/1.8GHz FDD-LTE ・B

  • Ymobile!/Softbank (Diamond & Platinum Pocket Wifi Router) – For Platinum devices, Softbank generally will slow down, or throttle, users’ data speed after 2GB/day of data consumption. This is refreshed at midnight each day. For Diamond devices, you can expect roughly 3GB/day of LTE-speed data before being throttled.

    • Loss or Damage

    The user must contact us as soon as possible in the event of damage or loss of the pocket wifi device/sim card. We may be able to provide a replacement depending on availability. Should their pocket wifi device become unrentable due to loss or damage incurred during the rental period, the renter will be charged the following:

    • $403 per pocket wifi router
    • $40 per sim card (Included in every router)
    • $36 per battery backup
    • $16 per cable
    • $16 per power adaptor, or $30 per dual-USB adaptor
    • $16 per case (Router pouch, Large case for all items)
    • $26 for miscellaneous parts of devices or similar, such as battery covers or lids. 
    • $5 per laminated instruction card
    • If all items are lost/damaged, the total of the above is $583.

    In the case that the device is 6+ days overdue with no contact from the client, we will automatically charge for replacement of all of the above.

    In the case that the provider charges extra cancellation fees due to remaining contract term, we may charge extra above what is written above.

    In the event that client is unresponsive to replacement charges and collections agencies need to intervene, an additional $300 fee will be applied.

    If the client opts in to the insurance we have available, replacement fees will be reduced by half. This fee however is not refundable in the event of cancellation.

    Do not tamper with the pocket wifi device or sim card in any unintended ways. Do not remove the sim card from the device. Do not change any settings on any of the devices. WifiBuddy is not to be held responsible in the event that the user tampers with settings causing loss of functionality. WifiBuddy may not be able to restore functionality in the event that the user alters settings causing a loss of connection or functionality.

    Return of pocket wifi device

    Please follow the included instructions to return the pocket wifi device. Please try to keep the package as flat as possible for a hassle-free return. Please use the included envelope and package, and please include all cables, cases, devices, sim cards, batteries, etc. Use the soft pouch for the Pocket Wifi Buddy. Failure to do so may result in a damaged Pocket Wifi Buddy and you may be held responsible for replacement. In cases where the client is sent a replacement device for a device they’re currently using, please send the original device back within 48 hours. Delays may incur late fees as outlined in our late fees portion. Early returns generally will not receive any reimbursement.

    Late returns

    Users will be charged for late returns based on the shipping date of the return when shipping in Japan. Your end date is the date you select when inputting your rental request, and late fees will begin to accrue afterwards. International returns will be charged based on the date the package arrives at our office. Users will incur a $15 per day per-device fee. If we’ve not received any contact regarding the package within a week of rental end, we will bill the credit card on file for the full replacement fee. The system will bill based on the RETURN SHIPPING DATE stamped on the envelope, not the date you hand the package to another party to handle shipping. In the case that hotels or other parties return the package late, the renter will be held responsible.

    In the event that the user takes any of JapanWifiBuddy’s property outside of Japan and needs to return it, you must indicate in the NOTES section the following : “Rental property which belongs to JapanWifiBuddy. This is not a purchase, and these are all made in Japan.” Generally an import consumption tax will be applied and we will need to pay it to receive the device back, resulting in a $45 fee. Even though it’s a returned device, according to the Japanese customs there needs to be specific documentation arranged before removing the device from country to avoid customs fees. Security Deposit Required for Debit/Prepaid Card payments

    As prepaid and debit cards have a higher risk of fraud, we require a $200 refundable security deposit to be paid per WifiBuddy for payments made via prepaid and debit cards. After we receive the WifiBuddy back without any damages, we will refund this security deposit back to your card. In the case of loss or damage, it will be used to cover any fees.

    WifiBuddy Insurance is also mandatory for Prepaid/Debit card orders. In addition to this, a mandatory Debit card Insurance surcharge also applies. You may choose to pay via a credit card without this deposit or continue with a Prepaid or Debit card.

    JapanWifiBuddy will cancel this contract without obligation to notify customers once it confirms any non-fulfillment of contract, such as unreturned equipment or false information in the contract. After cancellation, JapanWifiBuddy may contact the customer to recover costs associated.

    Beginning March, 2017, national laws in Japan have changed regarding shipping standard lithium-ion backup batteries using planes. Due to these tightening safety restrictions, we are no longer able to include a backup battery in our Expedited shipping orders. The Pocket Wifi Buddy itself and it’s batteries are fine and will be fully functional. As this is originally a free bonus service, there will be no discounts given as a result of falling under this new rule.

    eSim

    eSim plans are the easiest, cheapest, and most convenient option for travelers to Japan, but there are a few points to keep in mind when choosing this option.

    Upon purchasing an eSim, users will be emailed a QR code to install the esim on their device. This QR code can only be installed once, and only on one device. If the user erases the profile provided by the QR code, it will be gone permanently, and we cannot provide any refunds or replacements.

    Many esim plans have expiration dates (For example, 8 days, 30 days, or 90 days), and so our system will email you the QR code a few days before you travel to avoid expiry mid-trip. To avoid complications, setting up an eSim rental 1 days before travel is recommended.

    Installing the eSim profile requires and active network connection (such as your home country’s standard cell signal, or any wifi network.)

    eSim plans are data-only, do not provide a phone number, therefore those looking to make calls should use data applications such as Facetime, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. To install and use our eSim plans, you’ll need an e-Sim compatible device that is also unlocked. Please check with your manufacturer and service provider to ensure before purchasing. Please follow all included instructions to ensure your experience with the JapanWifiBuddy esim works smoothly.

    eSim Tethering Information

    We're happy to inform you that our eSim plans support tethering, allowing you to share your internet connection with other devices. Here’s how it works:

    4G eSim Plans: Enjoy unlimited tethering within your plan's data allowance. You can tether as much as you like up to the data limit you've chosen.

    5G Unlimited Plans: Tethering is available, but there are specific data thresholds at which tethering will pause:
    4-Day Plan: Up to 3GB
    7-Day Plan: Up to 6GB
    10-Day Plan: Up to 10GB
    15-Day Plan: Up to 15GB

    Please keep these limits in mind when planning to share your connection with multiple devices to ensure a smooth experience for everyone.

    Referral Program

    1. Referral Process:
      Participants may refer others using their unique referral code, accessible on the "My Account" page.
    2. Benefits for New Customers:
      New customers utilizing a referral code from an existing client will receive a $3 discount on their order.
    3. Benefits for Referrers:
      Referrers will receive a $3 credit on their account, applicable towards future orders.
    4. Credit Application:
      The $3 credit is applied once the new client's order is successfully completed or, in the case of a WifiBuddy rental, when the device is returned.
    5. Eligibility:
      Referral bonuses are applicable to orders exceeding $10 and can be redeemed for any of our products.
    6. Program Limitations:
      Credits are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
    7. Modifications:
      We reserve the right to modify or terminate the referral program at our discretion.
    8. Compliance:
      All participants must comply with our general terms and conditions.
    9. Contact:
      For any inquiries or concerns regarding the referral program, please contact our customer support team.

      10. Thank you for participating in our Referral Program. We appreciate your support and loyalty.