Shopping agents explained: fees, shipping lines, QC photos

A shopping agent is a company in China that buys on your behalf. You send it a product link, it pays the seller, receives the item at its warehouse, photographs it, and ships everything you bought together to your address. It is the only practical way to buy from most Taobao, 1688 and Weidian shops from abroad.

What you pay, and when

Agents split the cost into two payments: one when you order, one when you ship. Knowing every line in advance is what keeps a cheap find cheap.

When you order

• Item price, exactly as on the listing, for the variant you picked.
• Domestic shipping from the seller to the warehouse, usually ¥0 to ¥15.
• Service fee. Some agents charge a percentage of the item price, often up to 10%; others charge nothing here and earn on shipping instead.
• Payment fee. Paying by card or an online wallet usually adds around 3%.

When you ship

• International shipping, priced by weight. This is usually the biggest cost after the items themselves.
• Optional services: extra photos, measurements, reinforced packing, removing retail boxes to save weight.
• Storage is free for a set period, typically 30 to 90 days, then charged per day. Ship before it runs out.

Shipping lines

A shipping line is a route and a carrier the agent has a contract with. You choose one per parcel, and the price depends on it.

• Express couriers are the fastest, often under 10 days, and the most expensive. Duties are usually collected at your door.
• Tax-included air lines cost a little more per kilo but pay VAT and duty on your behalf, so nothing is due on delivery. For Europe they are often the simplest choice.
• Economy and postal lines are cheaper and slower, 2 to 4 weeks or more.
• Sea lines only make sense for heavy parcels and long waits.

Lines charge the greater of the real weight and the volumetric weight: length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 5,000 or 6,000 depending on the line. A light but bulky parcel, like a pillow or a box of packing cubes, can cost far more than its weight suggests. Ask the agent to remove empty boxes before you pay.

Some goods need a special line: anything with a battery, magnets, liquids, powders and blades. The agent's shipping calculator flags them.

QC photos

When your item reaches the warehouse, the agent photographs it. These quality-check photos are your one chance to catch a problem while a return is still cheap.

1. Right item, right variant: colour, size, the model number on the listing.
2. Damage: cracks in glass, dents in metal, loose seams, stains.
3. Measurements: for clothing, ask for chest width and length laid flat, and compare with a piece you own.
4. Function: for anything that opens, closes, folds or seals, ask the agent to try it.

If something is wrong, ask for a return or exchange before the parcel leaves China. Most agents handle it for a small fee plus domestic shipping.

Choosing an agent

• Fees are listed in full, before you pay, including the payment fee.
• There is a shipping calculator that shows lines and prices by weight for your country.
• Photos are sharp and taken in daylight, not one blurry shot per item.
• Support answers in English within a day.

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Back to the basics: how to buy from Taobao & 1688. Next: shipping to the EU, VAT and customs.