Plain clothing from Chinese marketplaces — no logos, no markup

Usually, yes. In the EU, VAT is due on every import, whatever the value, and many shipping lines collect it up front so the parcel is not held at the border. The EU is also ending the duty exemption for parcels under €150, so expect a small duty on top. In the US, low-value parcels from China no longer enter duty-free, so duties and carrier fees apply. Check the shipping line's notes on tax before you pay for shipping.

Plan for two steps. The seller ships to your agent's warehouse in China in about 2 to 5 days. After you approve the photos and pay for international shipping, most air lines take 7 to 20 days to Europe or the US. Faster lines cost more; sea lines are cheaper and slower.

A company in China that buys from Taobao, 1688 or Weidian on your behalf. You send it the product link and pay the item price plus a service fee. It receives the item at its warehouse, photographs it, stores it, and ships everything you bought together to your address.

Quality-check photos: pictures the agent takes of your actual item when it reaches the warehouse. Use them to check size, colour, damage and that the right item arrived, before it leaves China. Asking for an extra photo or a measurement is usually free or costs very little.

Before it leaves China, usually yes: the agent can send it back to the seller, often for a small fee and the domestic shipping cost. After it has been shipped to you, a return is rarely worth it, because sending a parcel back to China costs more than most items here. That is why the QC photos matter.