Best way to order from Taobao?

There are some wigs I wanna order from a shop, but I'm not sure which agent is the best or if I should order directly from taobao myself. I read online that people in the US can order directly so that's why I'm asking these questions? Should I order directly or with an agent? If with an agent, which one is best or cheap for that matter?

 

P.s. - This will be my first time ordering if that gives people an idea of what I should do. Also, right now I'm considering Frugirls, if that helps too.

 

Thanks for reading and answering the question if you decide to.

I've used Taobao Focus and had no issues. http://taobaofocus.com/

 

They are only one of the proxies out there though, and I am pretty sure others have more Taobao proxy experience than I do.

 

As far as I know to buy direct from Taobao you need a Chinese address and Chinese bank account.

 

Edit: I posted a list of Taobao shops (among others) here: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11810&start=10#p166232

 

I haven't ordered from all of them, but the ones I have ordered from I was happy with the quality. Taobao Focus was able to work with one of them to get a pair of Jeans made in DD size. I think it was Endless, but I no longer recall for sure. They also were able to get me two sweaters from Kaleidoll in colors they no longer had in stock. I gave them the specifications in both cases, and they handled the Chinese. The terms on that were no returns due to custom work, but they fit so it was a non-issue. I recommend Kaleidoll's knits.

 

There are a few Taobao merchants like Licht and rRabit that have international sites you can order direct from.

Thanks for the reply wolf, i'll check out taobao focus.

 

The shop I'm actually trying to order from is called ForU here's a link. They have really unique wigs ^-^:

 

https://shop61835586.world.taobao.com/?spm=a312a.7728556.2015080705.3.5rKplO

Hey there

 

I actually just ordered from Taobao myself recently, using the proxy Spreenow (https://www.spreenow.com/)

 

I found it really easy to understand and use, and the communication was top notch. Really fast and clear responses to all my questions. The prices themselves for the fees and shipping were pretty low as well compared to the other two proxy services I've used (Noppin and Buyee). Also, there's a nice little guide here:

 

http://shuudenclub.blogspot.com/2014/07/easy-taobao-shopping-spreenow-tutorial.html

 

that really helps too.

 

I would definitely recommend it!

 

Plus shipping is very fast

I use Taobaoring and am very happy with their service. Their fee is 8% + Paypal fees if you pay via Paypal.

 

If you're only ordering from one shop, it may be worthwhile to try to order directly. I've never done it directly from BJD shops but have for wig shops that accepted overseas orders. If you're ordering from multiple stores an agent would be better as it will cut down on overall shipping fees.

 

When you're selecting stores to order from you always want to look at their rating/feedback. That's the little hearts/diamonds/crowns on display next to the store name. From what I recall, crowns are the best rating, followed by diamonds and then hearts. I'm not sure if they're exponential or what, but I think you get the higher ratings the more transactions you have. There's also a numbered ranking out of 5 that IIRC is for item quality/description accuracy, service, and shipping time. So anything close to 5 is good. Great stores usually have a solid 4.8-4.9.

Always go to the rating/feedback page even if a store has all crowns! Taobao allows users to post photos of the items they've received so if you're lucky you can find owner photos of what you're ordering, or at least get a better gauge of overall item quality. I've passed up on a lot of stores based on how an item fits dolls or because I can see that the workmanship quality isn't as good as in product photos. To get to a store's feedback page just click on the crowns/diamonds/hearts.

 

Here's a link that breaks down listings and rankings: http://taobaoassistant.blogspot.com/2012/06/taobao-seller-ratings-reviews-etc.html

 

Edit: I've gradually been reviewing all the doll items I get from Taobao stores here.

Waiting for the sun to come back out from the clouds so I can take more pictures of items being worn /)_(\

One thing I did do when I first ordered from Taobao was pick a selection of shops that I thought had interesting goods and ordered one item from each of them. That way I could judge the quality of each shop before ordering more items from them. You pay more in shipping when you do this, but I've learned in the past when buying something sight unseen its a good idea to spend a little and not a lot. After you've seen then you know if you should spend a lot.

 

Granted every shop I ordered from had good quality.

I've been pondering on getting stuff from Taobao for quite some time now. This thread is very helpful. Thank you so much!

I've used Bhiner in the past and have been happy with their service as well.

 

Quick fee comparison:

Bhiner 5% fee + 4% PayPal charge = 9%

TaobaoFocus, 10% fee + 0% PayPal charge = 10%

TaobaoTrends, 10% fee + 0% PayPal charge = 10%

Taobao Ring, 8% fee + 4.4% PayPal charge = 12.4%

SpreeNow, 10% fee + 3% PayPal charge = 13%

Edited February 26, 2016 by Guest

I second Taobaoring. Fees are low, they update and alter you fast, English is great.

I prefer Taobaotrends (taobaotrends . com)

So far perfect service: Fair prices, fast shipping, quick eMail responses and easy problem solving.

Have any of you ordered preorder items with a service other than Taobaoring? I love them but they were worried (understandably) about placing a preorder for some doll shoes for me. I'm open to trying new shopping services for different types of service.

Have any of you ordered preorder items with a service other than Taobaoring? I love them but they were worried (understandably) about placing a preorder for some doll shoes for me. I'm open to trying new shopping services for different types of service.

 

Just curious, why were they worried? Because of the time frame? I haven't placed a pre order with any lengthy time frame between through Taboabring before, but I have placed orders for a few weeks out and it went fine.

Have any of you ordered preorder items with a service other than Taobaoring? I love them but they were worried (understandably) about placing a preorder for some doll shoes for me. I'm open to trying new shopping services for different types of service.

 

I ordered custom-made eyes, which are essentially pre-order pieces, through Bhiner and they had no concerns.

Just curious, why were they worried? Because of the time frame? I haven't placed a pre order with any lengthy time frame between through Taboabring before, but I have placed orders for a few weeks out and it went fine.

The way they explained it wasn't quite clear, to be honest. Basically it seemed like they were worried about how far you had to pay in advance. This is what was written:

Sorry, the seller needs us to confirm payment advance before they send the items, so we can not buy from this seller, as it takes great risk. The seller may play cheating and we can not get the money back. Thanks for your kind understanding.

I've placed orders for items that I had to wait a month+ for with Taobaoring as well, so maybe it's a strange method of payment that they weren't comfortable with. It's not a huge issue cause other dealers stock the shoes so I can just buy them there once they come off of preorder. I just found it strange cause it sounds like how we do almost all of our purchases so??? It's just kind of weird, especially since it's definitely a legitimate seller as it's the manufacturer's store and their rating/feedback on Taobao is near perfect. Go figure.

 

@Cauldroness: Thanks. I may try them out next time if I'm not group ordering with friends.

Hi,

 

I've had really good experiences using yoybuy as my taobao agent for 2 year. I always buy clothes, shoes, accessories for myself and my family.It let you send items from different sellers together in one parcel; they accept multiple payment options, including Paypal. They also have online customer service, who answer your questions very fast and professional, Lily is my favourite customer service, she is kindly and patiently, really helped me a lot with confirming information with taobao sellers, orders and parcels. We are good friends, always chat on Skype, Skype: YOYBUY-Lily this is her skype, if anyone need buy from taobao or have any questions with buying from China, you can contact her.

if you are from USA,Canada, Australia,New Zealand,Singapore and Malaysia,you can use Taobao Global Consolidation and Shipping to buy directly from taobao without a proxy.it will save you the proxy service fee.