How to Buy Handbags, Clothing, and Shoes on Taobao From the U.S.

How to Buy Handbags, Clothing, and Shoes on Taobao From the U.S.

Congratulations on discovering the hidden gem known as Taobao! Taobao opens you up to a world of fashion that is generally hard to find or just too expensive in the United States. Taobao has styles that, while can be found in the United States, would be too pricey if you bought it here. Additionally, not only are Taobao listings sometimes only 1/4 of what you would normally pay if you purchased in your own country, but they can be even cheaper.

But of course, if you don't live in China, it can be very difficult to order from Taobao. Most of us who live outside of China are not fluent in Chinese. No worries. That's what a Taobao agent is for...

Table of Contents

  1. What is a Taobao Agent?
  2. How does buying through a Taobao agent work?
  3. What if I want to return the item I bought?
  4. How do Taobao agents make money?
  5. What is the true cost of purchasing through a Taobao agent?
  6. How do I choose a Taobao Agent?
  7. List of Recommended Taobao Agents

Here is a quick-break down of how Taobao Agents work:

How to Buy Handbags, Clothing, and Shoes on Taobao From the U.S.
  1. Taobao agents buy the item for you on your behalf.
  2. You send your Taobao agent a link to the Taobao item you want to buy.
  3. Agent checks the listing for you to make sure it's in stock (size, color, etc...)
  4. Agent confirms that the item is in stock.
  5. Agent sends you an invoice for the total of the item plus their agent's fee (usually 8-10%).
  6. You wait 1 to 2 weeks for the agent to receive your item.
  7. Once agent receives item, they take photos of the item and them to you for inspection.
Now, let's go into full detail...

What is a Taobao Agent?

A Taobao agent is someone that facilitates the purchase and shipment of an item from Taobao on your behalf. Since you may be unable to understand the language in a Taobao listing, they read the listing for you to make sure that the seller of the listing is not on vacation, the item is actually in stock in your color and size, and there aren't any special conditions in which it takes for you to receive the item (such as items that are custom-made and have a production time before shipment). Your Taobao agent will also make sure that the seller has good feedback before making a purchase.

How does buying through a Taobao agent work?

A good Taobao agent will have a website that is set up to easily process your order. Usually, their order system starts off by asking you which item you want to purchase. You will enter the link of the item you want to purchase and any details pertaining to that item (size, color, style, etc.). Next, the agent will check the item and make sure it is in stock. You will then be asked to pay for the item (plus shipping) and also pay the agent's fee. After your item is purchased and delivered to the agent, the agent will take multiple photos of the item and send it to you for inspection.

All the exchange of money is handled through an account that the agent makes available to you. At any time, you can load this account with funds. Many agents allow you to fund your account with PayPal. Your agent will use this account to pay for your items, credit your refunds, and pay for shipping.

What if I want to return the item I bought?

Here is a quick-break down of how Taobao Agents work:

The photo above is a great reason why you might want to return something your agent has bought for you. So, this next part of the purchasing process if very important...

After your agent sends you photos of the item, most agents will give a you certain amount of time to review the photos and decide whether or not you want to keep the item. The best agents will show measurements of the item in the photos (if you order clothing, for instance). Take time to make note of the measurements and ask any questions you have about the item. If you decide that you no longer want the item, let the agent know right away and they will ship it back for a refund. Again, please note that you must make a decision about returning the item within a certain amount of time after receiving the inspection photos. For instance, if the agent gives you 5 days to make up your mind but on the 6th day you decide that you no longer want the item, returning will not be an option.

If you decide you want the item, the agent will calculate the cost of shipping. From there, you pay for shipping using your account balance.

How do Taobao Agents make money?

Taobao agents make money by charging a small percentage of the total of your purchase. For instance, if you purchase a designer inspired Hermes Kelly bag from Taobao that costs $200 and your agent's fee is 10%, then your agent will add $20 to the cost of the bag. That $20, they keep for themselves.

What is the true cost of purchasing through a Taobao agent?

There are 5 costs associated with buying through a Taobao agent:

  1. Cost of the item.
  2. Cost of shipping from the seller to the agent.
  3. Cost of agent's fee.*
  4. Cost to add money to your account balance.**
  5. Cost to ship the item from the agent to you.
*Agent's fee is usually based on the entire order total including the cost of shipping the item from the seller to the agent.
** If the agent asks you to use PayPal to fund your account balance, PayPal will charge them a fee and the agent will pass that  fee along to you.

How do I choose a Taobao Agent?

When choosing a Taobao agent, consider the following:

  1. How much are their agent fees?
  2. How do you transfer money from your account to their's?
  3. Does the agent charge additional fees for loading your account?
  4. When the agent receives the item, will they take photos and send it to you for inspection?
  5. How much time does the agent give you to decide on returning the item?
  6. What shipping methods does the agent use to ship the item from their country to yours?
Get all of this information before settling on an agent. 

PRO-TIP: But before making your final decision, do a background check on Reddit. Reddit is a fantastic place for gathering information about buying on overseas websites such as Taobao and Weidan. When doing a background check on your agent, use the following search query:

"[agent's name]" site:reddit.com

Using site: in front of reddit.com will force Google to only return results from the Reddit website. Additionally, using quotes around the agent's name will force Google to show results that definitely include the agent's name somewhere on the page.

For instance, if I wanted to search for reviews of the Taobao agent Spreenow.com, I would type the following into my Google search: "Spreenow" site:reddit.com

List of Recommended Taobao Agents

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