Good news for online shopaholics – Taobao had set up its Southeast Asia hub in Singapore.
For the uninitiated, Taobao (淘宝) is the Chinese equivalent to shopping sites like Amazon, Qoo10 or Rakuten.
Prior to the launch of its Southeast Asia office, many in Singapore were unable to buy directly on Taobao as it required customers to have China bank accounts. In addition, most Taobao sellers do not ship overseas. Going through third-party daigou agents to buy on their behalf was the only way Singapore buyers could shop on Taobao, until now.
With the launch of International Parcel Forwarding Service (IPFS) in Singapore – and Malaysia too! – customers can now buy from Taobao and have their orders shipped to Singapore via an international forwarding agent (国际转运商). A forwarding agent acts as a consolidating point that provides storage (free for up to 20 days) for customers’ orders in its warehouse in China. After the customer selects the orders for consolidation, the agent will calculate the applicable forwarding charges based on the weight of the consolidated package. It will then arrange for the package to be shipped from its warehouse in China to the Singapore address as specified by the customer.
It was an easy and fuss-free process registering for a Taobao account. After logging in to sea.taobao.com, I followed the guide on how to activate the IPFS by first setting up the overseas shipping address (i.e. the Singapore address for the parcel to be shipped to). I was then prompted to select a forwarding agent. Once this was done, I was all set to start shopping on Taobao.
When a user registers for a Taobao account, an Alipay (支付宝) account will automatically be created to facilitate payment. Alipay is an online payment service owned by Taobao, and China’s answer to PayPal. Alipay now allows the linking of international credit cards like VISA and Mastercard for payment – again, just like PayPal. It also accepts payment via the Alipay Purchase Card, which is available for purchase at AXS kiosks.
Here are some useful tips for shopping on Taobao:
- Although the Taobao Southeast Asia site is in English, the Taobao item pages are still all in Chinese, so you will need to be able to understand Chinese to navigate the Taobao site.
- Keep the default option for 物流运费 (delivery fee) on the item page. It is usually set to 全国 (nationwide). DO NOT select delivery to 海外 (overseas), since you have already appointed a forwarding agent as your local contact point to receive the goods in China. Selecting the overseas option means you want the sellers in China to ship directly to you in Singapore, and this will incur high shipping costs. Moreover, as previously mentioned, most Taobao sellers do not ship directly to overseas addresses.
- You can set up the option to receive SMS notifications when your orders have arrived at the warehouse in China. When all your orders are ready for consolidation and shipping to Singapore, navigate to 已买到的宝贝 > 国际转运 (My items > International forwarding) to choose the items that you want to 合并 (combine) into a single consolidated package. From my own experience, you are currently allowed to combine up to twenty orders into a single package.
- Unlike the daigou agents, the international forwarding agents currently do not seem to provide the option to ship by sea, which means you may still incur high shipping costs if you buy bulky items and have them shipped (by air) by the forwarding agents. I suggest that you check with the forwarding agents before putting in orders for bulky items.
- Aliwangwang is the recommended communication platform between the buyers and sellers (and forwarding agents). The client interface is similar to MSN Messenger and easy to use. If you want to know more about an item, such as its weight and availability, you can chat or leave a message with the seller on Aliwangwang.
- The forwarding agent acts as a consolidating point to receive, combine and ship orders to the customers. However, handling returns and refunds for unsatisfactory, restricted or wrong orders may be tricky, which is typical for overseas online shopping. You can check out the FAQs, Prohibited Items list and Buyer Protection pages for more details. And no, you can’t buy chewing gum on Taobao, it is among the list of items that are prohibited to ship to Singapore.
This is by no means intended to be a detailed tutorial on shopping on Taobao, but I hope this can clear up some doubts about using the IPFS forwarding agent to ship Taobao orders to Singapore. If you have any other queries, or wish to receive the latest updates and promotions, you can now follow Taobao Southeast Asia on their Facebook page.
(Updated 2016.07.20: I am closing the comments on this post as it is nearly three years old and since then, there have been many changes on Taobao that the information in this post may no longer be relevant. For queries on Taobao related matters, you may like to contact Taobao SEA directly at helpline 800 188 6018 (Singapore number) or their Facebook page. Thank you!)
Hi jenny,
i have a issue on the refund.. I purchase a item from taobao and pay throught nets to alipay.. Item not allow to ship so refunded but until now still yet to received the refund amount.. Contact seller telling me that refund is successful but i still yet to see the amount.. Contact bank but told to check with alipay but still cant check.. What should i do?
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Hi NG JILEEN, if refund is successful, it would have been reflected in your Taobao account under that item order. The best way to confirm about when refund can be credited is to contact Alipay through Taobao. You can contact Taobao SEA at 800 188 6018.
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Hi Jenny, I have purchased a fishing rod from Taobao and selected 4PX as the forwarder. However, they refused to deliver the rod as they claimed that it is too long. How can I circumvent that, extra fees? If to select another forwarder, any recommendation on the forwarder that will deliver long or bulky stuffs?
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Hi Vincent Goh, did 4PX suggest any alternative solutions? If not, you can check out third party daigou agents since they offer sea shipping and may be able to deliver. You can then arrange with one of these agents to pick it up from 4PX and send it to you for extra fees. (you can google online for third party daigou agents in Singapore)
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Thanks Jenny, for the prompt response and advise….unfortunately 4PX is not able to help in this aspect. I have engaged 65Daigou (EZBuy) for the shipping services.
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Some item i bought was out of stock and the seller refunded me but the refund is stuck in my alipay account. I cant seem to link my ocbc bank account to alipay, they dont accept foreign bank? How do i get my money back from the account? Im from singapore.
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Hi Ys, I had linked my local credit cards to Alipay before with no issue. You may like to check your case with Taobao directly? If the refund is reflected as a credit in your Alipay account, I don’t think you can transfer the amount to your cards, but you can use it to offset your next purchase.
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I was trying to offset my purchase but they told me to verify my identity, which requires the bank account information. I entered my card number but it’s not accepted. “无法识别您的卡号,请填写正确的银行卡卡号” I think I read that alipay only accepts china bank cards?
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alipay’s customer service helped me with this, I can use the refunded amount already 😀
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Hello! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 4!
Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog
and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the outstanding work!
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May i know got any extra bank charges when i pay by credit card? Eg, when i make payment is 100 yuan + 3% = 103 yuan but why the amount show in bank transaction is more than 103 yuan?
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Hi Hwa, the extra charges would be labelled in small print when you make payment. I recall there is a 3% charge for using credit card but not sure if there are other bank charges like currency exchange or admin fee related to it. You can check with Taobao SEA for the reason of why you are being charged more than 3%.
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Do u know how to use sea courier instead of air courier? I found that air courier charges a bit high. I use 4px forwarder
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Hi Hwa, Taobao official forwarders like 4PX do not offer sea shipping; you need to find third party daigou agents for that. You can search online for the various agents and reviews on their services.
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Hi Jenny, I have made payment for my parcel on 22 May and I’m using 4PX. It has been a few days but the current status of the parcel is still【海外】包裹抵达目的港机场,等待提货. What does this mean? Also, where do I find the button to delay the payment countdown timer (as I have yet to receive my parcel)? Thanks so much! I look forward to your reply! 🙂
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Hi Simin, it looks like your parcel is still awaiting release at the destination, but you can check with 4PX directly on the status just to be sure. There used to be a link that allows one time delay of payment for extra few days, but I have not shopped on Taobao for a long time so I’m not sure if this option is still available. If there is no longer such an option, then you won’t be able to delay payment as it is an automated process on Taobao’s backend.
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Hi Jenny, can u screenshot or tell me where to enabled the sms notification when the order arrived in warehouse?
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Hi Salena, if you have provided your mobile no in your account details, the SMS notification should work on default. However, it’s been some time since I last bought on Taobao, so the system may have changed. The best way to confirm is to call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 and check how the notification works now.
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I make a purchase and deliver to shipping agent 4px recently (for sg delivery). It is kind of weird 4px charge one of my item base shipping charges based on volumetric weight (13.25kg, ~RMB344 shipping charges) instead of the actual weight (3.5kg according to the retailer, Actual item 1.8kg + Packaging 1.7kg). The rest of the items are charged base on actual weight. Have you encounter such a problem? I am not sure if I should redirect my items to another shipping agent who do not charge by volumetric weight.
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Hi Wayne, please direct your query directly to 4PX on this, and at the same time you may like to check out other agents who may like to take over it.
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Hi, I have 3 items currently residing at Vpost china purchase from Taobao 3 diff vendor. As the total weight about 9.5kg I check vpost total charge amounting to about SGD100. Now I want to get them to either redirect to other courier like 65daigou or you think better to return to merchant. I know there will be a charge like SGD6.50 from vpost. But I count is still worth. I actually want it to be return to merchant but vpost said need get merchant to print a return slip but the supplier in china said he did not know what is this. Can you advise me how to proceed.
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Hi Alison, I am not sure what this return slip is. Since you are planning to use 65daigou service, you may like to check with them to see if they can help?
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Hi,
I have recently made a blunder of ordering a few things but did not select the international forwarding service. Do u have any idea how I can arrange for this now? I have already made payment for the items.
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Hi Celina, you have to cancel order asap and get a refund, then submit a new order again and select international forwarding. Inform the sellers about this too so they can stop sending out the items.
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Hello! (:
I wan to check with you, how do i get the taobao purchase card?
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Hi Jaslyn, you can get Alipay purchase card at an AXS machine. It is more like a virtual card where you will get the PIN to top up the value in your Alipay account.
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Than how do we get the Alipay account?
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Sorry for the spam comment; so both purchase & top up the taobao purchase card is at AXS machine? Thn how do we use the taobao purchase card?
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Hi Jaslyn, when you sign up for a Taobao account, it will automatically open a Alipay account for you. When you confirm your orders on Taobao and are ready to pay, Taobao will direct you to the Alipay site for payment. Alipay offers several payment methods, such as Alipay purchase card (Taobao is the shopping site; there is no Taobao purchase card) and credit cards.
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I got both the account alr, now i wan pay how do i pay? My alipay acc got no money plus i dont have a credit card
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Hi Jaslyn, when you have submitted your orders in your shopping cart, Taobao should direct you to Alipay site for payment. Besides purchase card and credit card, Alipay also offers eNets (payment by eNets and credit card modes incur a fee). If you require more help, you can check out the new user guide by Taobao SEA ( https://world.taobao.com/helper/guide.htm?spm=a21bp.7806943.banner_SG_user.10.jLzqqY ), or call them 800-188-6018.
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Hey, u mind to give ur email? I show u wat i get after i submit my orders to my shopping cart.
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How do make sure the my alipay got money inside? Cus i dont hv a credit card.
And i would like to inform u the link i shared w me cannot be opened ><
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Hi Jaslyn, I’m sorry but I am unable to help on individual basis. It is best to seek help from Taobao directly from the phone number I had given. You can also get in touch with them on FB – facebook.com/taobaosea
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Hi Jaslyn, Alipay accepts not just credit cards. Alipay also allows other forms of payment methods, such as Alipay purchase card (value can be bought from AXS) or eNets (debit from bank account), for your Taobao purchases. Is the link you are referring to the FB link? The full link is: https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea , or you can google for Taobao SEA facebook.
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So when i wan to purchase value frm AXS machine i jus type in my acc or email thn the value will automatically go into my Alipay acc?
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If i bought the value frm AXS machine, the value will go into the alipay acc? The one i when you sign up for a Taobao account, it will automatically open a Alipay account for me tht one?
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Hi Jaslyn, you can enquire about the Alipay top-up process from Taobao SEA directly.
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Hello (: i had 6 items in my cart intitally and because one of them was a custom order, so it took 2 weeks to make so the rest shipped over to singapore first. I have recieved the 5 other items but the 6th one is still pending clearence. It has been like that for about 3 days now and from my experience customs dont usually take that long. The dpex tracking number they gave is the old one and if you do know, will they issue a new tracking number?
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Hi Audrey, I am unsure if the forwarder or seller issues new tracking numbers, so it is best to check directly with them.
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Hi Jenny,
I have a 4px parcel with status indicating it is received at the oversea processing facility ever since 31/3/16. What should I do? Does it usually take so long to reach sg?
Thanks
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Hi Ryeong, do check with your forwarder on the status, or contact 4PX if you are unable to get in touch with your forwarder.
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Hi Jenny,
i am stuck at 包裹抵达目的港机场,等待提货 in the tracking details, it has been there for many days already 😦 am i suppose to do anything? or do i just wait? thank you! 🙂
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HI rachel, you can contact your forwarder to check why it is taking so long. Usually it shouldn’t take too many days to deliver to you when it has reached Singapore.
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hi the seller from taobao mailed me the wrong item and she agreed to refund me but i have to mail the item back to her. do you know have any idea where and how i can return the item back to her? thanks
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Hi Audrey, you have to bear the overseas shipping costs back to the seller. Depending on the value of the item, it may not be worth it. In any case, you can check with your forwarder if it can help with the return at a lower cost.
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Hii im experiencing a problem here , i paid through fund transfer using ibanking and it clearly states that the amount has beeen debit but when i go to my account it did not say payment made but it show Unpaid payment. im getting worried.
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Dennish, you should just continued payment, pay for the second time. I had encountered the same problem before. My money from bank has been deducted but taobao system stated “Unpaid payment”
So the solution: I pay for the 2nd time. They will deduct money for the 2nd time. Then, Taobao will refund back your money within 3-4 working days. Hope this helps. I’m assisting based on my own experience 😀
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Hi, I have alipay purchase card credits but it only has 101 yuan. The item I’m buying is 109 yuan. Can I use 101 yuan from alipay purchase card and 8 yuan from enets?
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Hi Chua Yu, I have not tried using Alipay credits, but you can go ahead and try pay with the credits and see if the system prompts you to pay the remaining amount with your other preferred payment method.
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Hi Jenny, what happens if escrow releases my money to the seller before I receive my goods (forwarder probs/customs delay) and the items end up faulty/missing items etc? Will I have a case against that for a refund? Feels a bit slim.. 😦
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Hi Polly, it will depend on the terms and conditions laid down by the escrow for these cases. You can check with Taobao SEA if they can help resolve such cases.
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hi! why does taobao state that my item “已签收” yet i still cant make shipping payment for it? doesnt that mean that the item has beem received at the warehouse?
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You need to wait for “正常入库”. Receiving the item does not mean it passes inspection and internal administration work.
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Hi Jenny, can i check with you on the following:
2016-Feb-25Thur.17:42:46【海外】您的货物正在海关清关,等待放行
17:57:54【海外】Arrived Hub
2016-Feb-26Fri.06:36:33【海外】Arrived Depot
07:51:37【海外】Out for Delivery
15:02:01【海外】Attempted Delivery – Consignee Not Home
2016-Feb-27Sat.08:46:13【海外】Please contact your local freight solutions department for more information
09:44:55【海外】您的包裹新加坡清关完成
Does it mean that they have tried delivering to my house but it is not successful? How do i know who is my local freight solutions department?
Thanks!
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Hi Orion, you can try contact your forwarder on Aliwangwang. If you are unable to contact your forwarder, you can call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 to find out about the local delivery company.
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I consolidated my shipping and made payment for it on the 19th. But till now, the taobao tracking page still states “待发货”. However, my friend who made payment on the 20th already got her package sent out yesterday. So, I contacted 4PX yesterday and they told me “已经为您催促的了”. Their replies are really slow, sometimes they even dont reply at all. Today, I asked them why have they still have not send out my items and if theres any problem there. They told me that it has already been sent out. But the trackimg page on taobao is not updated at all? I asked them about that and.. no replies even after I prompted several times. Im worried that my items cant arrived before CNY 😦 I need them for CNY. argh..
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Hi kiimtae, since 4PX is your forwarder, then you can only rely on their updates so just give them more reminders. You may like to consider contacting Taobao SEA to convey your concerns and requesting their help to liaise with 4PX.
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I consolidated my shipping and made payment for it on the 19th. But till now, the taobao tracking page still states “待发货”. However, my friend who made payment on the 20th already got her package sent out yesterday. So, I contacted 4PX yesterday and they told me “已经为您催促的了”. Their replies are really slow, sometimes they even dont reply at all. Today, I asked them why have they still have not send out my items and if theres any problem there. They told me that it has already been sent out. But the trackimg page on taobao is not updated at all? I asked them about that and.. no replies even after I prompted several times. Im worried that my items cant arrived before CNY 😦 I need them for CNY. argh..
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dont reply to this comment, i forgot to mark the “notify me of new comments” 😅 reply the other one that i posted. thank you so much!
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Hi jenny, was wondering because i choose to ship package to sg via 4px and manage to find out that local company in liaise is airpax express (able to track on their site as well ) but I tried calling them nobody ever answer the calls. My package was left at airport after reaching sg for a week according to taobao tracking and seems that no arrangement was made locally and 4px customer service can’t do much as well. My package arrive yesterday and Singpost made the delivery but no sms alert was given. Are we able to track our package through singpost using details on taobao? Anyone encounter this issue recently?
Thanks
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Hi LYNN, I am not sure if you can use Taobao details to track package delivered by Singpost since the information may differ. Even if 4PX can’t help track local delivery, they should be able to at least give you the contact for the local delivery company. Sometimes the local courier does not sms beforehand so it is best to have the delivery address set to where there will be someone to receive the parcel.
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Hi Jenny,
Thank you for the informative post. I am a first time buyer and this post is much appreciated. You have stated to keep the 运费 in the default option which for many of my purchases is 新加坡, however for one of my purchase, which is from Tmall, it was left as 杭州. As what you have suggested, i am aware that i should not select the 国外 option but there were no options for 全国. Should i just leave it as it is?
Thank you.
Nina
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Hi Nina, the user interface of Taobao had changed significantly over the past years. Check with your forwarder where their warehouse is sited, then choose the location/area accordingly. You need to choose the location because the local courier charges differ between locations.
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Hi. I’m a newbie to tmTaobao. Firstly, thanks for sharing. Gained quite some knowledge from your posting & comments from others.
I faced an issue when I tried to pay for some items. Looks like an account is frozen. Besides calling 8001886018, does Tao Bao has an email address to escalate problems? I was on hold for ~40min before I gave up. Thanks.
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Hi JL, you can try contact them on Facebook – facebook.com/taobaosea . The page admin answers to queries there too.
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Hi, may I ask? What it mean by “Arrived at HUB”? I choose 中通
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Hi lim vin yee, this status is too vague. One possibility is that it has arrived at a distribution hub of the delivery company and is awaiting to continue transit to the destination. Best to check this with your forwarder.
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Hello,
I just wanna ask. If 4px sent me an ‘out for delivery’ sms but my items have not reached my doorstep, what does it mean? Should I be worried?
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Hi Jane, sometimes the delivery company may experience delays in their original schedules. If you haven’t received it by the next working day, do contact your forwarding company or Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 to help track your parcel.
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Thank you for your quick response!
Okay but is there a particular way of calling them? Because I tried dialing Taobao SEA’s number on my house phone and it was unable to even reach anyone. Also, must I be proficient in Chinese to call them, because I’m not hahahaha. Have you ever experienced delays even after the forwarding company had sent an “out for delivery” sms? What’s the normal duration of delay, especially during a festive season?
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Hi Jane, you may need to call the helpline a few times? I had called before on two occasions successfully. Their CSOs can speak English, but it is easier to communicate with them in Chinese. I do not usually buy during festive seasons but I guess they could be short-handed during this period.
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Jus saying… for those who know how to read/type chinese,do download the updated chat widget 亲淘.after deliberately postpone for so long i finally decided to try and its much clearer than the web version.you can have you chat history and can contact the courier company.it works like msn.idk if its jus me or what,but i find if you pressure them(not rudely of course) you will get solution faster.and if you can solve it thru chat,do follow blogger’s advice in calling the SG customer service.
my 12.12 orders finally reach singapore after weird updates on 物流 between china and HK transit.hope it reach my door in one piece 2mr…well..hope is 2mr…cos the local courier i nv see b4 also XD good luck everyone!merry xmas =)
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update: yeap. PRouter screwed up.21st-25 still not here.need so long to clear custom meh?i saw someone on another forum say he alr got his parcel from 4px on 24th.when he sent for forwarding on 19th.really pissed off now,maybe gonna call the taobao sea 2mr.
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Hi is the Taobao SEA number 800 188 6018 toll free? Do i need to pay overseas call charges if I am calling from Singapore?
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Hi Cari Yeo, it’s a Singapore number, though I know it doesn’t look like it~ The Taobao SEA office is based in Singapore.
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Hi Jenny,
I used Taobao Direct Shipping for 3 items this time but one of my items got refunded midway. As a result, the other 2 are sitting in the warehouse awaiting for the last one to arrive before they can be shipped. However, the third item has already been refunded and the system in Taobao did not remove or update the status of my 3rd item. So my consolidated package is essentially still “waiting” for that refunded package to arrive. Will the system auto churn out my package after a few days? Thanks!
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Hi Ow, please call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 for assistance to manually update the status of the item.
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Hi Jenny, i have already make payment, then after completed, one of the tab says error,
payment have already been deducted from my bank account but the status still telling me to pay when i check the status. please help me.
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Hi Fina, please call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 to help you with this issue. Let them know the money had been deducted from your bank account but it was not reflected in the Taobao system. Best to provide them with more information like a screen shot with details like time of deduction and transaction number as shown in your bank statement.
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Hi, have you solve this problem? because I’m currently facing this kind of problem.
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Hi, Can advise me. I make payment through eNets. i realize that the sellers cancel my order after i make payment. How can i get the refund back?
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Hi Shirley, the refund would have been credited to which ever way you had made your payment. Do make sure that the seller has processed the refund. If there is any issues, you can contact Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 .
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Hi Jenny,
The seller input the wrong parcel code in the system, now the parcel is stuck in 4px warehouse and I can’t ship it to Singapore. I wish to cancel and refund it, do you know how can I do this? Because the code in the system is wrong I can’t cancel it from Taobao. May I know what is the easiest way to contact 4px to release the goods for refund?
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Hi tweiting, 4PX needs to do manual tweaking at their end to reflect the correct parcel code. You can contact 4PX about this to get them to update the code or call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 for help. If you want to cancel and refund, you may need to pay the delivery fee to get the item sent back to seller. For this, you will need to check with the seller on return and refund policy. Once you have settled this with the seller, you can then contact 4PX on the return process.
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i also get this problem.. seller already send item using new waybill. but i dont know to update it. i using Taobao Global Direct Shipping
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Hi Jenny, I submitted an order and selected direct shipping by taobao and while at the payment page, there was error. After this, all items are under “等待付款” but I cannot find the international shipping amount to pay under this option. By right should pay for all items + international shipping together but now I can’t see the international shipping amount. Any ideal where can I can pay for all items + international shipping or I have to resubmit my order again?
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Hi drey, I am not sure about direct shipping. I would suggest to check with Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 .
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Hi, i requested a refund for a item i bought in Taobao and it shows that the amount has been refunded back to my card this morning. (I paid it using my Visa card)
However till now (evening), the bank account still did not update the refund amount in.
Is there any issue with it? Or i should wait a few more days for it to be credited in?
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Hi Leon Seah, usually for online transactions be it payments or refunds, it may take a few working days to reflect on the account. If you don’t see it by Friday, you can call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 for assistance.
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I bought few items and i took DEX, since 23rd Nov till now all the items wrote that
[Guangzhou] to sign people have been received mail receipt chapter, Thank you for using Daily Express, look again at your service.
What does it means? Is it normal? How many days usually they deliver it by Dex? I chat them before on taobao but they keep saying it still at the warehouse. Im from Malaysia.
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Hi Katherine, I am unsure how the Taobao system works for Malaysia. You may like to check with Taobao SEA on their Facebook page facebook.com/taobaosea .
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Hi,
I bought 14 items by credit card on Tao Bao to be deliver to Singapore by default . After 8 days, 1 seller still did not send the goods. 13 items already in the warehouse waiting to be combine together to be sent to Singapore. I communicate the seller thru Ali Wang Wang , She said: 亲,每个订单都将根据付款时间来安排发货,您拍下付款后我们会尽快为您安排,麻烦您耐心等待一下哈/:^_^如订单中包含预定款,发货时间以预定时间为准哦~ I check my invoice and found a box [交易快照] when I click on it, shown: 卖家承诺45天内发货. I understand that items only entitle to be kept in the warehouse for 20 days free. Please kindly advise.
Another question is: Tao Bao will automatic pay the seller after a period of time even we did not acknowledge receipt of the goods. Since the most of my goods are now in warehouse and I still have not received yet, what should I do? Should I click the delay payment button?
Thank you.
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Hi stellahoe2015, you can delay payment, although I recall it can only be done so once. After that, Taobao will automatically pay the seller. Even so, you should be able to raise dispute later on the seller with Taobao should there be problems. You can either wait for this last item to arrive at the warehouse since, if I recall correctly, the warehouse can hold for 20 days for free. If the item still has not arrived by then, you either incur warehouse cost waiting for it to arrive so you can combine into one package, or ship the rest first before 20 days are up but incur a second delivery cost for the last item.
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Hi, am new to TaoBao and facing some difficulties about the shipping to Singapore. How do I contact customer service calling out from Singapore?
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Hi Tang Sharon, you can call Taobao SEA (based in Singapore) at 800 188 6018.
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is the taobao sea number free or chargable?
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Hi CP, the Taobao SEA office is in Singapore so it’s a local call number.
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Hi Jenny, recently i have made an order from taobao however the status of the goods had been changed to delivered when in fact we have yet to receive it. I feel that the fault lies in the shipper however, I have no idea how to know who the shipper is. Pease advise. Thankyou
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Hi vi, do check with your official forwarder which is the local courier they are using. You can also get them to follow up with the local courier.
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Hi, I’m fairly new Taobao user.. I recently made payment for some items to be shipped to the warehouse in China and transaction went well. However, when I wanted to make payment again for new items to be shipped to the warehouse, this appeared “卖家账号存在安全风险,目前处于交易安全保护中” I’ve tried several times on a computer and using my phone but it’s still the same. Pls advice me, thank you!!
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HI rocherrd, I understand Taobao does that to users sometimes for security purpose. Do call Taobao SEA at 800 188 6018 for assistance to unlock your account.
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Hi, I have exactly the same problem as you. Were you able to solve it?
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Hi, I have the same problem. Have you all manage to solve it?
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Just a warning although not really related to shipment and buying.
Don’t buy electronics from taobao, especially SD cards and batteries.
I mean they’re cheap and really not a ‘waste of too much money’ however you won’t get what you expect.
I tried buying a 16GB microsd from them, its really cheap, around RMB20 but then after using, realised its actually only about 4GB but they somehow made it shows 16GB on the computer. The battery I got also not working well.
To make things worst, returning/exchanging cost a BOMB and if you get nasty sellers, they may not want to refund you unless you mail back the item. I was lucky enough, seller refunded the money.
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I usually check the reviews before purchasing. Hope this helps.
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but problem may be due to forwarder shipping company….i ordered some stuff on 12.12 due to the enticing delivery fee.but i went ahead with the order despite not able to find useful info about PRouter…only 2 days after that i found their abandoned facebook with lots of complains….im am so worried now….hoping to contact taobao customer service in advance just in case PRouter cock up.
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Hi Jenny,
I need help regarding the Taobao direct urgently, can you contact me thru my email starie88@gmail.com.
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Hi A Xavier Soh, you should contact Taobao SEA directly. Their number is 800 188 6018 .
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Hi,
I made payment by MasterCard and it said need to verify in 1 day, but now the order status is still “wait for buyer payment”. My bank account has already deducted money. I’m feeling worry now 😦
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Hi Linh, please call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 about this. Let them know that the money had been deducted from your bank account yet the order status had not reflected that.
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Hi Jenny, I don’t remember selecting air or ship when I placed my order. Is it always by air when a forwarding services is used?
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Hi vnxyVanessa, the official forwarders currently offer only shipping by air. You may like to use third-party daigou services if you are looking for sea shipping option since they offer both sea and air options.
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Hi jenny,
I need some help! I’m new to taobao, unfortunately I had selected delivery to 海外。
Now my goods on P.Router. when I combine together the goods for next steps it show
“存在不能集运的订单,请检查” ,,
What should I do next?
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Hi Debra, do contact PRouter on Aliwangwang or call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 for assistance.
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Hi jenny,
I’m hoping you can help me out…
I’m new to buying on Tao bao and decided to try out recently. All went well until the seller said that the original delivery company (yunda) has maxed out their storage and they have changed to shunfeng. However, my taobao page is still showing the original delivery company (although based on the order number for shunfeng, it has arrived at 4px warehouse). Now I cannot consolidate my orders because my taobao is not reflecting the new delivery number. Any idea what can I do?
Many thanks in advance!
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Hi Valerie, 4PX may have to do manual tweaking on their end to reflect the new DO number. You can contact 4PX on Aliwangwang, or call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 about this issue and they should be able to help you and/or link you up with 4PX.
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Hi jenny.. Do u know of any faster way to contact 4PX. They are not replying on ailiwangwang. I have contacted taobao SEA..they said they will inform 4PX.. Now seem like waiting game..thanks
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Hi Rachel, Aliwangwang is the only way that I know of. You can try drop them a message every day to prompt for a response.
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Hi i was double-charged for my recent purchase on Taobao. OCBC could not do anything for me but to wait for TaoBao’s side to cancel the wrong transaction by themselves.
While I was paying , an error message did pop-out and indicated it was time-out. Therefore , I have choice but to make a new payment.
Do you have any idea through which channel that I can contact Taobao regarding this issue.
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Hi Jerry Yeo, you can call the Taobao SEA hotline 800 188 6018 for assistance.
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Hi Jenny, my item status has been ‘包裹抵达目的的的港机场,等待提货’ for the past 2 days. Does it seem my item has reached sg? And how long does it take to be delivered to the POP station?
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Hi Qian Hui, it looks like many people are having similar issues with items stuck so it’s hard to tell how long it will take. It is best to continue monitoring the status of delivery.
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Hi me too! 包裹抵达目的港机场, 等待提货 for a few days already. Previously i didnt have any problems with tb 4px delivery. But this time i bought up to 6kg and websites say that taobao uses toll express instead of speedpost delivery for parcels >5kg. Im not sure if it is because of the difference in delivery company or is it the deepavali public holiday, causing the parcels to be so slow this time round.
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Hi Jenny,
What is the maximum size and weight for consolidated package, shipping through 4PX? Thank you!
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Hi Irene, I am unsure about the weight and size limits stipulated by 4PX so it is best that you check directly with them. You can contact them on Aliwangwang.
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For those who are stuck on 包裹抵达目的港机场,等待提货, how long does it take before it gets dispatched? Mine got stuck there this morning and I hope it gets delivered soon.
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Hi, can I check how long did yours take to get to you? Facing the same problem now.
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Is ur item delivered to you alr?
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Have you guys received your goods yet? I’m facing the same problem and my goods have been stuck at the “airport” for close to 2 weeks!
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HI Jenny, i recently just bought a few items on taobao and when i was consolidating my orders, i accidentally left out one order. It doesn’t make sense to just ship one order over. What should i do?
Thank you!
Jean
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Hi Jean, I believe there is no other choice but to ship that one item over since it is still at the warehouse and when the free storage period is over, it will incur storage costs. If you have more stuff to buy, then another way is to buy more things to arrive at the warehouse before the free storage time for that item is up so you can do another consolidated order.
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hi jenny. my parcel has arrived singapore by 4px according to taobao system updates. but speedpost has not yet retrieve the parcel after 2 days. I asked 4px they mention that it might be clearing custom at singapore and when I call speedpost they say parcel yet to arrive singapore according to their system.
I call the custom and they sae it’s nt with them coz of detained they would have notification letter. and them I contacted 4px they say flight delayed.
If wth is gg on. was there any past incidence of this?
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Hi sherr, sometimes it does take longer to clear customs, but it seemed that 4PX was giving you mixed information. Nevertheless, it is advisable to keep contacting 4PX since it is in the best position to know the whereabouts of the parcel. If you wish, you can also contact Taobao SEA to assist.
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You are not alone, i am also facing the same situation as you. Perhaps is still stuck at the custom 😦
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Facing the same problem as well! I had two shipment paid on the same day and the shipment was stuck there for about two days, received one today while another one is still at 抵达目的港机场, 等待提货,I think speedpost currently have too many shipments that’s why? Currently still waiting for the other! Let me know if you received yours ~
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Same here!!
I paid for shipment on 24th October, got shipped out on 25 October.
It writes 28 October 抵达目的港机场, 等待提货 till now and no updates.
Does anyone has this same issue with 4PX too?!
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Hi I am experiencing some issue here the seller in taobao has refunded the money to me the money is now stuck in the Alipay and has not been transfer to my credit card (VISA) which I use to pay for the items I buy. How can I get my money refunded back to the credit card.
Thanks for your help
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Hi Apple, I am unable to advise on this issue. You can get help from Taobao SEA (tel 800 188 6018) to see if they can help you liaise for Alipay to transfer the money to your credit card.
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Hi. I’m having a problem. I’ve ordered with taobao twice/thrice. But this time round I realise I didn’t tick the forwarder box. and have alr paid for my item. The seller hasn’t ship out anything as for now. How do I deal with this? Should I get a refund and reorder everyrhing again? Note I used enets to deal instead of credit cArd.
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Hi inni, you need to apply for refund then re-order,but remember to select the forwarder prior to submitting your orders. The procedure should be the same regardless of the payment method. If you have any other problems, you can also contact Taobao SEA for help.
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Hi Jenny, I recently made my first purchase with Taobao via Alipay. On Taobao’s Check-Out page, I remembered the amount payable in SGD was around S$1,400 (based on exchange rate of 4.4). But when I received a sms text message to inform me of my successful credit card payment, the amount billed was SGD2,000!
Any idea why there was such a huge difference?
Regards,
Pauline
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Hi Pauline, the amount could be inclusive of the delivery charges within China? Or did you have them delivered straight to you to Singapore instead of using a forwarder? Please check the order details on your account. You can also call Taobao SEA for assistance.
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2015-Sep-30 Wed. 02:37:00 ] [Chinese] [Quanzhou, Fujian Licheng shipment has arrived at the station
03:14:28 ] [Chinese] [Fuzhou, Fujian Cangshan distribution warehouse has been issued
03:14:46 ] [Chinese] [shipment has arrived in Fuzhou, Fujian Cangshan distribution warehouse
10:09:45 ] [Chinese] [BES Huitong Fujian Quanzhou Licheng station Write embrace member who has
18:09:49 [Chinese] [City] shipment has arrived at the transit center in Humen
22:35:09 [Chinese] [] Humen, Dongguan City, has issued a transit center
2015-Oct-01 Thur. 01:49:31 [China] to Guangzhou [Canton Hsia Liang distribution warehouse]
01:49:31 [Chinese] [Guangzhou] the shipment has arrived in Guangzhou Xia Liang distribution warehouse
02:15:29 [Chinese] [Guangzhou] Guangzhou Xia Liang distribution warehouse has been issued
02:15:32 [Chinese] [Guangzhou] shipment has arrived at the new Guangzhou Jiahe Station
04:31:49 [Chinese] [Guangzhou] Guangzhou Jiahe station faction member who is for you to send pieces
15:07:48 [Cargo] your package has been normal storage DEX Cargo compartment.
15:07:48 [Cargo] your package has been DEX Cargo warehouse receipt
help, been stuck at this page for the past 10days…what should i do next?
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Hi Brandon, please check directly with your forwarder or Taobao SEA asap.
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Hi Jenny,
I have some problems and I was hoping you could help me with it.
I already made payment for an order I made earlier today and the amount is already deducted from my bank account. However, on the “already purchased” page, it says that I have yet to make payment. Is there anything I could do to get back my money? Thanks
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Hi Em, you should contact Taobao SEA asap to seek assistance. Provide them as much information as possible, such as screenshot of the bank transaction as proof of payment.
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Hi Jenny,
I understand that some forwarders have restrictions when it comes to the size of the package. Do you happen to know of any forwarder that has no restrictions?
Thanks in advance
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Hi Jim, you can check with the respective forwarders about size restrictions. Sea shipping option (offered by third-party agents) should be more flexible than air option (offered by official forwarders and third-party agents) when it comes to package size. Remember to also check customs restrictions and prohibited items as well.
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Thank you!
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Hi,
I had an issue that i will like to seek help on. I had ordered an item from taobao and i selected the global shipping option to Singapore. This is my first time buying directly from taobao as i normally use 65daigou.
As of now, it is still at ‘Arrived at hub’ which i do not know what it means.
The shipping status is of below:
2015-09-18 08:10:54 卖家已发货
2015-09-18 12:15:04 韩国WMS物流中心已发出
2015-09-21 21:53:33 山东省青岛市公司 已收件
2015-09-21 22:06:06 山东省青岛市公司 已打包
2015-09-22 22:48:50 深圳转运中心公司 已收入
2015-09-22 23:12:15 深圳转运中心公司 已发出
2015-09-23 05:35:56 广东省深圳市宝安区固戍公司 已收入
2015-09-23 05:36:20 广东省深圳市宝安区固戍公司 派件中
2015-09-23 10:16:18 广东省深圳市宝安区固戍公司 已签收 签收人:中转仓
2015-09-23 15:09:09 您的包裹已被中通集运仓签收
2015-09-23 15:37:21 您的包裹已被中通集运仓正常入库
2015-09-23 18:40:59 您的包裹已被中通集运仓正常出库
2015-09-24 06:42:50 Documentation Prepared
2015-09-24 06:42:51 Booking Arranged
2015-09-24 22:49:38 In Transit to Destination
2015-09-24 22:49:38 Arrived Hub
What’s your advice on this ? Thank you..
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Hi Joel, did you use one of the official Taobao forwarders? If so, the item status in your Taobao account should have been updated such that you can consolidate it for delivery to Singapore, since it looks like the item had already arrived at the forwarder warehouse. If the status is not updated, there may be some glitch or problem, so do call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 for assistance.
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hi,
Need advice, I am in Singapore, this is my 1st time buy from Taobao mobile directly via 国际转运 4PX. I bought two items now the status stuck at 待收货 status. Both items already at 物流warehouse in Shenzhen and it had stuck they for more than 5 days and left 1 days to verify storage (free for up to 20 days). What should I do next? how can I ask them to ship to my SG address or they will ship it to me automatically? Will they charge me for storage fee if it exceed 20 days? I tried to click on consolidated shipment button but it always stuck said it network problem.
Any advice will be appreciated.
Rgds,
Kpk
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Hi Pkkeng, the status should have been updated since they have arrived the warehouse. Free storage is for up to 20 days, after which storage is chargeable. You need to consolidate your items and pay 4PX before they can ship to you. Do call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 to have them assist you on this.
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Hi , i’ve followed the steps and it works!
However, i encountered another problem. When i am paying the 2nd shipping fee for 4px , it said server busy but i have already submitted credit details and clicked.
In the order it sad that i have not paid for it.
So do i need to make another payment or not as i am afraid i might pay twice.
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Hi Cjiayun, the best way is to check against the payment mode. E.g. If you paid with credit card, you can check your credit card transactions (usually reflected by next working day when you check via ebanking). Or you can check your payment history in Alipay. If it states that it is awaiting for payment, it means the payment did not go through.
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Hi, I have checked my bank card and it says that it has been deducted , however that is not reflected on alipay nor taobao receipt. Its also stated 交易关闭 and 退款至银行卡.
My package is currently at the shenzhen warehouse and i’m at lost of what to do as i have tried countless times to proceed with the 2nd shipping payment (4PX).
Could you kindly advise some steps i should take? Thankyou
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Hi Cjiayun, please call Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 to get assistance. Let them know that your account has been deducted (with proof of payment like screen capture of the bank card transaction) but it was not reflected in Alipay. Hopefully they can help you resolve it with 4PX.
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Hi thank you for your help over these few weeks!
I have successfully purchased items and problems about refunds and payments are solved!
I contacted my bank and they said that the refund would be made within 10 days if i made repeated payments 🙂
THankyou again !!
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AHHH Jenny thanks for the advice & reply very appreciated xx
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Hi will taobao seller actually ask for your number? This is before sending out the parcel Anyone encountered this before? The conversation goes
Seller : hi which country are you from
Me : Singapore
Seller : shipping will only be to the warehouse
Me : yes I’m aware
Seller : what’s your number
Me : is it necessary
Seller : yes for convenience to contact you
Me : (I gave my actually number)
Seller : is that your number
Seller : please give a correct number
?? Is it safe to give your number? Do advice! I’m quite concerned hmmm
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I copy & paste so you can judge my situation better
Seller : 需要手机号的,方便联系的
Me : *gives my actually number*
Seller : 这是手机号么
Seller : 请给出正确的手机号
Seller : 不然不好发货哦
This is getting shady????
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Hi heyitsw, there is no need to give your number. If you are getting the official Taobao forwarder to receive your items for you in China, let the seller know that it is the forwarder warehouse in China who will receive the items on your behalf, so there is no need for you to give your mobile number. You can check with your forwarder for their China number and give it to the seller instead.
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Hi, its my first time purchasing items from taobao and i do not know how to go about doing so. Im intending to get about 7-8 items, mainly shoes and bags.
Could you kindly advise on the cheapest and safest method to go about purchasing items from taobao that delivers to door in sg?
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In addition , if i am intending to use 4px as a forwarding agent , how do i go about doing so?
At the item page, it is automatically set at delivery to Singapore (运至 :
广东东莞 至 新加坡 ) , but do i select 淘宝集运 OR 淘宝直送 if i want to use 4px?
I do not understand the entire shipping procedure and which options to select too.
Please advise !
Thanks
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Hi Cjiayun, using Taobao official forwarder like 4PX is the most straightforward method to ship to Singapore, since the process is integrated into Taobao’s system. Here is a guide by Taobao on how to buy and set up the forwarder – https://sea.taobao.com/howtobuy .
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Hi Jenny,
I bought quite a lot things from tao bao, however, I did not do any research before buying, hence , I never choose any forwarder and it has been more than 2 weeks, it stucks at shen zhen warehouse only, I really need your help here, any number that I can contact you directly to explain. Thank you very much in adv.
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Hi bee, the items cannot be shipped to Singapore without a forwarder. Please call Taobao SEA at 800 188 6018 for assistance.
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Hi i’ve bot many items from Tabao but funny thing is they sellers said items transaction completed but the items was still in transit to destination. Then I went to verify and the address was a different address form my address. Now I’m all confused..are all the items I bot going to reach me eventually?
My account delivery si correct but sending address was diff. Now very worried as I bot alot of things at 1 shot aand all went to that address..
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Hi Cam, sellers do not send to Singapore directly and you need a forwarder. Did you choose an official Taobao forwarder to help you receive your items in China? If you had chosen, you may like to check if the address is that of your forwarder’s warehouse. You may call Taobao SEA for help too (tel 800 188 6018).
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HI Jenny, It’s been months and when I logged into my taobao.sea, the site changes to SG. Is it the same or do I need to update my account management?
Thanks and warmest regards. EM
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Hi EM, I have not logged on for some time myself so I am not sure what the changes are. You can see if the parcel forwarding service is still activated and if it can still send to Singapore. You can also check with Taobao SEA facebook page.
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Hi jenny! I have shopped in taobao a couple of times, but can’t seem to buy air-prohibited items like lipstick/contact lens and all. Is it possible for me to get them? Or totally impossible? I know i can get them if i cancel the parcel forwarding agent, but would it be very expensive if i continue without an agent?
Will appreciate yr help 😊
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Hi Jia, you can check the list of prohibited items here. http://world.taobao.com/helper/knowledge.htm?spm=a312a.7762693.2015080302.5.qyJB5e&kid=6563044 . The best way to confirm is to contact the official forwarding agents and/or daigou agents to see if they can ship these items, since every agent may have different shipping restrictions. Do note that some items may cost more if they are classified as sensitive goods.
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Hi Jenny, wow first of all I’d like to thank you for being so responsive to all the questions here, even after almost 2 years since this blog post was published! That’s a really long time in terms of internet age. I’ve been using taobao’s forwarding service for the past 2 years now, and it all started thanks to this very helpful blog post of yours! It must be fate I ended up here again huh.
Anyway, having shopped with taobao for so long, this is the first time I’m encountering this kind of problem. I went about the usual rites, made payment for first shipping fees, then waited for items to arrive at the warehouse, foot the second shipping fee and then have the parcel finally arrive at my doorstep. However, one order out of 5 consolidated orders was missing a few key items.
Well, to be honest it’s happened before, but I’d never taken it personally to the shop owners on taobao or 4px (the forwarding agent I use) as 1) Language barrier – I had no idea how to make a complaint serious enough to the authorities without sounding like an elementary student, 2) I know I could’ve gotten a friend etc to help translate, however these things take time to get resolved and I’d much rather let the matter slide than getting a huge headache over it.
This time round though, the parcel was missing not just very essential items to me, but also some of a friend’s. Nevertheless, I panicked and didn’t know what to do but I did try to get in touch with the admins of that particular shop, and used my limited Chinese to question the whereabout of my missing items.
Turns out, they forgot to mail them together with the original parcel and so upon my request, they shipped the items out. However, as you know, taobao tracks the shipping progress of your order – from the moment it’s shipped out to the moment the warehouse signs for them. From there on out, the items are out of their hands and into the forwarding agent’s. My problem is, after talking to the admins in charge, they finally sent out my items after 2 WEEKS, and by then the original order on the 已卖到的宝贝 page has been listed as received and paid for already.
Moreover, they mailed it out without taking note of my order no. or tracking no., and there is no way taobao can help me track the parcel down since it’s already been mailed out. I am extremely anxious now, I’m afraid that 4px will just sign for it and throw it aside since there’s no way I am able to consolidate shipping fees for that particular parcel without an order no., and its not even listed on my taobao page.
I’m so sorry for the super long post, I am in desperate need of help and advice of what to do and I’m really hoping you are able to help me out. You can email me separately perhaps, if you’d like, then I can also send you the screenshots of my conversation with the admins of the store. Thank you so, so much!
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Hi Jaz, the parcel could have been in 4PX without an owner, so the best thing is to get in touch with Taobao SEA asap (tel 800 188 6018). They can help you hook up with 4PX so you can get them to look for the orphaned parcel in their warehouse. Try to get as much information from the vendor as possible, like what they listed on the delivery chit, then provide them to Taobao/4PX with your name, the vendor’s name, the original order number, etc so that the warehouse can look for it.
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Hi Jenny, after much complication, the seller informed me that the parcel was returned to them as no one had claimed the parcel. The parcel is now on its way back to them, and I’ve made arrangements so that the parcel will be delivered back to me once it’s back in the seller’s hands. I had to pay for the shipping fees a second time, though I know I can probably make a dispute over this as it’s the seller’s fault, I honestly just want to resolve the matter. Thank goodness. And thank you so much as well! 🙂
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Hiii, may I ask for the 2nd payment can we pay in person when we meet or we have to pay it thru the tabao account.
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Hi Sofi, I’m sorry but I am not sure what you are referring to. My blog post merely provided shopping tips on Taobao. I do not provide shopping or payment services.
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Actually i am very interested to buy from Taobao. Are you providing free shipping? Please reply me so that i can buy a lot of things from Taobao China without any hesitation.
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Hi Deena Taylor, I am merely providing tips to shop on Taobao. I do not provide shipping service. You can search for daigou (third party agent) for your shopping and shipping needs in your area.
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Hi Jenny,
i use to buy things on taobao with no issue now when i try to buy stuff, the shipping auto changes to Singapore and i cant find 全国 what should i select instead is i am using 4px as a courier?
thanks!
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Hi nadine, you can check under 淘宝集运. It will indicate that 4PX’s warehouse is in 中国 广东省 深圳市 宝安区 宝安区, so you should select the area accordingly.
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Hi jenny,
I have received nofications that my parcel has been received by PRouter 5 days ago. (it’s my first time buying thus I choose that, thinking that it’s cheaper) what am I supposed to do? Just continue waiting for my item to reach me or do I have to log on to pay for some extra charges that I do not know of?
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Hi Deborah, PRouter acts as your receiving agent in China and courier to Singapore, so you will need to pay for their service. The fee is charged by weight.
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Hi Jenny.
Not sure if you could help advise. I bought two items from seller but he packed into two separate parcels and shipped at different time. I received an sms from 4px to pay shipping for first item which 4px then sent to Singapore. One week later, i received another sms to pay for second parcel. However, I cannot make payment this time round based on the same purchase order number as there’s no option available to click to make payment. Any idea how to resolve this? I can’t find 4px local contact. Should I call SingPost instead! Thanks!
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Hi Florence, since the parcels are still in China, you can call Taobao SEA to see if they liaise with 4PX on your behalf to take delivery of your parcels in this case. The hotline is 800 188 6018 .
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Hi Jenny,
Recently i encounter some goods that cannot send internationally, eventhough i already using the forwarding agent.
like the below items,
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.4.rxiciv&id=41381349674&cm_id=140105335569ed55e27b&abbucket=20
i can add into my cart, however when i wanted to check out. it cannot be paid.
TIA
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Hi Hans, some sellers do not allow sales via international forwarding and some product categories are not allowed to shipped to Singapore. So even if you are able to add to cart, you won’t be able to pay for them to be sent. Unfortunately there is no simpler way to find out which items are eligible before checking out. You can try out a few sellers selling the same product. If the same thing happens, it is likely the product is not allowed for shipping to Singapore.
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Hi, thx for the information 🙂
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Hi, may I know how to get the alipay payment password prompt when I checkout using the Taobao phone app? I have the Payment password already but for some reason when I checkout it doesn’t appear, and I would like to have this additional layer of security. Is there something I must turn on in settings? Thank you 🙂
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Hi Joel, unfortunately I have not tried paying via phone app, so I am unable to share any experience on that. You may like to check with Taobao directly.
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Hi when using forwarding agent to consolidate packages, is there a maximum number of orders that can be consolidated?
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Hi Halim, I am unsure about the limit for no of orders allowed to be consolidated for a single shipment. Please check directly with Taobao SEA.
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Hi is there any email or phone (sg-based) that I can contact?
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Hi Halim, Taobao SEA has a facebook page. They are also contactable via their Singapore hotline: 800 188 6018 .
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Hi, I I got a refund on taobao, wil it be transacted to my Alipay account? And when I make another purchase on Taobao, will I be able to make use of the refunded balance from the previous transaction to pay from the new order?:)
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Hi Jo12, the refund would be credited back to your Alipay account or credit card, depending on the mode of payment you have used. If the refund is credited to your Alipay, you can use it to offset subsequent payments on Alipay.
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Hi when i log in my account using my hp number,the taobao acct is tied to a alipay account but when i log in the account with EMAIL add the name of the taobao account is totally different and no alipay account is tied to the taobao account and may i know why does this happened? Becoz most of my stored detailed of my seller is stored inside the email logged in account not the hp log in account
Account was created with email and hp number but when log in with email and log in with hp number,both log in into a different taobao account
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Hi Kandayo21, please check with Taobao SEA if there’s any way to tie the two accounts together.
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I have the hp number for 1 of the account and was wondering if the alipay account tied to my taobao account,do we need to have our real name on the alipay account?
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Hi Kandayo21, I am unsure about the process for hp. You can try login to your Alipay account with your Taobao account via the 淘宝会员登录 link (just below the orange 登录 button). It is preferred to use real name for the Alipay account, but I do not know if Alipay enforces real-name policy strictly.
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Hi after i purchase alipay purchase card from axs machine may i know how can i topup to my taobao’s alipay account?
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Hi Popiah, you will get a receipt from the AXS machine after you have purchased the Alipay top-up value. In the receipt is a PIN/password that you can input online in Alipay to charge the value into your account. You’ll be asked for your email address when buying the top-up value. Be sure to enter the same email address that your Alipay account is tied to.
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I registered taobao with my phone number instead
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Hi Popiah, if you have signed up with your mobile number, then I am unsure about the process. Please check with Taobao SEA directly.
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Took me a while to figure out how to sign up and deposit money into the Chinese Paypal equivalent. But I recently came across a useful website
http://www.smartlaowai.com/
This guy basically made step by step screenshot guides for everything =) It helped me and hope it helps others here.
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Hi recently my friend introduce to taobao and i have created my account and have selected 4px as my forwarder but when they ask for the location i dont know the location for 4px and regarding the charging rate i really dont understand would u mind explaining it to me please? Thanks alot
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Hi Popiah, the forwarding rates are on the Taobao SEA website: http://sea.taobao.com/market/act/parcelforwarding.php?spm=a214x.6760217.1998543327.3.JPHLCj .The address of the chosen forwarder is stated before making payment for your items. For 4PX, it’s in Shenzhen, the address as shown in the image: http://i.imgur.com/T4x3DQZ.jpg .
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Hi When i Try To Purchase A Wallet And Ask my To Pay It Shows This http://gyazo.com/2aaa11a8ccd0d658b1360e3380e6d855 is there any way i could pay by eNets?
And regarding Alipay Topup By AXS could u give me the link of the alipay where i can topup my alipay after purchasing it from axs?
Thanks
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Hi Popiah, when you submit purchase (提交订单) it will lead you to the Alipay payment page. (Just a note, I noticed your wallet will incur a delivery charge of nearly RMB1000 (S$200) – I hope you were aware of it.) Alipay is at https://www.alipay.com/ . You can login with the same Taobao credentials via the “淘宝会员登录” link at the Alipay website. If you need more clarification and help, you can call Taobao Singapore office or drop a message on Taobao SEA facebook page.
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Alright Really Appreciate yr help 🙂 and couple doubts to clear so if i want to purchase a item from taobao the address i have to put will be 4px address? then what about my own address?
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Hi Popiah, you provide your Singapore address when you set up parcel forwarding (see buying guide “set up parcel forwarding” section: http://sea.taobao.com/howtobuy?spm=a214x.6760217.1998543327.2.NoMzgd ). When you have added your address, you can activate parcel forwarding and choose the parcel forwarder. There is no need to enter the address of the forwarder when you shop. You can check if your address has been set up under account management (账号管理 > 收货地址).
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http://gyazo.com/c5b256634ed3fc14355c84c8e9d9849f So my checkout just have to be like this am i right? 🙂 and one last question if i have taobao account and a alipay account (not link with my current taobao) can i still use my alipay to pay for taobao? (Alipay account Not Link With My Taobao
Thanks In Advance
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Hi Popiah, yes that looks like the correct checkout screen. From what I understand, the Alipay account must be tied to the Taobao account with the same email. You can check with Taobao to be sure, but I would advise to use the same just in case.
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Hey may i ask for the seller rating what does tmall.com means? Is it good to trust them or just go by the crown and diamond?
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Hi John, Tmall is just like Taobao but the sellers on Tmall are usually bigger than Taobao sellers. The buying process is the same. Its seller rating is similar to Taobao. I’d always advise to read through the buyer reviews for a good gauge of the trustworthiness and reliability of the sellers. Nevertheless, buying online can be a hit-and-miss at times given variables like possibility of goods being damaged in transit.
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Hey Jennyteo wayne here,may i ask which forwarder is good and cheap?
And how do i topup my alipay? As in like if i topup via AXS how will it work?
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Sry if i post too many times when im using taobao forwarder like 4px how do i know their address?
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Hi Wayne, you can buy stored value for Alipay from AXS. You will be given a receipt with a PIN which you will input when logged in to Alipay. Make sure you enter the same email address as what you have signed up with Taobao/Alipay. As for forwarder recommendation, you can check buyer feedback online for reviews of the forwarders to help you make decisions. E.g. HWZ forum has a very active thread. http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/%5Bofficial-poison-thread%5D-edmw-taobao-buying-guide-part-6-a-4981870.html . The forwarder address is stated when you choose the forwarder, as seen in the guide.
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Hello,
I would like to ask if I’ve forgotten to pay my international freight forwarding charges after I’ve merge the payment (I think i exceeded the time out time), how do i make payment? Because i coudn’t find the “Pay freight forwarding” (Orange button) anymore as maybe I’ve exceeded my time out.
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Hi Fina, you can try go directly to Alipay to see if there are any outstanding payments. If not, please call Taobao Singapore 800 188 6018 who can advise you on the procedure to make payment.
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When i try to check out a item that cost 58 rmb and when i try to use enets to pay it shows 13.62 + $1 and does that means it will be shipped to singapore or just in china?
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Hi Wayne, the system merely facilitates payment between the seller and buyer. For China buyers, they pay for the item and the seller will arrange the delivery. For Singapore buyers, they will need a forwarder, either those appointed officially by Taobao or third-party agents. If using the Taobao forwarder, buyers would have to use choose from one of the three forwarders before purchase of any item. The instructions for doing so can be found on Taobao SEA site: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index.php?spm=a214x.6760217.1998543334.6.95ooAx . If you are using third-party agents, they can advise buyers on the purchasing and paying procedure.
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Hey JennyTeo, i have input my address and for the forwarder i’ll have to choose when i checkout?
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Hi Wayne, you will choose the forwarder after you have input the address as in this guide: http://sea.taobao.com/howtobuy?spm=a214x.6760217.1998543327.2.9N3xy9
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Hey! I hope to find some help with my problem is there a better alternate way we could contact by email or whatsapp? Having issue purchasin from Taobao
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Hi John, it’ll be better to seek assistance from Taobao directly. I am just sharing basic experience here and in the best position to advise on Taobao. You can call Taobao Singapore office: 800 188 6018 or submit your queries on Taobao SEA Facebook page: facebook.com/taobaosea .
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Hi, when I tried inputting my address, I’m unable to find Singapore in the list of country options.
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Hi Carrot, you should be able to find Singapore under 所在地区 > 海外其他 > 新加坡.
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Ah thanks. I previously tried searching twice but wasn’t able to find it. I managed to find it just now! 🙂
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Hi jenny! First of all, thanks for the useful guide!
I have a question regarding the i ternational forwarding agent. I chatted with my seller regarding shipment overseas but he told me they don’t ship overseas.next I asked him if i can use international forwarding agent to ship my stuff over but he told me he could not help me.
Is there such a case where the seller is unable to send to the warehouse in shenzhen or he’s unaware of the international forwarding agent.
Thanks in advance!!
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Hi Jun, many sellers are not aware of how international forwarding works. International forwarders act like your agents to receive your goods in China on your behalf before sending them over to you in Singapore. Most sellers are able to send to the forwarding agents’ warehouses in China although some have disallowed such a service as they prefer to sell only to local buyers who can check the items on the spot so that there is less dispute over returns and refunds. Also, certain items are prohibited from leaving China by China customs and/or entering Singapore by Singapore customs. These items have been listed by Taobao on the website. http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/interdict.php?spm=az1314.20150122.13141516.22.c1y8Wa
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Please help me. I’ve bought some things from Taobao. Before checking out, I’ve picked overseas option and got the visa option. I entered my number then click next. However, the next page keeps loading forever and ever… I refreshed it many times, but it still gave me loading notice. How can I pay? 😦
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Hi Castiel, clear the cache in your browser and try again. Do not refresh when making payment as it may make multiple deductions. If it does not work, I suggest you call Taobao Singapore hotline: 800 188 6018 .
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I don’t think it’s cache problem. I tried it from home. Tried it from work (different PCs – same result). I dont think it makes deduction because the loading is really forever. I’ve seen it loading for like an hour. I’m actually from Indonesia. So I guess there’s no way to buy directly from Taobao (sigh)….
Does Taobao have any English email outlet where I can send my complaint to?
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Hi Castiel, I don’t think Taobao supports official forwarding service to Indonesia at the moment. You can drop your queries on Taobao’s Facebook page: facebook.com/taobaosea .
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Hi Jenny,
May I know if you experience this before? 4px message me that I should receive the goods by 6pm last Friday if I opt for home delivery. However, I opted for post box but I did not receive any message from them to
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Hi joellle, I am unsure if opting for POPStation boxes will generate SMS notifications from 4PX side, although logically it should since you will need a PIN to unlock the box. Perhaps you can call Singpost to check?
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Hello Jenny, I’m from Singapore and I’m so glad that you are still responding to all these questions from people. I too also need help here. I just ordered things from Taobao yesterday and I’m also a first time user. I have paid for my things, however i have not gone thru a chat with the seller at as she was offline all the while, however i have sent a msg and not getting any reply. I’m getting worry if my money is going to waste as there were no reviews and transaction either.Do you think i should make a refund of my money ?
Some questions:
1) What is the shortest duration and method for my parcel to reach my house? How expensive?
2)How much is the shipping fee from Singapore to my house and how long does it takes to reach from singapore to my house?
3)How do you use discounts coupons?Is it those gold color coins in Taobao?
4) Do i get refund of full money if money do not reply with time frame ?
5) What the cheapest method of buying ? How long is that ?
6)what is the IC of 18 digits refer to for certification?
7) Is not using 4px all these forwarders faster for delivery ?
Thank you.
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4)seller* do not reply
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Hi singaporeplus,
1) What is the shortest duration and method for my parcel to reach my house? How expensive?
> Taobao official forwarders usually take less than a week since they ship by air. You can check the rates of the forwarders on Taobao here: http://sea.taobao.com/market/act/parcelforwarding.php?spm=a214x.6760217.1745109.3.ZBqVAK. They charge by weight.
2)How much is the shipping fee from Singapore to my house and how long does it takes to reach from singapore to my house?
>as above
3)How do you use discounts coupons?Is it those gold color coins in Taobao?
>淘金币 can be used to offset the value. http://taojinbi.taobao.com/index.htm You can earn by signing in to the website everyday, or do certain tasks like collecting them when you have successfully paid for eligible purchases, etc. For tmall, you can earn 天猫积分 to offset future purchases when you buy eligible Tmall items.
4) Do i get refund of full money if money do not reply with time frame ?
> You can apply for refund if you do not receive your items. There is a 退款/退货 button on the item for a limited time after you have purchased it. If the time period for returns/refunds is up, you can seek help from Taobao to mediate. There is a Singapore hotline: 800 188 6018.
5) What the cheapest method of buying ? How long is that ?
> Third party daigou agents offer shipping by sea which takes longer but is a cheaper option. However, they operate separately as individual businesses (like middlemen) unaffiliated with Taobao, so you have to liaise separately with them. You can search forums for reviews of these daigou agents by users.
6)what is the IC of 18 digits refer to for certification?
> That is for local buyers in China and not applicable for overseas buyers.
7) Is not using 4px all these forwarders faster for delivery ?
> 4PX is one of the official Taobao forwarders. I am not sure how the speed of delivery compare with other forwarders or daigou agents. You can consider trying different forwarders and agents for less urgent shipments and compare the costs and speed. Alternatively you can check forums like hardwarezone where users share their experiences on using the various forwarders and agents.
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hi jenny,
I have been buying lots of things from taoboa and really like the cheap things there, recently I tried to buy medicine for my piles conditions, they direct me to Tmall, and when I clicked on buy and use 4px courier to shipped to Singapore, the prompt is that it will not shipped to warehouse only personal address, but they wont shipped to Singapore direct, do you have any experiences of how to buy medicine from taoboa, tmall , and then shipped to Singapore using courier such as 4px first kg is only 43 yuan.
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Hi jack chan, the process of buying from tmall is similar to taobao is the same. Just select the forwarder as 4PX and the location for the 4PX warehouse in Shenzhen. However, I am not sure if there is any restrictions for medicine. You may like to check with Taobao Singapore by calling their hotline: 800 188 6018.
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Hi Jenny, I am Malaysian and bought a lot of things from TaoBao. I really enjoy buying on TaoBao not only things are cheap, I can also chat with the buyer directly. They reply really fast. I read your replied for readers and you are really helpful! I have a blog http://www.howtobuyfromtaobao.com/ to share my TaoBao experiences too. I hope I can help people like you. Please check it out and give me some comments.
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Hi My loves TaoBao, glad to hear that you have had positive experiences shopping on Taobao too! I have checked out your blog and I think it may be nice to include some information that are useful to Malaysian buyers, like the forms of payment methods unique to Malaysian buyers. Happy shopping and blogging!
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Hi Jenny,
Recently, I’ve ordered some items on taobao and delivery via 4px. As of now, my package is with Speedpost- but the status has been “With delivery courier” for 2 days. Normally, when the status is “with delivery courier” I would recieve on the same day.
And, as inefficient as Speedpost has always been – they were not helpful at all and have no idea where the parcel actually is.
I was wondering if anyone here has experienced the same issue and if my parcel is missing !
Thank you for the help!
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Hi Gladys, hope you have had already received your package. Singpost is normally quite prompt with delivery, but that also depends on workload as well.
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Hi Jenny,
May i ask you if i get this from the tracking message 已签收,签收人是PDA图片签收 what should i do ? I am very lost now because when i called taobaosea hotline they said that seller sent to another state 4px couldn’t receive the package ask me to press refund. When the seller contact me ask me why did i cancel the order and i said package didn’t received and the seller told me that he sent the package to 4PX as per the forwarder address… and ask me to call china 4px no. directly …
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Hi Joy, the 已签收 message could have been from transit courier to another and may not mean it has reached the warehouse. From the transit statuses, you should be able to see track where the package is at different points of transit as an item often goes through different transit warehouses before it reaches the final warehouse. Sellers usually take a photo of the delivery address on package to show that they have sent the item out. Check with the seller for that to confirm if he had sent to the correct 4PX address then aliwangwang 4PX to check. If things do not get resolved, do call Taobao Singapore helpline again to explain what the seller had told you since there’s a discrepancy in the understanding. Taobao Singapore should be able to help you liaise with them.
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thank you Jenny ! i was so kan chiong and didn’t know what to do ! first time buying from taobao directly and this kind of things happen hahaha.. thank u for the tips !
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks so much for the informative post! I ordered some stuff from taobao and it seems to have reached the warehouse, but for some reason there isn’t an option to consolidate and send them to me? The status info is “等待买家合单” and “包裹入库成功” so I’m not sure what I should do now.
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Hi Jasmine, there should be an option to consolidate if the items have reached the warehouse. You can aliwangwang 4PX to check on the issue or call Taobao Singapore helpline to liaise with them.
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Hi Jenny:
If I were buy an item which weights less than 1kg , do I still have to pay $48Yuan/kg for starters or would i actually have to pay lesser than that?
Thanks
Joshua
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Hi Joshua, for the forwarder I use, the min weight chargeable is 1kg, and subsequently chargeable at 500g blocks after the 1st kg. So even if my package is 100g, I will have to pay the rate applicable for 1st kg. You can check the rates for the respective forwarders at Taobao SEA website.
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Hi, thanks for the great guide for shopping on taobao!
Any idea how we can shop on Tmall? for taobao the delivery option can set to 全国, but on Tmall I have to choose a province. Do i choose the location where 4px’s warehouse is located (e.g Shenzhen/Shanghai)? please advice~
Thanks in advance! 🙂
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Hi Eve, yes, it is now compulsory to choose location for Tmall, although I am not sure why. You are right – just choose the location of the warehouse of the forwarder which is stated when you choose the forwarder service.
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HI, I have vPost as the shipping agent, cost of shipping from US to SG can be exorbitant, esp how they calculate the chargeable weight (derived from actual weight), i had articles 4 times the actual weight. Do you have a recommended one, just for taobao shipping i.e. china to singapore?
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Hi Sawn, forwarders usually charge by either volumetric or actual weight. For Taobao, they have official forwarders integrated in the system. However they only offer air shipping for now. There are also third-party daigou agents offering both air and sea options. You can try google for keywords like daigou, taobao, singapore etc. I have yet to use one before though. Remember to check the many recommendations and reviews for such agents before deciding.
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Thank you for offering such an enlightening platform.
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Hi!
I’m in need of help. This doesn’t happen to me but today it did. Usually when I make payment, I just click enets, then can proceed with the payment easily. But now, it requires me to type alipay password which I thought same as my taobao password. I tried signing up for alipay to get my new payment password but I got rejected. Is there any suggestion? Or are you able to give me taobao SINGAPORE customer service hotline number or anything. I really need help urgently.
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Hi Fina, you can login to Alipay with your Taobao account. You can find the link on the bottom left below the orange login button. If it doesn’t work, you can call Taobao Singapore helpline 800 188 6018.
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Hi! Do you encounter this problem during your payment process whereby they need payment alipay password to proceed?
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Hi Fina, there are two passwords for Alipay. The first is the Alipay login password which is the same as Taobao when we registered for an account. The second is the Alipay payment password which was set up when we were using Alipay for the first time, if I recalled correctly. The second one is like an additional layer of security to prevent people who know the Taobao password but not the Alipay payment password to use it to make payments. I am unsure how to reset the second one, but you can call Taobao Singapore if you need help to reset passwords.
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Hi jenny
Thanks for your comprehensive guide on buying on TB. I have followed closely and also selected 4px. However, how do I enable settings to allow me to receive sms when items reached China warehouse? So far I do not receive any sms at all and it is hassle to constantly check and monitor if I’ve received any goods. Appreciate your advice. Thanks!
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Hi Fiona, if you have already provided your mobile no when registering, you should be able to receive SMSes from 4PX when your goods arrive at China warehouse, though it may not always be on time. Logging in to check the status at end of every other day is still the best way if you would like to keep close tabs on the delivery status.
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Hi Jenny,
today when I login to my taobao account, it was blocked due to security issue, showing this message “您的账户存在安全问题,已被保护”. The webpage directed me to do 实名认证, ask me to login to 支付宝 进行身份信息验证(实名校验)and request me to key in 大陆身份号码. But I’m not PRC, how will I have 大陆身份号码!! I tried keying in my mobile phone or passport number, but both were rejected. Do you know of any solution to unblock my account. I still have outstanding payment to make urgently.
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Hi Xinyi, please call Taobao Singapore helpline ASAP to resolve this problem of being locked out.
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hi Jenny, now I’m very stressed…. i took the guts and tried buying for the first time at TaoBao after a long consideration….. haiz…. now one of my sellers sent me incorrect amount of items and refunded partially into the alipay account called 支付宝. I have no idea at all how to use this….
how to refund this amount back to the credit card i used to make payment initially…. then i came across these 3 terms:
充 值 / 提 现 / 转 账
Then I saw that it seems to have charges if I were to transfer this refund back to my credit card. Any advice?
I thought the refund should be returned back to my credit card? How come it’s in Alipay account?
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Hi bloodymiko, by default the refund should be returned to whatever method that has been used for payment. Alipay is the payment platform that supports Alipay purchase card, credit cards, debit cards, and eNets for overseas buyers. You can check your credit card transactions online to see if the refund has been credited back to you. It usually takes a few days to be reflected in the bill. Functions like 充 值 / 提 现 / 转 账 are only applicable for China users who use Alipay for fund transfers and other bill payments (not Taobao). For overseas users like us, Alipay only allows us to pay and get refund for Taobao shopping.
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Thanks a lot for the clarification! I read about it somewhere in Alipay FAQ but your answers is definitely assuring to me…. really appreciate it! Thank you… Thank you….
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Hi Jenny,
Really appreciate your posting on TaoBao as I’d been contemplating for a horrendous long time before deciding to venture into this online shopping. However I am confused about the special goods such as gelish nail polishes & acrylic liquid remover (considered as liquid), acrylic powder (considered as powder), UV / LED lamp (electrical items) are categorized. So I can’t use 4PX as they don’t air-ship prohibited items? So what should I do? Do I use sea-ship forwarders? Which un-official forwarder would you recommend? Since it’s sea-ship, won’t it take a long time to ship to Singapore? Then how to extend the payment to the sellers since buyers can only extend for 3 days (on top of the original 10 days deadline when Taobao will release the payment to sellers)? Many Thanks!
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Hi bloodymiko, the shipping rate charged by Taobao official forwarders for special goods is much higher than that of normal goods. Sea-shipping via daigou agents (or third-party agents) may be a cheaper option. I haven’t tried daigou agents so I don’t know much about them, but you can search for terms like taobao agent, taobao daigou, etc and you should get many results. I strongly recommend reading through the comments from forums like hardwarezone for reviews from buyers who had used the daigou services. They are very informative and useful in helping you decide which agents offer better rates and service. Sea-shipping may take a few weeks to a month to reach its destination and that’s why it is cheaper compared to shipping by air. I don’t recall there’s any other way to further extend the payment release period since this was originally meant for only the China buyers who do not have to wait as long as overseas buyers. You can check with Taobao or the daigou agents about mitigation options in the event of payment or delivery dispute.
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Geez… actually have been reading up on blogs and forums like hardwarezone too…. 🙂 but so tough to make up the mind and decide on one…. so trying my luck to get more info from nice ppl like you who shared knowledge and ideas so generously…. thanks for your fast response!
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Hi Jenny,
I would like to enquire, how many days does it usually take for an item to reach the agent’s warehouse?
2015-03-15 13:33:42卖家已发货
信息来源:淘宝运单号:888301523287
2015-03-15 18:14:43DZ河北高碑店 快件在DZ河北高碑店装车,正发往北京分拨中心
2015-03-16 23:30:21北京分拨中心 快件到达北京分拨中心,上一站是DZ河北高碑店
2015-03-17 20:29:42北京分拨中心 快件在北京分拨中心装车,正发往汉口分拨中心
2015-03-18 22:18:48汉口分拨中心 快件到达汉口分拨中心,上一站是北京分拨中心
2015-03-18 22:47:04汉口分拨中心 快件在汉口分拨中心装车,正发往虎门分拨中心
These are what I’ve been receiving and it still hasn’t reached the agent’s warehouse and it states that I only have “请注意自动打款时间 还剩5天17时” before it automatically pays the seller so i’m pretty worried if it still hasn’t arrived after 5 days.
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Hi Fann Lim, delivery time may vary depending on location, since China is a very big country. I’d say wait for another 1-2 days to see if it has arrived at the warehouse. There is a link at the item page that allows you to delay payment for extra few days if needed.
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Hi jenny. I’ve made my first order with taobao recently and I’m currently waiting for my package to be delivered to sg by 4px. When I check my order status it states that my parcel is still on its way to singapore. However, it’s been stuck that way for 2 days already. Yesterday I revieved a SMS that said it will be delivered by 6pm and they provided me with a tracking number. I used that tracking number to check with singpost and the status of my item is with delivery courier. Does this mean that my item is already at singpost or is it still with 4px? Please advice on what I should do next thank you!:)
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Hi Kezia, sometimes the delivery status on Taobao may not be that updated. I get that often too. Singpost is one of 4px’s local delivery partners. Since Singpost already confirmed that the item is with their courier, it means it has reached Singapore and ready for delivery, so just wait for your parcel to reach you soon 🙂
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Okay thank you!(:
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Hi Jenny,
I was trying to log in to my taobao account but I kept getting directed to ” 请输入您需要开通账户的帐户名 ” page and once I am done and am able to log in to my alipay aite I still wasn’t able to log in to my taobao account to view my cart and stuff. Please help! Thank you!!
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Hi Vanessa, usually if you are able to log in to Alipay (with same Taobao login credentials), you should be able to log in to Taobao. This sounds like a technical problem. Do give Taobao Singapore hotline a call to request for assistance.
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Thanks for the reply! May I know where to get Taobao sg hotline? I googled but couldn’t find any.
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Hi Vanessa, the number for Taobao Singapore office is 800 188 6018.
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Hi I have encountered some problems logging in to my Taobao account and would really appreciate if you could help me! When i log in to my Taobao account, an “Open an Account” page appears. I would have to write my email down and a confirmation code. After, it will lead me to an “Authentication” page with a “Verify Now” button. When I click it, it leads me to the Alipay page where I have to login. I logged in and it leads to to a blue and white “Verified” page with a yellow “Immediatly Certification (mainland)” button, and 4 options below Macau, Taiwainese, Expatriate and Taobao Shop Certification. None of these fit me and I’m not sure what to do. I have a few items that I have to make payment for freight forwarding and I have never used Alipay to make payments. I always use my Mastercard. I’m not sure what to do now 😦
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Hi jas, if you already have a Taobao account, you shouldn’t be required to open an account again. Try clear the cache of your browser and see if you can log in again. If yes, access Alipay via the link in Taobao’s navigation menu on top right. You should already be logged in to Alipay since it shares the same login as Taobao. Alipay is the payment platform, and supports not just Alipay purchase card but also credit cards. If you still can’t resolve the problem, please call Taobao Singapore 800 188 6018. It will be helpful if you can make screen captures of the problems so it will be easier to explain to them.
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do they happen to have an email address? thank u!
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Hi jas, they have a Facebook page where you can post your queries: https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea
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Hi Cynthia
I recently just tried my hands on Taobao shopping, I have always been adamant to try because it seemed really complicated, but I took the first step and I was very excited to make my purchases, opt to use 4px to ship it directly to SG, and I even successfully paid with Alipay!
I ordered from two different merchants, just some pieces of clothes. However both merchants don’t seem to be responding to my orders at all. I have made payment successfully since 7 March and they have not dispatch my items even till today, regardless of all the reminders I could send with their nifty reminder button. Both merchants do have rather good reviews and popularity online, many shoppers left positive reviews for the same items I ordered. Is it normal to wait so long for Taobao merchants to respond to orders? Most people seem to have a rather smooth process shopping on Taobao, and my first attempt is already making me quite worried…
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your advice!
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Hi Charmaine, if you have already chosen the forwarder during payment, then the sellers should usually process orders within a day or so. You can contact the sellers on Aliwangwang to check with them. If they do not respond or still do not send out the items, do call Taobao Singapore 800 188 6018 to explain your situation so they can mediate and liaise for a solution with the sellers.
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The seller sent me the wrong item and I have applied for a refund. How do I return the item? Do I use the same forwarding agent, 4PX in my case? Who bears the cost of shipping the item back? Thanks for your help.
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Hi LK, as I mentioned in my post, returns and refunds for wrong orders are tricky to handle as the buyer usually has to bear shipping costs back to China, since the sellers at most will only bear the return costs within China. You can check with 4PX if they can arrange for shipping back to China seller and the related costs. I experienced this before and I wrote them off as bad debts, but I informed the sellers about them (with photo as evidence) and negotiated for discounts off subsequent purchases.
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Hi Jenny, one of my items is stuck at the status 等待仓库签收 for a few days. Should I continue waiting? If not, what should I do about it to be able to consolidate for shipping.
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Hi Karen, it is not that common for items to be stuck for a few days at the warehouse as it has already resumed operations after CNY break. I suggest you call Taobao Singapore hotline 800 188 6018 to request for assistance. They should be able to liaise and resolve it for you.
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Hi Jenny,
I’m in quite a fix here and was hoping if you’d be able to render some advice! I’m new to Taobao so I accidentally blundered. Basically I ordered two packages from different sellers and chose Lequgou as my shipping agent. So far one of the packages has reached Lequgou’s warehouse. As both packages will total up to less than 1kg in weight, I was hoping to wait for the other package to reach them and combine both orders into a single shipment to minimize shipment fees (paying 43RMB to ship both packages together). However, I accidentally clicked to proceed with shipment payment for that package that had reached them, but I have yet to pay the amount. So now the package is listed under “待付款”, awaiting my payment of 43RMB for its shipment. There’s no option to cancel this 订单 and the options for combining shipment etc. under “待收货” have disappeared as well. Have messaged Lequgou about this and awaiting their response but from feedback I gathered, they are extremely unresponsive. Is there any way for me to retract this 订单 and wait for the other package to reach them, then combine shipment into a single payment? Thanks so much for your time! 🙂
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Hi retroboxx, if Lequgo hasn’t replied, you can call Taobao SEA (Singapore hotline 800 188 6018). They should be able to liaise with Lequgo and rectify this for you. Let them know that you had contacted Lequgo and they did not respond to you.
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Hey! I’ve completed adding my items in the cart, adding in the mailing address and paid and everything too. However I have received emails of refunds, “支付撤回通知” and “充值退回成功提醒”. I have more than sufficient money in the card for payment though! Yesterday, I arrived at alipay’s site with “正在加载中,如果页面长时间无法显示,请刷新页面” for all my items and I can’t seem to opt to “re-pay” anywhere too for some reason. Today, Taobao keeps asking me to login and verify, I cant even go to the cart at all as clicking on the cart. It just brings me to login & verify before getting stuck at alipay’s login page where they want me to download something for the password thing. I’m stuck, do help please! 😦
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Hi Zan, the refunds could be due to some of the order transactions being automatically cancelled by sellers due to reasons unknown. I’m not sure why you are unable to re-login. You can check these issues directly with Taobao via their Singapore hotline 800 188 6018.
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How do I specify SingPost POP station as the delivery address in sea.taobao? I read in POP station website that sea.taobao is one of the online shopping sites POP station serves. Thanks.
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Hi doris, the options to choose POPStation or home delivery will appear when you are prompted to select your forwarding agent after submitting orders for payment.
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Hello Jenny, need some help i tried to delete Alipay but its binded to the taobao account and there is no settings button to unbind it so that the Alipay can be deleted.
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Hi su ling, the Alipay account is created by default when registering for a Taobao account. I am not aware of any way to untie Alipay from Taobao since buyers need Alipay account to pay for Taobao purchases.
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Hello, thank you so much for the guide it was extremely helpful 🙂
I have ordered and paid for my items, using 4PX forwarder. The items have arrived at the china warehouse and consolidated. However, i am unable to process the second payment, it keeps getting stuck at the page which states ‘正在加载中,如果页面长时间无法显示,请刷新页面…’. I tried refreshing, clearing cache, change browser and internet provider but the page is still stuck.
My items are now stuck at the warehouse, have you faced this situation before? I need help 😦
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Hi yushi, I experienced it once and couldn’t proceed with payment for the whole day, but it worked the next day, so you can try again today. The system might be too busy now processing too many orders as the delivery window is closing soon with CNY coming up. If you still have the problem today, you can call Taobao SEA office in Singapore at 800 188 6018 for help.
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Hi, thank you for your reply 🙂
I called the office and opted for enets instead which worked quite well 🙂
once again thanks
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Hi jenny!
Recently i bought from taobao, but 4PX did not give me a tracking number. I asked them to deliver it to the POPstation at bukit gombak, but i’ve not gotten any email or sms about it either 😦
On the logistics flow, its now stuck at 包裹正在派送中. What does it mean? Its been like this since 3 days ago. thanks so much for your help!!
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Hi Danny, you can find tracking no at 我的淘宝 > 已买到的宝贝 > 国际集运 > 我的集运订单 tab > 查看集运物流. 包裹正在派送中 means :package is being delivered”. You can ask 4PX on Aliwangwang for the contact no of the local delivery partner that is handling your package.
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Is the waybill number the same as the tracking number? I called Singpost and they said i had to have a tracking number starting with and ending with 2 alphabets..
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Hi Danny, 运单号码 should be the delivery tracking number. Packages for Singapore may be delivered by either Toll or Singpost. You can try input the number in both websites provided here http://4pxtr.taobao.com/p/rd231784.htm?spm=a1z10.4-c.w5002-9585226405.4.SoEj11 or ALWW 4PX customer service to confirm which company is delivering it.
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Hi, to all Taobao shoppers.
For your info. only. I have been shopping in taobao for the pass year with my wife with no problem using 4px to consolidate our goods but the since mid of January this year there seems to be a change in their policy in accepting goods and they are no longer friendly towards customer that do not follow the new policy.
I am an avid buyer for remote control planes and quadcopters and these items sometime are sent out by the seller with missing or faulty parts. As such I will normally demand the seller to replace these parts and to be sent to 4px again. What I need to do is to inform 4px of the parcel tracking no. and consolidate it latter. So far no problem but since mid January 4px told me they will no longer accept these items beginning Feb meaning item that is not listed as purchase in my taobao account. I argued with them that I have a few more items on the way and the item that I purchase will have these replacement quite frequently and they took down the order no. of the few items that is on the way and promise to ship it out but until today they keep repeating the new policy rule decline to accept the items that reach their warehouse. Contacting them thru Aliwangwang everyday is met with one or 2 response at the end of the day or no response and I have to keep repeating the same story to them. Thru phone there is no one to pick up the call on the other end. Taobao advise me to ask a seller that I know to create a fake purchase and put in the tracking no. as to fool 4px to accept the incoming item.
4px on the other end actually was rude to ask us to go to other courier services. What the ××××!
At the end I just redirected the item to another courier company that charge much higher.
Therefore I will stop shopping taobao for now until I find a way to resolve this stupid issue.
My advise to those who buy items that has many parts or possibly parts that has high faulty rates to take this matter into consideration when ordering cos 4px is no longer friendly or helpful in solving customer issues. More like they are driving customer away by pretending not to know what is happening by asking u the repeat the same story on every new day you are contacting them and slow response or no response at all.
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I understand where you are coming from and I’m not going against you but from my understanding, they can’t do it anymore due to the custom checks become stricter and they will reject any parcels that contains objects that are not as listed (aka their new rule). If I’m not wrong, your only option currently is to ship these lone packages (your replacement parts if I’m not reading you wrongly) out individually as one shipment.
I had one package resent and the seller could not change the shipping number of my order to the new one because the deal was already completed, so it became 无主件包裹. I had to pay the 43元 price for a 100g package hahaha. Just 3 days before the new rule was implemented, 4px helped me consolidate another package that did not have the shipping no. listed on my order (bought 2 items from seller who sent out in 2 separate packages and only listed one on the order) with another order of mine (example to show that I do understand what you’re talking about regarding the consolidation hahaha)
I don’t think 4px is really to be blamed on the new rule, though I have to agree that their replies are getting slower these days.. 😦 Also, different agents are online at different times, so I do believe it’s not surprising that they ask you to repeat your problem again and again since they might actually not know what’s happening. The agent who served me the previous day tend to not be online the next day and 4px will just direct me to whichever agent is online (take note of the agent numbers!)
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Like you said they used to insert items with no tracking no. to items with tracking no. which I have in my account but they just resist to do it nowdays and after mush pestering they are able to create individual item that actually appear separately in my consolidation page for me to pay for shipment. Now that’s a question mark on my side why it can be done but yet they insist it cannot. Secondly they promised me earlier that these few items they will let it pass but then denied even when we provide proof on the earlier conversation to them they just stop replying until the next day again asking what is the issues again the next day.
Throughout the conversation in Aliwangwang we were very courteous to them but they are the ones that just stop replying and we have to wait for the next day to repeat the same process.
Furthermore I know that 4px also doing other shipping for manufacturer or wholesalers that do not go thru taobao or other e-commerce company so if they can declare those goods to the custom I don’t see why they cannot help to insert the non tracking no. item to my tracked item.
Anyway appreciate your suggestion and anyone else on these matter cos its really great to shop at taobao with the savings and items they offer in there but without a solution, for now I have to slow down cos I don’t want to receive items that has a defective part and I cannot even used it unless I pay extra for another courier service which will render the savings we get from shopping in taobao.;)
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Hello. Any idea which local courier is Prouter now using? I’m getting impatient with them.
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Hi Kevin, I am not sure who is Prouter’s local courier. You can check directly with them for the name and contact details of their local partner.
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I assume you have received your package by now, but I’m just leaving this here for the benefit of others. Prouter uses Dex-i. Wah lau. Really really sibeh slow.
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Hi, recently, i’ve made the second payment and am currently waiting to receive the taobao items. I used 4Px. However, today, i received many notifications from taobao & 旺信 messenger app that says “确认收货超时 系统将自动打款给卖家”.
May i know what does it mean?
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Hi Cynthia, “确认收货超时 系统将自动打款给卖家” means “exceeded time limit to confirm receipt from seller, system will automatically release payment to seller”. It is more applicable to China buyers since they receive goods quicker than overseas buyers. The Taobao system automatically releases payment to sellers after a stipulated amount of time given for buyers to “confirm receipt” for the items.
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Hi Jenny
I had make the payment using credit card. And I notice that Alipay saves my credit card details. But I couldnt find a way to remove my card details. You have any idea how to? 😦
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Hi Kenny, when you fill in your credit card details for the first time, there is a checkbox that offers to store your details at the bottom which you can uncheck. Unfortunately there is currently no way to remove credit card details once saved. I have the same issue as well and I once gave my feedback to Taobao on this but to no avail.
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I see. Thanks for sharing. Btw how many days did you wait for 4PX before they sent out the orders? Paid 3 days ago and it seems they can’t give me a definite time on when they are able to ship out from their warehouse 😦
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Hi Kenny, the times varies as it depends on the volume they have to handle at the warehouse. It can be as fast as a day or as slow as a week as I had experienced before because of backlog.
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Ah I see.. It’s been over a week for me now 😦 I get this message
“当前订单状态: 卖家已发货,等待买家确认 您还有 7天20小时13分6秒来完成本次交易的”确认到货”。 逾期未操作,系统将自动确认收货,将货款支付给卖家(4px财务收款)。如果您还未收到货,可以与卖家联系,申请“延长收货时间”。如果您收到货不满意,可以申请“退款””
You have any idea what does this means? Wonder why its not shipped out yet..
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Hi Kenny, 卖家已发货 means the seller (4PX in this case) has already shipped out. You can Aliwangwang 4PX to check on the delivery status.
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Hello Jenny. Received this 货物到达目的地港口 for the past couple of days. Does this means it’s stuck at SG customs? Aliwangwang 4px and they told me my goods is in Singapore. But I’m not sure about that because there was nothing much on the tracking details, only states it has been shipped out and the one above..
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Hi Kenny, yes, 货物到达目的地港口 means “goods arrived at destination port”. They are either still at the SG customs or at the SG warehouse awaiting delivery arrangement. Can ask 4PX the contact number for their SG delivery company so you can call directly to check.
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Hi Jenny, did you encounter a situation where you would like a refund for a particular item due to poor quality and defects? Have requested and it seems that amount is credited back to my Alipay account but not directly to my credit card. Any advise?
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Hi Kenny, I had requested for refunds before on the Taobao system and they were credited back the same way I paid for since they were reversals of the original payment. Anyway even if the amount is credited back to Alipay account, you can use it for future purchases.
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Hi Jenny,
thanks for the information you had provided=)
I am thinking of buying the Alipay Purchase card from AXS machine,can you help me with more info regarding this? Thanks.
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Hi Bellehoney, just select “Top-Up > Alipay Purchase Card” at the AXS machine. Here’s some information: https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea/posts/430517873719895 . Remember to input the same email address that is tied to your Taobao Alipay account. The AXS machine will print a receipt with a PIN code. You’ll then enter that PIN when logged in to your Taobao Alipay account and the amount will be topped up to your Alipay account. This top-up option for SEA users only allows for paying for Taobao shopping and not for other purposes like paying China bills that are only for China users.
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hi jenny, can i ask what if i lost the printed receipt after topping up. Will i still be able to get the money?
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Hi Aileen, thank you! Hope zL is able to retrieve his/her PIN from his/her email.
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Hi zL, you would not have the PIN code needed to top up the Alipay account if the receipt is lost. I suggest that you can check with Taobao directly to see if they can help you retrieve the information needed to top up the account? It’d be helpful if you can provide them with the transaction details like date and time and AXS location.
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zL : Chk yr email inbox that u used to key in when u purchased the Alipay to-up at AXS. They do send the serial card no & pin to that email as well.
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Hi Jenny
It’s my first time buying from Tao Bao so I’m a bit worried about my package. I bought some items form the same seller and they packed and send it out to my forwarder in two packages. One has arrived at the warehouse but the other has been stuck in the same status for quite sometime already. (上海市长宁区西部公司 已签收 签收人:邮件收发章). Is there anyway to get the package sent to the forwarder???
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Hi Sam, do alert the seller about the stuck package as he/she should be able to check the delivery status with the courier that they had used.
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Hi Sam I am in the same situation as you, may I know if you managed to get your goods in the end? Thanks!
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Hi Jenny, any idea if we can find out the weight of the item we are purchasing before making payment?
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Hi Kelly, some item pages will list information such as weight and dimensions. If there is no such information provided, you can check directly with the seller.
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hi jenny! I need desperate help. so the seller sent the wrong thing and I contacted prouter because it’s stated on the buyer protection page that the forwarder should bear the costs. however prouter refused to do so even after I contacted Taobao. what should I do and do other forwarders do this too? need an urgent reply thank you!
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Hi kimberly, how did Taobao respond when you told them PRouter refused to do so? If Taobao is unable to mediate, then there’s nothing much you can do. I have not done returns before so I do not know how the other forwarders handle such issues. Most of the times buyers will just write off as irrecoverable loss since doing overseas returns are often tricky.
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Pingback: [Guide]: Buying from Taobao/Tmall/Aliexpress | Buyfromwhere?
Hey will there be a huge difference in shipping costs if i just go by http://www.sgshop.com(Or Taobao’s Singapore agent)?Because I think shipping is pretty reasonable,like $1 for 500grams.Thanks!
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oops sorry sent twice
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Hi Joe, it’s up to personal preference whether to go with Taobao’s forwarding partners or third-party daigou agents like sgshop. Some prefer third-party agents because it is less hassle and offer services like cheaper option of shipping by sea. Regardless which way you choose, it’s best to research for reviews on the agents.
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Hmmm … you have to do your Maths calculations properly.
Can I buy on taobao myself and just use them to ship or they must do the buying for me?
The items on their site is very expensive compared to the prices on taobao and v limited choices
In any case, see http://www.sgshop.com/?help=8 , they go by volumetric too, whichever higher.
There is $1 handling fees per item/parcel & 8% fees.
So you have to do the detailed calculations for comparing which is cheaper and whether is it worth the wait . As time is money too。
But their conversion rate is still at fixed $1SGD to 4.5CNY now.
Last time it’s better to do purchase direct with taobao on your own because the bank or alipay conversion rate is $1sgd to 4.8-4.9cny. So it’s more worth it to buy on your own. But now cny currency is stronger. Bank rates is 4.4cny to 4.5cny!
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Hey will there be a huge difference in shipping costs if i just go by http://www.sgshop.com(Or Taobao’s Singapore agent)?Because I think shipping is pretty reasonable,like $1 for 500g.Thanks!
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Hi Jenny! Thanks so much for your informative post. It’s my first time purchasing from taobao and i’m so confused and anxious! May I just ask you a question: If I opt for POPstation, for the 收货地址 – “寄送至” field as seen in image (http://gtms04.alicdn.com/tps/i4/TB1EjydGVXXXXaWXXXXcHHgMFXX-999-800.jpg) do i fill in my home address or C&P the address of the POPstation that I chose? Thanks so much in advance!!
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Hi Izabel, I’ve not used POPstation before, but I understand 4PX is the only forwarder who delivers to POPstation for now. You still enter your own Singapore address but when choosing forwarder, you choose 4PX POPstation instead of 4PX home delivery. Here’s a forum thread (http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/%5Bofficial-poison-thread%5D-edmw-taobao-buying-guide-part-4-a-4743493-347.html) for more information. However, I see that there is a size limit for using POPstation (37*42*61cm) and I’m not sure which POPstation locations support the service, so you have to check that with 4PX directly.
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Thanks Jenny and Aileen for your kind reply. Happy shopping 2015.
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Hi Jenny, I’m from Malaysia. I would like to know how to top up my 支付宝?I’ve checked with taobao, they are not accepting Malaysia credit card for top up. Can you advise any alternative?
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Hi Adeline, I am not sure how the payment arrangements for Malaysia buyers work. You can check with Taobao SEA again on their Facebook page. Their administrators usually reply quite promptly.
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Ok. Thanks Jenny.
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Just to share. Recently used PRouter again, without knowing that it was once features in news in July on the v bad delivery warehouse state. But heard it changed its forwarder (Singapore) hence after.
Mine is DEXI this round with PRouter . And the tracking is prompt on taobao tracker but just v v slow delivery.
Ordered on 13th Dec, item reached airport on 17th Dec. On 19th Dec flight to singapore.
But since then it’s constantly on “out on delivery” status (updated almost everyday to the same status) for 8 days.
Eventually I still recieved it (lucky) on 29th Dec.
Maybe due to Christmas so it’s delayed.
You can also track at http://118.139.183.89/podtrack/
Similarly to the updates from taobao direct.
Thanks 😉
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Hi susanyxz, thank you for sharing your experience with PRouter here! 🙂
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Hi Jenny, which is best to use for paying, eNets, mastercard, debit or visa or just DBS card.?
Thanks.
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Hi Choo Em Ger Zude, it depends on personal preference. Alipay purchase card incurs no additional fee except perhaps the difference in exchange rate. Credit cards incur fee of 3% of total bill and also difference in exchange rate but is more convenient than purchase card. I’ve not used eNets before, but I recall the fee is S$1 per transaction. Not sure about DBS cards.
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Hi, So eNets should be the cheapest fee as per transaction. Btw thanks for sharing n Have A Happy New Year 2015.
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eNets ($1 fee) is worthwhile only if yr total transaction amt is >RMB150. Hence, if possible, consolidate all yr orders & pay in 1 transaction.
I’ved used credit card, eNets & AXS top up before, and i prefer AXS top up coz exchange rate by banks is not as favourable.
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Hi, I just chanced on your webpage after making purchase for tao bao….the problem I’m encountering now is that they don’t ship to overseas. How can I resolve this problem?
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In addition, I didnt select any forwarding agent before check out…and I made payment via credit card….so what are the alternatives i can do?
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Hi Sarah, you can apply for refund from the sellers. The refund amount should be credited back to the way you had made payment. Then follow the steps from Taobao SEA guide to set up overseas delivery address (i.e. your Singapore address) and forwarding service before buying the items again. http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.faFxtV
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Hi Jenny, Thanks for your help the first buy. I am curious most of the sellers are on leave till Spring festival (CNY) and they are not shipping or taking orders. I chatted with two sellers before payment and they said they are too busy on local sale. Is it true?
Warmest regards EM
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Hi Choo Em Ger Zude, China has official holidays for CNY (first day on 19 Feb) which can last two weeks. Shipments around that period may be delayed due to backlogs from sellers and delivery companies who are not working and increased volumes from customers who are on leave at home. Best to avoid buying during that period if possible.
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Hey Jenny,
For zhifubao, is it possible to top up money without the need of China Bank account/phone number??
Thanks!
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Hi M, Zhifubao is Alipay. You can top up Alipay by buying stored value credit Alipay purchase card from AXS machines. Just be sure to key in the same email that you use for Taobao/Alipay login during purchase.
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Thank you!
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Finally got my items..just receive it.
Joelle.
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I tracked and it stated out of delivery on 22 Dec but I still didn’t get it..
http://118.139.183.89/podtrack/Default.aspx
I will probably change ff in future.
Regards
Joelle
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That’s translated version from taobao 物流跟踪.
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Hi joellle and Wayne, another way would be to call Taobao SEA and let them know of your issues, like how you were not able to contact PRouter or its local delivery partner and how long you had waited for your deliveries. They may be able to help you contact the HQ and resolve the problem. It is also an indirect mean in letting Taobao know how the forwarders have performed.
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I’m.using PRouter for my goods in tb but when it reach Singapore I can’t track the status. It stated that package out for delivery but I waited full day and no delivery at all. Anyone have the same problem with Prouter?
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Hi joellle, I’ve not used PRouter before so I am not sure about their logistics arrangements. It is not uncommon for delivery delays caused by too many deliveries to be fulfilled which result in some overflowing to the next day or so. You can contact PRouter http://www.prouter.com to check the status of your delivery.
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i am also using prouter and facing issue. i had contacted prouter and from my understanding my goods was route to NHANS Singapore for delivery (I am not familiar in the delivery process as i thought they deliver themselves else singpost instead).
Upon knowing my goods whereabout, I went NHANs main webpage leave my details and delivery no. as per taobao as i could not reach them through the office number stated on the page.
My goods was order 1st week of December and had not arrive to date.
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Hi Jenny, out of the three IFPS services which of them definitely do not SMS notifications? I would like to send some items directly to my customers from Taobao and do not want them to receive any SMS notifications.
Great blog by the way…double thumbs up 🙂
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Hi Jennifer, I’ve only used 4PX on a regular basis. It sends out SMS notifications although sometimes it may not be that timely so it’d be better not to rely too much on that. Not sure about the other forwarders. The 物流 updates are more accurate but you’ll have to check the page actively.
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Hi Jenny, This is Fionna, You probably don’t remember me since you have so many ‘problem kids’. Just want to wish you Merry X’mas and Happy 2015 and thank you again for all your help. Cheers !!
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Hi Fionna, yes I remember you because your name with the double ‘n’ is a bit special, which is different from the other Fionas I know. Thank you for dropping by to send your regards and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year too!
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Hi Jennny, Yes, the spelling of my name is rare because Fiona is a Scottish name but the Irish spell it with the double ‘n’. Fionna is my baptism name given to me by an Irish priest. Many people remember me because of my name, so I’d better not do anything bad huh !!
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Hi Jenny,
I received an sms notification today that a delivery will be made by 6pm, but no one came to my door. My forwarder is 4px and my package is about 2kg. The courier service is singpost right? I’ve double-checked my address on taobao and it’s correct. Is it a problem with singpost not delivering much on saturdays?
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Guess you have to wait. Don’t rely on the sms notifications as it isn’t accurate.
Checking whether the package have arrived in Singapore will be useful by going on Taobao website under 已买到的宝贝 -〉 国际集运 -〉查看集运包裹.
It will show whether it has 货物已抵达新加坡,等待海关放行 (Arrived in Singapore, awaiting release from Customs)
4PX forwards the parcel from China to Singapore only.
From Singapore onwards, it will be either Singpost for package below 5kg or above 15kg.
In between 5kg-15kg will be handled by Toll.
Checking via the Singpost/Toll website with the given delivery number will be more effective. (Starts with TBXXXXXXXXXXX; X stands for the numbers, this is for Singpost)
(XXXXXXXXXXXX, X stands for the numbers, without the TB in front will be for Toll)
🙂
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Hi ZM, thank you so much for helping to answer Casey. Now I learn something new as well!
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Hi, i need some regarding alipay and the refund service.
There some problems with my purchase and the seller said she would refund some money to my alipay account. However they were not able to do so. My alipay is not a verified account which i guess is the reason why i couldn’t receive money. However I can’t verifiy my alipay as i do not have a china bank account so how do you guys manage to get refunds usually ?Please help. Thank You !
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Hi JG, overseas users don’t need a China bank account, since credit cards, selected debit cards and Alipay purchase card are accepted on the Alipay platform. The refund would be made via the same way that you had paid the item for. If you had used a credit card to pay, then the refund would be credited back to your credit card. You can contact Taobao SEA if you need help for your Alipay account.
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Hi,thanks for the reply. I made my payment using alipay purchase card and the seller insist to refund into ‘zhi fu bao’.
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Hi JG, Zhifubao/支付宝 is the Chinese name for Alipay. The seller likely meant that he/she will refund back to your Alipay account. The value you bought for your Alipay purchase card tops up the credit for your Alipay account. You should see the refund back in your Alipay account after a few days if the seller has processed the refund.
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Hi, the seller was unable to process the refund. The seller said the account she saw is not a alipay account. Should I give the seller the purchase card number instead ? and just to double confirm alipay account is our mobile number right ?
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Hi JG, when you buy Alipay purchase card, it requires you to provide the email that you use to log in to Alipay, so the Alipay account should be tied to your email account. I’m not sure if the Alipay purchase card number is the information the seller needs for refund, and whether the information can be used to debit and/or credit money. It’ll be best if you can confirm this with Taobao SEA at Singapore tel number 800 188 6018 instead as this is beyond me.
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ok. Thanks for your help !
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I rch the part about parcel package but can’t pay as they need a china account. What can I do?
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Hi David, when you are ready to pay, you will be directed to Alipay. There you should be able to pay with credit card, selected debit cards and AXS purchase card. There is no need for a China account. You can read more here: https://cshall.alipay.com/lab/help_detail.htm?help_id=260823 ; http://overseas.alipay.com/home/index.htm.
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Hi Jenny,
I have recently received a refund into my alipay account. While i was trying to use the money in my account, i realise i do not have the payment password. I was not prompt to change or create any payment password when i created the account back then. So, i tried to retrieve my payment password following the steps i was told. However, the request was rejected. I uploaded my NRIC, passport and even my online banking details as requested by them. I tried a couple of time already but still fail. Now my money is stuck in the account and I can do nothing with it without the password. Could you please advise me on what I can do to retrieve my payment password?
Thank you.
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Hi Ying xuan, have you called Taobao SEA 800 188 6018? Because they may be better equipped to help you rather than the Taobao site which mainly services the buyers in China.
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Is SEA taobao th same as the China Taobao site? Will SEA taobao be able to help me solve the problem with alipay which is link to the China Taobao site?
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Hi Ying xuan, if you had not received satisfactory assistance from Taobao China. then going through Taobao SEA will be your next best option. They should be at least be able to assist in liaising with Taobao China if necessary.
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Hi Yingxuan! I’m actually facing the same problem as you :(Money refunded into my alipay acc but I don’t have the payment password so can’t use that money.. did you manage to retrieve the password? or manage to resolve the issue?
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Hello Jenny,
Good day.
I was looking at http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.KMFZRe and have clicked on the “Set up overseas delivery address” banner, it brings me to a page to 收货地址. In there, i could not find Singapore unless i select 海外 for the country. Am i suppose to select 海外 and look for 新加坡?
Understand that you mentioned that we do not select 海外 only for the China domestic shipping. For this case, do we select 海外?
Let me know. thanks in advance!
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Hi jachia, “Set up overseas delivery address” is where you save your Singapore address (where you want deliveries send to, e.g. your home or office add, etc) when you first set up forwarding. Taobao will save this as your default Singapore address under your Taobao profile that the forwarding agent will be instructed to deliver to in future. Here you can choose 海外 > 新加坡, then your Singapore address. My post stated to not choose 海外 for individual item pages, since that will be instructing sellers to send directly overseas to you, whereas doing so for the “Set up overseas delivery address” under your Taobao profile, it is for instructing to forwarding agents. The forwarding agent is the intermediary who will help you receive items from sellers and keep in warehouse in China until you instruct them to consolidate and send to you in Singapore.
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Got it! Thanks Jenny
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Hi Jenny, thanks for the guide. However I still have some questions regarding the whole purchase thing.
1) I’ve selected for the items to be sent to sg without any forwarder and there were no additional charge. Does that mean the seller is willing to absorb the shipping cost? Or do I still have to choose to ship to a forwarder even though on the order page it doesn’t state that they don’t ship to SG.
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Hi Kean, the Taobao sellers may not state they don’t ship to SG or elsewhere, but Taobao is a China site so it caters primarily to China buyers and will assume that overseas buyers would have set up their own forwarding arrangements. Even if you are able to pay for it, the seller is unlikely to ship it. You will have to cancel your order and get refund for the paid item(s), then set up a forwarder to help you take delivery in China before buying again.
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Hi Jenny, it’s my first time purchasing directly from taobao without an agent on 11.11 promotion. i have yet to receive my parcel yet though from one seller it stated that item shipped and is waiting for me to confirm receipt. & from another seller, she have yet to shipped at all, i have reminded her umpteen times already….i seriously don’t know what i should do now. your advise is very much appreciated. please…. ):
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Hi Yuki, when you mean by without agent, do you mean the official Taobao forwarding agents? Did you select 海外/overseas? Most seller do not ship overseas directly and for others who do usually charge high shipping fees. You have to appoint a forwarding agent first (check out the set-up guide at sea.taobao.com). This could be why the other seller had not shipped. As for the other seller who had shipped, check which address she had delivered to.
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yes, just directly purchased from taobao. I don’t rmb selecting the shipment type, i just add to my cart n check out. which tab is it on taobao to select the forwarding agent? ): how to check which address she had delivered to? ):
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Hi Yuki, it’s not that straightforward for overseas buyers like us to just add to shopping cart and check out, since Taobao is based in China. You’ll need to get a third-party daigou agent or set up a forwarding agent first. Check these guides from Taobao SEA to learn how to choose forwarding agent before buying. http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.YXlFr5 ; http://www.taobao.com/market/sea/howtobuy.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146345.29.YXlFr5
You’ll have to check with the seller directly the address she had shipped to. If it is shipping directly overseas to Singapore, then it’s too late to refund and you’ll have to look out for incurring possibly expensive shipping fee. As for the other seller who has not shipped, do cancel the order and ask for refund, since the seller probably does not ship overseas directly. You can buy the item again after you have set up forwarding service.
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I am international Tao Bao user, having my log in ID and password with TaoBao China.
Do not have any China Bank account.
I normally top up using Tao Bao Card and make my purchase from Tao Bao card.
However, recently my Tao Bao account had been blocked due to security issue.
I am not able to provide my bank account number thus not able to log in Tao Bao account, appreciate if you could advice any solution on this matter?
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Hi Michelle, you need to contact Taobao SEA directly to unlock your account. They may ask you to provide some form of identity verification.
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Hi Jenny I have recently ordered from taobao but accidentally selected the shipping to overseas option on one of my purchases on taobao but managed to inform the seller to send it to my 4pX agent instead. Now it says that the item has been received by the storage factory but theres no option for me to forward it to Singapore like it usually does. Do you know how I could go about it?
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Hi Ying, I suggest you call Taobao SEA or 4PX to fix it so that the system can reflect the forwarding option in your account and the item status can be updated as having arrived at the warehouse.
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Hi Jenny, I understand that Nov 11 some of the items with a special logo had free worldwide shipping so I tried to purchase from Tmall for the first time and input the address to be sent to my place in SG. However till now I have not received anything and when I checked the logistics status is states received and 收货地址: 递四方新马转运仓, [ 广东省 ]转 新加坡 (my address) ]but it also states in another page – 广东省深圳市宝安区宝安区西乡钟屋大广发综合楼4楼递四方速递, am I right to assume this is a warehouse? So I will still need to consolidate my orders and ask 4px to forward to me if not it will remain there even though its says 转 新加坡 (my address)? I tried clicking 单件快递 but they are charging me a small amount for shipping.. so much for free global shipping =(
Thanks in advance for clarifying!
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Hi Marian, that is the address of 4PX warehouse. 递四方 is 4PX. When sellers have delivered to 4PX warehouse in China, you will have to choose which items you need to be consolidated and delivered to your Singapore address, as some buyers may choose not to consolidate all items to one single shipment at one go since the warehouse allows storage up to 20 days. I did not buy during the 11/11 promotion, so I am unsure of the terms and conditions. Some may state that you have to buy on the particular promotional day, others may state consolidation have to be on that day, etc., so buyers have to read the terms and conditions carefully so as to take advantage of the promotions. Many buyers usually line up the items in advance so that they are prepared to maximise on the promotion benefits. You can keep tab on the Taobao SEA Facebook page for more news and information, like the upcoming 12/12 promotion. https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea/posts/617484281689919
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Hi Jenny,
if I would like to pay using DBS Debit Card, do I just click on the DBS Logo even if its in a state in China? Will it affect? I can’t find the Singapore tab for Debit Card payment. Thanks.
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Hi Celestine, I’ve not used DBS debit card for payment before. You may like to check with DBS or Taobao SEA (tel: 800 188 6018) directly.
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Hi Jenny! May I just ask- do you know if the three IFPS agents have agent fees?
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Hi eternallymusicable, the IFPS agents charge delivery fees to Singapore depending on weight of package(s), and holding fees if they have been stored in warehouse for over 20 days. There is no other fees like agent fees, AFAIK.
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Hi Jenny, its my first time shopping in Taobao. But I need to send my items to Thailand do you have any recommended agent or forwarding company I can use for shipping to Thailand? TQ
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Hi Felix, I am not familiar with shipping to Thailand, but there should be third-party agents that can help ship Taobao items to Thailand. You can try search for keywords like “Taobao shipping to Thailand”.
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Hi Jenny!
First time purchasing from daigou, anyway, I am thinking if I should ship all items to the same warehouse, i got 6 items at shanghai (SH) & 5 items at Guangzhou (GZ). However, I am not sure how long will it takes to ship from GZ to SH, afraid it will be more than 20days!
Yet my friends choose to ship by economy air! if ship to different warehouse will incurred more cost? Cos it will shipped by air 2 times? haha..
Any suggestion?
Thankyou very much! haha,
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also, i should not consolidated package into 1? haha.
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Hi xin, I’ve not tried to ship from one warehouse to another. Best to check with your daigou how long it will take. I’ve always thought shipping within China is via land instead of air, but you can confirm that with daigou. You can do a cost comparison of shipping two shipments from two warehouses to Singapore vs transferring from one warehouse to another for consolidation into a single bigger and heavier package before shipping to Singapore.
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Hello, do you know what are the reasons for not allowing christmas deco(ball) to be shipped to singapore? I bought them and sent them to lequgo but they say the custom won’t allow christmas deco balls… Or anything that’s in the shape of a ball -_-
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Hi JN, I am not aware of such restrictions but every agent has its own different list of restricted or special goods. You can check with another agent to see if they allow shipping of such items.
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4px do allow the shipment of these christmas decoration balls , but shanghai ‘s lequgou doesn’t.
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i’ve asked them for the reason and they said that it just can’t be shipped over , no reason for it.
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I topup alipay at AXS, then how I enter the topup details when I buy at taobao?
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Hi mike, when you purchase an Alipay stored value amount from AXS, you will be given a receipt with a code/password that you can input when you next log in to make payment in Alipay for your Taobao purchase. Remember to use the same email address that you have registered your Taobao account.
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Hi Jenny, when purchasing an Alipay stored value amount from AXS. Input the E-Mail Address and Contact Number. Does the eReceipt contains all the information for topping up the Alipay Account?
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Hi kSerlee, the receipt from buying the Alipay purchase card value at AXS will come with a passcode that you can input to top up the credit when logged in to Alipay. This is why it is important to ensure that you provide the same email address as the one you use to log in to Taobao/Alipay when you buy the purchase card.
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Hi Jenny,
The passcode that you referring to is from the receipt or eReceipt?
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Hi kSerlee, the 6-digit passcode or PIN was printed on the receipt issued by AXS when I last bought the purchase card early 2014. I also received an email from AXS with the same information – I assume this is what you referred to as the eReceipt?
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Hi I chance upon this article of urs as I jus started on Taobao…I signed an account but my Mandarin isn’t good…so I cldnt understand at all on the zhi fu Bao….or any other settings…
Would u be able to guide me please?
thank you.
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Hi Jas, you can call Taobao SEA for assistance as my post is only meant as a basic starting guide. Nevertheless, you will need a basic understanding of Chinese else to buy on Taobao since the Taobao website, communication with sellers and forwarding agent etc are in Chinese. Alternatively, you can buy through third-party daigou agents.
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Hi Jenny, I bought a double-sided clock recently from TB but only one side of the clock is functioning, the other side is malfunction. Reported to seller thru sg agent. Since returning the faulty product will incur expensive shipping cost, I repair it in sg (agreed by seller) for SGD18 but seller insist to compensate only RMB30 & I was told to accept it by the sg agent. What else can I do?
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Hi fleeting shadow, if the sg agent had gauged the situation and given the advice, then there is little else you can do. You can give your feedback on seller (评价)about your experience as a cautionary note to other would-be buyers, or you can try consult Taobao for mediation. It happened to me before and I could only write off as a ‘bad debt’ when there was no other resolution. As I had noted in my blog post, handling refunds or returns damaged or wrong items is a risk that comes with online shopping on overseas websites, and Taobao has its fair share of detractors in this case.
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Hi Jenny, I use Prouter forwarding agent but delivery address enter incompletely when registering. Item already left warehouse. Do you know Prouter Singapore contact number and warehouse address?
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Thanks Jenny for the advice!
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I’ve requested refunds (no need to send back item) from seller before & the amount was refunded back to my alipay account which i can use to offset for future payments.
If u can write chinese, U can contact seller via Aliwangwang to request for refund. However, coz of used agent to order for you, i’m not sure if the amount will go into their alipay or yours.
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Hi grace, the contact numbers are on Prouter’s website. http://www.prouter.com/
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hi. i am currently stuck in a situation. i have chosen an shipping option which is shipping overseas for 30yuan. but the seller said he don’t provide shipping overseas and advised me to find an agent. but i have already paid for my product together with the 30yuan shipping option which can’t even ship overseas. so i refund and buy again? or any other suggestions anyone?TQ:)
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Hi nick chan, you are right that you should apply for refund and buy again, this time using agent. You can choose to use the forwarding agents that Taobao SEA offers, or a third-party daigou agent if you want less hassles.
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however if i refund i will get back the full amount?:)
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Hi nick chan, you should be able to get the full amount back unless the seller’s disclaimer during purchase has added conditions.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
Thank you for all your help!
I recently made a purchase from taobao, opting 4px but self-collection – which means I opt for the popstation. However, I just received a message that the courier will be making delivery to my house when they do not have my address? (only the popstation address)
And the courier delivering out my order is singpost (I’ve tracked my order number on its website) – any idea who I should call or do?
Thank you!
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Hi Gladys, did you enter your address when you registered for Taobao? That is one possible way where they could have your address. I read that lockers in some POPstation locations are full which resulted in some buyers who had chosen POPstation to be transferred to deliveries, not sure how true it is. Since you had found out that Singpost is arranging your delivery, you can contact Singpost directly with your tracking number and arrange with them the suitable delivery time.
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Hi Jenny, thank you for your advice! Singpost eventually sent it to the popstation and notified me on it! So I received my parcel safely! (:
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How did you get the tracking number??
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Hi Danny, you can find it under 我的淘宝 > 已买到的宝贝 > 国际集运 > 我的集运订单 tab > 查看集运物流.
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Hi, this is my 1st time knowing about TB, would like to check which website should i use to purchase items from TB. TQ
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Hi annie, sea.taobao.com is the site that you purchase from if you are from South East Asia. Currently Taobao offers a few forwarding agents that can consolidate and deliver purchases for buyers from Singapore and Malaysia. For users who are unsure of how to do so themselves, they will go to third-party agents who are based in Singapore/Malaysia but with China delivery capability and can help them buy and deliver directly without the hassles. You can also check out this very active discussion thread from HWZ – http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/%5Bofficial-poison-thread%5D-edmw-taobao-buying-guide-part-5-a-4869686.html .
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Thanks Jenny.
How about have you know of http://www.sgshop.com/ if we are in Singapore? Are we safe to purchase from this web?
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Hi annie, I’ve heard of sgshop as one of the daigou agents in Singapore but I’ve not tried any daigou agent before so I can’t give my advice. I did a quick search and there are many blogs who document their experiences with the various daigou agents so you can compare them.
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My order status on Prouter is : Cargo released , in transit to Singapore for many days.. ANnd I need the goods to go overseas =( This time , its taking longer
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Hi Soh, do contact Prouter on Aliwangwang or their local delivery company if you know which one they use on the status.
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Besides using credit card & eNets, i also used AXS Alipay top up (支付宝) to pay for some of my purchases this time.
支付宝 exchange rate is better (4.7) vs credit card (4.58 – 4.61).
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Juz to share a piece of good news; i paid for 4px 国际转运 on mon morning & i received my loot today afternoon (2 days). Very pleasantly surprised at the speed, as my last order took >2 wks a few mths ago.
Looks like delivery timeline has resumed.
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Hi Aileen, that’s good news indeed! Prior to the Sep/Oct delays which dragged for 2~3 weeks, the usual delivery speed for 4PX was around 4-5 working days after paying forwarding, but it looks like it has become even faster now! Oops, you are tempting me to buy more now…
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Hi, do you need to add in 65 for the handphone number, under 收货地址 > 手机号码. Will I be able to receive SMS notification from the forwarder if I just input my 8 handphone number?
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* 8 digits handphone number.
Thanks 🙂
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Hi Eugene, yes, add a 65 in front of your mobile number. However, SMS notifications are dependent on the agents.
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Hello Jenny, I used lequgou and they chose to send my item to XDEL delivery in Singapore to deliver my items to me. Is the service fast and safe? 🙂 TQ
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Hi smileytoad, I have not used XDEL before so I am unable to share my experience. Did lequgo provide a number to call?
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No they didnt 😦 Customs in SG were cleared 2 days ago and apparently it was ‘In transit to XDEL delivery’. Heard no new since then. Anything I can do? Thank you!
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Hi smileytoad, try to aliwangwang lequgo for the delivery status, or give a call to Taobao SEA 800 188 6018 to see if they can help you.
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…best not to use them…slower than ..and purposely tell you got to pay xtra with crap reasons else they will hold up your shipment for a long time. their customer service takes aeons to reply,..if at all. i have since stopped using them. for items located in Shanghai area, i will purposely choose goods that have free courier and deliver to Guangzhou and use 4PX instead. cheers all.
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Hi Jenny,
I am sorry that you have indirectly become a “Taobao helpdesk” but i would really appreciate for your advice and if you can share with me your knowledge with this TB purchase.
I just purchased a liquid item (hair product) and i selected the forwarder 4PX.
I heard from my friend that the charges for “Special Air” to send the liquid item is very expensive, RM 125 /kg. My item is just RMB 60 and therefore i wrote to them to request for them to cancel the order. Of course within an hour from buying, the CS shared that she has already mailed out the item.
Then I understand from 4PX that they do not deliver liquid items at all.
how do i just get my refund now ?? :(((
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Hi Kerin, I suggest you can explain to the seller about the restrictions and expensive freight for shipping the ‘special good’ to Singapore, so you have no choice but to apply for a return and refund. Many sellers are understanding towards such reasons. There’s also a 退款/退货 button under the bought item, and you can provide your reason before you submit the refund/return request. As a last resort, you can call Taobao SEA to assist and mediate.
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Hello, may I know how long it usually takes for packages to clear the custom in Singapore? 🙂 TQ!
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Hi smileytoad, it usually takes around 1~2 days to clear Singapore customs, although it depends on the volume handled at customs as well as certain special goods which may require longer inspection.
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Thank you for your reply 🙂 anyway, I also made a purchase on 11/11 since Taobao held a promotion (I bet you also know about this too!) but I still could not merge my orders in a single batch for the forwarding agent service. A small window/box popped out but my chrome couldn’t translate it and the statement is not copy-able. Do u have any idea on what is actually going on? is it because of the process takes longer time to handle many customers? but if that so, the countdown is really counting down >.<
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Hi Ain, do you have a screenshot of the window message? Perhaps you can show us here so we can help you?
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Hello Jenny 🙂
I’ve ordered a few days ago directly from Taobao, and after the items had reached the warehouse, I received the confirmation to make payment for the 转运费(which I did), and apparently now its in HongKong ‘pending customs release’. What does that mean? How long will it take for my items to reach me from that stage? Sorry, first time ordering so I’m a little confused. Hope that you can help me a little 🙂 TQ!
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Hi tonia, some forwarding agents ship via HK to SG, hence the customs clearance in HK. Delivery normally takes a few days or a week, but if there is a recent sales promotion, like the 11/11 sales day, the large volume of shipments may cause delays of additional week or longer.
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Hello Jenny Teo, I’m Ain from Malaysia. I’ve been purchasing from sea.taobao.com for so many times but only this time I forgot to tick the “forwarding agent service” box. So, I made a refund and now the refund is in my Alipay account but it does not seems to be fully mine.It requires me to wait because the process takes 1-5 days. Today is the second day. I wonder, where will my refund money be at after this. Will it be in my balance account on Alipay or will it be directly transferred to my Maybank account (since I use maybank for payments). Or… do I have to have a Chinese bank account or etc(like what i’ve read on most posts related to refund problems)
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Hi Ain Salleh, my previous experience was that the refund was credited via the same way payment was made. For me, it’s credit card. If you still haven’t received it via Maybank, you can contact Taobao Malaysia for assistance.
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Hello Jenny its me again 🙂
It now says: 2014-11-13 16:08:00 Sent Out from warehouse , in transit to is HK
Does this mean that its flying to HongKong first then to SG? When you were purchasing, were u ever at this stage? Sorry for bugging you but approximately how long does it take for the parcel to get to SG from here?
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Hi galaxypoopie, some forwarders ship via HK to SG, and this may or may not reflect in status depending on agents. Delivery time may vary from few days to a week, but if there are large volumes being shipped due to recently concluded sale, it may take two weeks or longer.
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hello, i’ve already ordered 😀 how long does it take for the item to arrive to Singapore once it says ‘已经打包完成,等待集中运送’?:)
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Hi galaxypoopie, it depends on the speed the China customs clear the goods. Since 11/11 sales had recently concluded, there may be delays given the large volume of sales. It can take even a month if the recent customs delays were anything to go by. The usual speed is around less than a week.
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ohh i see thank you so much 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
lately I noticed that there is a new 4PX receiving stores open up almost every part of Singapore, like in Jurong West, Jurong East, Clementi, and many more…. These stores supposed for you to receipt the items as when the goods arrives in Singapore, you need to select this option when you pay-off the items through转运服务request. The goods will no longer deliver to your house instead it will await you at these area stores to be picked up by yourself. Such ease of waiting service I like it.
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Hi All,
To keep you inform that for the past one week the delays is caused due to custom checking in China.Many shipment were held up by china custom due to sensitive items eg:battery shipment, brands item. Shipment delivery expect to restore back to normal within a week time.So a piece of advise: don’t purchase any branded item or battery items at the moment till things are being sorted out in China side.
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Hello…..Jennyteo,
I really need your help to give me some export forwarder (Taobao) contact like address and phone numbers, to delivery from shanghai to singapore. Things to deliver like cupboard, cabinet bcoz suppliers dont deliver out from china.
Thank you.
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Hi ly, you can search for taobao daigou agents in Singapore. They’re third party agents who charge a fee to help with such forwarding.
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I’ve bought some metal plates from taobao and have reached the warehouse for about 4-5 days now . When i want to pay the forwarding fee , i can’t see any of my 宝贝 in the 转运订单.. I’ve asked the customer service , they didn’t reply again. Have you had such problem before?
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Hi JN, you should find 已入库宝贝, because 转运订单 refers to the shipment that had already been consolidated and shipped out.
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Hi Jenny, need help with one of my taobao transaction. I can not find the orange button for fowarding option. I think it’s because I left it passed the 10 days (money releases to the seller already). So can not pay the warehouse to ship the items to my address. Thank you for your help.
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Could it be orange button gone because the items had moved from 待收货 to 待评价
If I need to contact the fowarder myself, maybe I store the items passed 20 free days and need pay extra, how to go about it? thank you for your help.
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Hi winata, you can check 已买到的宝贝>国际集运 to check if your items are there. You should be able to consolidate the items that have arrived at the warehouse, even if your other items may already have been at the warehouse for over 20 days. The extra payment for storage over 20 days should be made together with the forwarding fees via Alipay. Best to direct your queries about your items with the forwarding agent via Aliwangwang or you can call Taobao office in Singapore/Malaysia.
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Hi Jenny, I found the answer, found it under 国际集运. Thank you regardless. So nice of you to help and answer people’s questions.
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Hi there. I can’t seem to get my alipay password back! And i don’t remember signing up for me. Could you please help me? 😦
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Hi Danielle, I am not affiliated with Taobao so I can’t help you. If you are referring to Alipay login password, you can use your Taobao password to access Alipay by using the 淘宝会员登入/ Taobao member login link (it is in smaller print just below the orange 登入 button). You can call Taobao Singapore for assistance.
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Hello ! Have you used 樂趣購 b4? Cause 3 days ago i asked them a question and they have yet to reply… 😦 i ordered some boxes and it has reached the warehouse but don’t allow me to 合併訂單.. Do you know why this will happen?
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Hi JN, I used it only once during its promotion last year, but had never communicated with them before. Sometimes customer service officers (for many forwarders) are not very prompt in responding on alww. I have not encountered problems with 合并订单 before. It is something only the forwarders can tweak at the back-end. You can try call Taobao Singapore who should have ways to directly contact the forwarders to resolve your problems.
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may i have their number? Thanks for replying!
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Hi JN, you can call Taobao Singapore at 800 188 6018.
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thank you 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
I received a text from a number stating that their attempt to deliver my packages was unsuccessful and that they will leave a delivery advice with collection instructions. As it was supposed to deliver to a shop, there was no one in yet and when we checked, there were no delivery advice anywhere. How exactly do I follow up? I am not sure which is my forwarding agent (I don’t understand a word of Mandarin and I have a friend who is helping). When I checked order details, both is written that 包裹派送中.
I am at my wits’ end at what to do. Please help, thank you!
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Hi elle, did you buy through your own Taobao account? If yes, do get your friend to help you check the delivery order number, then call Taobao Singapore at 800 188 6018 to assist. They should be able to find out the local delivery company. Did you also try to SMS back the phone number that you received the text from?
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Nowadays I don’t receive SMS anymore.. Anyone encounter this?
Has the forwarding fr Shenzhen back to normal? i.e. Around 3-5 working days after item 出库?I’m trying out another forwarded through Shanghai by surface (cos my item is bulky, end up I pay S$20 for 5+kg), see how soon I can get it…
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Hi, interested to know how soon the Shanghai forwarder shipment arrived at your place, can you feedback this information to me?
Thank you!
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My surface shipment via Shanghai has finally arrived! The actual weight is 4.5kg, volume weight is is 5kg, paid $20 for surface forwarding serv.
Item received at forwarder’s shanghai warehouse on 22/10. Item arrived singapore today 7/11. About 2 weeks, faster than expected!
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Hi magdonaldmag,
Many thanks for the info. As you mentioned that the price for shipment about S$20/ look-like it was much cheaper than 4px. May I know which is the shipping agent at Shanghai and how can I contact them or way of how to link through Taobao same as Taobao SEA process?
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Hi magdonaldmag, I still received SMS last week on the day my parcel came, though I did encounter no SMSes sent before. From what I read from the very active HWZ forum thread (http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/%5Bofficial-poison-thread%5D-edmw-taobao-buying-guide-part-4-a-4743493.html), it looked like those parcels that were shipped out after 25th Oct by the forwarder going through Shenzhen were received in 5 days, so the speed seemed to have recovered.
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Hello!! Really amazed at your patience in answering everybody’s questions, and thanks for answering mine the other time!! I just wanted to ask, have you ever received the SMS where your parcel is out for delivery today, and yet it doesn’t come? The first time my parcel came in early afternoon. Now I’m awaiting for my second parcel (they sent me the sms) and it’s not here yet T^T do they do deliveries at night too..? :O
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Hi jazeltwy, I try my best even though I may not have the answers sometimes. I did receive a parcel around 8+pm before. I guess it depends on their load for that day. They may be overloaded at times so some parcels may experience some further delay for a day or two. You can check with the agent if you have yet to receive by tomorrow.
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Haha, didn’t receive anything today in the end! To think that I ran to the door each time the doorbell rang only to be disappointed! (For the first time in ages my doorbell rang three times(!!) and none of them were here with my taobao package… T^T) Shall continue keeping my eyes peeled to the door tomorrow then 😀 Thank you for your prompt reply, really appreciate it!
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Hi jenny! Any idea if we could change the delivery address with speedpost when the parcel arrives in SG? I use 4px service too but the cust service inform I could choose POPstation during my checkout so I did not enter my full address. In the end, I did not find the popstation option, and the address I gave was not full. And the parcel was sent out by 4px. 😦
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Hi Passion, you need to contact 4PX via aliwangwang to give your address, else they won’t be able to deliver to your doorstep. You can also contact Taobao Singapore helpline to explain your situation and seek their assistance to resolve this problem.
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Jenny, The seller help to extent the date of receiving, however I think his not so friendly, he said that there is acknowledgement fr sheng zheng think is forwarding agent means I already received the parcel. Also said that I used 4px forwarding agent why go to them. They only from fo San to sheng zheng.
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Hi Cammy, the forwarding agent is receiving the item from the seller on your behalf, without which you won’t be able to buy from China sellers on Taobao. To the seller, when the agent receives the item in the warehouse for you, it is considered that the seller has fulfilled its delivery, and that if there is any problem, it will be between you and agent, not seller.
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Jenny, thanks, at least now i have a clear picture. i’ve bought from 2 different seller, 1 is very helpful to check for me on my parcel, the other one is the one who i highlighted earlier, that is why it make me confious on who should i check with.
If in this case, means that the forwarding agent received on behalf of me, in case the parcel not deliver, are they going to compensate us with the goods price and the forwarding fees or we only can claim/hv the refund of the forwarding fees only? or if the parcel missing, can i ask for the refund from the seller? Hope that you don’t mind that i ask so many question, and also hope that you can have the answer for me, as i am first time buyer, sometime will feel worrie that i choose the right online shopping (Taobao).
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Hi Cammy, after you have bought an item, you can keep track of its delivery status under 已买到的宝贝 for peace of mind. You may liaise with seller about the item’s delivery status too until it reaches warehouse, when the item will then be reflected as 已入库. You can refer to the agent for queries while the item is at the warehouse until it is delivered to you. The probability of missing items is quite low, since both sellers and agents have handled thousands or sales before. I’ve shipped many times and so far all my items have reached me safely. Contact the seller for refunds if the parcel goes missing before it reaches the warehouse. On the other hand, contact the agent for refunds if the parcel is lost while with the forwarding agent. If there is any dispute on refunds, you can contact Taobao Malaysia helpline to resolve.
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Hi Jenny i would like to ask u that why my items did not show at the 国际集运’s 待集运宝贝? It only shows at the 待入库宝贝 and my items that are at the 待入库宝贝 only have 3 buttons which is 待入库,订单详情 and 查看物流.And in my 已买到的宝贝, have 2 buttons.Green one stating 集运订单 and orange stating 处理转运Are u able to help?I don’t know what to do now. I hope u give me tips asap:)
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Hi Callista , 待入库宝贝 means the items have not arrived at the warehouse. When the items reach the warehouse, the status will change to 待集运宝贝, and you can then consolidate for shipping.
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Hi jenny, I’m from malaysia. 1st time buy from taobao, set the delivery using 4px service, 20/10 seller already delivered the goods to warehouse 21/10 warehouse shown 己发货,I not yet receive. ( I check with seller said parcel already acknowledge by sheng zheng forwarding agent this means I’ve received the parcel). So I can only check with 4 px? Not the seller? Await for yr reply. Tq.
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Hi Cammy, I assume you had already consolidated the parcel to be sent to Malaysia? Mine left warehouse on 18 Oct and only received in Singapore yesterday. 4PX is facing a lot of delays in recent weeks though the speed seemed to have improved a little. As your items are now with 4PX, so you should check the delivery status with 4PX and not the seller any more.
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Hello! Have you bought any items that require you to just pay a deposit? Cos in my case, I want to purchase an item that they will only send out once they reach a certain amount of orders, so they get their customers to pay a deposit first. I’m more worried about the second payment, I have no idea how they will charge me instead. Since the only method of payment I know is when checking out of shopping cart and paying for shipping fees.
If you have any advise that’ll be good, thank you!
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Hi Sweetiepie, that sounds like a spree. I’ve not participated in any sprees (not even the local ones) so I am unsure about the process of paying in stages. You may like to check with the seller if they accept overseas buyers first, and if yes, how to go about making payments.
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Hi Jenny:
My consolidated package have left the china warehouse since 22oct…
Til now they is no news I contacted them on Aliwangwang but all they told me was that the package left the warehouse and is on the way…
Will my package go missing
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Hi JunjieL, don’t worry too much. Mine was out of China warehouse on 18 Oct, and the status was never updated until yesterday when it arrived in Singapore. The parcel reached me today, so it took 10 days. My last parcel which arrived two weeks ago was sent out 2+ weeks before, so there is improvement now, though I think it’s hard to match the delivery time of ~4 days from the earlier days any more.
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Hi Jenny, thanks for the reply.
The status have just been updated this morning as per following:
2014-10-30 19:28:34货物到达目的地港口
2014-11-01 07:12:01货物已抵达新加坡,等待海关放行
As much as I can understand mandarin, 达目的地港口 and 新加坡 isn’t it the same? like Singapore and port of Singapore.. why the 2days lapse?
Any idea if 4px does delivery on Sundays ?
thanks!
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Hi JunjieL, not too sure why the 2 day delay, maybe the port was too busy and they had to queue? Have not tried receiving from 4PX on Sundays, so not sure if they do deliveries on Sun, but usually they will send a sms on the day of delivery.
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Hi Jenny,
Just FYI, I have tried to communicate with those agents who used the containers to ship out from Shanghai and deliver to your house by local sub-con, it was not trust worthy though that they given with advertised consolidating at warehouse & packing fees cost only @$1/= per item as when you want to buy certain items through them , they later will tell you your item is a special item need to pay more cost on freight hence this will edge up the cost . So far asked them to quote a few items but with totalized cost are more them the 4PX charges. Watch-up!
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Hi Jk Foo, I agree with you that it is important to compare the agents and see which offer better value. One problem is that the definition of sensitive items differ among agents, e.g. some list earphones as sensitive goods while others may consider them as normal goods. However, there is no way of knowing it beforehand unless the buyers check one by one with the agent.
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Hi. recently i encountered the same problem. Lequgo told me one of my consolidated package (I have 2) contained an electrical hairbrush and I would need to pay RMB188 to be handled as a special good. Also my the other consolidated package contained liquid and would need to be shipped inland (guonei). I got no choice but to pay the extra monies and told them to remove the liquid from the first package cos i don want to ship guonei. Luckily the liquid were some chlorine tester which is cheap and I dont mind removing them. This is my first purchase from taobao and my experience with the freight forwarders have been bad. Until today, the items are still awaiting shipment (daichuku)..i may try 4PX subsequently.
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Hi kohsy, there can be quite a bit of trial and error when it comes to choosing forwarders. You can search through reviews on various forums to see which are the more popular ones among buyers and also their experiences with the shipping of certain items that may or may not be classified as sensitive goods depending on forwarders.
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hello! If i use other shipping agent like the one located at shanghai , will the shipment time be faster as compared to 4px?
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Hi JN, it is likely that the time may be faster going via Shanghai since it seemed that the delays are due to Shenzhen customs for now. However, since I have not tried the services of other forwarding agents, I’m not sure about the service and time lead.
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Hi Jenny, may I know how or where do I register ro receive SMS notification when the parcels have arrived at the forwarding agent?
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Hi Lynn, when registering for Taobao, it would have asked for your personal details incl mobile no. If you have provided it, you should be able to receive SMS notifications. You can check your account profile under Taobao. However, I’m unsure if all the forwarding agents provide the same SMS notification service.
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I got my package using prrouter when I ship the order from China on 16 Oct. But the problem is the speedometer that I ordered is not working. Advice not to buy electronic stuff from Taobao.
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Hi genesis, it is possible to receive faulty or damaged items, such is the risk with online shopping. The problem for overseas buyers is the inability to return for refunds unlike buyers in China who can do so.
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hi jenny,
do u buy from seller that onli sell directly oversea without going through forwarded ?
i had made payment without having to pay the shipping fee(selected oversea). moreover the seller already sent out the items using tian tian courier. but the tracking number provided doesnt allow me to track. tried aliwongwong the seller, but no respond receive. so does the item sent straight to singapore?
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Hi pinkygal89, I’ve never bought from seller who ships directly overseas as the delivery cost is usually much higher than going through agent who does so in bulk thus lower costs. You have to liaise directly with the seller in this case since only the seller is able to inform you about the delivery status.
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I’ve contacted 4px already. They said that they have alr send the package out . I’ve checked using my comp , it says 確認收貨,n when i check the 物流,nothing have been posted 😦 they say that it’s at the china’s custom since oct 17.
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Hi JN, I contacted 4PX too and had the same answer. My package is still held up at the customs with no further updates. So again, we wait…
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my package already received update . The 物流 is now 货物已到达目的地港口 so i guess i’ll receive it this week ! 🙂
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Hi JN, good for you, and it’s my turn to envy you! Mine was out from warehouse since 18 Oct, and no further updates since then 😦 Sigh…
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I’ve received mine today morning ! I guess your’s would be out already too? Prolly depends on the things you bought i guess 🙂
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Hi JN, thanks for your words. You must be my lucky star – I just checked the status again, and it suddenly updated to having arrived in Singapore and waiting for customs to clear! Likely it will reach me tomorrow, crossing fingers.
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Hi Jenny,
Just curious, does it take very long to clear singapore’s custom?
And once it clear singapore’s custom, would 4px give us a text?
Thanks a lot. 🙂
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Hi nnylla, usually it takes a few days or a week to ship to SG, but increased shipment volume due to sales promotions may cause delays of an extra week or even longer.
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Hi Jenny,
I’m facing a problem. I cannot seem to understand what is the message that they send to me when I am paying. (You Use Alipay now but the password widget does not support the current circumstances. Check code: 316252 (Alipay) ) What should I do with this code. They won’t allow me to pay. D: What do I do?
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Hi CyberToniX, a few commenters below also had the same problem as you. It seems to be a technical issue so you’ll have to contact Taobao to resolve the problem.
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basically when you want to pay, there will be a box for you to enter your alipay password, and another box below for you to enter that code. The instructions are written there.
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Hi Jenny,
I received an sms saying that their attempt so deliver my package was unsuccessful. They have left a delivery advice with collection instructions. But where do i locate the instructions?
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Hi cystal, did you mean the delivery advice with instructions did not mention the location for collection? You can contact your forwarding agent to find out where you can self-collect.
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Hello ! I have paid for 4px 国际转运 since oct 16 afternoon but they have yet to send my package out. What should i do? I contacted 4px via 旺信 but they didn’t reply .
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Hi JN, I have the same problem as you, and I paid on 13 Oct T.T. 4PX can be tardy in their alww responses, so you have to try a few more times, perhaps with different agents (they have different numbered agents on at different times).
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hi jenny,
i ordered a few pieces from TB. however, the dealer insisted that they have sent out the dresses in 2 batches, one day after another. today i have received one of the packages and theres a few dresses missing. how do i find out from 4px that there will be 2 packages?
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Hi JT, check with your seller if the two batches have two different delivery order numbers, because I believe the forwarding agents identify each delivery by its DO number. It’ll be difficult for 4PX to track a single delivery order number but with packages that are sent separately, but you can try check with them if the warehouse still has any package remaining in the warehouse with the specific DO number.
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Hello Jenny! Thank you for your guide and in clearing all our doubts! I am a first time user of taobao and my 4px delivery status has been stuck at 境内包裹出库 for more than a week already 😦 And there’s this msg: “当前订单状态: 卖家已发货,等待买家确认. 您还有 1天22小时20分23秒来完成本次交易的”确认到货”。 逾期未操作,系统将自动确认收货,将货款支付给卖家(4px财务收款)。如果您还未收到货,可以与卖家联系,申请“延长收货时间”。如果您收到货不满意,可以申请“退款”。May I know how do I go about this? Does it mean that it will auto-confirm delivery after the days stated even though I have not received my items? What if I don’t receive my goods? 😦 What can I do now/how do I contact them about this?
Thanks a lot for your help! Sorry for the many questions!
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Hi JL, with the recent delays, it has become impossible to 确认收货 in time anymore as Taobao can’t hold back payment to seller for too long. You can try 延长收货时间 with seller to delay the payment time. 4PX has been successful in delivering the parcels despite the delays, so the possibility of not receiving your goods is very low. Nevertheless, if the payment has gone through yet you fail to receive your goods in the end, the last resort will be to contact Taobao to raise dispute and apply for refunds.
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Hi dear,
I have this 1 day 16 hrs notification for an item that has arrived at the warehouse. I dont quite understand what it means. Can you help ? This is what i received after googling.. 指你需要向转运商支付从转运商仓库至你所指定的海外收货地址所需的所有运费。如果你未支付转运费,那你所购买的包裹将会保存在转运商仓库中并不会直接按你的海外收货地址寄出。
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Hi Avery, the message is truncated so I may not have understood it completely, but it seemed to imply that your items in the China forwarder warehouse are about to use up the free storage period of 20 days? You will need to pay the forwarder to consolidate and ship the items to Singapore. If you do not do so asap, you will incur additional holding fee which will be charged on these items on a daily basis until you have paid the forwarder to ship to SG. If you have other queries, do check with Taobao SEA.
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Hi Jenny!
Thanks for putting up such a detailed guide and answering so many questions! 🙂
Like many, my shipping status from 4PX has been 境内包裹出库 for some time now and its so frustrating, guess there’s nothing I can except to wait 😦
I have another parcel that just arrived to 4PX, however I have not consolidated and have not paid as well because I’m thinking of changing the forwarding agent. I fb messaged Taobao SEA and they told me i can try using a third party forwarding company, however I’m not sure what options are there and how do I go about doing it?
Really hope you’d be able to help! 🙂 Thank you!!!
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Hi poh, thanks for dropping by! Yeah, it has been exasperating for many 4PX users (like me) recently due to the more stringent customs check, but I guess 4PX is equally frustrated as they are also burdened by the extra long time and customer complaints. Unfortunately I have not tried any third party forwarding company before, so I am unable to share my experience. You can google for third party taobao agents that service Singapore buyers and reviews on them to see which are the more trustworthy and affordable options. You can then approach a few agents to find out how they can help you get your items from the 4PX warehouse to their storage.
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Hi all, just to share with you that Taobao SEA is offering live chat 16 Oct – 10 Nov in the evening 7pm-11pm on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea . Their CSOs will be on hand to provide prompt responses to your queries.
“从10月16日-11月10日,晚上7点-11点,我们FB将会有客服在线教亲们如何注册淘宝、搜索、收藏、付款等等!!!还没有注册淘宝的您,今晚可以在线询问哦。
Start from Oct 16 to Nov 10, we will have customer service online
in FB to teach you how to register,search for product and make payment etc… welcome to join us here from 7pm ~~ 11pm.”
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Hi, Jenny. I wanted to make payment using 马来西亚银行,however, I was stuck at this stage. I couldn’t make any payment and I received a message stated : “you use alipay now but the password widget does not support the current circumstances check code,…”. Please advise what should I do in order to make payment.
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Hi TRACY, it could be a technical issue. Do call Taobao helpline as they should be able to guide you through the process.
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Thanks Jenny. I think Chrome on Windows 8 doesn’t support Alipay plug-in. So i tried it on IE and my payment can go through.
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I have the same message :(((((((((((
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Finally arrived Malaysia after 17 days. Only when the parcel clear the custom in Malaysia yesterday, Airpak then send sms of the status. This morning sms again for the delivery. Inspect the items visually and seems ok. So hopefully all is ok when I got time to test it. ^-^
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The 29th sept chu ku batch has been received today. More than 2 weeks. Hopefully the delay is caused by clearing the back log fr their national day. Otherwise will have to consider trying out other forwarder..
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Received today
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks for your very useful guide. May I ask for your help please.
I’ve got a refund amount from 2 sellers and they refunded the money into my aliwangwang account (i paid for the goods via CC, but refund was made to aliwangwang). However I seem to be unable to withdraw the money nor utilize it.. is it possible to do so and how do I go about doing it?
Thanks!
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Hi Pam, aliwangwang is a chatting platform and does not handle payments. What you received were probably alww messages alerting you to the refunds. The refunds should have been made back to the way you paid, i.e. your credit card. The statuses of the affected items should also reflect the refunds under your Taobao account. You can check your credit card bill a few days later to see if the refunds have come in. If you don’t see them, do call Taobao SEA.
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Curious. What payment mode is everyone using?
I tried credit card. Convenient but was unhappy with the exchange rate (4.7x) & admin fees (3%).
I tried top up alipay (支付宝)thru AXN since end Aug. Rate in Aug Sept was around 4.8x. & no admin chrg.
Anyone has other payment mode to recommend? Thanks.
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I see, thank you so much Jenny. It was strange because when I tried to make payment my usual way (cc), they had an option for me to utilize the refund amt so I thought it was stored separately. Thank you once again(:
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Hi Jenny,
Just realized the amount is in Alipay, not aliwangwang. Seems like I must submit a whole host of docs before I can utilize the amt. I have no idea how I can withdraw the cash, wonder if you can help?
I apparently also have a 100yuan hongbao but cant use it =/
Thanks!(:
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Hi magdonaldmag, I use mainly credit card for payment since it’s the most convenient, although it comes with 3% fee. Many use Alipay purchase card since there is no additional fees. The eNets payment option (for Singapore) incurs S$1 fee.
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Hi Pam, an Alipay account is also created when you sign up with Taobao. You can use your Taobao password to access Alipay by using the 淘宝会员登入/ Taobao member login link (it is in smaller print just below the orange 登入 button). If the Alipay hongbao has been credited to your account, you should be able to use it to offset part of your next payment, and pay the rest as normal. Some hongbaos are not applicable for overseas buyers because of the requirement to tie a China mobile no to the account. If you are still unable to use the refund and hongbao credit amount, do call Taobao SEA for assistance.
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Anybody received their shipment sent out on 29 Oct yet?
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Do you mean 29th Sep? Mine was sent out on 29 Sep, not yet received. I’m guessing Wed/Thu?
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Do you mean the shipping status have been “境内包裹出库” since 29 Sep?
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Yep
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Opps my bad, ya should be Sept 29.
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My reply to an earlier post: my parcel 境内包裹出库 date was on 23 Sep and arrived at my house on 9 Oct, for your reference. It’s the first time I encountered this delay of >2 weeks – prior to this, it usually takes 3-4 business days.
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Mine was sent out of china around that date too but i have yet to receive. However status shoes 确认收货 already.. .what does this mean. means tollsg received from 4px but yet to deliver to me?
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I’ve one jing nei chu ku on 29 sept. Still no news till today. Getting frustrated with it since it was used to be only 3-5 working days. Wonder if it will be faster if we use different forwarding agent? Like vpost (anyone tried b4?) though I think the problem is the speed of clearing the custom at Shenzhen….
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Hi tin, the parcel status should only show 确认收货 when you have signed for its delivery. Do check if any of your family has done so on your behalf. If not, please contact 4PX asap.
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Hi magdonaldmag, if the speed was the same as mine, you should receive by this week. No choice except to keep waiting for that. Many had suggested the alternative of going with forwarding agents who do not ship via the same route as 4PX, i.e. Shenzhen via HK, since the customs check seem to be more stringent there these days.
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Called taobao on Monday and they immediately call 4px and was told that my parcel is in the airport waiting for flight so may take 3 to 5 days. So this afternoon called again and again they say still waiting for flight and probably next week. What crap is this? Am I sending and elephant. Really worst experience. Really worried about the condition of the content of my parcel. Good luck to all of us.
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Mine was sent out on 30 september, until now no news also 😦 May i know which number you called to call Taobao?
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Hi Vivien, Singapore Taobao helpline no: 800 188 6018
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I calling from Malaysia, so using the local toll free. If you are from Singapore then should call the no provided by Jenny Teo.
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Hi Jon, I came across a thread on hwz forum where buyers were told similar experiences that many parcels were waiting for available flights to be shipped over. My previous parcel which took more than two weeks of delay arrived intact, so hope it’s the same for everyone as well.
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Hi! Mine is sent out on the 29th as well, just went to check the status of my parcel and it finally arrived in sg today 15oct! Status is 等待海关放行 🙂
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Judging from what you guys have posted. I think my parcel is going to wait forever. Mine is posted out on 10 Oct. 😦
This is like the worst ever experience I had so far ordering from Taobao.
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Hi Jenny,
Im trying to buy things like buttons for only ¥0.85 each but i need 300 of it. the 快递 charge is ¥15. when i add to cart 300 pieces the final amount to ¥3260. how do i go about this? Its in my cart already but just need the 快递 amount to be adjusted else i cant make payment. appreciate your precious advice.
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Hi Sammy, the 快递 charge is usually based on per shipment instead of per button. You can aliwangwang the seller to see if he/she can give you a discount or even waive the delivery charge. You can request him/her for step-by-step instruction on how to do so, as sometimes it requires additional steps. Also make sure that you select the option of shipping via 转运商 before paying for the shopping cart.
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Hi jenny,
thank you for taking your time to answer all the questions..i hope you could shed some light on mine too..i have two parcel apparently received by 4px but it was not included in my list for international forwarding service..the status is still *dai ru ku* meaning waiting to be received when the wuliu tab clearly mentioned that it has been received. yunda express even posted a picture as the proof…i’m so disappointed and appalled..i don’t know what to do..where should i get the refund from..it has clearly stated that 4px received the item but they did not include it for international forwarding and is not forwarded. the item is paid for due to the recent custom check. i’m a bit helpless..can you pls advise? thank you 🙂
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Hi joannw92, did you check the parcel wuliu to confirm it had arrived in 4PX at its Shenzhen warehouse? Because I had a similar incident that the parcel wuliu showed it went to Shanghai (!!) but turned out the seller issued the wrong delivery order no, thus when the item arrived in Shenzhen, the item could not be reflected in my Taobao system due to the wrong DO number. The best thing is to clarify the DO number with seller to see if it matches the one in your system first. What I did next was to call Taobao SEA on the discrepancy, and Taobao SEA CSO called 4PX in Shenzhen, who was then able to find the item with the amended DO no and update the delivery status to reflect in my system. You can also aliwangwang 4PX with Yunda Express’ picture of proof to follow up. I did notice that 4PX CSO on alww can be a little slow, and it is faster for me to go through Taobao SEA to contact 4PX in China directly to resolve the problem.
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Hi Jenny,
Thank you for taking your time to reply everyone’s questions !
Just wondering if hand creams or lip gloss can be shipped over to Singapore via 4px?
Thank you !
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Hi Gladys, I have not bought these items before. Best to contact 4PX to check if these items can be shipped and whether they are considered as regular or special goods (special goods incur higher delivery costs).
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I saw this on the order 9 days 超时订单自动确认收货. Does it mean that it will auto change to acknowledge the item receive after 9 days even if my forwarder did not receive it?
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HI Genesis, the system will automatically acknowledge receipt by buyer and release payment to seller after a certain number of days if there is no feedback from the buyer. Do check with the seller on why the item has not reached the forwarder as 9 days is way too long, although it could be due to the recent one-week national day break.
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Thanks for the reply. I saw a message dated yesterday 深圳松岗的 xxxx 已收件 but the item is still on my 待收货. I’m not sure if my freight forwarder really receive the item as it’s not in the 待发货. Is there so thin wrong with this?
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Hi Genesis, the item may be in Shenzhen vicinity but not necessary have arrived in warehouse. Have the status been updated since?
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Dear Jenny thanks for the follow up yea the status has been updated.
I think Taobao should employed after sale support team to ans questions from buyer. Can’t image what to do without kind soul Like you sharing your experience.
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Hi genesis, glad that your item is in! Actually, Singapore and Malaysia Taobao buyers can also contact the local Taobao helpline if they face problems. I called it before and the staff was extremely helpful and prompt in resolving my problem.
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4PX schedule, back to service:
我司國慶假期的收货、出貨安排如下:
收貨:10月1日,10月2日倉庫不收貨
出貨:
9月30日、10月4日:正常出庫
10月1至3號、10月5號: 新馬件,香港件以及澳新件不出庫
10月6日各線路將恢復正常,請知悉,謝謝!
According to this forum post:
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/%5Bofficial-poison-thread%5D-edmw-taobao-buying-guide-part-4-a-4743493-479.html
People are receiving their stuff ordered from 24-25 Sept! Hurray! (mine’s 26th, I’ll have to wait and see too)
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Hi mochi, thanks for sharing the news! Yes, I just received my parcel (sent out 23 Sep) today as well, so it looks like they are clearing the backlog in good speed. 🙂 Guess you should receive yours within these few days too, so look out for it.
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Hey Jenny! I’ve received it today! I was very worried as I chose to use POP box by singpost instead of usually mailing straight to my house. And because I chose that, my tracking status in taobao kept staying at the initial stage of the ‘goods shipped out of warehouse’ and not updating it ever since (around 2weeks+). Damn singpost and their privacy or something. This isn’t the first time singpost did not update their tracking service. I’ve tried their Japan vpost forwarding service and for 5 straight days, they kept my package as ‘vpost Japan has received my parcel in Japan’ not even an update of it being shipped out! Argh! I’m not trusting singpost for overseas delivery anymore.
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hi jenny,
i have already ordered 13 pairs of inspired new balance on taobao to ship to sg will there be any problems to pass thru sg or hk custom as it is replica? i was so worried i checked with the 4px delivery company and they told me it was fine. i bought a few pairs previously and it was fine.
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Hi Shirleen, I’m not sure how the customs conduct the checks although they tend to go more for knock-offs of luxury brands like Chxnxl. We can only wait and see in the meantime.
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Hi Jenny
I’m trying to sign up an account with tabao. However, I’m always stuck at the registration page whereby it always prompted with the message that I have keyed in wrong code.
Do you have the same experience when you sign up?
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Hi Scorp, I do not have such problems when I signed up last year. It’d be good if you can take screenshots of the registration problem and check with Taobao SEA.
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Hi jenny. Thanks for replying everyone’s question so generously!
Just wanted your input, is it cheaper to buy from taobao yourself rather than using an agent, such as 65daigou? I recently bought a total of 12 items which amounted up to nearly $20 in shipping and am wondering if it really is cheaper? I used 4px btw!
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Hi Fleur, it depends on what you buy. As I mentioned in my post, if you are getting bulky items, it may be more worthwhile going through 3rd party agents who offer the slower but cheaper sea shipping which is more economical. Perhaps you can get the 3rd party agent to give you an estimated quote for the same 12items and compare the costs?
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Hi guys,
I took is in the same situation which the things I have ordered are stuck with 4PX. I am left with 3 days on the counter for automated response to receipt of goods. I wonder if I should request for postponing the receipt of goods or should I refund them? This will be my first request to postpone and i’m really reluctant to refund them. Thing is I dunno how much longer do I have to wait and I don’t want to be caught in a helpless situation which wait is all i can do. Any comments?
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4px Worldwide Express have made their website unavailable. This is not something I’d expect from service provider. They should made some kind of announcement on their website about what is happening at the Shen Zhen Customs and what plans they have undertaken to resolve the parcels still stuck in the warehouse or customs.
Thumbs down to them.
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Hi Tai, my parcel 境内包裹出库 date was on 23 Sep and arrived at my house on 9 Oct, for your reference. It’s the first time I encountered this delay of >2 weeks – prior to this, it usually takes 3-4 business days.
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Hi Tai, you need a good reason to request for refund and return of goods, if they are not damaged or sent wrongly. I myself had a refund denied even though it was the fault of the seller who provided the wrong DO no and thus there was no way the system could recognise the good or confirm if the good has arrived, and I resigned to having it considered as a sunk cost / bad debt, and that I would not buy from the same seller again. The delay happens on the forwarding agent side, so it will be unfair if the seller is ‘punished’ for it. You can request for postponing the delivery or receipt, but there is no telling how long this delay is going to be. My parcel has been delayed for over two weeks and there is no point chasing the forwarding agent since it is the customs who is holding it up, hardly the fault of the agent.
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Man, that really sucks if I have to bear all the losses if I didn’t get the parcel at all.
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I wonder if anyone received their parcel at all?
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Hi Tai, I understand many parcels are stuck with the forwarding agents due to the more stringent custom checks in China, so we can only be patient and wait. Unlikely that the goods will go missing, but you can call Taobao helpline if you have problems getting refund from 4PX should they lose your parcel.
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Hi Jenny!
I delayed payment for two times now. Requesting for the third time from two sellers but one refused to, but I haven’t received my package yet. Is it okay to just release the payment? What if there is a problem – missing or spoiled items? Do I look for the forwarding company?
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Hi M, the system will not allow you to hold payment for too long anyway. As I mentioned in my post, shopping online comes with risks like delays, damages, etc that we would not able to recoup. The problem overseas buyers face is that there is no way of sending back wrong or damaged items to the sellers unless one is willing to foot the delivery costs. It will be difficult to hold the forwarding company liable as well since it can’t be ascertained if the good is damaged during delivery from seller to warehouse or from warehouse to Singapore.
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Hi Jenny! I am also one of those experiencing the customs delay, but I am wondering if I should keep delaying the payment to the taobao sellers? I have already done it once though, not sure if still can delay it further. So seeking some advice here from more experienced shoppers. 🙂
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Hi Tory, if I recall correctly, buyers can only delay payment once. Nevertheless, the system will automatically release payment to seller after a certain number of days. I guess it is just bad luck on our part to experience such serious delays. It’s the first time I experienced such long delays too, since I started buying from Taobao more than a year ago.
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I’ve 2 shipments, one 境内出库on 24sept, the other 27th. Both has no news yet till today. Normal shipment takes abt 3-4 days fr day of 境内出库. Guess it’s useless checking with the logistic. Only can wait patiently…
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Hi magdonaldmag, my parcel was sent out earlier than yours, with no further update. According to message, Shenzhen customs stepping up on checks to look out for fake branded items will add a further delay of 5-10 days, though I think it will be even longer.
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hi would you happen to know if these customs checks are temporary or permanent?
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Hi idontwannawaitsolong, I don’t think there’s any way in knowing if the tightened checks are temporary or permanent, though the regulations have always existed.
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Expect further delay due to their national day holiday?
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Hi magdonaldmag. I guess so. The Chinese national day holiday is 1-8 Oct.
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hi jenny,
with the current delay due to thorough custom checks, when do you roughly get your items? Have been waiting for more than 10 working days still no news 😦
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me too 😦 the last follow up was 境内包裹出库。and it was stated there since 22nd of sept! no further info. wonder how long to wait some more to get the goods. Going for a trip soon thought it can all be received fast but…….. in fact i have two parcels to be received. one has despatched on 22nd and one from 27th..both are pending 😦
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i have one parcel came in today, shipped on 18th sep. But the earlier ones havent get. Stress
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Hi anne and ssy, it’s been more than two weeks delay for me with no further updates too. The purported delay is for at least 5~10 days, but given the huge amount of backlog compound with Chinese national day (national holiday 1~8 Oct), I suspect it may take even longer. We can do nothing but to wait, I guess.
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Hi Jenny,
I’ve recieved the auto-reply message from 4px too! Just wondering have you receieved your items yet? Because my delivery status has been stuck at 境内包裹出库 for almost a week. No idea how long will it takes for me to receive my items 😦
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Hi Sunday, my package is stuck at the same status for more than a week as well. Spotted this at my baobei page: “因深圳海关报关系统调整及严查一切违禁、仿牌类货物,致港/新/马线路的货物清关有5-10天延迟,请耐心等待!品牌商品请谨慎购买!” A delay of 5-10 days…guess we just have to wait patiently. =(
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Hello, I was tracking my baobeis and one of it is under 物流信息 it stops at 卖家已发货 and no further news were update. What should I do? Thanks Jenny! Appreciate it! 🙂
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Hi Vanessa, you can contact the seller to follow up as he/she may have updates from their courier.
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hi jenny ! I was wondering if you know how to use this 礼包 ? http://vip.taobao.com/newuser/commonView.htm?spm=a1z1d.3067229.0.0.70h5Tf&code=cod
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Hi fei, it’s a promotion for cash on delivery, so it will work only for buyers in China.
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Hi Jenny, you are really kind to keep helping everyone with questions on taobao!
May I ask, is it okay to include purchases from Tmall & taobao in the same cart?
How long is shipping from the freight forwarder to Singapore (approximately) ?
Any idea on the postage rates from 4PX? If I am buying furniture like an armchair, mirror, lights etc do you think my postage will be very expensive?
The freight forwarder will ensure that the goods will reach my door step and not that I have to arrange for delivery from port right?
Last of all, will they declare the value to SG custom to we have to pay GST?
Thank you:)
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Hi RT, thanks for your appreciation! You can include purchases from Tmall and Taobao in the same cart and pay together. Typically it takes 2-3 working days to ship from warehouse in China to Singapore, but I recently received an auto-reply message from 4PX which explained that due to stricter customs inspection and system update, deliveries to HK, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand may experience delays when exiting China customs. “因海关加大了查验过关港车的力度以及海关报关系统更新,現发往所有线路(香港、新加坡、马来西亚、澳大利亚、新西兰)的货物,在出港环节都会有较为严重的延誤。我司将会密切留意海关最新进展,并不断跟进货物中转时效,保证您的货物安全抵达,如有最新消息将会及时通知。感谢您的理解与支持,谢谢!”
If you are looking to buy bulky items like furniture, it will be better to go through a 3rd party daigou agents, as they offer sea shipping which is usually a cheaper option for heavy items. The forwarding agents work with local delivery companies like TOLL to deliver to your doorstep. I also notice they have recently added an option for self-pickup from selected SingPost POPStations, which will be useful to buyers who are unable to wait for home deliveries. Rates of forwarding agents: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/price/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.ZTkH5B . They will declare value to customs on their end. S$400 is the current limit for GST relief. http://www.customs.gov.sg/leftNav/trad/cle/Internet+PurchasesPostal+Parcels.html
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Thank you for your helpful advices 🙂 God bless you!
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Hi, I wanted to purchase some nail polish and hand creams on TaoBao. But I can’t checkout items. I tried numerous different sellers but all do not support freight forwarding. Have you tried buying such items? Is there anyway you can purchase? I tried asking TaoBao agents but they don’t seem to reply.
Thanks
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Hi Eve, I also notice more and more items are being excluded from overseas buyers of late, like car cleaning products and even hair bands(!). I myself experienced several transaction closures while making payment. Currently there is no way in filtering the products that are excluded from overseas buying, so we can only find out through trial and error. The frustrating part is that we only get to find out what items we can’t buy at the late stage when making payment. It wastes time and also affects the payment for the rest of the shopping cart.
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I wonder if we can purchase these items through taobao agents? I did a google search and sent emails to 2 of them. But till now theres no reply. Have you ordered from agents before? Do you happen to know if we can order such items from them?
Thanks
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Hi Eve, I have not used the 3rd party agents before, so I am not sure if they are able to buy on your behalf. Do wait for their responses and let us know if you are successful buying your items through them.
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Dear Jenny,
Help!!! First time ordering, and I noticed some of my items have been signed for ie 广东省汕头市公司 已收入, but it is not in the warehouse, it is still 待入. I have called taobao singapore with no reply, and I have repeatedly messaged 4px on ALWW with no reply, they just keep giving me an automated response on one account, and on another, no response at all although they are online.
How long does it take to reflect that the good is in warehouse after the company has signed for it as seen in 已收入? Sincerely hope i’m panicking for nothing, their lack of reply is really worrying. I thought it would immediately be updated as in warehouse after they have accepted delivery, but nothing so far. Does it take more than a day?
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Hi Denise, it should be updated as being in the warehouse by the same day, given a few hours’ allowance. Are the items not reflected under 待集运宝贝 yet? If you are using 4PX, perhaps you can try contact the 前线客服 (frontline customer service) instead of the 财务客服 (finance c/s)? – http://4pxtr.taobao.com/shop/view_shop.htm?spm=0.0.0.0.pPL89P&user_number_id=364914988
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thanks jenny! thank worked. but I do not receive any sms from 4px. I have checked and I can receive the smses from taobao, but haven’t received any sms from 4px when my items reached warehouse. I am worried that when they deliver to sg i won’t know when cause I won’t get an sms. How do I enable the option for sms notification?
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And one more thing, when I combine shipping order to sg my address looks like this
送货上门 163.0元 新加坡 新加坡 my hdb my unit number (my name 收) (送达时间3-6天,重量限制30.0kg/集运订单)
but no postal code. is this normal? or how do I change it to include my postal code?
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Hi Denise, there are a few occasions that I did not receive SMSs from 4PX as well when my items reach the warehouse in China or when the consolidated packages have arrived in Singapore as well. Can only keep monitoring the delivery status, and ensure someone is at home receiving deliveries. I notice the forwarding agents recently introduced self pick-up at Singpost POPStation. If you don’t have anyone at home to wait for deliveries, self pick-up will be a good alternative. I can’t recall if my postal code is included for that portion, but as long as blk no, street and unit no are provided, then there should be sufficient information for local delivery companies to send to your home. Nevertheless, you may like to update your address with postal code under your profile for subsequent deliveries, if you have yet to do so.
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Hi Jenny,
Help!! My taobao order has no movements after 卖家已发货 on 11 sept. Alipay also sent me a message that my “password widget does not support the current circumstances”. What does this mean?
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Hi kael, do consider contacting the seller and explaining to him that you were not able to see the delivery status on your end, so perhaps he can help check. I have not come across any message about password widget before, but it could be a technical issue? Do call Taobao helpline to check on it.
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Hi jenny,
Thank you for e useful information.
I am keen very to buy lots of item for my renovation spree but i cant understand chinese. Do u happen to know or suggest any agent can help to translate n assist for my purchase. I have tried to translate the website in english however some content was not translated.
Thank you =)
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Hi elys, a lot of content on the websites are not in text format (e.g. images) so it will be difficult to buy direct on Taobao if you do not understand Chinese. The alternative is to buy through “daigou” or 3rd party agents buying on your behalf. They can submit and ship the orders for you for a small fee. You can google for agents offering the Taobao daigou service in Singapore. You can check for reviews online too to compare their rates and service.
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Hi Elys,
What was the payment method that you used? It is impossible for me to make the payment via Visa credit card, taobao kept asking for the security verification. What should I do T.T feeling totally hopeless now
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Hi Giang, are you referring to the Alipay security password that you have to enter before you can make payment? It is a different password from the Alipay login password, and is supposed to be an additional layer of security measure. Have you tried resetting it?
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Hi Jennyteo, after filling the credit card info, there is a pop up message: “Sorry, you personal information does not pass alipay security verification”, I’ve tried for million times and It was just not work at all, even ask the help from the customer service but they was uselessly giving answers.
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Hi Giang, my guess is that it could have been due to the Alipay security service not being installed or it being blocked in your PC.
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Hi Jenny (you have the same name & surname as my mum lol!).
I received sms from 4PX this morning stating they will be delivering it today, till now i haven’t received so i check with them through aliwangwang and they say delivery failed and ask me to contact the sg number.
So i did and the person say it failed due to incorrect address. But i did gave the correct one. Have you encounter such thing?
And i read through the comments and saw that they mostly use “toll” to deliver the package. But when i try to track and trace at the toll website, it failed too. And the sg number that they give is also different from toll number. So meaning it’s not delivered by toll? Any idea what other companies they use?
Thank you!
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HI Stefani, so did you manage to receive your delivery? I have not experienced this before. A commenter did give a useful tip about 4PX Singapore:
For tracking numbers starting with 200 – Toll Group:+65 62148888 ext349 ext 352
For tracking numbers starting with 810 – Airpak: +65-67439200 .
Hope this info helps.
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Hi Jennyteo : Any idea how to delete items in the 国际转运?I have already received my goods and do not wanna see so many listings in the 待集运宝贝. Another matter is, I have a rejected item listed in 待入库宝贝 too. Its been months and I still do not know how to remove it. Hope you can shear some lights on this issue. Rgds, Leann.
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Hi Leann, I agree with you there should be a way to clear items that had been delivered or where transactions had failed. As far as I know, there is no way to do so now, so it can look quite messy.
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Hi, I recently ordered a ipod nano gen 6 from taobao to be shipped to singapore after realizing shipping of lithium batteries products are banned but they stated may (May) be detained, should I refund? Or will they still ship it over?
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Hi Dave, if the item has already been shipped, then you can only wait and see if it will be detained by the customs. I am not sure what the procedure is when it comes to items being detained in the customs. Do check with Taobao SEA via their hotline.
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The forwarding company have accepted it and signed it but I have not received it. Also I bought a watch strap at the same time but the watch strap is otw but not the ipod what do I do?
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Hi Dave, the warehouse stores your items for free for 20 days. Electronic goods couild be subject to special goods charges (check the rates on the forwarding agent fees) but may still be allowed to be shipped into Singapore, though I do not know the exact criteria. When you mean on the way, is it on the way from seller to warehouse or warehouse to Singapore? If the goods are already otw to Singapore, you’ll have to wait till they have arrived in Singapore and see if the customs would clear it. If it is not yet shipped to Singapore, you may like to negotiate with the seller to cancel the order and get refund, citing the reason about the prohibition of electronic goods to be sent.
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Hi Jenny,
Toll delivery failed for the lately case, had managed to delivered after a few called to the Toll centre for help, finally, the Toll’s help desk personnel managed to assist on the following day to get it delivered.
Yes, it all voiced down to sub-con who abused the system whereby the Toll’s retrieval system from sub-con by simple acknowledge the receiver home no attender and described the receiver home door color ( even without taken photo) will close the delivery routing, they don’t even have any barcode/ FIRD to scan-off like what Fedexp/ DHL handheld scanning tools use to do.
Mostly the cases for those who staying in the far west side of the Island, will faced such scenario, because the sub-cons are very reluctantly to deliver to these areas as time consuming much longer and the fuel consumption is much higher. At the same time they hope the failed case receivers, some will don’t mind to re-input in Toll auto re-schedule notice, at which Toll will have sur-charge extra about S$7~S$8/ per trip of resend delivery, believe that the sub-con will enjoy some compensation re-delivery fees.
Tips to get thing done, when your package will being sent out from the China warehouse, check the package 4PX delivery No. and then once 4PX notified you the package reached in Singapore by SMS or Taobao website, then search to http://www.tollgroup.com/toll-global-express-track-trace
Paste PX delivery no. to its tracking box, the system will able to notify you your package status & route till which places.
Once when after the day the Toll failed to deliver the package, you can call this hot-line : 6398 8363, the officer in-charge will help you. Please don’t abuse this line, only to call when your package failed to reach you after the Toll’s sms notification
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Hi Jk Foo, thank you so much for sharing your advice on tracking and checking the status of delivery by Toll. My experience with Toll so far has been quite okay, so the difference could be due to the different subcon couriers engaged by Toll. We can only hope for the delivery and notification process to gradually improve as we give more feedback to the delivery companies.
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Dear Jenny,i have asked for refund just yesterday from the 8 suppliers (3 jackets,2 bags,1 pillow,1 snapback and 1 necklace) with taobao sellers..i would like to re-purchase the same 8 items via IPFS.Total amt is RMB$485 including 3% charge..
-is it ex via the IPFS service?how much do i need to pay in total in sg money?
-how would i know if the 8 sellers did not support IPFS and i have again paid for it,(cos i do not want to ask for refund again.)
-Last but not least is sg shop good/reliable,which budget is lower?
Thank you so much jenny!
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Hi shu, RMB485 is approx S$100 (exchange rate approx RMB4.90 = S$1). You can compare the rates of the IFPS agents with the 3rd party daigou agents to see how they match up. The IFPS agents charge by weight (http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/price/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.UCGrDc). It’s hard to find out upfront if the sellers support IFPS. The best way is to see if the transaction is successful when you make payment for the items. If the seller does not support IFPS, the transaction will automatically close and no payment will be made, thus there is no need to apply for refunds. Not sure what you mean by sg shop being good or reliable? If you are referring to the trustworthiness of the Taobao sellers, you can check out the reviews for a gauge. Nevertheless, there will always be a risk when it comes to buying online, so practise caution and “buyers beware”.
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Hello Jenny, I had ordered several items from Taobao. According to the shipping company, one of the item was lost at customs. They agreed to refund me but though Ali Pay. Problem is how do I convert or transfer this amount to my Singapore credit card? Thank you.
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Hi Rey-en, you can check with Taobao if the refund will be in Alipay credit or back to your credit card (which I assume you used to pay for your purchases with via Alipay platform). If it is in Alipay credit, then you can use it to offset your next purchases.
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Hi jenny, taobao sent me the wrong item and i want to get a refund. I submitted an application for a refund, and the seller told me to send it back. Who usually bears the postage cost in this situation? Also, the maximum amount that the seller will refund me is the cost of the item (not inclusive of the forwarding fees i paid). Will i get the forwarding and postage fees that i paid back? Thanks!
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Hi ringlet86, sending back is not cheap, so it is likely that overseas buyer will have to bear the cost for sending back. There’s no refund for postage or forwarding fees from Taobao or forwarding agent, as this is a private arrangement between the seller and buyer, which Taobao and forwarding agent have nothing to do with. Refund and return problems are usually the main disadvantage about buying from overseas, as I had mentioned in my blog post. Usually buyers will have to contend with the wrong orders or negotiate with sellers to get a discount for subsequent purchases.
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Hi Jenny,
How do i access my refund from Zhifubao, how to activate my account?
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Hi Shirley, your Zhifubao/Alipay should already been activated when you created the Taobao account and paid your orders. You can use your Taobao account to log in to Alipay via the 淘宝会员登录 link at the Alipay website. Your refund will be credited back to the channel that you had chosen to pay with.
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I receive refund from seller, my Chinese is no good, I See refund in my alipay. As I paid for this using my Cc. Will I get refund via my cc too?
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Hi brenda, if you paid by cc, the refund should be credited back into your cc account too. You can check your cc bill to be sure.
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Hi Jenny, my alipay account was suspended due to enter wrong password and they are asking for a copy of passport to reset the password. I’m not comfortable with forwarding the passport to them. is there any other way to reset alipay password? my items were stuck in international forwarding agent.
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Hi sharon, there was a similar case in my comments (Helpless ; 25 Jul 2014) who experienced the same with you. It is a security measure which kicks in after the user exceeds a certain number of failed log in attempts, which is to ensure that the user is the actual account holder instead of someone trying to hack into the account – I believe PayPal has a similar requirement. It looks like submitting passport details may be the only way to get the Alipay account back. Alternatively you may like to call Taobao if there are alternatives to get your Alipay account back.
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I had the same problem.
1st solution: the account will be unlocked after 3 hours
2nd solution: if u still rem your login pwd and had only forgotten the payment pwd, you can choose to retrieve your pwd and then selecting sms mode instead of upload doc mode. Sometimes the sms mode is not available, but if u logout and login after sometime it may appear.
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Hi, I have bought clothings from taobao and it was listed under “所有订单 ” but not under “国际集运”. However, my delivery addressed was to Singapore. When I clicked for “查看物流” for my order, it only stated “卖家已发货” and for another, few movements to and fro until the last: “已签收,签收人是草签”, for 2 of my orders. (I did not receive any of it!!!) IS there anything that I can do? 😦 thank youuuu
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Hi A, I assume you had chosen the IPFS forwarding agent as well as set up your delivery address? Items that have arrived at your agent’s warehouse will appear under 国际转运 > 待集运宝贝 (items awaiting to be consolidated and shipped), where you can consolidate for shipment to Singapore. If they still have yet to appear under 待集运宝贝, you should contact your forwarding agent (via Aliwangwang) to check the status.
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Jenny, help 😦
2014-07-31 15:44:02卖家已发货
2014-07-31 21:14:58【杭州乔司】的收件员【杭州乔司】已收件
2014-07-31 21:15:58【杭州乔司】已进行扫描
2014-07-31 21:16:01由【杭州乔司】发往【杭州集散空运】
2014-07-31 21:54:48由【杭州集散陆运】发往【莱阳分拨】
2014-08-01 21:15:53由【莱阳分拨】发往【烟台】
2014-08-02 08:30:25快件已到达【烟台】 扫描员是【烟台天天】上一站是【莱阳分拨】
2014-08-02 10:20:10由【烟台】发往【开发区四分部】
2014-08-02 12:10:45快件已到达【开发区四分部】 扫描员是【季师傅】上一站是【烟台】
2014-08-02 13:12:05【开发区四分部】的派件员【李超18106388155】正在派件
2014-08-02 16:40:23已签收,签收人是草签
It’s been so long and I still haven’t receive anything?! I’m quite worried as I order about 400 sgd worth of items. Do you know what can I do? 😦
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Hi yh, did you check if the items had arrived at the warehouse under 国际集运 > 待集运宝贝 and ready for consolidation and shipment? If they have still not arrived at the warehouse, do contact Taobao SEA asap to check the reason for the hold-up.
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Under the 其它
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Under the 其他操作, it states “入库” what does that mean? Thank you so much!!!!!
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Do you know whether it is possible for me to contact taobao through English? Or strictly mandarin only!
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Hi yh, 入库 means it is already in the warehouse. The next step would be to arrange for shipment into Singapore. You can call Taobao SEA helpline at 800 188 6018 (for Singapore callers). I got this number from their FB page https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea/info . They should be able to speak in both English and Mandarin since it is based in Singapore.
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Hi Jenny, once again, the Toll today failed to deliver the package to me despite I pre-informed the security guard to allow the toll van to come in without using intercom, as I will be in whole day to await them. This is bad to have one way communication with the situation the delivery company taking the advantage not treating the customers response and complaints seriously, The previously they failed to deliver consecutive two working days included this time, both had exceeded the SEA’4PX put up the contracted term of delivery within 4~6 days after the paid items leave their warehouse.It is bad for the 4PX to continue using Toll as the sub-delivery vendor in Singapore as may any time to jeopardise their current vast expansion business in due course. If any existing Prouter or any new delivery agent set-up, it may any time gains over the majority customers who had unhappy experienced with Toll, if these companies innovate slightly with pre-informed communication both way in tele-web based system, I think most of the customers would like it as this save the customer waiting time as well as more specific delivery time frame for the customer to arrange to receipt the goods. I believe the young & married couple who in most doesn’t have parent or maid at home would enjoy this preference of service.
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Dear Jenny, my item status states that “卖家已发货”, so I clicked on the “国际集运” to forward my item to Singapore. However, this shows up “很抱歉,没有查询到集运订单”.
Appreciate if you could help me figure out what I should do?
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Hi Celest, 卖家已发货 means the seller has sent out the item, and the item is on the way to the warehouse, not that it has not arrived at the warehouse. When it has arrived at the warehouse, it will appear under “待集运宝贝” for you to consolidate with other items, if any, for shipping to Singapore.
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Oh I see! 😀 Thanks for your info! Really appreciate your prompt reply.
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Hi there,
I didn’t do any research before ordering on taobao and so I changed the 物流运费 to 海外. Does it affect the shipping in any way? Thanks.
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Hi Cheryl, it is likely that the sellers will not ship out to 海外 or that the buyer will have to foot the shipping fee since it will be quite expensive. I suggest that you can message the seller to cancel the order and request for refund. You can then follow the guide by Taobao SEA to set up overseas address and use an IPFS agent before resubmitting the order, but this time remember to leave the 物流运费/配送 as 全国.
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Hi,
Do u have experience in using Alipay (支付宝)to pay instead of credit card? If yes, can we just buy the top-up card from AXS machines? How does this top up amount be credited to our Alipay account?
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Hi Aileen, the Alipay purchase card is a value, not a physical card. When you buy the value from AXS, remember to provide the same email address that you use to log in to Alipay / Taobao, as the value will be tied to the email address – very important to note! You’ll then be issued a receipt with a password/PIN. After you have logged in to Alipay website, you will need to input the password/PIN for the value to be topped up in your Alipay account.
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I’ve read feedback of people who keep receiving error messages when they input the AXS password/PIN, hence i’m hesitant to try it out. Have u tried topping up & paying via yr Alipay account using this AXS method before? U manage to top up successfully?
Also, if i use Alipay to pay for my Taobao purchases, are there any other fees (eg. admin/transaction/bank fee etc) that we will need to incur?
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Hi Aileen, I only tried the Alipay purchase card once, and it was successful. I believe the only ‘charges’ using Alipay card would be the difference in currency rate exchange, but currency rate variation is also applicable in using credit or debit cards. I use credit card on Alipay for all other times as it is more convenient for me despite the 3% fee.
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Hi,
your guide was really useful and easy to understand. However, I was just wondering if you know why the seller’s “快递” amount is more expensive when buying directly from taobao as compared to when using an agent? For example, I was about to pay and realised that the delivery was 25元 but when I used an agent, it’d be 8.80元-10元. Have you had any similar issue?
Thanks!
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Hi shiaun, the variation in 快递 fee could be due to the location of warehouse. The agent’s warehouse could be nearer to the seller, thus the lower 快递 fee.
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Hi,
Thanks for your reply, really appreciate it. I’m thinking of using 4px and when I clicked on “使用转运服务”, I saw that 4px states that their 仓库地址(warehouse?) is under 深圳市 so when I edited the 快递 from 全国 to 深圳, the shipping was changed from 25元 to 8元. Have you tried manually changing the shipping destination before? If yes, was the item successfully delivered to 4px’s warehouse or is it a must to use 全国? Sorry to bother you >< I can't express chinese in words well so I'm afraid the 4px's customer service won't understand me.
Thanks once again~
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Hi Shiaun, I have not tried changing the location before. 4PX’s customer service should understand English, so it’s better to check with them to confirm, either via Aliwangwang or their website http://en.4px.com/index.php/contact-us.html
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Hi, would appreciate if you could help me, i ordered stuff from taobao and uses 4px as forwarding agent, So they are in collab with TOLL (sg) and i had already received a sms notification to say that my parcel will be arriving and needed someone to be at home (on 15 aug). But till now i had not received my parcel and i called TOLL they actually ask for shipment no. Where can i retrieve the shipment no?
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Hi Angel, you can go to 我的淘宝 > 已买到的宝贝 > 国际集运 > 我的集运订单. Find the shipment and click on 查看集运物流, and you should be able to see your 运单号码 (shipment no).
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Hi Jenny. I bought an item from Taobao weeks back but the item had not been delivered to-date. I forgot my password to my account and tried to do a reset online so that I can write to the agent and inquire about my order. However, when I tried to key in a new password, the system requires me to download an .exe file which the computer detects to be harmful. I tried on three laptops and 1 desktop and have the same problem. I called the Singapore taobao hotline and was told this is not an issue they can assist with. Are you able to advise what I can do to claim a refund ? Thank you
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Hi Clarissa, you have to log in to Taobao to request for refund. I tested out the password reset page and it seemed to work fine without having to download exe file. Did you get to this page http://110.taobao.com/account/forget_passwd.htm ? Alternatively, you can try chat with Taobao online customer service (in Chinese) on your issue. http://service.taobao.com/support/minerva/robot.htm?spm=a214x.6760217.991146389.9.VOktZh&source_id=1309142129&redirect_url=¶m=&kbs_key=&out_token=&queue_id= .
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HI Jenny. Thank you for your reply. Yes, I was able to reach the same site as you for password reset but after keying that part, the next is to request for a download of the exe. file. You can try to proceed on and you should see it within the next two steps. I sent a message to the Taobao customer support. Hopefully will get an answer. Thank you
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Hi Jenny, my package is in Singapore for about 8 days already. I have ask my forwarding agent about it and they told me that there is some problem with my 物流 which is either the delivery/logistics and have not got cleared. They also told me that they already told their 物流同事 to follow up. But I am a little bit worried as it is taking such a long time for clearance. It is true that you will need such a long time?
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Hi Huilin, I have heard that occasionally some packages will take time to clear for various reasons, like inspections or special goods (e.g. electronics with batteries). It is random so it will be hard to say how long it will take. Just keep following up with the forwarding agent, and raise it up with Taobao SEA if necessary.
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Hi Jenny,
I’ve received sms notifications from 4px at 10 am, stating the delivery is on its way.
Checked the taobao website and it states 包裹派送中 at 830 am
But till now, there hasn’t been any delivery. To my understanding, it takes at least 1 hour ++ for the package to reach you.
What should I do if I missed a delivery? how do I redeliver my package?
Thank you!
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Hi Gladys, I believe delivery times would be subject to weather, delivery regions and schedules. I believe you should receive a message or call for missed delivery, else there’s no way to find out about missed deliveries. In any case, do check with your forwarding agent on how to arrange for re-delivery since they may work with several delivery companies.
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Hi Jenny,
My tracking is provided by Speedpost, and it stated failed delivery with no paper slip or How I am able to collect my package. Any advice on how I should proceed with this situation ? Thank you
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Hi Gladys, it’s interesting that the tracking of your package is provided by Speedpost. Anyway, it is best to call Speedpost directly about your package to arrange for re-delivery since it is likely that your package is with them.
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Dear Jenny, I would like to seek your kind advice after reading such a professional blogpost by you. Can I ask if which way would be preferably cheaper if I were to buy about 15 sets of normal clothings? Directly from Taobao SEA or 3rd party agent?
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Hi Shawn, it depends on personal preference. Some prefer the convenience of leaving the ordering logistics to 3rd party agents for a small fee, whereas others prefer to order on their own with IPFS. If cost is your concern, you may like to check with the seller to find out the total weight of your clothing order first, then do a comparison of fee charge between using IPFS or 3rd party agent to see which method is more economical. Remember 3rd party agent offers shipping by sea (IPFS does not do so) so that may be a cheaper though slower option if your order is heavy.
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Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for the informative guide! It is especially useful for first-time Taobao users like myself!
I have a concern regarding the shipment of my goods. I have arranged shipment with 4px and I’m abit worried since they haven’t been giving updates about my goods.
2014-08-11 14:18:27卖家已发货
2014-08-11 14:21:35境内包裹出库
It had been stuck like this for few days, and I’m anxious. Is it normal? Does that mean that my goods are still somewhere in China, or are on the way to Singapore? I have another friend who had arranged shipment one day before me and had already received her stuff yesterday!
Thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sheryl
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Hi Sheryl, it usually takes 2~5 business days for package to be sent from China to Singapore. Your package should be on the way to Singapore. Your friend’s shipment could have been on an earlier consignment, so don’t worry too much for now. If you wish, you can drop a message to 4PX via Aliwangwang with your details to check the delivery status.
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i have personally use this for Singapore..just copy and paste the links in taobao and give them (You have to know Chinese) , they will order for you and ship direct to your house (Very good customer service)
More for entertaining business customer that want to import more items to Singapore and sell(Bulk purchase)..they will quote me different shipping options and price after receiving at their warehouse (the shipping is very affordable compare to other agent i used before)
For me, i buy over $1000sgd every month ..
If i pay by posb credit card and buy myself, it will cost more service charge about 8% including exchange rate and i need alot of effort to communicate with seller in chinese)
Their charge 5% is very reasonable for large orders
This is their facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SGTaobaoSupplier
Hope it helps [IMG]
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Hi there,
I have a bit problem here. As you can see from below, my 物流动态 is stuck at Singapore for a certain number of days already. Do you have any ideas where are my items now? Btw the forwarding agent I use is lequgo. I do not have any idea what should I do now.
2014-08-02 02:37:22卖家已发货
2014-08-02 16:00:00出口清关
2014-08-04 02:00:00进口清关
2014-08-05 16:33:35SINGAPORE
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hi, i have the problem too. The status was stuck at 2014-08-06 02:00:00进口清关.
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Hi Huilin and Eve, do check with your respective forwarding agents on the delivery of your packages, as it usually does not take more than two business days for the package to be sent to your doorsteps after they have arrived at Singapore.
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Hi, so if my items are still stuck at Singapore which is stated at the status of my 物流动态, which means that Singpost have not collect my items yet?
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Hello Jenny,
This is Pamela from the Communications office at Alibaba Group. I was hoping to get in touch with you to discuss your expertise using Taobao Marketplace. Would it be possible to drop me a line?
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Hi Pamela, we can link up at LinkedIn. Here’s my profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teojenny .
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Hi Huilin, if you have chosen forwarding agents, it is unlikely that their local delivery company is Singpost. Do enquire your forwarding agent on the reason for your delay of delivery of your package.
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Hi Jenny, thanks a lot!
However, when I questioned them about how will they post me my item from Singapore, they told me that they entrust to Singapore 物流. 物流 means logistics right? So this mean that the logistic company would post m my items instead of Singpost?
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Hi Huilin, yes, 物流 means logistics/delivery. Forwarding agents usually partner Singapore delivery companies, so that when the packages arrive at Singapore, the Singapore delivery companies will pick them up and deliver to doorstep. You can check with your forwarding agent who are the Singapore delivery companies responsible for delivery and get their contact numbers so you can call them to check if need be.
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hi huilin, if u had resolved this matter do share ur experience. As my first purchase on tabao using the same agent has just reach import clearance 进口清关, I’m quite worried after reading all the bad reviews on items that never seem to reach they buyer’s door step for days n had to resort to refunds.
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Hi Jenny,
About my orders that had been all rejected under IPFS were found that was due to one of the items was banned or not allowed by IPFS to ship with after I called up the Taobao hotline to check with the operator. Learning from the fault, sometime you accumulate too many items in shopping cart and if you pay at one shot, happened that one of the items is not allowed to be ship by IPFS, then it will reject the whole cart all items not to be accepted by the IPFS, so in order to screen out this item you have to do one by one simulate out the item whether is accepted by IPFS by pressing ‘total billing’ button on each item entry. Once you find the not allowed item, at the top screen IPFS line will appear that item seller can not used IPFS to ship then you can leave this item not under the total bill, by then the final payment bill site will allow you to ship under IPFS.
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Hi Jk Foo, thanks for sharing your experience and tip on how to filter out the item(s) that do not accept IFPS. Yes, it is true that if even one item in your cart does not accept IFPS service, the whole cart will be affected. I too wish there is a more efficient way that allows us to exclude items that do not take IFPS rather than the trial and error method.
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Hi Jenny/ Taobao frequent buyer, Lately buying more heavy weight electrical stuff, probably in the range of 5 kg to 12 kg in total weight. What is your advise to ship by sea by which agent is more secure ?
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Hi jkfoo, I haven’t tried 3rd-party daigou agents before. You can search online for reviews and recommendations on the sea-shipping services offered by the daigou agents. Not sure if electrical stuff would be subject to different charges as they would in air delivery, and do take note of the differences in voltage and plugs used.
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I set up a taobao account but was not abt to select a forwarding agent. do u have screenshot on how to do it?
thanks
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Hi RegineAng, you have to set up your delivery address first before you can activate parcel forwarding and choose forwarding agent later. Here are the guides:
– Set up overseas address (i.e. your address) : http://member1.taobao.com/member/fresh/deliver_address.htm?spm=0.0.0.0.kvK6oj
– How buying on Taobao and parcel forwarding works: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8
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hi Jenny.
Its my first time ordering from PRrouter. And its been more than a week since they updated that the items has already 出库.im trying to chat with prrouter using ali wang wang but they seemed to always appear offline. Is there any other way to track my parcels? As i also do not know who is the sg deliverer for PRrouter. Thanks!
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hi jenny
Just double check and saw this
2014-08-07 09:00:03到達香港貨物中心 等待分揀
2014-08-08 20:30:03分揀完成 等待清關
2014-08-09 05:00:02发往目的地國家
Means it went by hong kong? Feeling kinda puzzled why it went to hk then sg…
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Hi Lurivette, I have not used PRouter before, and I have no idea why was your shipment routed via HK. You can call Taobao helpline to get PRouter’s number so you can check with them who are their local delivery partners. You can leave PRouter a message on Aliwangwang even if they are offline, as they can view your message when they come online.
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hi, i did my first order on taobao and it was drastic! I tried paying 3times for an item but everytime it is not successful. The status was 交易关闭. And it was shown as on-hold amounts in my acc. Till now after 8days, its still on hold. And another problem, I made payment for 4items which end up seller can’t ship using forwarders, and ALIPAY states amount already refunded. But it was not credited in my account.
How long will it takes for refunds and for the 交易关闭 amounts to be refunded?
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Hi Eve, if the item goes under 交易关闭 , it means it has been rejected for purchase and you shouldn’t be charged on it. I experienced the same before, and I was not charged. 交易关闭 is likely due to the seller not accepting IFPS. Alternatives are to find other sellers who sell the same item, or fall back on using the third-party daigou agents. Refunds usually take a few business days after seller’s approval, but depending on the mode of payment, e.g. credit cards, it may reflect in your credit card bill later.
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hi, thanks i will look out for the refunds.
then for the part where we need to acknowledge receipt within a time frame, what shall i do to extend the timeframe? I have extended once before, now the ticker is less then 2days again, but I can’t find the extend button. I will never want to use Lequgo again. Which forwarder would you suggest? Thanks
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Hi Eve, I think you can only extend the acknowledge receipt once. Even after the time period is over, you can still contact Taobao SEA to resolve issues and problems. I have not tried all the forwarding agents so I can’t do a fair comparison, but you can check the comments to get an idea which is/are the more popular forwarding agent(s) that many buyers commonly use.
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Anyone has any experience in getting liquid/powder items from taobao and shipped to SG before?? Please share. I would like to get some leathercraft staff like leather dyes and finishes.
Please share too if you instead have experience getting it (liquid items) from US store (like tandyleather)…???
thx in advance.
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Hi zipper168, I do not have experience shipping liquid or powder items. Do check if they are under the list of prohibited items. They may also fall under “Special goods” which the delivery charges will be higher.
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Hi Jenny,
Just now I just try to buy & enter more than 8 items under 国际转运服务, all rejected for these services, have lately any new changes on 国际转运服务?
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Hi Jenny,
Look-like the IFPS is no longer being accepted by majority of the sellers, as today just key in a few more items from various type of goods sellers, some of them were also bought previously before, but all again rejected.
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Hi Jk Foo, I bought >10 items in a single order last month without any problem. Nevertheless, I also did notice many sellers are now not accepting orders from buyers using IFPS. I hope Taobao SEA will clarify on this as it is no point adding items to cart but later finding out that the sellers do not support IFPS. You may like to take notes of these sellers and drop a note to Taobao SEA to give your feedback. If you really need those items, the alternative will be to go through 3rd-party daigou agents.
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Hi Jenny,
Just got a message from Taobao 客户服務 that latest China internal new rules such as 亲爱的用户,由于国家政策调整,自2014年8月1日起,支付宝购物卡将无法购买虚拟物品,请您知悉,I wonder these rules may some how affect the IPFS services.
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Hi Jk Foo, it translates to “due to policy changes in China, buyers will not be able to buy virtual items with Alipay Purchase card from 1st Aug 2014 onwards.” Think it won’t matter as long as you are not getting virtual items.
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What does this mean?
国际转运服务
使用转运服务 先寄到国内仓库,到仓后支付转运费,配送商会将包裹送达您的地址,转运费35.0元起
Shipping is 35 Yen?
Thanks
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Hi swess, the direct translation:
“International forwarding service
To use forwarding service:
First (have the seller) send the items to the warehouse (in China).
When the items have arrived at the warehouse, pay the forwarding fees.
The agent will send the parcel to your address.
Forwarding fees start from CNY35.”
You can use translate.google.com to get a rough translation for the Chinese messages. You can also refer to Taobao SEA Facebook page which has a wealth of information on how to buy from Taobao.
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Hi Jennyteo, thanks for all the information about purchasing in taobao. I am still not sure how to go about it. How the forwarding agent work like?
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Hi swess, you can refer to the guides for the process:
– Set up overseas address (i.e. your address) – needs to do this before you can activate parcel forwarding: http://member1.taobao.com/member/fresh/deliver_address.htm?spm=0.0.0.0.kvK6oj
– How buying on Taobao and parcel forwarding works: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8
– Forwarding fee calculator: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/price/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.rWlOkh
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Thanks Jennyteo. Is there any direct shipment from china to sg? I finds its complicated to go thru china warehouse
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Hi swess, currently there is no way of shipping directly from China to Singapore on Taobao. Nevertheless, you may like to go through third-party daigou agents available in Singapore. They will handle all the buying and shipping logistics for you for a small fee, so all you need to do is to provide them the Taobao links. An alternative shopping site if you are looking for direct shipping to Singapore will be Qoo10.
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hi hope you can help me here!! I just ordered from taobao and already made payment however I did not choose any forwarding agent and am not sure what will happen to my stuff now :(:(:( can i add the forwarding agent after purchasing? if not have to come across any similar cases cuz I can’t seem to find a solution 😦
Hope you can help me out. thank:)
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Ask seller do not ship/send out the parcel immediately. At 已买到的宝贝 , You can still cancel order and reorder if you haven’t paid.
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thanks for your reply! I’ve cancelled the order and gotten the refund:)
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Thanks tamypoh for helping out! Hi Eunice, you can cancel order the way that tamypoh had suggested, because the seller may not have sent out since it is unlikely to ship directly overseas anyway. It’s best to inform the seller about it as well, and then you can reorder the item, but this time remember to choose a forwarding agent.
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thanks for your help 🙂 i’ve tried reodering again however the 国际转运服务 option is not available. It is there but i cant select it. I tried buying the items one by one but doesn’t work too. any idea what’s wrong?
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I’ve figured it out already! thanks alot for your help!!
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Hello Jenny,
Since GST is payable for packages over $400, how is this $400 calculated? i.e. does it include shipping fees? Also, how does customs verify the amount of the package since the price I paid is much lower than the price that is indicated on the invoice?
Thanks!
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Hi Helpless, you can check IRAS for the info http://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/page04.aspx?id=10832 . So far none of my packages has exceeded the $400 amount, so I’m not too sure about GST declaration. You may like to check with IRAS directly.
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I have received my item today and paid using my credit card directly. I didn’t pay via alipay, but when I clicked “confirm receipt”, they prompted me for payment password and I’m not sure if I even have one. Now they’re asking me to retrieve my alipay password. I’m just confused if I’ve already paid in the first place since they’re asking me for alipay/payment password now when I used my credit card directly. How do I go about confirming I’ve received the package?
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Hi gennarciso, I’m not sure how you had paid by credit card directly, since even credit card payments go through the Alipay platform, as far as I’m aware. Anyway it is not compulsory to confirm receipt as the system will automatically do so after a period of time. In any case, you can log in Alipay with your Taobao account, which is shown as “淘宝会员登录” at the Alipay sign-in page.
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Pingback: Peeka Singapore Review - How I saved $110 SGD | sghappyshopper
Hi jenny
2014-07-24 14:00:14卖家已发货
2014-07-24 14:01:16境内包裹出库
2014-07-25 10:55:14境内包裹出库
2014-07-25 11:25:51境内包裹出库
信息来源:商家运单号:200927485883
Thanks fm EM
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Hi EM, 境内包裹出库 means the package has left the warehouse and is on the way to be shipped out of China. It usually takes about 3~5 business days to ship from China to Singapore, so do look out for it.
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Hi Jenny,, what is Parcels within the library means in my Logistcs News.
Thanks and regards fm EM
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Hi EM, I’m not sure what you mean by parcels within the library? Perhaps you can quote/Copy&paste the entire message in Chinese?
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Hi.
Just want to know if I uses 4px as forwarder and my goods has reached their warehouse. And I consolidate and paid for forwarder. They issue way bill number. But when I can’t track it at all. Question is do I need to confirm receipt for seller even before I receive goods?
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Hi jacquinn, I personally do not track the airway bill no for shipping from China to Singapore. It usually take 3~5 business days to reach Singapore. It is not necessary to confirm receipt as the system will automatically do so after a period of time.
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Hi, Can i know if you have used lequgo before?
1. How do you keep track of the items?
2.What does these info (below) mean and how do i know if it has reached SG or not?
[ 2014-07-19 18:00:27卖家已发货
2014-07-20 01:54:50SINGAPORE
2014-07-20 02:00:00进口清关
2014-07-20 16:00:00出口清关
2014-07-22 20:02:57SINGAPORE
2014-07-22 20:02:58SINGAPORE ]
3. How is their delivery service?
4. Will they inform before delivery
Thanks in advance<3
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Hi Z.ADEL, I do not use Lequgo but I hear it doesn’t send notification. The details seems to indicate that it has arrived at Singapore and cleared the customs. You may like to contact Lequgo via Aliwangwang to check the status just to be sure.
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Hi Jenny,
In desperate need of help:(
I’ve loaded my credits from the AXS machine into my Alipay account. However, when I attempt to make payment, the system on taobao tells me that Ive entered an incorrect password. After which, they locked me out of the system.
An email was sent to me asking for a scanned copy f my passport for verification before they release my password to me. I am not comfortable with giving such details to a 3rd party like Alipay/Taobao.
Please help. My money is now stuck in Alipay.
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In specific it says this
你的账户存在异常,此功能被暂停使用。
若需要继续进行此操作,你可以重新登录支付宝后再试。返回我的支付宝
你也可以点击当前页面右侧的“在线客服”获取帮助。
thanks for your help!
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Hi Helpless, have you tried resetting password? If your account is suspended, you can call Taobao (it owns Alipay) helpline to explain the situation and request them to unsuspend it..
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Hi Jenny!
Thank you for having this site and taking the time to reply to every message.
To update, I called the customer service and it turns out, a photo of my passport was needed for verification. (Why though, since I top up via AXS, hence there is no way to verify I am the passport holder. Hmm…)
But thank you for your help! The comments are very useful.
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Hi Helpless, glad to be of help =) I understand that some users (incl on Amazon or eBay) may be randomly asked for id verification, such as newly registered users who buy huge quantity and/or expensive items, or repeated attempts of wrongly input passwords (which might result in temp account suspension). Hope they manage to reinstate your account so you can use your Alipay credit, since you’ve already paid for it.
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Hi Jenny,
I received this message 该宝贝不支持国际转运服务,如果您需要购买,请取消国际转运”.
when I check the box 使用转运服务.
Please kindly advice how can resolve this issue.
Thanks & regards, Ang
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Hi Ang, it means the seller does not wish to sell to overseas buyers using IPFS agent. If you want to buy it, you can only go through the 3rd-party daigou agents. Alternatively, try find other sellers who may sell the same item.
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Hi Jenny, Thank you very much for your time to help.
I just check that there is only one seller having this issue. the rest of my purchase items are ok with IPFS 国际转运服务. Thanks & enjoy your long weekend.☺
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Thank you for the really kind words! (-: Was really stressed and upset about the matter, but I guess it can’t be solved overnight. This situation is really complex and I’m sure you have done you’re best ability to help, thank you so much!!! I have actually made my friend tried out 658*******, +658***, 0658*****, 0008**** 65-8***** and many more fruitless attempts to make this work (there can only be 3 digits in front) [is there any number I can try out?], however alipay keeps suggesting that the number is wrong! We went to dbs bank to enquire about it however, they said that the contact number was updated and correct )-: I have already maxed out all my options and it would not be long before 4px starts charging me for my items henceforth I am really clueless about what to do..
-Confused Soul
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Hi Confused Soul. do call Taobao helpline to get the issue resolved ASAP, so that you won’t incur warehouse charges. They should be quite experienced in such matters. Don’t let yourself get too worried or stressed. Take care!
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Hi Jenny, I’m really impressed by how you are always consistently replying anonymous questions without profiting from it. Thank you! (-: I was able to purchase successfully from taobao thanks to your post, however, I am facing a major problem now because my alipay account keeps stating that the international shipping fees I pay is invalid, with that said, I am at a loss of what to do because I have firstly – Paid for my goods, Secondly- My goods have already arrive at the warehouse, Thirdly- there is only a limited number of days before they start charging me for placing my goods in the warehouse for such a long time, Fourthly – I am really petrified that someone is hacking my account, Lastly- That alipay will reduce money from my account and yet state that I didn’t pay. I have contacted – 4PX, Alipay as well as choosing the option of asking my friend to pay for me(叫朋友支付)Sadly, 4PX blames Alipay for the problem and would not ship my items till it’s paid, Alipay on the other hand claims that the account has no problems, and my friend could not pay for me because she had to key in her phone number 8******* in one of the options and yet it keeps stating 电话号码有误. I have relevant photos which I couldn’t post up and I have done all the best in my ability before posting this up hoping that you will have any ideas on how to resolve this issue.
Thank you for reading such a long post (-:
-Confused Soul
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Hi Confused Soul, thanks for the appreciative comment 🙂 The agent’s warehouse will hold for free for 20 days. I am sorry to hear about your predicament and I understand your anxiety, but it is beyond me as well. You may like to ask your friend try again by keying 65 in front of her phone number since 65 is Singapore’s country code, but this may not resolve the problem of payment not reaching 4PX via Alipay. I can only suggest that you either post the photos / screenshots (remember to blank out your personal details) on Taobao’s Facebook page for help, or call Taobao helpline to mediate since Alipay belongs to them anyway. I truly hope your problem can be resolved soon! Please do not over-stress yourself in the meantime.
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Now we only can pay by Alipay only is it? And how it function? Can I still pay by debit card? Thank you.
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Hi whongtan03, Alipay is similar to Paypal. It allows linking of credit cards and eNets for payment, but do note that there is an admin fee applicable. Alternatively, you can buy a virtual, store-value Alipay purchase card from AXS machines to top up your Alipay credit amount for making payments.
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Do I need to pay the admin fee If I use the Alipay purchase card?
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Hi Jenny, thanks for many advises.
Finally the local delivery agent after two days failed to deliver me the goods, eventually the third day the goods being delivered by the agent supervisor. As from conversation with him came to know that the current Toll abundant the old system where probably they wanted to cut down the previously features like sent message for alert shipment arrival, under cargo & custom duty check and pre-delivery phone-in acknowledgement, now remains with sms message on the same day delivery only. They forgo most common local logistic delivery practices, for which they supposingly to call good receiver if happened that there were nobody at home to receipt the goods whether instant at site or at the end of the day. And understand that they deployed many new fleet of sub-contracted deliverymen with whom many don’t even understand the delivery standard & guidelines, probably payment terms & conditions being cut to the lowest, hence the majority would not like to follow and also to reduce phone call charges.
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Hi Jk Foo, thank you for your updates. I think due to the boom in online shopping, many local delivery companies are still trying to cope with how to balance prompt deliveries working with their sub-con partners and customer service like informing customers about deliveries as well as manage related costs with calls and SMSes. That said, there are still many inefficiencies and problems with local deliveries. If Toll can get all these sorted out, they will be the dominant player in local delivery services.
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HI Jenny, I bought items from 4 different sellers, and details of each seller transaction and amount payment. Does it means I have to pay individual to each seller.?.
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Hi EM, you can make a single payment to all the sellers at once. When you are ready to pay for your items in your shopping cart, you can select all items. The total amount payable to all the sellers should then be displayed, with the relevant shipping costs (within China) for the order. After confirming the order, you will be automatically directed to the Alipay website to make payment to the sellers.
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Hi Jenny, have you explore to ship out your items by sea freight than air freight? would like to skip Dagou… ?
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found a link: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/mass-order-corner-251/mo-taobao-com-air-sea-shipping-best-rates-4281237.html…seems cheap but feel no safe …no review…no protection.
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Hi pkcauto, the IPFS agents appointed by Taobao currently do not have a sea-shipping option. If you need to ship by sea, you have to go through daigou agents. You can google online for reviews of daigou agents commonly used by buyers from Singapore.
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Hi Jenny,,What is merge payment? I am sorry to ask too much of help from u,, I have try to ask customer services but they cannot give me an answer. Thanks
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Hi EM, when you say merge payment, do you mean 合并付款? 合并付款 means to combine all payments into one single payment.
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yes that chinese word 合并付款. so I can combine into single payment. I really dun understand their english like baby at first,,I thought they only sell baby items only,quite confusing. Thanks so much.
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Thanks Jenny for your replies.
I just wonder for those who work daily 9 am to 5 pm and without parents or maid at home, how they can received the goods in the hands of local delivery agent without specifying the actual delivery time periods. On the other hand will there be any pre-inform services to agent that preference time-frame for their goods to be delivered? If there don’t have such services then it will not be fair for the customers to pick-up the goods from their warehouse or re-deliver at the customer expenses. As you can see, at most of the delivery workman are mostly local uncles ( almost every delivery ), I wonder how they can handle the vast increase of volume now a day, if any misses, can they claim that they have reached the destination but no one to pick-up at home? Any particular proof that they did perform their duty?
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Hi Jk Foo, I think having someone at home to take delivery is the common issue for people who shop on sites like Taobao and Amazon. I heard some people will specify their office address for deliveries (though the same issue will occur if it happens on weekends) and some ask their neighbours to take delivery for them. Others end up having to pick up themselves eventually. Given the high volumes, my guess is 4PX and other agents will work with more delivery companies to spread the load. I do not think there is any way for the deliverymen to prove that they have delivered, but in my case, they have never missed a single delivery so far. By the way, I just checked with 4PX on Aliwangwang; it seems that TOLL is their main delivery partner in Singapore. (tel: 65-62148888, ext349, ext 352, or 66846646) It looks like TOLL works with other delivery companies to spread deliveries since I remember it was a different company who delivered to me. You can try call TOLL next time to see if you can pre-arrange a delivery time slot.
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To Jenny/ frequent Taobao buyer, bad! bad! bad! The 4PX services are getting worst after the incremental of freight rate from 1st of July, yesterday morning about 10.00 am, they sent in sms message that to ensure someone at home as they were going to deliver the goods. However, waited until 11.30 pm at night no even seemed any deliveryman come in & no sms or 4PX net message dropped in to postpone the matter despite several attempt to call in Toll direct lines linked with 4PX handling staff, with nobody to picked-up the calls.
Today morning reminded the 4PX main services line ( probably in ShengZhen ) through Wan Wan, then they only said that , may Singpost to take over the they will inform the Toll and, later returned message that the delivery will surely be at 3.00 pm today. But yet I have not seen anyone come-by to my door step until now, neither they replied any message back to my posting to them.
Don’t you think, how worst they can perform in the coming month as more and more people buying from Taobao, probably another round of freight rate raise again taking this opportunity. Hopefully with Taobao acquired partial shares of Singpost, may Singpost to take over the delivery matter.and be efficiently to control & sustaining the performance.
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Hi Jk Foo, with higher volumes these days and probably having to work with more delivery partners, I also think 4PX services, including the SMS notifications, are more inconsistent these days, though I have heard that other agents are about the same. I understand that if a delivery is missed, you have to pick up from its warehouse or pay a fee for re-delivery, so it is best to ensure there is someone at home to receive the packages. I am also hopeful now that Alibaba, being the second largest shareholder in SingPost, can work with SingPost for deliveries within Singapore for a more consistent level of service. Till then, we can only choose among the few offered by Taobao. Alternatively, it will be back to third-party daigou agents or switching to the indirect method of using vpost China.
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Hi Jenny, I have confirmed my order and pay credit card to alipay. there is a billing address information in the alipay for me to select. Should I tick new biling address or the forwarding address(consistent billing address). Thanks
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Hi EM, it is better to fill in the billing address as your home address where your credit card bill is supposed to be addressed to.
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Hi jenny,, in my confirm order information, the shipping is 18 yuan instead of 10 yuan as in my cart. Why? and the insurance, what does it means. Can help. thanks
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Hi EM, are you referring to the shipping within China? For that, you’ll have to check with the seller as he/she may have amended the delivery fee, or that the lower shipping fee is subject to conditions like having to buy a certain minimum amount. The insurance should be an optional item. There are different types of insurance, e.g. against damage during delivery, etc; there should be a description of it stated.
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Thanks Jenny. I am buying total 27 items from 3 sellers and one of them added double of delivery charges while others sellers did not.Are the seller of my items allowed to add or deduct shipping charges or see their items being selected by buyers. Did u buy insurance for your goods? I am paying abt S$250 for all my items. Thanks again..EM
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Hi EM, it could be that you bought a fair number of items from the seller, so the weight is heavier than usually catered for that delivery charge, thus the seller had to increase the delivery cost. The seller is able to amend the final delivery costs in the back-end prior to payment. This is just my guess – it is best to check back with the seller on the actual reason for the higher delivery costs. You may also try to bargain with the seller to reduce or waive the delivery costs if you are giving him/her substantial business. Whether to buy insurance depends on what’s being covered and the risk aversion of the buyer. It is a personal choice, so I’m afraid I can’t advise you on that.
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Thanks Jenny, U are indeed very helpful and patience lady. Warmest regards fm EM
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HI Jenny, which warehouse must I choose to send if using 4PX shenzen or shanghai?
Thanks fm EM
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Hi EM, I’m not aware that there is now a choice of warehouse for 4PX. Anyway the one that is always ‘provided’ to me by 4PX is in Shenzhen.
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Thanks Jenny,So sweet of you for the reply. May U be happy,peaceful and well,Blessings fm EM.Sg
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Hi Jenny, Thanks for the past advised. As I have bought things many times through Taobao International, however, lately faced with weekend their system payment rejected as their new payment advises that not more than 500 Yen to be transferred out for payment from any bank which including DBS credit card holder. But during the weekday, this new scheme seemed did not apply at all as I attempt again with payment more than 650 Yen, yet I can transferred out from DBS credit card payment. Another not very good news, the 4Px have raised their fees from 35 Yen to 43 Yen per first kg of load, the rest subsequent load rate is the same. Prouter seemed remain same rate as 35 yen per kg but review on performance rating slightly lower than 4Px. Sometimes, I am a bit dissatisfied with 4Px as they no longer given sms tracking your goods location to location as when it arrived in Singapore
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Hi Jk Foo, I am not sure if they have implemented new payment limits on the buyers or uncredited sellers. Sometimes when payment does not go through, it could be due to server load or the seller not wanting to sell to buyers using IFPS service. I did trial and error several times as well. I also noticed 4PX did not send SMS for my last parcel, but I usually keep track of the shipping actively so it was not such a big problem to me. May like to give feedback to them though. There is a comment by “frequent taobao buyer” dated 7 Jul below about her experience on using several agents, so you may like to refer to it.
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Seems 4px maybe not consistent on whether they send SMS tracking ?
For my last 3 orders throught 4px (last one in June) , I got all the SMS update. Including 1 SMS telling me to make sure someone is at home to recieve
the item on that day. (SMS sent at 9am, but goods eventually arrived at 6.30pm the same day)
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Hi, why I ordered 18 items only can make payment for 15 items?
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Hi Michelle, you may like to try pay for the 15 items first, then pay for the other 3 separately. Or did the other 3 transactions close off automatically? Sometimes this happens as these sellers do not wish to sell under IFPS.
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Just to share to everyone. Be careful when choosing forwarding agent.
Been buying from sea.taobao successfully for a few times already. Chinese wasn’t an issue.
Was using 4PX as the forwarding agent until recently I discovered , as on 1st July 2014, they have increased their price to $43 for 1st kg , but still $12 for subsequent 0.5kg.
Previously, all 3 agents are at $35 for 1st kg, $12 for next 0.5kg.
So, thinking of saving some money, I decided to go with another forwarding agent for my latest purchase. I picked PRouter. (bad choice , bad choice !!! )
I bought the same items (some children sound books, for example: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z0d.6639537.1997196601.3.2GLjYc&id=39847116062) for my friends this time. Alas, on consolidating shipping, PRouter classified this book as “special goods” (特殊物品) !!! It’s $47 for 1st kg and $27 for next 0.5kg (ridiculously expensive!!!)
I’d communicated with PRouter and they says because there is “electronics” and “speaker” in the book. This is crazy ! 4PX never charged me that !
I’d bought electronic toy book reader (with speaker, with microphone, sound cartridges and even batteries inside) , they are all charged as normal goods by 4PX.
Then I checked with the other agent Lequgo. They took was saying it may be “special goods” (特殊物品) , but as long as inside there is no batteries, then it can be shipped and charged as normal goods too.
So quite upset with my latest purchase with PRouter as the forwarding agent. Currently waiting to see how long it takes to receive the items from them and any sms/prompt status notifications/tracking like 4PX. (for definitely, I will not go with PRouter anymore)
I may try lequqo the next time, or stick to 4PX, despite the increased in pricinng for the 1st kg charge.
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Hi frequent taobao buyer, thank you for sharing your experience! You have given very valuable advice for other would-be Taobao buyers to consider when choosing the IFPS agent.
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You can also check with 4PX if you need confirmation. Imho 4PX is the best in terms of communication (SMS when items arrive at warehouse, SMS when out for delivery in SG. They even called my hp once to confirm sth), speed (3-4 days is my current experience) and service. Lequgo is very shady. I can buy fans with batteries with 4PX but I can’t even ship a powerbank with NO batteries with Lequgo and they’ll suggest 特货 which is very expensive going by China EMS. The 10RMB increase is only a little bit given their great service imho.
Sensitive items like batteries or strong magnets just go 65daigo forwarding by SEA. Slow but no hassle 🙂
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Just to share on the price comparisons between buying on your own (with taobao forwarding agent vs. daigou) before and after the price increase of 4PX.
Yes. I would prefer to still go with 4px , even after the price increased.
sea.taobao.com (¥35 1st kg, ¥12 per 500g)
=================================
Items: ¥120 + ¥23 + ¥23 + ¥25 = ¥191
Shipping: 4kg = ¥107
Total Charge (3% bank charge) = ¥307
Singapore (4.83 exchange rate) = S$63.60
Economy Air Delivery (including china local delivery to forwarding agent) = 6-10 days (including weekends)
sea.taobao.com (¥43 1st kg, ¥12 per 500g)
=================================
Items: ¥120 + ¥23 + ¥23 + ¥25 = ¥191
Shipping: 4kg = ¥115
Total Charge (3% bank charge) = ¥315.20
Singapore (4.83 exchange rate) = S$65.30
Economy Air Delivery (including china local delivery to forwarding agent) = 6-10 days (including weekends)
65daigou.com
==========
Items: ¥120 + ¥23 + ¥23 + ¥25 = ¥191
Items (SGD, 4.83 exchange rate): S$39.60
Shipping: 4kg = S$16.60
Total Charge (with Agent 8% fee) = $60.70
Singapore Delivery to Door Step = $5 (flat fee under 8kg)
Total Charge = $65.70
By Sea Delivery (including china local delivery to daigou warehouse) = 16-20 days (working days)
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adding 1 more for daigou:
65daigou.com (for SVIP members)
=============
Items: ¥120 + ¥23 + ¥23 + ¥25 = ¥191
Items (SGD, 4.83 exchange rate): S$39.60
Shipping: 4kg = S$16.60
Total Charge (with Agent 4% fee) = $58.50
Singapore Delivery to Door Step = $5 (flat fee under 8kg)
Total Charge = $63.50
By Sea Delivery (including china local delivery to daigou warehouse) = 16-20 days (working days)
Hence buying by yourself on sea.taobao with forwarding agent or 65daigou is almost the same price. (with 65daigou slightly more expensive, but maybe it’s worth it if you are buying over 4kg or 8kg worth of items)
And provided you are buying so frequently from 65daigou that you are the SVIP, with only 4% agent handling fees.
But the biggest differences is in the delivery time. 6-10 days (including weekends) versus 16-20 (working days only). The waiting time can be a killer and fustrating.
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4px also has special items pricing
so u better check before u ship yr things to them
dont take things for granted. policies will change.
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Hi Jenny, is there a way that i can add in the forwarding service now as I have paid in full when I checkout without selecting a forwarding agent. I selected 全国 and proceed to payment without using a forwarding agent for my purchase. What do I do now? Would appreciate your advice and assistance. Thank you!
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Hi s.ying, since there is no local address in China for the seller to send to, it is likely the he/she has not sent out the item. You can go to the item order, click on 退款/退货 and state the reason for refund. You can also message the seller to let him/her know. When you have received the refund, you can buy the item again and choose the forwarding agent.
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Hi Jenny! I just found your website and boy I’m glad! Just one question, the default shipping destination is never 全国 for mine, and I can’t find it anywhere! It is usually set as 香港香港岛 as default… Any ideas on why? Or where I can find 全国? Thank you!
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Hi JT, for me so far, it has been default to 全国 under 配送 on the item page. Are you based in HK? Or you may like to check your personal account settings to make sure your 居住地 is set correctly.
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Hi jenny! May I know how long will it take for the bags I purchased from taobao to reach malaysia? Thank you.
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Hi Tan, you can track the delivery status in your Taobao account. I do not know how long it takes to ship from China to Malaysia, but it takes around 3 business days for China to Singapore.
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Hi Jenny,
Based on your explanation on using Alipay virtual storevalue card which can be purchased via AXS machine, could you kindly share:
1. Can we get the balance storevalue back in any means if there’s any balance left? If yes, how do we do so?
2. Do we have to purchase the virtual card first before we make any purchase online?
3. If we use the storecard to pay for the IFPS, there will no additional 3% charge?
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not Jenny but just to let you know AXS storevalue is not FOC. i think its $41.80 or $41.65 n u get $40 store value (for the $40 top up). i calculated n find that its more expensive than 3% Credit card so in the end i just use credit card to make payment. Didnt try the amount more than $40 though. HTHS
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Hi Kym and jen, the stored value in Alipay purchase card is in RMB not SGD. The difference is due to currency conversion rate determined by Alipay between SGD and RMB, not admin charge. The rate varies from time to time. You can use Alipay to pay for the shopping cart as well as IFPS. You can’t get the balance of the card back. For example: there is RMB 20 left in the card, but your item is RMB 24, you have to pay for the excess RMB 4 by other means offered by Alipay, e.g. eNets or credit cards. This excess amount will be subject to transaction/admin charge according to the payment method used.
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Hi, For the IPFS at taobao, which forwarding agent is most recommeded/ reliable?
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Hi james, I can’t really give recommendations as I have not tried them all, but you can look through the comments and Taobao SEA Facebook page to get an idea of which agent is more popular with most buyers.
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Hi Jenny, is it possible that you would know about the refund process? I’m from Malaysia and I use 国际转运. So recently I purchase a dress and today only got to know that the item is preorder and I have to wait for another 20days. So I want to refund and order from another seller which has ready stock. But I want to know how long does it takes to refund? And they refund the money back to my bank, alipay or to my taobao account where i can use to buy other stuff?
Hope you can help me with this. Thank you so much.
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Hi Vanessa, there should be a 退款/退货 option under that item. You can click on it and state the reason for refund. If the seller has not processed your order and is agreeable to the refund, it should take only a few business days for refund to be credited to whichever method that you had used to pay.
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Thank you for your reply Jenny!
Well, so meaning the money will be credited back to my bank account right? And you know the money will be fully refunded or there will be any charges for refund process?
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Hi Vanessa, if you have paid with your bank account (eNets?), then it should be credited back to the same place. I do not recall any charges for refund, but the currency conversion rate (RMB to SGD) may be different, so you may not get the same S$ equivalent amount back.
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Hi Jenny!
I’m stuck now. first time purchase from taobao. its weird that when i check out, the shipping address is Overseas -> Singapore. and the forwarding co. services dont allow me to tick. if i tick it by changing to another similar address. it said the seller do not support forwarding services. omg. last 1 pc i want to buy. i have tried checking out 3 different times (3 individual sellers) but it is still this particular seller that has the error msg
u have any idea? Thanks
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Hi jen, do you have screenshots of where you were stuck? Have you set up your account for international parcel forwarding before this? Nevertheless, it is possible that some sellers may have disallowed buying even if the buyers use IFPS agents. I did encounter on several occasions the transaction being cancelled automatically during payment without any reason given, but I was not charged any fee. Eventually I just gave up on them and chose others selling the same items.
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Hi.
Not very sure about this accouot for international parcel forwarding. Only set up account with taobao. Didnt set up with companies like 4pX. not sure if its required.
i have like 3 users items in my cart. some trial & errors, i am able to check out 2 of the users and tick “forwarding agent” services. However, that particular one which i have mentioned always have error. the error is ” 该宝贝不支持国际转运服务,如果您需要购买,请取消国际转运” even when the international agent services is selected. Otherwise, most of the time, it cannot be selected (the box for forwarding agent). The box is grey out when i tried to check out all 3 sellers.
So lets say i cannot get from this seller n just buy from the other two… all i have to do is to select overseas-> singapore. tick the international forwarding services (select ie 4PX) and check out? i dont have to set up any international parcel forwarding account right?
please advise. Thank you
ps not sure how to send screenshot by comment….
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Hi jen, I was referring to setting up the IPFS service when creating Taobao account. From the error, it seems that particular seller disallows IFPS, so it means you can’t buy from that seller. Yes, you are right: just check out the other two sellers as per normal and select the IFPS agent, 4PX in your case. Remember to double-check and make sure you have entered your Singapore address correctly.
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Hi. I placed an order and too bad one is OOS for 2weeks time so i am holding back my purchases. Will be buying another set of items from a seller seperately n get it ship over by their own shipping company. hopefully can reach me safely because the items are a few hundreds dollars!!!
By the way, do you know how to add the chat group pax as friend? The seller ask me to add her as friend so she can keep me in contact on the upcoming items. Went through the site but still clueless. Not the store name but the chat name. its like they have ie 5 chat accounts under the company. Going to ‘make friend’ with one of them. Thank you
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Hi jen, you can check if the sellers offer insurance for damaged/missing goods (charges applicable) if you want more assurance.
Is the seller referring to adding her as friend in Aliwangwang? You can check with her which ID to add. I have not added any so I am not sure. Alternatively, you can 收藏店铺 (Save/mark seller as favourite) under Taobao.
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I finally managed to add. i think under taobao. not very sure how i add too. by the way if the items arrived, do I need to click “已入库”? its already in my account and the weight is presented etc. just not sure if i should click the button. so after i combine the order n proceed to check out, i will be able to pay the shipper (ie 4px) as per normal like how i pay the merchants in taobao? thank you
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Hi jen, there is no need to click on 已入库, as it is just a status update to inform you that the item is in the warehouse. When all your items arrive at the warehouse, you can combine (合并快递) the items you want to be consolidated into a package. Then go 合并订单 to consolidate the shipment order. You will then be directed to Alipay for payment to the IFPS agent – in your case 4PX? , same way as how you had paid the Taobao merchants. Once the payment is done, the IFPS agent will begin shipping the consolidated package from warehouse to Singapore. You can keep track of the shipment status on Taobao under 国际转运.
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Thanks for the helpful post !
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Hi kendrick, you are welcome! Hope it has been of help to your Taobao shopping experience.
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Hi Jenny, thanks for ur post! Im finally starting up my own acc in taobao but im stuck at “收货地址” cos whenever i type in my address i will appear ”5-120个字符,一个汉字为两个字符”
what does it mean
ive tried 2 diff address but still the same thing )’:
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Hi Jia Yi,
you have to fill in all the required fields:
所在地区 (location) – 海外,新加坡 ;
邮政编码 (postal code) ;
街道地址 (address in English, not more than 120 characters);
收货人姓名 (name of recipient)
手机号码: (mobile number) – no need to fill in 电话号码 (tel no)
If you still have problems, you may like to check with Taobao SEA (with screenshot of where you were stuck at)? Because I tried again and had no problems filling in another address.
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So I do not have to put 海外, just 外国 will do right? (: thank you so much. It really helps a lot. Thank you!
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Hi Clara, it should be 全国 (which refers to within China).
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Hello, may i ask if i follow all these procedures according to your post, i do not have to go through aliwangwang or any agent right? just the 4px will do?
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Hi Clara, Aliwangwang is the messaging system to contact Taobao sellers. 4PX is an international parcel forwarding agent appointed by Taobao. If you have chosen 4PX as the forwarding agent, it will be the one receiving (from sellers) and holding your purchases in China, and later consolidating and shipping to Singapore when you have given instructions to do so.
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Hi Jenny,
This is Simin, good morning, I have bought items from Taobao, and I realise the amount in CNY is different from what I have on my credit bill. Example, I pay CNY 95 in taobao, but my bill show CNY 97.85. It is around 1.03 times the original amount. Do you encounter is same problem? Should I check with my bank or Alipay? Thank you!
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Hi Simin, Alipay charges a 3% fee (on total bill) for use of credit card to buy from Taobao. When you make payment on Alipay, it is stated in the payment amount though in a slightly smaller font. If you do not want to be charged the additional 3% fee, you can consider buying Alipay Purchase Cards from AXS machines.
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Hi Jenny, thanks a lot for your reply! it has been a great help! Alipay Purchase Cards is like a card that stores $$ in it is it? How do I use it taobao? I tried to use my sg mobile number to entire for more benefits, however it seems that they do not accept overseas number is it?
Thanks,
Simin
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Hi Simin, the Alipay Purchase Card is like a virtual stored value ‘card’. There are different denominations, if I recall correctly, like RMB 200 and 500. After making payment on AXS machine, it will print a receipt with PIN that you can key into your Alipay account to top up the value, which can be used to pay for Taobao shopping. When you buy the ‘card’, remember to use the same email address as your Alipay account since they are linked. Yes, you are right – Taobao currently does not extend many offers and benefits for overseas buyers.
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Hi Jenny, my friend uses standard chart and dbs cc, however she does not have extra 3% charges, wondering if it applies to certain cards only. Really thanks a lot of your reply, you clear my doubts.. haha 😀
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Hi Simin, Alipay states explicitly that there is a 3% transaction fee for using international credit cards. http://help.alipay.com/lab/help_detail.htm?help_id=253689 . Perhaps your friend used eNets debit (transaction fee of S$1) – http://i.imgur.com/sgk3TVD.jpg – or may not have noticed the additional fee since the total amount payable to Alipay has already included the 3% in it – http://i.imgur.com/XARgp0E.jpg .
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okie, thanks alot Jenny! have a great day ahead! 😀
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Hi! May I know how to claim my warranty for electrical appliances from taobao? Thanks a lot. U r a great blogger 🙂
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Hi whongtan03, thank you for your kind words! You may like to check warranty issues with the sellers, but I believe that electrical appliances sold on Taobao are likely to only provide local warranty (i.e. within China), if any.
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Hi! Recently I just ordered some things from taobao, and I selected the shipping forwarder thing, but I put 海外 instead of 全国. And on taobao, they told me my things arrived so I clicked acknowledged. And now there’s nth I can do?!? Pls advise me what to do next! Thanks so much TT
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Hi Apple, Taobao system automatically marks items as received after some time to close outstanding orders, unless the buyers state otherwise. Do contact the sellers to check if they have indeed shipped the items. If they have not, arrange with them for refund. Most sellers are reasonable and will agree to such requests as part of customer service. Nevertheless, if you can’t come to an agreement with the sellers regarding refunds, contact Taobao SEA (they have a Singapore helpline) to resolve the dispute as a last resort. Hope you will get the issues successfully resolved soon!
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Thank you for a detailed writeup. Very helpful..
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Hi Stephen, glad to be of help! =)
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Hi Jenny,
I’m Maive, I’ve decided to order a few items from Taobao, and i’ve seen the total pricing.
What i’m confuse is that, after i paid for the amount of the cost price, the goods will be shipped to China warehouse, right ? Followed by shipping to Singapore as you mention in the post, bundle all items together and ship over.
Do i have to pay the shipment from China warehouse to Singapore warehouse ? And can i collect directly from the Singapore warehouse ?
Thanks !
My e-mail is : liarliargone@gmail.com
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Hi Maive, when you check out the shopping cart, you’ll be instructed to choose a IFPS agent (if you have not done so already) so that the sellers will know where to send the items to in China. Once that is done, you’ll be directed to Alipay to pay the sellers, and they will start sending the items to the warehouse. When all the items have arrived at the IFPS agent warehouse in China, you can choose to consolidate all items into a single package. You’ll be given the total weight of the package, and also the amount payable to the IFPS agent. You’ll then be directed to Alipay, this time to pay the IFPS agent for shipping from China to Singapore. Once the package arrive in Singapore, it will be delivered to your doorstep by the courier appointed by the IFPS agent. I do not think the couriers allow direct collection from the warehouse in Singapore.
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I have overlooked at the payment section, and i have paid for my items without selecting IFPS agent. 😮 Am i screwed ?
p.s sorry for troubling so much.
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Hi Maive, as seen from the comments before yours, many had done the same as you, so do not worry too much. It is likely that the sellers have not shipped the items out since they may not ship to Singapore. You can apply for refund/退款 under the Taobao system citing the reason that you have not set up the forwarding service. When the refund issue is resolved, you can start shopping again but this time remember to set up the IFPS agent first.
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I see. I have done so for the given instruction by you, so after all these ordering, i’ll just have to wait for it to ship to my doorstep without having to confirm anything through the website right? 🙂
Thanks again!
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Hi Maive, just remember that you have to make payments twice: (1) pay the sellers for the items as well as for them to send to the IFPS agent warehouse in China. When all your items have arrived at the warehouse, go consolidate everything into a single package under 国际转运, then (2) pay the IFPS agent, then it will arrange for the package to be shipped from its China warehouse to the Singapore warehouse, which will then deliver to your doorstep.
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Alright, thank you very much for all these helpful comments. Surely helped me a lot !
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Hi,may i know what shall i do if i forgot to extend the goods receipt as i have yet to receive my goods.
Thanks!
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Hi Jeremy, the system will automatically marked as received after a period of time whether you have received your goods or not, especially for overseas buyers since it’ll take longer for them to receive. If dispute occurs, you can refer to Taobao SEA to help mediate and resolve.
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Great! Thanks for your advice. 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
In the forwarding service, there is a fixed base charge, weight charge, and forwarding fee.
Do you know the difference between them?
Do you know how to calculate the total forwarding fee?
I looked at the taobao sea website and didnt quite understand it.
Is the forwarding service charge by weight?
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Hi 姓苏的, forwarding service is charged by weight.
Fixed base charge is the minimum base charge, which is based on the first kg. So even if your parcel is less than a kg, you’ll be charged for the full kg.
Weight charge is based on the subsequent weight after the first kg, so if your parcel is 2.3kg, the weight charge will be based on 1.3 kg (=2.3kg – first kg).
=>> Total forwarding charge = base charge + weight charge + holding fee (incurred if holding in warehouse has passed >20 days).
You can check the prices by the agents here – http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/price/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.UJczdv .
Using credit card for payment will incur an additional 3% fee.
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Hi Jenny, when I tried to settle payment, I encountered error message “对不起,系统异常,请稍候再试” I have tried multiple times and yet received the above error message, do you know why? Thanks for your help.
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Hi vivien, the server could be experiencing heavy load or undergoing maintenance. Perhaps you can try to make payment again later or tomorrow?
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If i wanna order things so i wanna choose EMS, can i know Taobao ems can come to singapore? without talking to the seller
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Hi Melvinn, please contact EMS directly to check, as it is not one of Taobao’s appointed forwarding agents.
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Hi dear! I need help in how to set up the IFPS. its all in Chinese and I cant understand a single thing hahah. hope u can help me out:)
ellysa91@gmail.com
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Hi ellysa, you can refer to the set-up guides by Taobao SEA as linked above in my post. I understand recently some bloggers have been engaged to create the step-by-step videos (I assume they are in English), and these videos can be found on Taobao SEA Facebook page. Hope you can get your maiden Taobao shopping up and running soon!
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I managed to set an account and all. However, why is it that I am unable to submit my order an make payments? When I try logging in on alipay using my taobao acc, I can’t do it and they require some SMS verification using china no I assume. So does that mean I don’t have an alipay acc?
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Hi Ellysa, I have never received any request for SMS verification before. When you log in Alipay with your Taobao account, uncheck the 安全控件登录 box first because I think that is similar to 2FA which requires mobile verification. Alternatively, when you submit your Taobao / Tmall orders for payment, it should automatically direct you to Alipay without having to log onto it separately. If you still can’t access Alipay, do drop a message with Taobao SEA via their homepage or call their Singapore hotline.
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Hmmm..an just wondering if taobao is having any technical problems. I tried their customer service but it’s generated so it doesn’t ans any of my enquiries. Sorry for troubling:/
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Hi Ellysa, was it the online help you tried? They have a call centre at Singapore : 800 188 6018. Hope they will be able to help you over phone.
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Can you buy electronic products (i.e. portable charger, phone, tablets etc) from taobao and ship them to singapore?
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Hi Angela, you can check the prohibited item list here : http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/interdict/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.r7Z04v
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Hi Jenny,
I would like to check other than the item price and the shipping alone in china, how much roughly would I need to pay IPFS? Is it a two time payment? All payment must be done with paypal or I can use mastercard? Thank you.
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Hi Michelle, the rates for the respective IPFS agents can be found here: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/price/eng.php?spm=1.6840493.a2147lx.3 . It is a one-time payment, where you will be charged once you have submitted for payment and the agent can prepare for shipping. The payment has to go through the Alipay platform (China does not use Paypal), but you can use credit cards on Alipay, where the set-up is similar to what Paypal has. Alipay charges a 3% fee for using credit cards. Alternatively you can buy Alipay Purchase Card (like stored value) from AXS machines to use on Alipay.
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hi jenny, i have returned a defective item to seller. applied for refund on my taobao’s page, but the refund value is only capped at the item’s value, not including postage. as the seller said they will pay part of my postage, how do they actually refund the postage to me? i pay postage by cash for registered mail to china, thus postage payment not from alipay. how can they refund me in this case? singpost also showed they delivered my item, but seller claimed has not received. still waiting for them to reply after they checked. hoping they are not cheating me.
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Hi winter, you may like to provide the seller a screenshot of the delivery status provided by Singpost for proof of delivery. I would assume the seller should be able to refund you via the same way you paid them previously, but it is best you confirm so with Taobao. Do get Taobao SEA to mediate and resolve the dispute if you are still unable to reach a proper settlement with the seller.
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Hi,
I read u wrote that don’t need to put shipping as 海外,is that right?
I had been putting it and paying the shipping.
Please confirm, thanks!
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Hi shinteia, you should not put shipping as 海外 as it means direct shipping from seller to Singapore, which incurs high cost. Moreover, most Taobao sellers do not ship overseas, even though it seems to be available as it is a default option for the item page in the system. You may like to confirm with seller if the item has been shipped.
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Hey guys, have you ever heard of http://www.hoyoyo.com ? It is said that they can ship furniture to Singapore nowadays, anyone got experience with hoyoyo? Need some tips here.
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Hi Jenny,
Thank you for the great sharing! Unfortunately I came across your post only after my purchase. I had selected delivery to overseas instead of to forwarding agents. How can I rectify the situation as I do not wish to incur greater shipping costs. Thank you in advance!
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Hi Linz, it is possible that the seller does not ship overseas and hence has not shipped out your item. Message the seller to confirm. If he/she has not shipped it out, tell him/her that you will cancel the order and re-submit it again, this time with international forwarding option. You can submit for refund/return of goods under 已买到的宝贝.
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Hi Jenny!
I’m having trouble sending the item i bought from the warehouse to Singapore. I can’t find the option to ship the item to Singapore, and I stupidly clicked on “confirm receipt” of goods. Its impossible to get anyone to pick up the call when i call the number which you provided in one of your comments.
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Hi Lin, to consolidate one or more more orders into a single package to ship from warehouse to Singapore, you can go to 已买到的宝贝 > 国际转运 (international forwarding) to do so, as in the instructions in my blog post above.
The tel no of Taobao call centre at Singapore is 800 188 6018 ; the Taobao online help in Singapore is at : http://service.taobao.com/support/minerva/robot.htm?spm=a214x.6760217.991146389.6.wvz5Cg&source_id=1309142129&redirect_url=&par . I see a lot of people do so on Taobao SEA’s Facebook wall, so you can also try drop a message there. Hope you manage to get your item soon!
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is the number toll free? If i were to call via my hp, will it incur overseas charges? I tried to go 已买到的宝贝 > 国际转运 , it does not allow me to select the item to ship. I think its because I clicked on ‘Confirm receipt’.
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Hi Lin, the tel number belongs to the Taobao Singapore office number, so it should be toll-free. Hopefully they can help you arrange for shipping.
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Hey Jenny, it seems like I did not pay the forwrading charges from the warehouse to Singapore, therefore they are not shipping it out to me. However, I can’t find the option to pay for the forwarding charge and now I can’t get the goods out of the warehouse. Are you able to help me? I tried calling taobao’s number, but I can’t get to the operator! *pulls hair*
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Hi lingxoxo, have you set up international forwarding? If yes, you can go to 已买到的宝贝 > 国际转运 to arrange for shipping from warehouse to Singapore. You’ll be directed to Alipay to pay for shipping. Once you have paid, the warehouse will ship your order to Singapore. Try drop them a note on Taobao SEA Facebook wall, or online help. Do keep trying their hotline as well. Think their lines are always very busy nowadays because the number of Singapore buyers has increased by a lot recently.
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Hi lingxoxo and jenny, i did the same thing too (having trouble sending the item i bought from the warehouse to my address because i accidentally clicked on “confirm receipt” of goods). Did you manage to solve this problem dear? Please help me.
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Hi Jenny. I did a refund and it reached on the third steps, banks process is successful and the status state “Mastercards have been returned”. It has been more than 7 days but it does not went back to my bank account. What should I do? Can Alipay be trusted?
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Hi Hanis, if you have paid by credit card, it should be refunded back to the credit card. It should take a few working days to reflect in your credit card statement (not bank account) as a credit amount.
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Hi, I’ve purchased a pair of shorts but however, the seller mailed a skirt to me. Those two are completely different even in terms of color. What can I do? 😦 thank you so much
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Hi yh, you can go to 已买到的宝贝, locate the item, then click on refund (退款). Give the reason for refund (in your case, received skirt instead of shorts – best to attach a picture) and submit it. Concurrently message the seller to let him/her know about the mistake and that you are submitting for refund.
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hi jenny, have you ever tried to file for refund after received goods “售后申请“ and ”淘宝介入?my application has been days and taobao has not intervene, the seller is a pain, everyday leave several msgs in my application accusing its customer’s fault when it is clearly their fault! I could only end this daily sufferings until taobao intervene. Is there a free international call software for us to reach taobao’s hotline, we can’t use skype right? Feel like calling them to handle my process and yet do not know if they will handle immediately or wait again….
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Hi winter, I have not filed for refund after receiving goods. I doubt it will be easy for international buyers to liaise with the customer service in Taobao China as they are only familiar with dealing with matters concerning China buyers and sellers.
Have you tried calling Taobao customer service in Singapore at 800 188 6018 or chat with Taobao online help in Singapore http://service.taobao.com/support/minerva/robot.htm?spm=a214x.6760217.991146389.6.wvz5Cg&source_id=1309142129&redirect_url=¶m=&kbs_key=&out_token=&queue_id= ? Hopefully the Taobao customer service in Singapore will be in a better position to help you liaise with the China side of Taobao and the seller. Remember to furnish them with all the details (e.g. screenshots denoting transactions, photos of the goods showing the flaws, etc.) required to substantiate your case for refund, so it will make the process easier for all parties.
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Hi jenny, absolutely right. Its so difficult for international buyers to file for refund. I did both, already called their hotline n talked to online cso. All they can do is nothing much except to ask them to expedite. International postage is already so hard, which party wants to pay for it? That was my first time buying from taobao. If result of refund is not given, i will lose trust with taobao and not buy from there. Futhermore this seller is very rude and crazy.
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Hi Jenny,
I have been struggling to setup my account on taobao and it linked me to alipay which add the problem to maximum. after a few months of struggling, i had finally managed to set up an taobao account, but i have stated that i am from oversea.
a) in this case, i am not able to do internal transfer. therefore i have never get to see the shipping screen.
b) i am trying to use DBS VISA to make my payment but wasnt sucessful. is DBS card acceptable by taobao net?
much thanks
a struggling soul
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Hi jenny, seller is really driving me insane. Imagine i was kind to give her middle review and its her fault to send item not described in her shop. She still has the cheek to give me bad review! Speechless with this kind of china seller. If only qoo10 has the items i want, i would really prefer qoo10’s outstanding ways in handling refunds. Qoo10 also do not have any bulletin board like taobao, made both parties kept quarelling until taobao is free to handle. I really give thumbs up for qoo10’s system. This bad encounter leaves bad shopping experience for me in taobao. Qoo10 is safer shopping for us.
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Hi winter, sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with the seller. It is part of the risks buyers have to bear when it comes to online shopping, that’s why it is important to read through the reviews before deciding to buy from a seller. I have had a few bad encounters, but they were mainly related to the quality of the products rather than service, e.g. a nice belt I bought had a strong smell that lasted for days even though I had aired it. I had to throw it away eventually. The trade-off between price and quality is something that buyers will have to contend with esp when it comes to buying from Taobao.
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Hi Gwendolyn, I am not sure what you mean by “internal transfer”. We are all overseas buyers here too, which is why we need to use an international forwarding agent. You can follow the guides by Taobao SEA to set up the international forwarding option. When you have submitted your orders, you should be able to choose the international forwarding option as well as the agent to help you ship from China to Singapore. Alipay accepts payments by Visa and Mastercard cards, as well as Alipay Purchase Cards, by overseas buyers. You will be prompted to set up the mode of payment at Alipay after you have submitted your orders for payment.
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btw when i mentioned Gmarket Kr, i am not referring to Qoo10
they are totally 2 different things. Cheers!
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Hi jen, thanks for dropping by! The products in Tmall shops are generally slightly more expensive than many Taobao shops, but are also more trusted by buyers. The buying process for both are the same for international buyers.
Besides Taobao, so far I’ve only tried shipping direct from sites like PCHome and Amazon. For the latter, my orders took nearly three weeks to arrive but the free shipping on selected products are a draw. Yes, I have heard of Gmarket KR (endorsed by Big Bang :)) and Rakuten (the global one, not the .sg), though I have not tried shopping on these sites yet. The shipping costs are much higher so that is an disincentive for me. I’d love to hear your recommendations on the popular buys for these sites (esp Gmarket KR) and how the buying process work, whether direct or through third-party like Tenso. Look forward to your advice!
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Hi Jenny
Basically Gmarket KR works by having a warehouse consolidate the purchases for u (sellers that allows international shipping. Shipping to Korea Address is untick). Then u can combine maximum of 2 orders into 1 to ship to SG. They like to use big bulky boxes. So they will consolidate all the boxes from various sellers and put into 1 or 2 big freaking boxes to ship them to SG.
Sellers will update the status of the order and they can be from order received, preparing for shipment, link for the tracking of domestic shipping (sometimes not accurate, depending on what they use) etc.
The items will be combined and forward to SG once all items reached and is updated in the system. So any combination will have to do before the last item reach warehouse.
This can be tracked too. by EMS.
As for shipping rates, everything is pro rated. Sellers are more realistic nowadays. They no longer put 0.5kg for a small handphone accessories. So the weight is more accurate. U pay for the estimated weight (system combine all the weight estimation by seller) and charged accordingly. When all the items are ready to be shipped out, they will be weighted and any extra paid/less amount paid will go to a GCash Account or something. So u will have $ stuck there. Nowadays, we can use it for partial payment too if i am not wrong.
The warehouse is probably preassigned by ebay. U can say its like Tenso but u never ever need to be in touch with Gmarket warehouse. Once everything is packed n ready to go, thats it. Its not like borderlinx u can check how many items received etc.
Shipping costs are expensive but i think not as expensive as Tenso or those from UK/US shipping. However WON has increased so nowadays less attractive.
I suspect some cheap clothes from Kr is actually from China. China clothings. they have strong chemical smell on them. I buy from a big range of items from utensils (expensive range 20-100$) for 2 pairs of chopsticks set or one utensil set, phone covers (u have plenty of options for samsung phones), samsung phone appliances, cosmetics, tempered glass screen protector. selling 100+ for ipad glass protector here n i paid 60-70$ and the list goes on. it really depends on what u want to buy. Shoes wise, i have big foot so Kr shoes are not for me.
Rakuten Japan, some ship direct , some that dont just have to use Tenso. Also can combine order so at times i combine order from Rakuten and Amazon Japan. Sometimes its depends on the items u want to buy. If they are worth the effort and cheaper/cant find in SG/better quality, i think its worthwhile to buy from KR or Japan. I dont like PU bags frm Korea though. find them quite cheapo. Not as nice as in pics.
I like KR n Tenso because they dont charge by volumetric. Hate the Borderlinx rules. Sometimes pay a lot for air.
Oh ya, i love to buy costume accessories from Kr. But need to really spend few days surfing thru to find something unique and nice.
HTH
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sorry cant clear enough. when i said cant check how many items, i am referring to how many items in the box send out by respective sellers. warehouse check if sellers goods arrived but dont count or check individual items inside the seller’s box.
there was a limit to this EMS shipping, cannot be more than a certain dimension. so too bulky or too long stuffs cannot be purchased over.
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HI jen, thank you for the details on the buying process for Gmarket KR! It seems to work fairly similar to Taobao forwarding, though a maximum of two orders per shipping order for Gmarket KR is a little restricted. I understand many goods sold in Korea are made in China and vice versa as well – I saw many bulk buyers from China ordering from the Korean wholesale markets when I was in Seoul, so it seems that there is little difference in their goods. I think I will need to try out the international shipping option from Gmarket KR one day. Thanks again for the guide! 🙂
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hI jENNY! just passing by because i am trying to figure out how TMALL works. seem to me its similar to Gmarket Korea. I dont think i will get into Taobao though because I prefer to have a peace of mind over the quality. I think U should venture out to Gmarket and Rakuten too if you havent done so. Gmarket Kr works in a similar wk although u dont have to appt an agent.
I have shipped from many places where online shopping are popular… except for China.
Sometimes i ship direct via rakuten, sometimes to third party like Tenso. Gmarket Kr is gd place to shop too but not for china goods? Anyway i also want to buy some stuffs frm China and will go thru this long post of yrs to get things done. Thank you for yr post.
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Hi jenny. I manage to order and my stuffs reach the warehouse. But I can’t consolidate the orders and send.. Any advise ?
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sorry, im possible to consolidate already, but theres one item i accidentally press to send individually. how to i take this single item to join the rest ?
thanks
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Hi Yixuan, it may be difficult to change since the instruction had been submitted for that item to be sent individually. Is there any option there to cancel/取消 the arrangement? If not, you can try Aliwangwang the forwarding agent to check if they can help you reverse this instruction and send it for consolidation with the rest.
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Hi Jenny,
Please allow me to share an experience & alert would be Taobao buyers who visit your site. Two weeks ago, my husband ordered 2 pieces of Sandisk Ultra 32GB SD cards from this company. 马年大特惠 [1986461764] which turned out to be fake. It only has 8GB of storage capacity. If you copy files beyond 8GB, it will randomly delete files that you had previously stored to free up space for your new files. Thereby, giving the impression that there are space available. I tried contacting the seller through Wang Wang but they refused to communicate with me even though Wang Wang indicated that the seller was on-line.
I have posted my comments on Taobao’s FB & suggested that they de-list this seller to prevent more buyers from getting cheated. //Fionna
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Hi Fionna, thanks for sharing your experience! It is true that fake items/假货 and items not matching the descriptions/货不对办 are some of the risks faced by buyers when it comes to buying from online shopping sites like Taobao. Are you still able to 退款? I suggest you give seller a -1 rating and leave a scathing review on the seller’s site by relating your bad experience, so other would-be buyers who read the reviews can be alerted too. It’d help if you have screenshots (including your Aliwangwang conversation with the seller) or pictures to further support your review. In addition, you can go to the item page and report the item / 举报. http://service.taobao.com/support/knowledge-1357280.htm . It is unfortunate that you had to meet with such an unpleasant seller and exasperating encounter. Hope you are not too traumatised by the experience.
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Hi Jenny,
I tried everything. First I tried to contact the seller thru Aliwangwang, they refused to reply. Second, I 评价 and this is what I got “抱歉,追加评论发布失败!原因可能是1. 你已进行过追加评论2. 不在评价期内,交易成功后180天内可做追加评论”. Third I 追加评论 and it said ”
15天内买家未评价,可以继续追评 (I really don’t understand this). I can see my review under 我已评价 but it was not published on the seller’s site. Then I tried to 投诉卖家 and I got “很遗憾,投诉卖家入口已经关闭亲,对不起哦,该笔交易已过投诉处理期”. I did try to 举报 but I could not find the product. So I searched for it via 已买到的推荐. Guess what I got this time “此宝贝已下架”. I have no more recourse 叫天天不应 叫地地不灵 !! Any suggestion ?
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Hi Fionna, seems like the buyer had closed the item page and somehow blocked comments, though I am unsure how it was being done. This raised the possibility of it being a fraudulent seller. I can only think of chatting with the Taobao customer service online to lodge a proper complaint on fraudulent seller, or call Taobao customer service in Singapore. Hope Taobao can ban this person from becoming a seller again.
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Hi Jenny, I have already left my comments with Taobao but unfortunately they chose to do nothing. No one contacted me. Even if Taobao can ban this seller, I don’t think Taobao is able to help me 退款. Well, as I mentioned before, I am not a fan of on-line shopping. This is my first and will be my last. 😦
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Hi Fionna, it’s a shame that Taobao has not contacted you as yet. Sorry to hear that your experience with Taobao is not such a good one. There are still kinks in the overall Taobao ecosystem; hope it’ll improve soon enough for buyers, esp international ones, so they can have a better piece of mind. An IT Show is coming up during the June holidays so hopefully you can get some nice deals for your SD cards there. Take care and have a good weekend!
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Hi jenny, ive tried following your instructions, but dont get it at all.
is it possible for us to chat over whatsapp ?
if its ok for u pls text me 98770506.
thanks a lot!
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Hi Yixuan, have you read the buying guides by Taobao? They have useful step-by-step details in helping you set up a Taobao account to buy. I am sorry that I am unable to help on one-one basis, but you can share what you wish to clarify here so others can learn too.
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Hi, I’ve made my first purchase from Taobao and when I click for 订单详情 (order details), they showed me a list of the details of the shipping, It is already May 4, but the last detail was this:
2014-04-23 13:28:16 在上海徐汇区龙华公司进行签收扫描,快件已被 图片签收 签收 上海徐汇区龙华公司
What does this mean? Will it be shipped out? How do I get it to ship to Singapore? Do I still have to pay a fee for the international shipping?
Thank you 😦
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Hi yh, if you have chosen a forwarding agent to take delivery for your orders in China, you can go to 国际转运 to submit for shipping to Singapore. Yes, you will need to pay the forwarding agent shipping fee for them to ship the orders from their China warehouse to Singapore. If not, the orders will remain in their warehouse who will start charging after 20 days of free storage.
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HI, I’m so sorry. Can I have the page link for the 国际转运 as I can’t find it anywhere in the website? Thank you so much. I have difficulty reading chinese so it’s quite hard for me to navigate around the site.
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Hi yh, go to 我的淘宝 > 已买到的宝贝 > 国际转运. (I have this screenshot in my blog post) This page displays all your orders that have arrived at the warehouse. Just choose the items you want to be shipped to Singapore using the 合并快递 option, then 合并订单/consolidate orders. You should then be directed to pay for the agent to ship to you.
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Hi jenny, I’m rather confused with the Alipay part. When we first registered, we’re “bang ding” with Alipay. Is it necessary to go through the registration process to proof our identity by showing document? Also I just tried out “jie bang” Alipay. But it seems that I can’t access any page in Alipay now, prompted me to 1) register an account at Alipay website or 2) “bang ding” Alipay at taobao. I wonder which step should I take now in order to view certain transactions, remaining balance, etc in Alipay. Appreciate your kind advice, thanks!
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Hi winter, I do not recall having to prove identity with documents. I believe this is only needed for ‘bang ding’/tying phone number to the account, which is not applicable to international buyers anyway. You should try bang ding Alipay with Taobao, since you’ll need to pay for Taobao purchases using the Alipay platform. Go to Alipay log in site https://www.alipay.com/ and find the 淘宝会员登入/ Taobao member login link (it is in smaller print just below the orange 登入 button). You’ll be prompted to log in using your Taobao ID. Upon successful login, you should be able to access your Alipay dashboard and view transaction history, etc.
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Hi Jenny! I would like to ask if you can help me with this. May I know is DBS bank is still the official bank accepted by Taobao? Upon reaching the payment page, the payment via DBS bank was not reflected there instead only VISA or malaysian bank is reflected there Hope to hear from you soon
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hi jenny, thanks for replying. i couldn’t get alipay back after jiebang. had to open another account, and gave me a hard time too because they imposed more rules i think in new accounts, btw, do you happen to know about the visa monday promotion spending 388 gets 50rmb ang bao? is the angbao given immediately after payment or must wait how long? i know its limited to 800 users only. is it limited to only 1 angbao per user or even we do few transactions on same day can still get? i am also thinking of buying cosmetics but not sure if there is extra charge, is this considered sensitive items? thanks again jenny for your time 🙂
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Hi Denise, I used to see a DBS option on Alipay page, but I have never used it before so I am unsure if it is still available. There is a drop-down arrow (think after the Malaysia bank option), so you can click on that to check. If there are no more options, then DBS may already have removed it. You can call Taobao SEA or DBS to check on whether DBS still provides this payment option.
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Hi winter, hope you have managed to tie your Taobao account to your Alipay account, be it the new or old account, as without which, you would not be able to make payment.
Yes, I am aware of the Visa Monday promo. In fact I intentionally waited till 12.01am on Monday to make payment 😛 But I have yet to check my Visa bill if I receive the angpao. It is supposedly given to the first 800 users every Mon during the promo period, but not sure when they will credit it. Users can claim the angpao only once during the whole promo period.
According to the prohibited item list (http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/interdict/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.r7Z04v), cosmetics is considered as a prohibited item to Singapore. 😦 Just fyi, I used to get my cosmetics from Qoo10 as it didn’t impose such restrictions.
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Hi Jenny, thanks for replying again, you’re very helpful 🙂 Yes you are right, at 1st I didn’t know its a must to tie to alipay. because alipay is really user unfriendly and taobao cso could even tell me I can still use alipay after untie that time. Can’t really rely on what they said. Thanks for sharing on the visa promo, I am not aware we can only get it once, lol! Oh but I thought the angbao will go into our alipay account under “hong bao”? I also waiting and wondering if I will get it, its not in my alipay. Right, I would better stick to getting my cosmetics from Qoo10. Thanks and have a good day 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks to your guide I managed to buy stuff from Taobao and made great savings compared to buying elsewhere. However, I would like to ask a few questions:
(1) Which company handles the delivery of the parcels to our doorsteps?
(2) How long did your items take to reach your doorstep from the day that you paid the shipping fees? Mine seem to be taking a long time and without my knowledge that have acknowledged receipt of goods on my behalf (meaning to say that the $$$ has been released to seller) I have already contacted the forwarder on Aliwangwang and they told me the the parcel has reached Singapore, but gave no further details. How do I find out?
(3) Is there a difference in the usage of the three international freight forwarding companies? Seem that most people use 4PX but I have currently engaged Lequgou but they seem to be taking a pretty long time.
Thank you in advance and keep up the great work aiding others to buy from Taobao on your informative website.
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HI bigafeet, glad that you have found my guide useful 🙂
(1) You can check with Taobao SEA on the local companies used by the forwarding agents. For 4PX, “For tracking numbers starting with 200 – Toll Group:+65 62148888 ext349 ext 352 ; For tracking numbers starting with 810 – Airpak: +65-67439200 ” (from https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea/posts/505063859598629?comment_id=2605581&offset=0&total_comments=1) I do not know for the other agents.
(2) When forwarding has been confirmed and paid, it should take less than a week to ship from China warehouse to SIngapore buyer. When the parcels arrive at Singapore, it should take around one to four business days to clear the customs and arrive at door step. Taobao sellers are usually small businesses so cash flow is important to them, which is why Taobao will release the money after a period of time (sorry I do not know how long this is) regardless of confirmation of receipt by buyers (most buyers do not bother to confirm receipt anyway). It takes longer for international buyers like us to receive the orders compared to local buyers within China, so usually the automatic confirmation of receipt will take place before we receive them. Anyway, you can always refer to Taobao SEA if any disputes occur. For the contact numbers of local delivery companies engaged by Lequgo, please contact Lequgo or Taobao SEA.
(3) Personally I have always chosen 4PX, except once when I used Lequgo because of a promotion. So far I find 4PX more responsive than Lequgo. It also helps that the contact numbers for 4PX’s local delivery partners are available so it is easier to check on the status if need be – though I am fortunate that there is no need for me to call them thus far. I have not tried other forwarding agents as yet.
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Hi Jenny. Can you teach me step by step ? I dont understand chinese so I have a lot of trouble 😦 is it quite worthy to buy the items through taobao using this method?
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Hi sabrina, as I had mentioned above, you will need to understand Chinese in order to buy on Taobao. Only the the introductory homepage of Taobao SEA and the guides are in English. The entire Taobao shopping site as well as the steps for ordering and payment are all in Chinese.
Nevertheless, if you still wish to shop on Taobao, you may like to check out daigou agents (“daigou” means buying on behalf in Chinese) to help you buy from Taobao. Just google for taobao daigou and you should see many recommendations. Remember to check the reviews by other users and compare the fees charged by the daigou agents before deciding on one.
Whether it is worthwhile to buy on Taobao, it is really up to the individual. There is a trade-off between price and convenience when it comes to shopping on Taobao vs buying from other shopping sites like Qoo10 or from shops in Singapore. Prices for many items on Taobao are usually lower than those you can find elsewhere, but you have to be willing to go through the hassle and wait, as well as the risks of possible quality and service issues.
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Hi,Jenny.What if I bought one of those items but the price was actually deposit and i didn’t see the seller’s message even after a month so I didn’t pay?what should I do? and how do I refund the money when 1 out of 3 items that were sent was actually out of stock so the seller told me to refund?
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Hi Alice12345, I am sorry that I am unable to help in your case as it is a dispute with the seller. Please contact Taobao SEA to intervene and resolve your issue with the seller. You can call Taobao SEA Singapore office at 800 188 6018 or use online help: http://service.taobao.com/support/minerva/robot.htm?spm=a214x.6760217.991146389.6.wvz5Cg&source_id=1309142129&redirect_url=¶m=&kbs_key=&out_token=&queue_id=
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Thanks,I would like to ask if it is possible to ask for refund through Alipay?the seller has asked me for my alipay name and i gave it but i do not know why the seller screenshotted it and apparently there was an error that said the name’s invalid…
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Hi Alice12345, refunds will be done via the same channel as the payment. E.g. if you have paid via Alipay purchase card, the refund will be done through the same channel. If the seller agrees to refund you, you can go to 我的淘宝 > 已买到的宝贝, find the item that you bought from the seller, click on 退款/退货, and follow the instructions to submit request for refund. The seller will then be notified about your request to refund and instruct Taobao to process your refund. If you can’t find the 退款/退货 option, it may mean the option is expired and you need to call Taobao to settle refunds manually.
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ok thanks.i would like to know if it is safe to tell others your alipay name(number)?
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Hi Alice12345, there is no need for sellers to know more information than what they already have been provided with, like your Taobao username that accompany your orders. Alipay uses your email for log in and should preferably not be given out as it may attract spam.
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Ok,noted! Thanks so much once again!~ ^^
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Hi Jenny! thanks for this awesome post!
after setting up my singapore address as the default address to ship to, i was not prompted to set a forwarding agent must this be done only after i put an item into my cart and proceed with payment?
Thanks!!
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Hi danalex, it’s been some time since I first set up the account, so I can’t recall the exact steps, and they might have changed the process. Just make sure you have your Singapore address set up first. When you are ready to pay for your items, you should then be prompted to check a box for International Forwarding / 国际转运 service, followed by choosing your desired forwarding agent.
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Hi jenny ,
I have been buying thru taobao in small amounts of money with no problems. However, recently I tried to make a payment of around 1600rmb thru alipay but seems like the amount is too large and alipay doesnt allow it . I suspect it may due to my alipay settings. I have verified some of my personal details but it doesnt seem to work. Do you have any solutions ?
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Hi Tommy, I wonder if this relates to this FAQ that there is a limit of RMB 500/item for “small-sum” purchases. http://help.alipay.com/lab/help_detail.htm?help_id=251522 . If your order comprises more than an item, you can try split into smaller batches for payment (instead of paying for everything at a go) to see if it works.
Other possible methods to try (but I cannot vouch if they can work for international buyers, so try at your own risk!)
– “Large-sum payment” / For amount larger than RMB 500: http://help.alipay.com/lab/help_detail.htm?help_id=212178 .
– Buying the Alipay Purchase Card from AXS machines. (I recall it comes with a maximum value of RMB 2000.)
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i have managed to split my payments and it worked . However , i am going to buy another batch of items that will cost a few thousand rmb and i cant possibly split it into 10 payments ! i contacted a forwarder who suggested that he can pay for me , after i transfer the money to him via western union. Seems like a good idea , as the exchange rate is better than CC and also i dont have to incur the 3% CC fees. What do you think ? Thanks very much !
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Hi Tommy, I supplemented my previous comment on payment alternatives. Anyway, if you decide to make separate arrangements with a forwarder, be sure you have some kind of written agreement with the forwarder just in case. If the forwarder is fine with you paying only after you have received the items, then I guess it could be a good deal for you. Take care and happy shopping!
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Hi Tommy, fyi if you are still following this comment, I spotted this on Taobao SEA’s Facebook page: “…daily spend per international user is limited at RMB 5,000 for credit cards. The RMB 2,000 limitation is actually on the seller, unverified sellers have this limitation, however verified sellers have a much higher limit. We suggest that you maybe speak with the seller to split the payment across two days, or maybe find a seller that has a higher limit.” https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea/posts/506564512781897?comment_id=2611180&offset=0&total_comments=1
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I have 1 order only. How not to let it sit in the warehouse for more than 20 days? If my thing is less than 1 kg and I want it to be sent to Singpost for pickup, what route shd I choose and how much will I be charged
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Hi Lily, if you only intend to buy one item, you can have it shipped to you as soon as it arrives at the warehouse; there is no need to wait. Charges start from first kg, so even if your item is less than a kg, you will still be charged for 1kg. The process is the same for consolidated buying.
Are you referring to vPost being your agent in China or Singpost when the parcel has arrived in Singapore? For vPost, you have to make separate arrangements, e.g. have the seller send to vPost address in China, then have vPost send to you in Singapore.
For Singpost delivery in Singapore, I do not think the parcel, upon arrival in Singapore, can be directed to Singpost for pickup as the IFPS agents have their own delivery partners in Singapore and you need to sign for receipt. You may like to check with IFPS agent and Singpost directly if they are able to make alternative delivery arrangements and the related charges.
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Hi! How do you know what the volumetric weight of the item is from Taobao?
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Hi xoxoJ, some sellers will provide the dimensions on the item page. To find out the volumetric weight, you have to check directly with the seller. If using IFPS agent, it charges by actual weight.
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I have chosen overseas wrongly.May I know how to switch to local purchase and ask the forward agent like 4XP Express to ship to S’pore since the seller refuse to ship to me in S’pore.
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Hi Lily, there is no way to switch an overseas order to local delivery. You have to cancel the order then re-submit it for local purchase.
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Hi Jenny, I have some qs to ask you regarding my Taobao order. I think I got cheated. It’s 490 bucks! Really need your advice. If you dont mind, could you please whatsapp me at 98770272. Please…
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Hi Gladys, since there is so much money involved and this sounds like a serious problem, I don’t think I’d be able to help with order-specific issues like this. Please call Taobao SEA call centre (800-188-6018) as soon as possible and furnish them with all the details. Time is important as Taobao may not have released the money to the seller yet. Hope you’ll get your money back soon!
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Hi Jenny,
I had bought some stuff at taobao and i want to change my forwarding agent? it is possible to change existing forwarding agent?
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Hi Venne, if you have already made payment, you will not be able to change forwarding agent. This is because the sellers would already have informed to send the orders to its warehouse.
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Thanks^^ jenny
Do i need to confirm the receipt for my purchase. It my first time buying in taobao and i depend on google translate..
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Hi Venne, confirming receipt merely instructs the system to release money to the sellers and forwarding agent earlier. The system will still release the money albeit later, so it is not compulsory to confirm receipt.
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hi jenny, i have a question on the discount via mobile. I wonder how do i buy at tmall with their phone discount. i clicked on the discount on the item page (besides “add to cart) and it says it has reach my mobile, but I do not see and its no where in my “消息“. How do we use the discount using mobile? thanks!
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Hi winter, I do not use taobao/tmall on mobile browser nor its mobile app, so I do not know about the phone discount. Is it applicable outside of China? Sorry I can’t help you there. Maybe you can check with Taobao SEA?
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Dear Jenny, how do I remove my card details from taobao? When I go to alipay website, there is no card details under 我的银行卡. I accidentally forgot to uncheck the box which saves my card information during the payment process and I don’t feel comfortable with taobao storing my card information. Also, is there any way to see the 3% surcharge for all the transactions made or can it only be seen during the payment process?
Thanks!
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Hi Estellene, I also had the same query and I searched through the site before but it seemed like currently there is no way to remove card details that have been saved from Taobao/Alipay. Hopefully they will allow it soon. The 3% surcharge is displayed (in smaller font) as a separate amount near the total amount, on the same page where the card details are displayed when you make payment.
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Hi Jenny,
Thank you so much for the fabulous website because it is such a breeze getting to the first few steps of shopping online.
However, I do have a question… i have established my mailing address and it is reflected when i tried to check-out. However, when i set up the forwarding service and selected 4PX, my personal mailing address is still the primary address, and not the forwarding service.
Is this normal?
Thank you so much for your help!
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Hi hunhunhun, are you referring to the page “1.确认订单讯息“? For 确认送货方式&收货地址 , it should be your delivery address in Singapore. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and you should see the section “转运费用”. Underneath it would be the 转运商 (4PX in your case) and the shipping fees charged by it. If you have all the above, then the process is correct.
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Hi just wanna say thanks for doing this awesome writeup its so helpful! 😀
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Hi pescara111, you are most welcome! Glad to be of help 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
i managed to get a bag through the taobao.com and is it right for me to say that i received the goods then i have to confirm receipt which means my money will be transferred to the seller? or that is not the way. and i did not use the sea kind of thing…. 😦 thanks in advance:)
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Hi syuhaidah, what usually happens is that when a buyer pays for an item, Taobao will hold the money first before releasing it to the seller after a specified number of days. Confirming receipt merely lets Taobao know that you have already received the item and thus giving them permission to release the money to the seller earlier. It is okay if you don’t confirm receipt =) Taobao.com is the same as sea.taobao.com for us in Singapore/Malaysia. The ‘sea’/South-East Asia portion is just a regional domain prefix homepage that provides more customised content for SEA market, such as the information and buying guides in English and suggestions of the popular items with buyers from this region.
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hihi do you know the email for taobao sea? wana check on some charges as i have a package with lighter weight but charged higher cost of shipping. cant seem to get them through wangwang or call. thanks!
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Hi vc, I do not have their email, but you can contact them via their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/taobaosea . The contact no for their Singapore customer service is also listed on their FB page.
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Hi jenny, thanks for your reply. I thought we can only do the set up when we are going to check out? That means when we are selecting the address, there should be an option to select ouster national forwarder? If not, can u know exactly which part do I go and set up the forwarder? Thanks for your help!
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Hi Jessie, you can refer to
– “How to Buy” guide (this is for overseas buyers)
http://www.taobao.com/market/sea/howtobuy.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146345.29.fXhohS
– “International Forwarding Service” guide (click on “set up overseas delivery address” at the top)
http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8 .
After you have set up, you should be able to select the parcel forwarding agent (click on the “使用国际转运服务“ link) when you are checking out your cart. =)
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Hi Jenny, I did everything but when I was checking out, I was not offered an option for International Forwarding. Do you know the reason? Thanks!
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Hi Jessie, have you followed the guide to set up the IFPS? http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8 . You have to set up IFPS agent prior to checking out.
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Hello Jenny:
I have two packages with the same tracking status since 2014-04-06 货物已抵达新加坡, 等待海关放行. Do you know how long I have to wait for the packages to be delivered?
Thanks!
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I contacted 4PX and they gave me AirPak number to contact but no one picked up.
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Hi Jessica, so far my packages take about one or two working days to clear the Singapore customs. A week is a little too long. Do call AirPak or 4PX again with your 运单号码 (under 国际转运 > 我的转运订单 > 查看转运物流) to check on the status.
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Thanks for the advice, Jenny!
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Hi Jenny, I did everything like the guide instructed, but after I chose the forwarding agent, the prices of the items still reflect an extra charge of overseas shipping fee. When I put the items in the shopping cart, everything was at the default setting. Is this normal?
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Hi Penny, if you have not selected 海外/”overseas” on the item page, then the extra charges could be local shipping charges within China charged by some sellers (these charges should have been stated on the item page) and not overseas shipping charges, since the forwarding agent comes with a China address. When the items are in the shopping cart, the local shipping charges will not show up until you have chosen them for payment. You may like to check again. If not, you may like to take some screenshots and enquire with Taobao?
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I don’t think they are the local shipping charges? Because my thirty something dollar item ended up being a few hundred dollars In this case should I just contact Taobao straight away?
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Hi Penny, it would be good if you can screenshot and check with Taobao SEA so that they can resolve your case soon.
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Alright I’ll do so! Thanks for all your help Jenny! (:
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Hi jenny, i not too sure when I did my order on taobao i might not choose the international shipping and now my item somehow stuck at china not sure u know any solution to it…
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Hi Huishi, did you mean that you paid for the item but did not choose International Parcel Forwarding Service (IPFS) option? If so, the seller is likely not able to send out the item. Do contact the seller to cancel the order and get your refund. If you still want the item, you can submit a new order for the item, but this time remember to choose the IPFS option. Steps on how to set up the IPFS option can be found on Taobao SEA website here: http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8
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Hi Jenny, thanks so much for this very useful guide. I have recently signed up with vPost where a China address was created. Do I use this address in my order and do I still have to use IPFS? Thanks
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Hi Wendy, I have not used vPost before, so not too sure how it actually works. Anyway, it seems that vPost functions like the IFPS agent. If vPost can help receive your items at its China address then send back to Singapore, then you don’t have to use IFPS agent, since you are already using and paying for the vPost service instead of IFPS agent. You may like to clarify with vPost just to be sure. Do note the difference in calculating the weight charges as well. I think vPost charges by volumetric weight (which takes into account the dimensions of your package), whereas IFPS agents charge by actual weight of package.
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Hi jenny ! Your site has HELPED me ALOT !!! I seriously love you alot for posting this. I followed every single step without being confused (: but i was wondering how im able to track the shipment from china to my home , do they provide tracking number ? im using lequgo (:
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Hi Faith, glad that my post was of help to you =) Not sure if lequgo provides tracking, but I am using 4PX which used to provide tracking but it did not do so in my previous shipment. However, it did inform me via SMS when it reached Singapore to make sure there is someone at home to take delivery. This is how the tracking page looks like when it provides tracking: http://i.imgur.com/zc5OMRg.png ; and when it does not provide tracking : http://i.imgur.com/3w2IHDu.png .
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How did you reach that page ? Cos i couldnt find the option 物流动态 ):
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Hey ! I have found the option (: anyways , thankyou for posting this to help the rest of us who wants to order from taobao but dont know where to start ! Usually 4px will send at around which timing ?
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“我的淘宝” > “已买到的宝贝” > (under dropdown) “国际转运” > “我的转运订单”tab.
– Prior to shipping out from China warehouse: “转运订单详情”
– After shipping out from China warehouse: “查看转运物流”
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There is no fixed timing for their deliveries. I have received packages on various timings like weekend mornings and weekday evenings. Guess it will depend on how and where they schedule the consignments on hand.
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Okay ! Thankyou so much for the detailed information (: !
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hi jenny, im stuck at the first page, when they require u to key in the address, do you key in the warehouse address in china or my own address. if its the warehouse, where can i find the add ? thanks
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Hello! I actually requested the seller to waive the delivery fee. She agreed but my order still shows 10 yuan for the 运送方式. Am I suppose to do anything on my side to see the changes? I am at the 2. 确认订单信息 page. Thank you so much!
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Hi SL, it is likely that the system will reflect the default delivery fee set by the seller. If you have negotiated with the seller to waive the fee, it could be reflected as a refund later. Best to check with the seller on this.
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Thank you! How should I ask in Chinese? I am not very good in it!
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She is also asking if 递四方新马转运仓, 是上海还是广东转运? Do you know where is the place? Thank you!
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Hi SL, can try use translate.google.com ? Something like 如何处理RMB10的快递退款?Not too sure about this portion.
According to my sample above, the warehouse for 四方新马 4PX should be in 广东深圳, but you can confirm this when you have paid for the order as the warehouse and its address will appear under 国际转运.
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Hi Jenny, if I buy from few supplier at tao bao and want to consolidate in one shipment
but have 1 status is 包裹破损 仓库已拒收. Any idea what should I do?
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Hi Erica, it means the warehouse refused to take delivery of a damaged package. Do contact the IFPS agent which warehouse rejected the package to check if it is sent back to the seller. If it is, give the seller a heads-up about it and that you wish for a replacement. Most sellers will offer replacements for free, usually within 7 days. If not, request a refund. In the worst case that the seller refuses replacement or refund, contact Taobao to lodge a complaint.
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Hi!
Just wondering what does 该物流公司不支持跟踪信息查询 mean?I use Legugo as my forwarding agent..
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Hi Shi Min, it means the logistics company does not support tracking of delivery. (Visual examples for tracking of delivery – http://imgur.com/dObCUG2 , and no tracking of delivery http://imgur.com/WKWO8Ts )
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Dear Jenny, May i know pay by AXS top up rate better then Credit Card right?
caused i read the credit card is charge 3% of the total amount. AXS exchange rate is 4.64.
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Hi Erica, yes, using credit card will incur charge of 3% of your total bill. I’ve not tried using the AXS top up for Alipay purchase card, so I am not sure if there are extra charges or if the exchange rate is favourable or not compared to using credit card, since the rate fluctuates every day and it also depends on which card is being used.
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Hi Jenny, I am new to Taobao and was totally confused about this 全国 海外 and IPFS until I read your post. Thanks for putting up such a remarkable piece of information. May I ask you about Taobao’s MRT collection points ? I do see their van outside the MRT station. How does this work ?
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Hi Fionna, glad to be of help ^^ I am not aware and I’ve not seen Taobao collection points or vans before. Can you share more details? Thanks!
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Hi Jenny, I used to see Taobao’s van outside Tampines MRT station every Tuesday at 11:30am. I didn’t know about Taobao then. They caught my attention because there were always lots of parang2 on the floor. I haven’t seen them for a while lately but I saw an update on their webpage that they have changed the pick-up time for Tampines to 5:00pm. That explains why I don’t see them anymore. That’s all I can share, may be Phoebe could help with more info 🙂
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Hi Fionna, where did you see the update on the Taobao van pick-up times? Was it on the Taobao SEA Facebook page? Thanks!
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Hi Jenny, here’s the link : http://www.sgshop.com.sg/news.php?action=view&nid=81
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Hi Fionna, thanks for sharing the link. The delivery vans are not from Taobao SEA, but from one of the daigou agents in Singapore who help customers buy and deliver from China online shopping sites including Taobao.
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Hi Jenny, just realised that there are lots of Agents around to confuse things. This is another one : taobaosingapore.wix.com.
Btw, I tried my first order and it didn’t turn out well. I selected 3 items from Tmall.com 天猫. When I proceeded to make payment, it compelled me to enter an overseas address. I ventured into it (curiosity kills the 猫) – the shipping cost was 200 times the cost of the goods. Do you have experience buy from 天猫 ? It seems some sellers don’t take the 全国 route.
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Hi Fionna, the daigou agents can be useful for some who ship very heavy items (saw someone who ordered a full-size game arcade machine before!) as they offer sea shipping, which is slow but more cost efficient for heavy items. The Taobao-appointed IPFS agents currently do not offer sea shipping. As for your query on Tmall, so far I have no problems ordering on Tmall as the process is similar to that you’ll do on Taobao, as the platform integrates buying from both Taobao and Tmall. I just leave it to the default shipping option offered, like this one was default to 杭州 – http://imgur.com/5goPBxy . Before paying for any item, you should already have or been prompted to select the IFPS agent. This is so that when the orders have been submitted and paid for, the sellers will see the address of the IFPS agent warehouse in China as the address they will ship to, instead of your address in Singapore. Only the IFPS agent needs to know your Singapore address.
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Hi Jenny, yes, the items are all default to 杭州 but when I proceeded to 结算 I was not prompted to select an IFPS agent. Instead, a screen pop up forcing me to enter an overseas address. I picked 2 items from the first link and 1 item from the 2nd link, they showed me two sets of shipping cost. Here are the links, maybe you’d like to trial them to see what I mean.
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a1z0d.6639537.0.0.oYTmWw&id=37716224481
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a1z0d.6639537.0.0.7I9f0W&id=19919058609
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Hi Fionna, have you already set up the IFPS agent when you signed up? http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8 If you have already appointed an agent prior and still encounter this problem, then I’ll advise you to check with Taobao SEA instead.
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Hi Jenny, I followed your instruction to set up the IFPS agent (I choose 4PX too) and the problem is solved. Thanks so much, you are really god-sent. But now I am stuck at payment. 信用卡账单信息* 账单地址: 和收货地址一致: or 使用新的账单地址. Do I choose 和收货地址一致 or key in my delivery address. Also, understand from one of your post that 4PX no longer provides tracking. So how do I know when to make the 2nd payment when my goods arrived at the warehouse ? and how to I set up SMS alert. Sorry to be such a bother, appreciate your help.
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Hi Fionna, I can’t recall if the 收货地址 in this case refers to the address of the warehouse in China or your address in Singapore. Since it is 信用卡账单信息/billing information of credit card, I’d think it will be the address in Singapore, but it may be better to clarify it with Taobao SEA. As long as you have provided your mobile no among other personal info when you sign up for Taobao, the IPFS agents should be able to contact you for notification purposes. 4PX still sends SMS for deliveries – it only did not send on one occasion – though it can be erratic. I received SMS for a recent delivery only after the courier came. The courier will probably call you if he can’t find anyone at home to receive the packages.
I am not sure what you mean by 2nd payment. Sellers will send out items only after you have made full payment for them. Similarly, the IFPS warehouse will only consolidate your parcel to be sent to Singapore only after you have made payment for the IFPS service. In this case, Taobao/Alipay will hold on to the money temporarily until after a stipulated time period has lapsed or when you have confirmed delivery on Taobao (best practice to do so when you have received the package and signed for delivery in Singapore), whichever is sooner, then they will release payment to the IFPS agent.
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Hi Jenny, I used 问题点我 and it said I could use resident/company addr. Sorry, by 2nd payment – I mean payment for the IFPS service. The tracking records show my orders are on the way to 4PX. Will I be alerted to pay 4PX when my goods arrived at their warehouse ? Honestly, I am not a fan of online shopping (never done it b4). I do it this time becos the items are only available in China. So, most times,I just click here, there anywhere to see where I ended up. Really must thank you for helping me come this far. 😛
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Hi Jenny, just rec’d an SMS from 4PX that one of my items has arrived at their warehouse. I traced back your reply to Faith and found the answer to my worry about payment to 4PX in there.
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Hi Fionna, when all your orders have arrived at the 4PX warehouse in China, you can go to “国际转运” and choose all the arrived items for “合并快递”/combined delivery. You will then be prompted to pay 4PX at the Alipay page. Once you have made payment, 4PX will consolidate your orders into a single package for delivery to Singapore. Hope everything goes fine for your purchases and delivery! =)
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Hi Jenny, 我成功了. 确认收货, 评价 all done. 真的很感谢您的耐心. I confirmed receipt the next day so that Taobao could release the money to the sellers earlier. I don’t want to hold the payment b’cos these sellers have to do so much work for so little profit. For RMB35/kg 转运费 4PX has to store the items FOC for 20 days while we take our own sweet time to consolidate & then deliver them to our door-step. The local delivery guy named Johnson asked me in Cambridge-correct English “Madam, how do I address you ?.”. He then checked the name on the package before handing it to me. I’m impressed !
Btw, do you know if 淘金币 is transferable ? I had 270 淘金币 which I ‘gambled’ away in <1 min. I'm claiming it everyday just for the fun of it. If they can be 转让, I'd like you to have it since you shop from 淘宝 often. Cheers.
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Hi Fionna, so glad that your first shopping experience with Taobao went well! =) I’m happy to have been of help to you. Thanks for your kind offer, but I do not think the 淘金币 is transferrable. Nevertheless, you can always keep it until the next time you decide to shop on Taobao again since there is no expiry date. Thank you for popping by to share about your experience, really appreciate it =)
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Hi there colleagues, how is the whole thing, and what you would like to say regarding this piece of writing, in my view its truly remarkable in favor of me.
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Hi there! Your site has been informative and useful for me as it’s my first time ordering from taobao directly!! Been using 65daigou and the charges are exorbitant. Anyhow, I would like to ask, since you’re using 4px too, what if my package is being delivered to my house but no one is home? Can I re-arrange a timing? And do they deliver at night? Thanks once again! 🙂
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Hi VC, I was lucky that the several times I received my parcels were either on Sat mornings or weekday evenings, so I have yet to miss the delivery person. In the case with 4PX, I received SMS that the delivery is out and it will usually arrive around 1+hour after. I think you should be able to arrange for re-delivery with the forwarding agent – you can check with them via Aliwangwang.
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I think I’m really unlucky. I received a text message saying they were delivering my package today. However, I waited and waited, nothing came. Talked to 4px via Aliwangwang, and they informed me that this is like a ‘false’ notification.. I think it was prolly on the way to the forwarder warehouse in Singapore, not to me.
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Hi VC, if you have consolidated for the package to be sent to Singapore, then it should arrive to you around 3~6days. Not sure why there are such ‘false’ notifications sent to you if it is supposed to be for the warehouse in Singapore. In any case, once the package has arrived in Singapore, you should receive it by the next day or two. If not, do contact 4PX again.
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hi can i use other taobao agent that they provided or must i use 4PX? Which is safest?
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Hi Geraldine, Taobao currently works with four IPFS agents including 4PX for shipping to Singapore. I’d presume that they have been all vetted by Taobao in order to become one of the appointed agents, so there is no specific ‘safest’ agent.
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Hi Jenny, may I seek your advice on the following?
Is shopping on Tmall available for Singaporean buyers? I tried to purchase some items from a particular Tmall shop, everything seems ok until it comes to the page to select international forwarding agent (国际转运商). I selected 4px but the ordering page is still showing my Singapore address only. There is no indication of the selected forwarding agent reflecting on my invoice. I contacted the seller but they told me only my singapore address is shown on their side and no 4px address. May I know what are the missing steps?
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Hi Missy D, purchases from either Tmall or Taobao can both be shipped by IPFS. Did you check if the purchases are reflected under “国际转运“ tab where you choose your forwarding agent prior to paying for orders? As far as I remember from my own experiences, when I complete the above steps, i.e. when the orders are paid for and submitted to the sellers, they would see the agent’s China warehouse address instead of our addresses in Singapore. If you would like to be sure, please check with Taobao SEA.
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Hello Jenny!
I have a major problem regarding the delivery of my items from Taobao and I desperately hope you can help me!
For me, according to the site, under the 已买到的宝贝 tab, I confirmed the delivery already according to the site but I did not and was waiting for the another batch of items to arrive first so I could ship the remaining batch in the warehouse together. Today, when I checked the site, all the items have already arrived in the warehouse but I think by some glitch of sorts, somehow the site confirmed the delivery for me (??) and now I can’t even pay for the shipping fees for it to be shipped to SG!
I checked the 查看物流 tab for all my items and the latest notification was about 2.5 weeks ago when they arrived in the Shanghai warehouse. So apparently my items are still in the warehouse but I can’t even email them or anything to get my items to me!! So upsetting considering I paid $100+ for all my items.
Any chance you can advise me on where to go from here? Would appreciate your reply very much! ^ ^
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Hi theshiningfive, the system will generate by default confirmation of delivery after some time even if the buyers may not have done so, esp for those who are still awaiting for other items to arrive. Have you checked under the “国际转运” option under “已买到的宝贝“? (The “国际转运” option is not available in mobile app; you’ll have to do it in browser.) That is where you can consolidate the parcel and pay for shipping to Singapore. Just click on the blue ”合并快递“ button for each of the item, then “合并订单” to consolidate the orders into a single shipment. You should then be re-directed to Alipay to pay for the shipment. Remember to do so asap, since the warehouse only holds the items for free for up to 20 days, and after which it will charge extra holding fee per order per day. If you have tried what I suggested above, and there is still a technical glitch which prevents you from consolidating the orders, then it’ll be best to raise the issue asap to Taobao SEA.
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Dear Jenny
I ordered a raincoat and the seller said she can’t mail the item to me as my address is Singapore address. But I already selected 4PX as forwarding agent at check-out page. I ordered quite a few items and all are already with the warehouse (I received SMS notification) except this raincoat.
Can you please advise how to resolve this issue? I have told the seller I’m using 4PX as the forwarding agent but she kept telling me my address is Singapore address.
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Hi Shuhui, to allay her concerns, you can explain to her that 4PX is taking delivery of your item in China on your behalf, and that you have bought other items on Taobao that have already arrived at the warehouse in China (to show that other sellers have no such worries), so it is considered a local delivery within China. If the seller is still not willing to send out the item, then perhaps you will have to give up on this item (remember to file for refund) and look for other sellers who carry this item.
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Hi jenney, I has a problem while updating my address on taobao. It says my telephone no. The spacing is not correct.
Eg. +6512345678
I type it in this way,is it correct?
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Hi jess, try enter just the tel no without the +, i.e. 6512345678 ? You can also try input in the mobile no 手机号码 field instead of 电话号码 tel no field. That was what I did and I was able to receive the SMSes.
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Hi Jenny,
Would like to know if you did encounter issue like when you select overseas and shipping is free. Does that mean I do not have to get an agent to ship my items to SG & seller will send my parcel directly to my house without extra charges? Thanks
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Hi Jeraineey, when that happens, it is usually the system not being able to determine the location and calculate the costs, not because shipping is ‘free’. Some users had tried that option and their items ended up not being shipped out, because sellers are not willing to bear the overseas shipping costs. Hence, you’ll still need to use an agent if you are buying on Taobao from overseas.
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I understand shun feng is their local postage within china but since they do not wanna choose 4px as the forwarding agent, how come shun feng can and why does it cost so much? Headache now as I thought anything can be bought frm taobao at a cheap price but seems like I cant. Small stuff like dogs stuff toys I was told by seller its about 124rmb. Omg.. I really need help in understanding this
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Hi linda, not sure which is the “they” you are referring to who do not want 4PX. Are you referring to the seller? The seller does not deal with forwarding agent directly, just like we do not deal with delivery companies like Shunfeng.
Upon ordering, sellers dispatch items to the local delivery company, which will then deliver to the forwarding agent’s warehouse in China, i.e. :
Sellers [China] => Local Delivery [China] => Forwarding Agent warehouse [China].
After confirming parcel consolidation :
Forwarding Agent warehouse [China] => Agent’s partner warehouse [Singapore] => You [Singapore]
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Hi, How do I choose international forwarding agent if I use taobao app in my hp?
Cant seems to find it.
Thanks.
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Hi Deina, I believe the mobile app does not support using the IPFS function. You have to log in to Taobao on browser to choose the international forwarding agent.
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Hi, I can’t seem to enter my address in English! Help?? How would the local delivery agents know my address if I type it in Mandarin??
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Hi Khay. I have no problems entering my Singapore address in English, following the guide by Taobao here http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.EW0pW8 . Not sure which page you had encountered this problem. Try log out and re-login?
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Dear Jenny, after selecting the forwarding agent (i chose the 1 indicated in your pict above), I do not know why the shipping cost of a dress is till 300 RMB. That is very expensive! Appreciate your advice, please. Thanks a lot!
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Hi Doreen, I am unable to advise on why the shipping is so expensive. For the shipping to be RMB 300, it means your item is more than 10kg, which is very heavy. Are you sure it is not the total cost of the dress + shipping charges? If you have any doubts, do check with the seller or shipping agent.
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I was very pleased to find this website. I wanted to thank you for your time for this particularly fantastic read!!
I definitely really liked every little bit of it and I have
you bookmarked to look at new stuff on your web site.
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Dear Jenny, your site was the first I started with to buy from seataobao. However as I navigate it without knowing to read single word of Chinese, with only your snapshots to do what was right, I found that I had diffculties because your snapshots of the site and the present ones in seataobao are not not the same. Seataobao seems to have made changes to the site. I hope what I have done is correct. By the way, I used an Alipay Coupon of 500 from an AXS machine. I have about 30 yuan left. My question now is how do I top up this card if I want to spend another 50 yuan? AXS gave me the Alipay number to call and reminded the staff there speak Chinese. The information on top up at seataobao Facebook pages does not seem to be of help.
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Hi Chris, I had noted it will be difficult to buy from Taobao if you do not understand Chinese, esp if you come across error messages like payment not going through, etc. Unfortunately I have not paid with the Alipay purchase card before, so I am unsure about topping up. If the top-up information provided on Taobao SEA Facebook page is insufficient, you can instead leave a message directly on the Facebook page for the Singapore-based admin to reply; there may also be others on the FB page who may have similar issues as you. Tip: You may like to google for other Alipay comments on the Taobao SEA FB page, like this: ” site:www.facebook.com/taobaosea alipay ” (remove quote marks when googling) .
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You can only buy denominations of 200, 500 and 1000 from AXS machine if i am not mistaken. Even if you want to spend another 50 yuan, you would still have to buy the smallest denomination of 200 yuan from AXS, I have done 2 top-ups before and it is actually quite simple, just key in the top up card serial no. and card pin which is printed on the receipt generated from the AXS machine. Hope this helps.
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Hi Jenny,I would like to know what happens when I know the courier’s address in 上海 so I select 上海 instead of selecting 全国 as it has been quite awhile since I placed my order and there’s no notification on the progress of the order…
-Alice
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-UPDATE-
I just checked again and they said that I have confirmed the receipt but I’m sure I didn’t because I haven’t even received anything yet.What should I do?
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Hi Alice12345, I am unsure what you mean by the courier’s address in 上海. Were you referring to the IFPS forwarding agent that you had selected prior to paying? If the agent had received the item in their Shanghai warehouse, you should see the updated status under 已买到的宝贝. It should also show 已入库 under 国际转运. You can then either choose to have it delivered to Singapore, or – if you have bought more than one item – wait for the other items to arrive before consolidating them into one shipment. Should you have questions about the item which had supposedly arrived at agent’s warehouse, you can contact the agent and explain to them what the seller had informed you.
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Hi Jenny,yes,the forwarding agent’s location is in 上海.The agent I used is lequgo.The items have the words 已入库 under 交易状态 but if I’m not wrong,I have already paid the shipping fees as under 交易操作 they only have 2 options : 合并快递 and 单件快递.
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Hi Alice12345, 已入库 means it is now in your agent’s warehouse in China. If you only bought this one item and are ready to have it shipped from the China warehouse to Singapore, you can choose 单件快递 (single item delivery) under 国际转运. If you have bought other items, you can combine this with the other items that have arrived, so you can 合并快递 (combined items delivery). Either way, you will then be directed to pay the IFPS agent for the shipping charges from China warehouse to Singapore, the charges depending on the total weight of your shipment, which the IFPS agent can only calculate after the item(s) has/have arrived at the warehouse. After this is done, the agent will prepare to ship the item(s) from the China warehouse to you in Singapore. Shipping fee, if any, that you might have paid prior is only for local courier in China (i.e. from the China seller to the agent’s China warehouse).
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Ooh,I see…my Chinese sucks so I didn’t know the meaning and even when I used Google Translate I wasn’t clear…Thanks so much! ^^
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I’m sorry to bother you but,I’m really bothered and would like to ask why they are asking me for 评 价 even though I haven’t received the item and this was already there before I paid for the freight…
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Hi Alice1234, the system automatically generates reminders to leave a 评价 (comment) after several days, even if buyers may not have received the items, esp for us since we have to wait for international forwarding. The system will give a +1 by default to both sellers and buyers if there is no response.
It is not necessary to leave comments, so don’t fret over that. I don’t usually leave comments or 追加评语, unless there is something I want to alert other users, or wish to convey support to certain sellers that I like. That said, sellers are eager to get good comments as that will increase their ranking and rating. Some can be quite persistent – I’ve heard of complaints from some China buyers that sellers will call them to change rating =P Just ignore them, don’t worry.
Hope everything goes well for your Taobao delivery! =)
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Oh,I see! Thanks so much,Jenny!Now I don’t have to worry so much about it! 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks for sharing your favorite post with your readers. It is very helpful for those people who want to buy their favorite things from China’s Most popular marketplace Taobao. Buying from Taobao is sometime difficult, because it does not allow to buy ts products out from China. So we need to contact taobao agent and they are helps to buy their things. Many websites provide latest and helpful methods how to buy from taoba without agent. Once again I am very thankful to you Jenny for sharing this.
Regards..
EbookGoLive.com
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Hey, im from Malaysia and im planning to do my first time purchase on taobao myself(without going through an agent). i’ve read up articles including your blog about how does it works especially the delivering party. I think im quite understood(i think) about the whole procedure as i have not made any purchase so far because i am afraid that something might be wrong after i made payment. So i have few questions here and hope you can help me to understand more 🙂
1. I’ve came across about Aliwangwang and just wondering is it necessary for me to contact every seller whenever i buy something? like do i have to ask them about the stocks available or like inform them im an oversea buyer. or it is only needed when i have issues with the items?
2. The amount that i have to pay is only (price of the item) + (local delivery charges) + (international delivery charges which i plan to use PRouter)? Is there any hidden charges like service charge and etc? and i heard that there is a 3% if you use credit card to make payment. how about online banking as they provided(maybank2u for Malaysia)?
3. Is it safe to purchase myself instead of getting an agent? what are possible risk when i purchase myself? Will the parcel gone missing?
4. Last question here, IF anything happen after i made my payment, can i get my money back? Do they have refund policy for international buyers?
Again I would be thankful if you can help me out with my questions.
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Hi Vanessa,
1. It is usually not necessary to use Aliwangwang for shopping on Taobao. Nevertheless, Aliwangwang is useful for cases like sellers running out of stocks and needing to check with you on replacements, etc.
2. The 3% charge is applicable for using credit card for payments. I have not used online banking before so I am unsure about the applicable charges. Just before you make payment on the Alipay page, there will be a remark under the total payment amount that states the additional charges. Tip: The difference between the total bill amount on Taobao vs the eventual payable total amount on Alipay will be the applicable charges for using that particular payment method.
3. Online shopping has its inherent risks, regardless if it’s done by yourself or through an agent. I have yet to encounter any missing packages so far – touchwood. Using a daigou agent will be more convenient if you do not want the hassles like monitoring the shipments and waiting for deliveries. The daigou agents have more experience in dealing with shopping on Taobao, and I assume they may be able to help more if there are issues like returns and refunds.
4. Please check the refund and return policies for international buyers with Taobao SEA Facebook page. The admins are usually quite responsive.
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Hi Just to add up, yes you can use Aliwangwang to contact the seller if any problems or to check stock available, Thanks to Jenny advise ive already refund my item because of wrong method shipping, the seller agree to refund back my money. i communicate with them using aliwangwang and google translate :). Agree with Jenny using diagou agent is more convenient and the shipping cost a lil bit cheaper compare to another sites like buy2taobao. Thanks A lot Jenny for your help 🙂
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Hey Jenny,
Thank you so much for the info btw! 😀
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Can you advise if i purchase from Taobao and pay via credit card and get sellers to send to my hotel in Shenzhen, is it possible? I would like to handcarry the items back myself, has any shoppers done that before?
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Hi Jenny, if the seller is able to deliver during your duration of stay in Shenzhen, then I do not think that will be a problem since it is considered as local delivery within China. One good thing is that it will not need to involve the service and incur charges by the forwarding agent.
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HI Jenny Tan, did u manage to purchase from Taobao and send it to hotel in Shenzhen? I am trying to do the same here in Singapore as I am going to Shenzhen. Any experience to share? Thanks.
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Hi Jenny I need Help, can you clear up things a bit for me.. Im new to Taobao. Im a toy collector.. so i was amaze with all cheapest toy at this site, come very cheap so i just click buy and buy and buy like nobody business.. As I read your entry you say do not click the “oversea” but.. i did that.. sometimes they offer some free shipping..
One more mistake that ive done is.. i just simply click the shipping method “Express Shipping” without choose the “international shipping” where you can select which forwarding agent you want to used. My question is..how about the item? did they ship it? or just stuck somewhere? or ill never receive my item?
Ill already paid via Maybank2u and i can see on my “My Taobao” status of the item is “The seller has ship the item” but sadly without tracking no.. so i dont no know where is my item.. and i hope it arrived safely at my door.. if not that is the value of RM300 mistake that ive done or i’ve learn. T.T
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Hi ammarue, the only way to find out if they have shipped the items and where to is to message them via AliWangWang to find out. If they have yet to ship the items, maybe you can negotiate with them that you have used the wrong shipping option and that you would like to cancel the orders, but that you’ll place a new order and ship via the forwarding agent option. Hopefully they will allow you to cancel the order and resubmit a new order.
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Is it possible to ask for a refund if I already recieve the item in Singapore?. As the shirt I bought is not authentic which the seller claims to be authentic
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Hi Y x, you may wish to contact the seller first to raise your concern about the authenticity issue. The next option is to contact Taobao SEA to assist with settling the dispute with the seller about the authenticity of items.
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Hi Jenny, I’m stuck at this very last part of the payment page. It prompted tat I need to key in this security code to the alipay page which will send to my mobile number. But I nv receive even though I requested several times. But strange, I did receive another security code for other page to my hp earilier. Isit becos of my hp format? I using alipay purchase card for payment. And my alipay purchase card I nv put a 65 infront. Will it affect? Tia.
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Hi Sherlene, the format of the phone no (including the +65 country code for Singapore) that you used for your alipay purchase card will affect the sending of security code. Do check with Taobao SEA if there is a way for you to change your mobile no for your purchase card so that you can receive the security code on your mobile.
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks for the useful info. I have just one question on international shipping costs to Singapore. From what i learned from the Taobao website, the forwarding agents only charge base on package weight but no mention of volumetric (dimensional) weight. I have concerns as I would like to place order for items which are cheap but big in size (eg., TRST Pobobe toys…etc).
So will the forwarding agents charge base on volumetric weight?
Thx.
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Hi zipper168, I am unsure if the forwarding agents have any restrictions on volumetric weight or value. However, the volumetric weight is quite often proportionate to the package weight, i.e. items that are big in size are usually heavy as well, so it may not be cheap to ship them via air. Suggest you can drop the forwarding agents a message via AliWangWang to check. If the IPFS method is not worthwhile for bulky items, you may like to look for alternatives instead, like daigou agents who offer shipping by sea.
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Thx Jenny for your prompt reply. After chatting with the forwarding agent (4px in my case) it seems they only charge base on package weights. I’ll update here if there is a difference.
Just to tap on your experiences when receiving the packages from the forwarding agents. Any difference if we check the items before signing the delivery papers vs simply sign without checking?
Thx.
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Hi zipper168, I hope you manage to get a good value-for-money deal from your purchases! For me, I do not check prior to signing the shipment papers for Taobao, as my packages usually consist of too many items that makes it difficult to check on the spot. Also, the delivery person is from the local courier company of the forwarding agent, and is only responsible for delivering the entire shipment but not the individual items, so it will be futile to pin any damages of individual items on them, unless the shipment bag/packaging is already damaged when they deliver to the doorstep.
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Alert service!
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Hi, i am feeling a little frustrated after trying for hours. Is it not possible to pay with a DBS visa debit card at taobao? Sorry for all the trouble.
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Hi Lynn, it looks like you have a similar problem as Bethany (just below this comment). You may like to refer to my reply to her. This could be an issue specific to DBS and/or debit cards. I’d advise you to check with Taobao SEA on their Facebook page or alternatively with DBS for their special tie-up with Taobao. Hope your problem will be resolved soon too!
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Hi Jenny,
I’ve ran into a problem trying to set up my debit card payment via DBS. My mobile number can’t be used, as “手机号码有误,请核对后重新填写。” keeps appearing. I tried to contact the customer support online, but to no avail. They said I required a mainland number in order to proceed, which I find it absurd since I’ve read that a couple of people have been using Mastercard to pay.
May I know what type of payment did you use for taobao? And how did you overcome the problems? Please assist me as I’ve been trying myself for these 2 days and am very vexed! 😦 Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks a lot! Your help will be greatly appreciated!
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Hi Bethany, Taobao’s online customer support mainly services buyers from China, so they will have little knowledge about overseas purchases and payment. Suggest you check with Taobao SEA on their FB page instead. Also, I understand DBS has a special scheme with Taobao for payment with their cards, not sure if you are referring to that. So far I have not been prompted using my non-DBS credit cards, so it could be a special security feature unique to DBS or debit cards in general. If this is the case, then you may have to contact DBS instead. It will be helpful to take some screenshots of the problems so you can refer to them when you liaise with Taobao SEA and/or DBS. Another alternative is to buy the Alipay purchase card from AXS for direct debit of the stored value; this could be a way to circumvent with the potential problems and hassles of debit or credit cards. Hope your problems will be resolved soon!
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Hi Jenny
After your guidance earlier I managed to successfully placed orders for my items to be shipped to the forwarding agent’s warehouse!
However the seller dropped me a note indicating that the parcel he/she will be sending will be in two (2) packages and would like me to inform the forwarding agent (probably to remind and ensure that both items are received)
Any idea how I should go about with this?
Also I have few other queries as follows:
#1
Once seller have sent the items to the warehouse, how will we know that items have arrived and we can get them to be shipped to SG?
I recalled seeing one of your posts saying there used to be SMS service?
#2
Currently purchases are paid via credit card which incurs a 3% surcharge using the alipay portal, is there any means of how payment which can be done to avoid this 3% surcharge?
#3
Once the forwarding agent starts to ship the items over – are they all via DHL / by air / by sea? Is there an option for us to choose it is by default only one selection?
#4
Are tracking no provided by forwarding agent?
#5
Those forwarding agents – do they have a local SG contact no and address? If so any idea where to obtain?
Thanks in advance!
Hope the queries are not too complicated!
Jean
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Hi Jean, from what I understand, they will mark the item as received when the package arrive from the seller, so I am unsure how they will handle receipt and tracking when there is more than one package from the same seller. I encourage you to drop a message to your forwarding agent (via Aliwangwang) and check how they will ensure that both packages have been received from the same seller before you consolidate your shipment.
#1 The forwarding agent I use sends SMS notifications whenever a package arrives at the warehouse, but it seems that not all agents offer this service. If the one you choose does not offer it, then you’ll have to log in regularly to check on the status. Click the 查看物流 (check the delivery status) button for the item under the 已买到的宝贝 section.
#2 Using of any credit card to pay for Taobao purchases incurs a 3% surcharge. The only other alternative for overseas buyers like us is to use the Alipay Purchase card (top-up via AXS). As I have yet to try that payment method, I am not sure if it incurs any fee. You can check further on the Taobao SEA Facebook page.
#3 I understand that all forwarding agents that ship to Singapore currently offer only shipping by air. Some daigou agents offer shipping via sea as they have their own local contacts in China. If you are buying bulky items, shipping by air can be expensive and may not be worthwhile, so you may like to weigh the different options prior to purchase.
#4 Once you have confirmed that your package is ready to be sent to Singapore, there will be a 订单编号 (order serial no) for that package. Under 国际转运 > 转运订单, click on the 转运订单详情 or 查看转运物流 for that particular shipment, and you should see it. You can use this as reference when communicating with the forwarding agent.
#5 The local contact details of the forwarding agents are not readily available on the websites, but you can contact them via Aliwangwang messaging. Every seller, including the forwarding agents, is contactable via Aliwangwang. Blue blob means they are online and available to chat in real-time. Grey blob means they are offline, but you can still leave them a message to contact you when they are next available.
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hi guy, i got a axs top up coupon for taobao but cant top up
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Hi joey, for AXS top-up issue, you may like to check directly with SEA Taobao on their Facebook page.
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Hi Jenny, I’m stuck at the payment portion page, I chosen international credit card and key in my name on the card, card number, expiry date etc, there is one more detail called 邮區, is tat a postal code? Hope you can help me thanks
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Hi Sherlene, 邮区 is postal code.
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Hi Jenny, I am lost for the payment portion. So when i order, i click on the 提交订单 tab to submit my order. I am next brought to a page which says “您的淘宝账户未绑定支付宝帐户” and provides me a space to enter my account number which I believe its my alipay account. I understand from other sites that I need to enter my payment password but no where indicates as such. So i am puzzled did payment go through as I believe it did not. I purchased an alipay card with value and have already set up my account at alipay. Is there something I am missing? Thanks for your advice.
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Hi Elayne, it looks like though you have set up both Taobao and Alipay accounts, you have yet to link them. Just navigate to 我的淘宝 > 账户设置 > 支付宝绑定设置 to link your Alipay account to your Taobao account. [Before linking to Alipay: http://service.taobao.com/support/knowledge-1138674.htm?dkey=catview ; after linking: http://service.taobao.com/support/knowledge-1120281.htm?spm=1.377622.303066.20 .]
Do remember that your Alipay 登录密码 (login password) is different from the 支付密码 (payment password). The former is to sign in to the Alipay account; the latter is to authorise Alipay to make payment.
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Hi Jenny, I just set up a taobao account today and bought quite a few items. Reading your post taught me a lot and i was just wondering, how do i set up the sms notifications?
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Hi Joanronia, when you set up your Taobao profile, you’d already have filled in information like your mobile no, which the forwarding agents may use to send notifications via SMS when your purchases have arrived at their warehouse in China. However, it seems that not all agents offer such a SMS notification service. For example, I do receive SMS notifications when I use 4PX, but not from Lequgo when I used it last year. The agents may have ramped up their services now, so it is advisable to message your preferred forwarding agent to check if it provides such a value-add service. I personally find SMS notifications useful for keeping track of deliveries, although it is not the most decisive factor I consider when it comes to selecting a forwarding agent.
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Hi Jenny,
Your Page is really informative. Was trying out but I realised if I purchase 10 sets of the same item from the seller, the shipping cost within China turns out to be 10 times the price as well. This seems different from using agents such as Peeka where shipping within China from the same seller is only charged one time. Or is there something that I missed out to cause the 10 times count?
Thanks!
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Hi Audrey, purchasing multiple items from the same seller do not usually result in the local delivery charge being increased in the same multiples. In fact some sellers will offer a lower delivery charge per item or waive the delivery fee altogether when you buy more. Suggest you drop a message to the seller to check if you can enjoy more favourable delivery charges for bulk purchases.
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Hi Jenny,
I actually set up an account already on Tao bao before seeing your post and knowing that there is a forwarding agent service for combination of orders and all.
Now am not too sure how to go about to add address or mobile no or information for this forwarding service to take action once I start to purchase items.
Currently there is no “delivery address” within my account. Even when I tried to add a address it either gives me the option to select 海外 which I gather we shouldn’t as it would incur higher cost meaning seller shipping directly to SG (if they do and not small time sellers). But I can’t seem not to add address.
Or am I missing something? Or is there a specific web page and/or location that I need to go to to make amendments?
Many thanks in advance and apologies for having so many qns! 🙂
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Hi Jean, first you should set up your own Singapore address after logging into your Taobao account (http://member1.taobao.com/member/fresh/deliver_address.htm?spm=0.0.0.0.kkNpcF). When this is done, you can begin to shop.
When you are ready to place your order (just before payment), you will be prompted to select and activate a forwarding agent for shipping. You can refer to this guide and flowchart for more information on the process of forwarding agent selection and shipping. http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.E0WmSv . Remember to leave the shipping option as 全国, so the seller will ship locally to the China address of the forwarding agent and the agent can receive the orders on your behalf.
Hope these answer your questions =)
– Jenny
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Hi Jenny
Thanks for the explanation. I will try again and hopefully I successfully be able to choose the options of consolidating and choose a forwarder 🙂
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Hi Jenny,
When I purchase and make payment for an item on taobao, the seller will release and deliver to the forwarding agent that I have selected. This payment does not include the shipping cost from the forwarding agent to Singapore right? If so when do I pay this forwarding agent the shipping cost, by what payment mode and can I find out how much is the shipping cost first before I make payment to the taobao seller?
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Hi HC, the payment to the China seller is just between yourself and the seller for the item purchase (and local courier in China, if applicable). It does not include the agent forwarding fee from China to Singapore. The agent forwarding fee (from China to Singapore) is calculated based on the total weight of all your items. (http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/price/eng.php?spm=0.0.0.0.56ta6L). You may check the weight of the items prior to ordering by messaging the individual sellers via AliWangWang.
When the agent has received all your orders in China, you may then have them consolidated into a single parcel before having it sent to Singapore. After confirming the consolidation on Taobao, you’ll be directed to make payment to the forwarding agent on the Alipay website (similar to PayPal). There are several payment options on Alipay, such as credit cards and Alipay Purchase card. The latter is stored-value and the value can be purchased/topped up from AXS machines.
(Tip: After you have received the parcel, it is best practice to log in to Taobao to confirm receipt, so Taobao can release the payment to the forwarding agent.)
– Jenny
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Hi Jenny,
Thank you very much for the explanation.
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Hi Jenny!
I bought different items from different shops since last week without an agent. I just clicked ‘order now’ and used my credit card. I’m not sure whether would the seller ship the items to Singapore.. Are there any risks?? Thank you so much!
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Hi, payment going through merely means Taobao acknowledges items ordered have been paid for and will hold the money for the seller temporarily, regardless of location. However, since you have not appointed a forwarding agent to take delivery for your orders in China, and if you have not paid for the more expensive direct shipping charges from China to Singapore (most China sellers do not entertain direct shipping to overseas without forwarding agent anyway), sellers will not ship out the orders. Suggest you contact the shops and Taobao SEA to resolve your issue and refund.
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Thank you so much jenny :^)
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Hello, sorry I am a complete noob at this! But setting up the overseas delivery address is our own home address or something like that? And in that page as well, there’s a telephone no. part but it’s broken into 3 parts. I understood the middle column but what does the 1st and last column mean? Thanks >.<
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Hi Jimson, the overseas delivery address is the location you want the orders to be delivered to, e.g. your home or office address in Singapore.
You only need to fill in either the mobile no (手机号码) or tel no (电话号码) portion, so I’d suggest that you fill in the mobile no so you can leave the tel no portion empty. Nevertheless, here are the definitions of the three fields under the tel no portion: the first field is for area code – which is applicable for bigger countries to differentiate the counties and states but not needed for Singapore. The second field is your telephone number. The third field is for telephone extension – which is usually applicable to direct calls to various office extensions that share a same trunk number.
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After I’ve setup the overseas address, the prompt to select forward agent is when we’re buying things ? Or right after setting up the address ?
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Hi Jimson, there will be an option to select the forwarding agent when you are ready to make payment for your consolidated orders.
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Hi Jenny
I have updated 收货地址 as my SG address. But there is no prompt to ask me to select a forwarding agent.
Am totally confuse at how it works now.
Pl help!
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Hi Jasmine, you will be prompted to select a forwarding agent when you are ready to place your order (before payment) for shipping. You can refer to this guide and flowchart for more information. http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.E0WmSv
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Hi Jenny,
When I purchase and make payment for an item on taobao, the seller will release and deliver to the forwarding agent that I have selected. This payment does not include the shipping cost from the forwarding agent to Singapore right? If so when do I pay this forwarding agent the shipping cost, by what payment mode and can I find out how much is the shipping cost first before I make payment to the taobao seller?
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Hi, I saw the below status of my parcel delivery from 4P but it has been 4-5 days and i’ve not received the parcel :s
Will they send to my doorstep via Singpost? or via 4P courier? Thanks!
2014-01-23 16:07:29货物已抵达新加坡,等待海关放行
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Hi Carol, 4PX has a local courier to deliver the parcel. The status said your parcel arrived at Singapore and is waiting for customs to release. It should have arrived at your doorstep on that day or the next, unless something is holding it up at the customs. I suggest you give 4PX (there should be a Singapore local number. If not, you can check with Taobao SEA) a call to check on the status.
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Hi Jenny,
I’m still kind of confused regarding the international forwarding service thingy. For example, if i would like to purchase this kettle: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.157.nJaW0c&id=16485191330&_u=q1qpu43p7a14
, is it possible for it to ship to sg using that?
Thank you.
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Hi Dion, you should be able to buy anything and have it shipped to Singapore as long as they do not fall under the prohibited item list. http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/interdict.php?spm=0.0.0.0.wFDhps
Do bear in mind that electrical appliances may have different plug and power requirements from those in Singapore.
You can refer to the buying and shipping setup manuals available on Taobao SEA website for details on IFPS.
– IFPS flowchart — http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.djfGTJ
– How to Buy: Set up parcel forwarding section — http://www.taobao.com/market/sea/howtobuy.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146345.29.djfGTJ
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks for the prompt reply. =) Regarding the payment wise, they only accept credit card? I can’t seems to made payment through debit card.
Thank you.
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Hi Dion, Alipay can accept linking of credit cards, but I’m not sure about debit cards. You can drop a note on Taobao SEA Facebook page to check with them =)
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Okay, thanks. I’ve figure that out. =)
Btw, under the 信用卡账单信息 -> 账单地址, did you opt for 和收货地址一致 (which is the China warehouse) or 使用新的账单地址 (enter our own address)?
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Credit card address should be your own address, since you are the cardholder.
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Thanks alot! =) Wishing you a happy & prosperous lunar new year!
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Hi Xiuzhen,
Am going to go purchase off TB by myself for the first time, and I’m so thankful for your sharing 🙂
Can I just check with you a few matters?
1) Which IFPS did you engage?
2) I am a bit confused with using Alipay, and most likely to use my Visa card. Is this your payment option?
Thanks!
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Hi Serene, are you checking with me or with Xiuzhen? If you are checking with her, you can reply below her comment 🙂 For me, I usually use the cheapest IFPS option available (trying not to name names here). Alipay is just a payment platform, where you can choose to pay via virtual top-up card (that can be purchased from AXS) or link your credit cards to allow Alipay to charge to them. I have not used the top-up card before, but there is a 3% fee for using credit cards on Alipay.
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Hi Jenny!
Was actually checking with Xiuzhen, but I appreciate your reply as well 🙂
Could I reach you via email to clear my doubts?
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Hi Serene, you are welcome to leave me a comment here for discussion 🙂 Do also check out the Taobao SEA Facebook page, where your doubts may already be raised and responded to by others. I myself check out the page once in a while to check for updates and news.
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Received my 1st TaoBao purchase, it was very fast, within 5 days (including sat and sun) ^_^ .
Seems it’s cheaper (3kg and below based on my purchase) to purchase on our own with IFPS as compared to 65Daigou (sea mode) or some other singapore mother hood blog spree (sea mode).
Using IFPS may seems more expensive at 1st , due to the air express (DHL) mode.
But it’s quite worth it as I got it within 5 days. (Ordered on 10pm Saturday, Received on Wednesday 11am).
Below is my experience / calculations:
Taobao IFPS:
– Total goods + delivery price : 195 CNY
– Final Payout: SGD$ 41.90 (assuming 4.65 exchange rate)
– DHL air express
– 5 days (including weekends)
65daigou
– Total Goods + delivery price + 8% Agent Fees : SGD$41.30 (assuming 4.65 rate)
– Singapore Delivery (TaQBin) : $5
– Final Payout : $46.30
– Sea Mode
– 16 working days deliver + 2-5 days speedpost/TaQBin Deliver (excluding weekends)
Other Online Bulk Spree: (those without agent fees)
– Total Goods + delivery : 195 CNY = $43.35 (4.5 fixed rate) : some sites is 4.4 fixed rate
– Singapore Delivery (Non registered) : $3
– Final Payout : $46.35
– Sea Mode
– 2 to 3 months delivery (as need to wait for spree to close before delivery)
Based on the above, the price difference is actually not much , just a few dollars, but the delivery time (hassle free) makes a big difference.
Disclaimer : Based on my purchase experience (books) only. May not be applicable to other items purchase or odd shapes or weight. (e.g. toys, clothes, shoes, bags etc).
Will only hope that IFPS will have sea/land mode delivery too. Then it will be much cheaper.
Just to share.
Thanks.
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Hi Xiuzhen, thank you so much for sharing! I have been looking for such a comparison for some time now but to no avail. Your summary is a very useful reference for those who are considering the various modes of shopping on Taobao. I agree the sea delivery option is more economic, especially for bulky purchases, or for those who do not mind the longer wait. Hopefully Taobao SEA will consider introducing this option in Singapore when it becomes more commercially viable for them.
Much as IFPS is cheaper and faster for some of us, I understand daigou would still be an easier option for some who are not used to navigating Chinese sites or do not want to deal with the hassle of tracking their orders. Can you share if a daigou agent offers additional services like warranty or assistance to returns / refunds? Thanks!
Cheers, Jenny
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Opps.. wrong details, here’s the correct calculations for Online Bulk Spree / Daigou :
65Daigou:
– Duration is at least 6 weeks (inclusive china local delivery, overseas and singpost delivery)
Other Online Bulk Spree: (those without agent fees)
– Total Goods + delivery : $36.40 only (4.5 fixed rate) : some sites is 4.4 fixed rate
– Singapore Delivery (Non registered) : $3.50 (if under 2kg) , $6 (because over 2kg)
– Final Payout : $42.40
– Sea Mode
– at least 2 to 3 months delivery (as need to wait for spree to close before delivery)
(Personal Experience: Ordered on Oct 2013, Spree Closed end Nov, ETA end Jan 2014 – hopefully)
As for refunds/returns, not sure about that. Daigou has optional insurance for damaged or lost items, but not sure of the charge.
I did return/refund on some of my orders (paid) before they were shipped out by seller. It was refunded within 24 hours (or immediately). I did use aliwangwang message seller and then click on 退货 link.
But as for return/refund of items after received, that i’m not sure for TaoBao/65Daigou. I hope I don’t have to encounter this. (keeping fingers crossed)
Yes Jenny. Everything is in chinese. Need to be very comfortable in reading chinese and communicating with the seller in chinese too. ^_^
And thanks Jenny for sharing your post. It was after reading your post “Tips for buying on Taobao from Singapore” that I finally decided to give it try. And it was a breeze. ^_^
Thanks.
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Hi Jenny,
I have purchased an item in taobao with the following shipping fees.
物流运费:广东深圳| 快递: ¥8.00平邮: ¥8.00
I am able to key in Singapore address as shipping address and proceed with payment
收货地址:新加坡 xxxxxxxxxxxx
In my 订单信息 it shows
商品总价(元) 760.00
(快递 : 8.00)
Does it means the seller will ship to my singapore address?
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Hi Trivan, I note that the shipping charges are to Shenzhen, not Singapore, so the seller may ignore your order even though you had stated a Singapore address and your payment had gone through. If you have not gone through the IFPS in this case, I’d advise you to follow up with the seller again, because either the seller or the buyer would have to pay for the Shenzhen-Singapore shipping segment, which was not stated in the order.
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Hi Jenny,
I have finally received my 1st batch of combined goods come from Taobao. Ya, though that some boxes were dented however inside goods were still in good conditions. The services is very good that you can tracking the forwarding item all the way from seller to your door step.
Ready 2nd batch of shopping list to go.
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Hi jkFoo, so glad to hear that your first shipment had successfully arrived! Some of my boxes also arrived slightly dented in some shipments but the goods inside were all intact; it could be due to the IFPS agents using sacks instead of boxes given the odd shapes of the various orders. Happy shopping!
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Hi jenny,
I’m quite confused by the whole shipping thing, and kinda understood what’s going after your post. However, after I’ve applied for the forwarding service thing, the total amount remains the same as before? in that case, if i select direct, i don’t have to pay additional charges (weigh of the package right?)
Thanks!
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Hi, the 全国 (nationwide) shipping option is meant for China buyers only. If by “Direct” you mean from the China seller direct to your Singapore address, that will be shipping option 海外/overseas. For this option, you’ll have to pre-arrange for shipping and pay charges directly to the China seller you buy from. It is unlikely that the China sellers will bear the shipping charges to Singapore as they are usually small outfits. Because of this, most of the Taobao sellers do not ship directly to Singapore. This is where IFPS comes into play; the 全国 option is applicable for their China warehouses where they’ll help to receive your orders in China from the China sellers first before consolidating and delivering them to Singapore. If you wish to select the 海外 option, you may like to verify about the shipping arrangements and related charges with the individual China sellers directly. Alternatively, you can check with Taobao SEA for further clarification.
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Hi,
Could you tell me in detail how to setup IFPS , after I have created a taobao account?
Thx
Chris
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Hi, the detailed guides to set up IFPS are available on Taobao SEA site.
– IFPS flowchart — http://www.taobao.com/go/chn/transit/index/eng.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146357.3.djfGTJ
– How to Buy: Set up parcel forwarding section — http://www.taobao.com/market/sea/howtobuy.php?spm=a214x.6760217.991146345.29.djfGTJ
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Hi Jenny,
Thanks for your prompt reply. Appreciate if you could also tell me :-
1. How to link up Payment Gateway (or Alipay or Paypal etc ) to my Taobao account?
2. Could I make payment using international credit/debit cards?
Thx in advance. /chris
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Hi Chris, when you sign up for a Taobao account, you’d automatically be signed up for Alipay/支付宝, which is owned by Taobao. You can find the link to Alipay on the top right navigation of Taobao website. Alternatively, you’ll automatically be directed to Alipay when making payment for your Taobao purchases. Alipay is often called the Chinese version of Paypal; it allows you to link credit cards (Mastercard, Visa) to your Alipay account for payment.
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Hi ,
Just fishing for informations about IFPS,
1) I bought and paid for 2 items (combinded payment) , and could not get into the IFPS platform.
2) Only for single item payment, then I can get into the IFPS platform.
I tried for 2 times already and failed, have to ask for refund…
Maybe there is a problem with the Taobao program…
Also looking for help on Taobao site is like ” a needle in a haystack”
cheers
Richard
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Hi Richard, I’d suggest you flag this to Taobao SEA on their Facebook page where they can attend to your problem directly. Thanks.
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Phoebe:
I’ve bought several hundred SGD of stuff over the past few weeks using the SEA platform tools, it’s been a breeze buying stuff using the 国际转运 option, and they now accept VISA/Mastercard payments beyond DBS – good job there by the Taobao SEA team. This threatens many local forwarding agents though, but hey, I’m all happy as competition benefits consumers like me. I note some comments here that sellers are rejecting orders. Seriously? So far, the sellers are more than happy to accept orders -the 深圳 and 上海 warehouse addresses for your 4 forwarders have not deterred any of the sellers I’ve dealt with.
BUT I notice quite a broad range of goods being automatically excluded from using the 国际转运 option. There’s a message that comes up “以下宝贝已不能购买,请通过“立即购买”下单,或者重新加入购物车下单”. Perhaps this is a mistake. So right now I cannot use 国际转运 to purchase things like car parts and accessories for my China made car – hope the SEA team can rectify the erroneous exclusions as such items should not fall within the prohibited items list (e.g. food , weapons), e.g. I can still buy this via vPost or within Aliexpress.
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Hi Daniel, not sure if Phoebe is keeping track of comments here. It’d be better to leave the feedback on Taobao SEA Facebook page so they can respond to you directly.
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Hi Jenny / Phoebe
With many thanks for all the info.
Right now I am able to order a few items through Taobao SEA, it was quite easy to go through the process but I think it is more secure to contact the seller through Aliwangwang first or else sometimes the promotion item price is no longer valid and cumbersome to refund & to-purchase again with new price stated by the seller.
Yes, quite a number of sellers will be uncomfortable if you tell them about using Taobao’s forwarding agents to ship oversea, as they hardly heard about them. But once you send them the Taobao SEA webpage under Chinese version, they happy enough to start and take-up the orders. Or you can totally ignore whether they know about these forwarding services as long as their prices with included courier to any part of china and you just drop the order to Taobao purchase page and clip on 国际转运 option, then all things will settle later.
However, I a bit curious, for some forbidden items, for general description in the Taobao SEA menu sake. Like the electrical items under what class or category should it be allow to go through国际转运 or Singapore custom, I believe there are many small electrical appliances like massager, toys, cosmetic tools, office equipment or kitchen cookware may not well define in these descriptions. Any clues for this please share the information.
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Hi Jenny, I faced problem with Taobao’s most of the sellers still seemed don’t agreed to ship to forwarding company in China Shenzhen (4P) as afraid it will lost in the route at forwarding house.and afraid of payment dispute later on. Beside, still no very clear how to collect item in Singapore ? will there be a courier delivery with some charge? Any recommendation for the forwarding company tie with Taobao international forwarding agent? 4p or P-router look-like is the cheaper one.
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Hi jkFoo, it should not make any difference for them to send to an individual or a forwarding company in China. The forwarding company has staff who will sign for receipt of parcel at the warehouse. For most orders, you’ll be able to track the parcel delivery (物流) on your Taobao account. The forwarding company in China has linked up with Singapore courier company /companies for local delivery, i.e. vendor in China -> forwarding company’s warehouse in China -> parcel flown from China to Singapore -> Singapore courier company pinks up and sends to your doorstep. There is a possible risk wrt payment release in case of unsatisfactory product given the time lag, but I believe Taobao SEA has addressed that issue on their Facebook. You may like to contact Taobao SEA if you still have concerns.
– Jenny
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Hi Jenny, Many thanks for your reply. As tried many seller companies in China, they have fear of being claims on compensation for lost of goods during the transition periods in these warehouses. From one seller mentioned that who is going to pay for the lost of goods or damaged goods done in the w’hse, who to verify it? if the goods value too small how to deploy the independent assessor to identify the fraud cases due to what causes? As far as I know of,most of the Taobao sellers will not want to deal with oversea customer if being request to send through these forwarding agents. The only lean way to go ahead with options with one is the customers are willingly to forgo claims ( need some form of mutual agreed terms with seller through Aliwangwang ) if any damaged or sub-part items missing cases happened in the warehouse, The other one Taobao forwarding house have to promote their strong security check, & have trusted working personnel in the warehouse group to carry out the logistic matter proper process flawlessly, I believe the Taobao international forwarding company is too new and it requires time to gain the trust from the people. Anyway, any recommendation for these forwarding houses, 4P or Prouter? SF have higher cost as with insurance premium.
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Is the warehouse staff of the forwarding courier company who has signed over the items will verify the correct items such as brand, quantity, color, etc. that I have ordered? Thanks!
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(not sure why I can’t reply below your newer comment on 1 Jan, so here it is) I believe the possibility of loss and damages is a risk that the buyer will have to bear when buying from overseas, not unlike when going through forwarders like vpost when shopping on Amazon. So far I have no problems (touchwood) shopping on Taobao and using the forwarding agents. I had tried two forwarding companies so far (they are the cheapest listed) and they turned out fine. If you are still concerned about the risks of using forwarding agents, it may be better to get clarification from Taobao SEA, or buy through ‘daigou’/third party agents who may be better advised and able to provide some kind of guarantee/insurance.
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Hi Jenny, thanks for the reply.
The problem is not I am afraid of risk the goods lost or damage, I newly registered on the Taobao International forwarding services, however, faced with two Taobao’s sellers rejected the orders through Aliwangwang feedback. The problems was there isn’t any third parties to help them to verify who fault to hold the responsible for the lost or damaged goods, more ever the transfer of funds had not been debited into their account, and it is very likely chances that the dispute will prolong with many months & difficult to reclaim the sum back. As long as the buyer willing to make a remark during Aliwangwang clarification notes that they wouldn’t hold the responsibility under circumstances shall there be any damaged or lost goods arises in these forwarding warehouses.Unlike services from SF, they like them so much as buyer pay for the insurance directly.
It is fine for me, to make a statement for them, as long as the goods are not in highly expensive type. I am looking forward to try one.
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Hi Cow Dung, the warehouse staff of the official forwarders will sign off for receiving the items but not verify the contents as they will not be allowed to open up the parcels. They merely act as the middle-men to receive items and consolidate into a single parcel to send to Singapore. On the other hand, some third party daigou agents may be able to check the contents on behalf of the buyers with their consent to open up and repack the items.
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Thanks for sharing this information. It is very good news for those who wants to deal with taobao.com. It is a famous online marketplace which provides best quality products. But person who are not living in China cannot buy directly here. Ebookgolive.com is a famous taobao agent who provide Taobao product at fully customer satisfaction.
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Hi there!
I have a blog that reviews items that I’ve purchased, many of which are from Taobao. I can help people who would like the items featured to purchase too. All the sellers and items have been tried and tested and therefore everyone can be assured of the items. Do check it out and let me know what you think! 🙂
http://www.shopaholicmin.wordpress.com
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Hi Jenny,
I hope this note finds you well! I’m Joyce from ZALORA, the leading online fashion and beauty retailer in Singapore.
My editorial team loves the array of posts from your website, and personally, I enjoy reading your fun and informative lifestyle updates!
We would hence love to extend an invitation for a collaboration with us. Would you be agreeable to including a brief mention of ZALORA as an online shopping destination in your upcoming post? It can simply be a passing reference to us in relation to your post content.
How does this proposal sound to you? If it’s all good, do drop me an email at joyce.chua@zalora.com and we can discuss post schedule and remunerations.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to your reply!
Warmest,
Joyce
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Am having some problem keying in my Singapore mobile number into the new address windows. How did you key in your mobile phone?
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Hi Chin loon, if I recall correctly, there should be a drop-down menu to choose country. Select Singapore and it should automatically fill in +65, then you just input your 8-digit mobile number. If it does not work, you may check again with Taobao SEA on their Facebook page, the admin replies quite promptly. Regards, Jenny
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Dear Jenny, I’m Phoebe Tay, Community Manager of TaobaoSEA. I’ve came across your blog post about a short guide to how to shop on TaobaoSEA. We appreciate you understanding fully on how it works and would like to seek permission to feature it on the Official TaobaoSEA Facebook page. Hope to receive a favourable reply soon.
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Dear Phoebe, thanks for dropping by. I am fine with the post being used as per your request. Regards, Jenny
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Hi Jenny:
Is there a way to delete an inactive Alipay account, as my friend no longer uses it and does not want alipay to store the credit card details she previously used for taobao.
Thanks
Suling
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Hi Suling, you can refer to this page: 注销账户的操作流程 https://cshall.alipay.com/lab/help_detail.htm?help_id=249348 .
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Hello Phoebe Tay, I’m from Malaysia and I have some problems related to the refund service and alipay. Would you mind to help me? If yes, I really need your email. It will be so much convience for us to have a conversation there. TQ 🙂
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Hye Jenny , I’am from malaysia and i have some problem related to shipping. If have problem or not if i choose direct send to my country using Skynet. I choose section 2 when paying. I choose Skynet. TQ . Really hope u help it
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Hi chan ying zhen, I am not sure how Taobao shipping works in Malaysia. Please contact Taobao SEA directly on their Facebook page.
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