Tips To choose Right Taobao Agent

Shopping on China’s biggest retail website, Taobao.com can be fun and challenging at the same time. We all know that Chinese products are quite unique, highly functional and affordable at the same time. So, Taobao.com witnesses thousands of shoppers every day, across the globe. However, if you don’t know the local language of Mandarin, it can be quite challenging for you to shop on Taobao.com. All the important details about the products, pricing and other features are mentioned in Mandarin. 

Also, currently, Taobao.com can be used only in about 15 countries. If you are not from one of these countries but still want to enjoy the unique Taobao products, you can make use of Taobao agents. These agents shop from Taobao on your behalf, and get the products delivered to you, for a fee. You are entirely dependent on the expertise of these agents to get the best products from Taobao. So, it is only natural that you choose them wisely. Here are a few tips you can keep in mind when choosing Taobao agents, to avoid regrets later.

Being aware of the available Taobao agents in your country

Well, if you want to choose the best, you need to know your options, needn’t you? So, the first step is to make a list of the available Taobao agents in your country. You can get this list from Google, or any search engine of your choice.  You can then check for the ratings of these agents on Google, and customer reviews for their services and other terms.

When you go into the details about the terms of these agents, you can get to understand more about the commission and service charge terms. Choose agents that are fully aware of your requirements, as they can provide you with the full value for your money. Yes, most Taobao products are affordable, but your final cost may go up several notches higher after your agent’s fee and shipping charges. So, choose agents that give you a transparent estimate of cost right in the first meeting to avoid ambiguity later.

Relationship between agents and sellers is very important

When choosing Taobao agents, you should always choose the ones that have been in the business for a long time. Long-standing Taobao agents have an excellent relationship with most of the manufacturers or sellers on Taobao.com. This way, they can negotiate the prices better for you, especially when you place bulk orders. 

When Taobao agents share a good relationship with the sellers, they can suggest the best seller for a product you are looking for. He can help you choose sellers with the best reputation and great customer reviews. So, you can be assured of the quality of your products, when you choose an experienced and professional Taobao agent.

Contacting a few top agents in your country to get the idea

Once you have the list of Taobao agents in your country, you can make a list of the top 5 of them based on their reputation and reviews from users. How do you know which agent you can choose from this narrowed-down list? To know this, you have to contact them individually. Place your Taobao products request to these agents and check their replies to know which agent would suit your requirements the best.

How quickly does the agent reply? Is he able to communicate in English properly? Does he have the knowledge of the products you requested? Has he given you the full list of the price of the products, his commission charges and other fees? Has he suggested you the best shopping option for your order? You can ask yourself some of these questions to know if you can trust one of those Taobao agents.

Choosing an agent who gives you clear shipping terms

You might be surprised to know that shipping costs are one of the most important things to consider when you shop on Taobao.com, or when you choose Taobao agents. The shipping costs depend on the weight of the products you order, and they may differ from country to country. 

For example, when you want Taobao products to be delivered to your doorstep in Europe, you can ask your agent to give you an estimate of the total cost including international shipping fees. An experienced agent can give you the closest estimate to the actual fee, as he can check with the sellers about the exact weight of the products you have ordered, and thus calculate the charges accordingly. A good Taobao agent will also give you suggestions on the shipping option, and the delivery company you should choose, to reduce your shipping charges as much as possible. 

Sometimes, a few Taobao agents may try to attract you with huge discounts on shipping costs. However, these discounts should ring an alarm bell in your mind. When an agent offers huge discounts (about 70%) on shipping charges, you should immediately know that this would mean you should wait for a longer period for your products to get delivered to you. 

Additional tips to help you partner with the right Taobao agent

• Have an understanding of the service charges of Taobao agents. Usually, these charges hover in the range of about 5 to 15%. When a Taobao agent charges you more than this, you know better than to choose him for your Taobao shopping requirements.
• Choose agents that keep your personal details confidential, and give you ample options to pay for your products securely. When you choose experienced and reputed agents, you can rest assured that your money is paid the right way for the right purpose.
• Choose Taobao agents with great after-sales services. If you have a problem with your products, you might want to return them to get a refund or exchange. Most agents are very eager to help you during your shopping, but they are not very responsive after you have placed the order. This will create a lot of problems for you, especially if you are looking for returns or refunds.

We hope these tried and tested tips will help you choose the right Taobao agent, and help you get the best out of your shopping experience on China’s biggest e-commerce platform.