I first witnessed the glory of TaoBao when I organised a business delegation to participate in the APEC SME Summit in Hangzhou five years ago.
Since the conference was enthusiastically supported by Alibaba.com’s founder, Jack Ma, the event inherently included a major Taobao trade fair that was attended by more than 150,000 retailers, wholesalers and of course, zealous shoppers. 😛
To be honest, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event. Never in my life have I seen so many stores, types of products and passionate entrepreneurs all in one place. Not to mention, the millions of rmb being transacted within a few days.
For the exact numbers, you can check out here and here. (These links also contain press releases that I had written for the event).
Even though TaoBao was already a huge hit in China then, there was still excessive regulations and difficulties that prevented me from purchasing the products from Singapore. So I stuck to eBay and Gmarket.
Well today, the world has changed and digital boundaries are also less prevalent. With the sprawling network of TaoBao agents, we can now explore China’s wholesale paradise and shop with ease.
But not every TaoBao agent is created equal. It took me ages before I found my shopping saviour that is reliable, customer oriented and reasonably priced.
Meet 65 Daigou, my new global shopping concierge. My wedding props arrived in one perfect piece from TaoBao just before my wedding shoot.
Read on to find out how fast it took via 65Daigou! 😀
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So why do you need a Taobao agent?
Previously, Taobao only allowed consumers to purchase with Chinese credit cards, so by engaging an agent, you can bypass the credit card restrictions and purchase your products.
If you think the trouble is over. Well, not exactly. Many sellers are not willing to ship overseas so the agents act like Vpost and help you receive the products with a Chinese address.
Also, if you’re not apt in the Chinese language, it could be a nightmare shopping on Taobao as everything is written in Mandarin. Most Taobao agents are bilingual so that eliminates the language barrier.
So what makes 65Daigou stand out?
On top of everything that was mentioned, they also inspect the condition of the items received and send them back to the sellers if they are faulty.
And!!!
My new shopping partner does exactly what its carrier bag says – buys the world for ya!
Besides Taobao, you can also use 65Daigou’s services to purchase your favorite Victoria’s Secret bikinis, Gucci handbags, household items from Macy’s and many many more.
All you have to do is register a 65daigou account. That’s Step One. 🙂
Step Two: Find the product you want to purchase on Taobao.com or any other shopping site. Then cut and paste the item’s url on this bar that is located on the top of the page. The bar is available on every page so you can’t miss it.
Today, I’m looking for props for my Disney-themed wedding. So I’m gonna search for Disney (迪士尼) on Taobao.com.
Aha! I found the best representation of classic Disney characters – Mrs Potts and Chip! 😀
Now cut and paste their product url on the bar. Then hover over the “EZ-BUY” button and click to submit your purchasing request.
This screen should appear. Psst! Many of you have asked me for the url of this adorable tea set, here it is – http://www.65daigou.com/Production/AgentProductDetail.aspx?id=22198776070.
This is where 65Daigou captures all the info of the product from Taobao.com. You can select the shipping method or submit any additional remarks for the item.
I selected Express Air which took 10 days to arrive. It could have been earlier actually.
Why?
Because one of the wedding accessories I bought comes in a set that comprises of a veil and headband.
However, its default option is to purchase the headband only. Take note that many Taobao product pages which sell more than one item usually offers different combinations so you’ll have to make sure that you selected the correct one.
I wanted both the veil and headband but I obviously missed out the different options that were highlighted under 颜色 (see image above). I was surprised to receive the following messages from 65Daigou shortly after I checked out my items.
They contacted me to confirm the combination of products that I wanted. After clarifying that I actually wanted both the veil and headband, they proceeded to change the order and deduct the correct amount from my 65Daigou Prepay account on my behalf. This is why delivery took slightly longer than expected.
Mistake corrected without me lifting a finger. I was absolutely impressed with the impeccable level of service. 🙂
Step Three: Are you done with your orders? Great. Now review them in your shopping cart.
As you can tell from the screenshot, they also offer insurance for your purchases, giving customers peace of mind while shopping.
Step Four: Now proceed to pay 65Daigou via your very own 65Daigou prepay account.
No money in the account? No worries! You can top up the account by clicking on “My Prepay” or “My Payment” and pay via internet banking, ATM transfer, Paypal or credit card. Do note that transaction costs may apply for certain payment methods.
This payment covers the product cost and domestic shipping fee. After your orders are processed and shipped to Singapore, you’ll have to make your second payment for the international shipping fee and 65Daigou’s service fees.
Step Five: Are you still with me? Good. Now you can check the status of the deliveries under “My Order”.
Step Six: Once the items have arrived our sunny shores, make your second payment as mentioned earlier and select the delivery method (home delivery /self-collection / MRT pickup / Neighborhood collection).
And now your items are on their way!
Honeyz Shopping Tip!
There are many sellers on Taobao who will offer the same products so remember to check seller ratings before purchasing.
For more information about seller ratings, services and what-nots, you can check out this blogpost that dissected every detail of shopping on Taobao and 65daigou.
And now let’s check out my star buys!
‘FRAGILE’ shipping labels were plastered all over my package.
The accessories arrived in padded envelopes and the glassware was nicely cushioned with bubble wrap.
Aww.. they look so much better in real life!
Mrs Potts and Chip Tea Set
I also bought some hair accessories for my Paris wedding shoot back in May.
The items look exactly or better than the stock images on Taobao. I was utterly amazed by their immaculate quality.
Here’s a quick comparison of the items I received and their Taobao images:
Taobao:
Item received:
Taobao:
Taobao:
Taobao:
Item received:
Taobao:
Item received:
I was pretty worried that my shoulder necklace might arrived tangled but guess what? It came in mint condition and was nicely assembled in a classy box.
You can check out more photos of my Taobao accessories on these posts:
– Bridal Beauty Log: My DIY Wedding Looks – “My Love From The Star” Cheon Song Yi Bridal Makeup Tutorial
Also ‘hauled’ a reflector disc from Taobao for only 5 bucks. The exact same one costs about 30 bucks on Qoo10. What a steal! 😀
Taobao:
The crazy world of Taobao can put any shopaholic in the throes of depression. So make sure you do your homework by reading lots of reviews and compare seller ratings and of course, also engage a reliable agent!
65Daigou’s bilingual features, timely updates and multiple delivery options just kicks it up a notch and makes shopping on Taobao less intimidating. They basically streamlined the entire buying process for me!
To top it off, they also reward their customers with discounts in the form of credit points for future purchases as well as delightful giveaways.
What more can you ask for?
Eh.. an exclusive Honeyz promo code of course! 😀
Exclusive Offer For Honeyz Belles!
Receive 15% off by quoting 65FIRST15 upon check out.
Current promotion: Top up Prepay account with your UOB credit card and get 15% off shipping fee (Promo code – UOBV65DG)
Find out more: 65Daigou.com, 65daigou Facebook & 65daigou Instagram
Your friend, Juliana
Disclaimer: Please be rest assured that even though the products were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time.
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