general sourcing / Buying guide
Taobao agent
A Taobao agent exists because Taobao will not sell to you directly: it needs a mainland address, a Chinese phone number and a domestic payment method. The agent supplies all three, then forwards the goods.
The same agents almost always buy from 1688, Weidian and Pinduoduo too — the mechanism is identical, only the marketplace changes.
In this guide
What the agent actually does
- Places the domestic order using a Chinese account and pays the seller in renminbi.
- Receives the parcel at a warehouse and photographs what arrived.
- Holds the goods while you add more orders, so several sellers become one shipment.
- Repacks to reduce volumetric weight, which is often the largest single saving.
- Books export shipping and handles the export paperwork.
What it costs
Agents charge in one of two shapes: a percentage service fee on goods value, commonly 5–10%, or no service fee with the margin taken inside the shipping rate. Neither is automatically cheaper — a zero-fee agent with an inflated freight table can cost more than a 8% agent with honest freight.
The only comparable number is the total: goods plus domestic freight plus service fee plus international freight plus duties. Ask for that, not for the fee percentage.
Choosing one
- Ask what happens when goods arrive damaged or wrong. A vague answer is the answer.
- Ask how long they store goods free, and what storage costs after that.
- Ask whether the quoted freight is actual weight or volumetric, and who absorbs the difference.
- Check they will send inspection photographs before shipping, not after.
Questions & answers
Common questions
- Can an agent buy from 1688 as well as Taobao?
- Yes, and from Weidian, Pinduoduo and Tmall. They arrive at the same warehouse and ship together.
- How long will an agent hold my goods?
- Commonly 30–90 days free, then a daily or monthly storage charge. Confirm before you start accumulating.
- Do I pay the seller or the agent?
- The agent. They pay the seller domestically; you never transact with the seller directly.
Your next step
Have a link you want checked?
Send a 1688 or Taobao product link and you get back the specification in English, the supplier check, and the landed cost to your country before you commit to anything.
Get a quote