01
Which platforms are product sources and which ones are agents?
Taobao, Tmall, Weidian, 1688, and Yupoo are product-source platforms. Taobao launched in 2003 under Alibaba, Tmall began as Taobao Mall in 2008 for brand and business-to-consumer retail, and 1688 is part of Alibaba's domestic commerce ecosystem. Superbuy, Sugargoo, Kakobuy, CNFans, AllChinaBuy, Mulebuy, and similar services are buying agents that can purchase from Chinese sellers, receive goods at a warehouse, photograph them, and forward parcels internationally.
02
Which published policies should I record before choosing an agent?
Record the published service fee, free warehouse storage period, QC-photo policy, return window, supported source links, insurance options, payment methods, and parcel restrictions. Save the policy URLs and check date because these rules can change.
03
Why are Taobao, Weidian, 1688, and Yupoo treated differently?
Taobao is usually treated as consumer marketplace shopping, Tmall as business-to-consumer retail, Weidian as independent storefront shopping, 1688 as domestic wholesale sourcing, and Yupoo as a photo-album catalog. Agents may parse a Taobao or Weidian URL automatically, while Yupoo albums often need a manual item note, seller contact, size, color, and reference image.
04
Which agent-side costs can be missing from an advertised shipping price?
An advertised shipping rate may exclude agent service fees, domestic freight, paid QC photos, rehearsal packaging, insurance, payment processing, volumetric-weight adjustments, and restricted-line surcharges. Compare these agent-side charges separately from product price, customs duty, and local tax.
05
How do I verify an agent's current policy claims?
Use the agent's own fee page, shipping calculator, warehouse policy, prohibited-items list, and refund policy. Record the check date, currency, free-storage days, first-weight and added-weight rates, and restrictions for the exact shipping line you plan to use.
06
Why can the cheapest agent change with the parcel?
A light clothing parcel, a shoe-heavy parcel, and an electronics parcel can price differently because agents use different shipping lines, volumetric calculations, restrictions, and add-on fees. A platform that is cheapest for one parcel may not be cheapest for another.
07
How should I run a like-for-like agent comparison?
Use the same product URL, destination, estimated weight, parcel dimensions, QC-photo requirements, insurance choice, storage time, return needs, and restricted-item category in every calculator. Compare the final scenario rather than one headline shipping rate.
