Hi Eric, Why does your table say, orders to Canada are …

Comment on Taobao International Shipping: Everything You Need To Know

Hi Eric,

Is there aliwangwang version with English interface and menus? I tried International version from Alibaba site, but it doesn’t support many Taobao features. I end-up by manually editing files with menu options after program install. Do you know a better way to deal with it?

Also, the exchange with sellers via aliwangwang is not translated to English automatically. Do you know how to integrate Google Translate feature into aliwangwang? May be there are aliwangwang mods posted somewhere on China forums?

Comment on Taobao International Shipping: Everything You Need To Know

Usually the refund must be deposited directly to the account from which you paid the shipping fee. For example, when paying with Visa via Paypal, if the seller gives you a refund, Paypal will automatically return it to your Visa account based on their transaction record, even if you don’t have a Paypal account. It will not be posted to your Paypal acc, even if you have one. The same should likely work with Alipay. Juts contact them directly, or via Alibaba Chat Support, since they can talk English. Or try contacting Taobao Chat Support, they also have English speaking staff.

Comment on Taobao International Shipping: Everything You Need To Know

It depends on the shipping method. For example, most AliExpress sellers use one of international China small carriers like 4PX etc, which is also used as official “AliExpress shipping method”. Other use China Post Small Package (weight up to 2KG), and can add $2 tracking number. If the parcel is large, many sellers would ship via local consolidator companies, who has discount prices with large international carriers like DHL, UPS, etc. So shipping fee may depend greatly on the seller’s knowledge of logistics. It will be higher, if the seller ships directly via a large carrier like DHL. A Buyer can also research available options and try helping the seller to choose the cheaper one, since many Taobao sellers aren’t used to ship internationally.

Comment on How To Register And Verify Your Alipay Without Chinese Bank Account

If you paid by a credit card, you can always Charge Back the payment by contacting your bank-issuer, if Alipay refuses to release your funds back to Visa account. They are obligated by contract with Visa and MasterCard International to return any refunds back to account holders. This means, you may not be able to pay for new purchases by using your previous refund on Alipay, but you arel entitled to get your money back without producing any passports etc, because the money will be refunded to the same account they were charged from, so it doesn’t matter whether it belongs to you or not.

If you paid by a debit card or through international payment system like Web Money etc, contact their CS for further instructions.

Comment on 4 Ways to Pay on Taobao

Hi Eric,

On AliExpress, you can read in Help that only credit cards are supported, and Visa or MasterCard debit cards are not. But CS will confirm that Visa Debit cards are also supported and widely used for payments. Basically, when a buyer uses such card linked to his bank account to make a purchase, Alipay can use Visa or MasterCard international transaction processing system to charge payment, so it doesn’t need to be a member of any other cash transaction systems. Since Taobao payments are also processed by Alipay, they likely have the same processing options for international transactions. Can you contact Alipay CS to clarify?

Comment on How to Contact Taobao Customer Service

Hi Eric,

Can you amend your above guide by explaining: “How to file a Claim on Taobao”? Is it the same as “Asking for Refund”? You mentioned in several articles that buyers can discuss return and refund with sellers. Is it usually done within a Claim Process, or informally? For example, on Ebay and AliExpress, when a buyer contacts a seller after the item is paid, many “contact reasons” would result in automatic opening a Case with portal. If the seller does not reply or resolve the issue, the buyer can escalate this Case to a Claim within the deadlines. Does Taobao use the same system, or seller-to-buyer communication is purely informal, voluntary, and not restricted by deadlines?

Comment on How to Request a Refund on Taobao

Hi Eric,

Can you add info to your Guide on “Refund for items shipped overseas”? I had several issues with returns & refunds, when using Taobao Consolidated Shipping program. The program allows for purchased items to wait in the warehouse 20 days free until you buy more items and consolidate international parcel. Than it takes several days to process and ship the parcel, so its often delivered to a buyer 30 days after payment for some of the goods. By that time, is it possible to a) request refund for certain items; b) place negative feedback; c) return items to the seller?

Also, where such items must be returned – to the Taobao warehouse or directly to the seller’s address? And if returned after Taobao deadlines, how the refund is processed?

In my practice, due to high return shipping cost its seldom makes sense to return defective goods back to China. When a seller ships the item to a local buyer, its delivered in 2 days, and the buyer is advised to inspect the package before accepting it from the local courier. If not accepted, return shipping is “free”. In contrast, when a package is shipped to Taobao Consolidation Warehouse, its never properly checked for defects and missing parts, unless visibly broken. When its delivered abroad, its often way too late and prohibitively expensive to return.

That’s why selecting a quality seller is very important. Overseas buyers should never buy from a seller with lowest price and low sale volume. Unless of course its a direct shop of the manufacturer, preferably on Tmall. Buy selected items in stores where most other people buy, and always read their feedback first. In addition, warn the seller upfront to ship only quality goods to avoid complaints. In my experience, almost half of the product categories, received via Taobao Consolidated Shipment, contained some incomplete or defective items, because sellers knew a foreign buyer will never ship it back, and would have difficult language and culture barriers to go through Taobao Claim process.

Comment on How To Buy Directly From Taobao:The Complete Guide

When choosing CSCL, what EMS DHL means? EMS is usually delivered by local post often without extra charges, but DHL is delivered by the carrier, and they charge clearance fees. So how this hybrid works?

Do these warehouses have separate websites, or 2nd payment for international shipping is done also through Taobao?

How much they charge for extra storage days? Can I change delivery address for a paid item before its shipped locally by a Taobao seller, and how?