How to Buy from Taobao: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

In this guide, I will show you how to buy from Taobao.

It covers everything, from signing up for account, choosing product, making payments, comparing Taobao with Alibaba, reviewing sellers, and many more.

So before you buy from Taobao, read this guide.

How does Taobao compare to Alibaba?

Taobao and Alibaba are both e-commerce platforms owned by the Alibaba Group that you find useful in online shopping activities.

With Taobao, you have a unilingual online store dedicated to Chinese-speaking populations.

Taobao allows inter-consumer trade enabling you to purchase from enterprises with small footprints, including individual sellers.

You can also start your store in Taobao and sell to other consumers.

While Alibaba is similar in activity to Taobao, you find the nature of the commercial activity is business to business.

As a supplier, you can establish a connection with producers of various products on Alibaba.

Is there a Difference Between Taobao and AliExpress?

AliExpress, like Taobao, is a prominent online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers alike.

However, there are many differences you observe between AliExpress and Taobao that influence their use.

Some of the main differences you find between Taobao and AliExpress are as follows:

• You have the options of many languages when using AliExpress allowing wide usage across the globe.

Consequently, you can easily access products on AliExpress from almost anywhere in the world.

On the other hand, Taobao is only available in the Chinese language restricting use to Chinese-speaking populations.

Therefore, you find this market to be limited to reach in terms of area of coverage.

• When using AliExpress, you have a comprehensive option of payment modes that are internationally accessible such as PayPal.

However, Taobao limits your payment options with PayPal not supported while having a complicated registration process for payment using Alipay.

• While both platforms boast many product offerings, you find a significant difference in their sales volume.

Despite the broader coverage of AliExpress, Taobao records higher sales than AliExpress, ranging in the millions.

• There is a significant price differential for the many products on AliExpress and Taobao. You can credit the higher sales recorded by Taobao to their lower prices for similar product offerings on AliExpress.
• When you order from Taobao and AliExpress simultaneously, you can expect your Taobao order sooner.

You find these short delivery times make Taobao a more popular platform compared to AliExpress.

• You can view pictures of the product you intend to purchase in the product details section on Taobao.

AliExpress lacks product illustrations in the form of photos, and your knowledge of the product is all you have.

• You confirm your product’s quality on Taobao by examining for a sticker that ascertains it is tested.

Consequently, you are assured of procuring quality products on Taobao.

AliExpress lacks informative quality stickers you can use to evaluate the authenticity of products.

Accordingly, the chances of you obtaining low quality and even product imitations on the platform are high.

• You can contact customer care agents at any time of day on the Taobao platform. Subsequently, you can make inquiries and obtain relevant information concerning a product you are interested in.
• While Taobao prices are relatively lower, the transactional costs charged on you as a foreigner are relatively high.

For instance, you pay for shipping separately from the product price when buying from Taobao in another country.

• You get free shipping when making select purchases from AliExpress, saving you extra shipping costs.

However, you observe the integration of Taobao shipping with products sourced from different manufacturers transported together.

Is Buying from Taobao Better than 1688.com?

1688.com is an e-commerce platform where you can purchase various products at relatively low prices than many other online retailers.

You realize that the parent company of 1688.com is Alibaba Group, which is also the owner of Taobao.

You cannot make a fair comparison between buying from Taobao and 1688.com due to their business approach difference.

You find the following points of difference between Taobao and 1688.com that distinguish their activities:

The Business Model

While both Taobao and 1688.com are online retail platforms, their business models mainly contrast.

You note that 1688.com seeks to link businesses to other businesses in a B2B model.

On the other hand, the business model you find used in Taobao is C2C, which links customers with each other.

You refer to the business as C2C due to the persons transacting on the platform, whether buying or selling, being individuals.

Method of Sales

The method of sale refers to the approach you use to disburse goods as the subject of a transaction.

You can only make bulk orders on 1688.com, making it the go-to platform for commercial buyers and wholesalers.

Alternately, you can make unit purchases on Taobao, thus giving it a retail characteristic.

Subsequently, you don’t have to make wholesale purchases on Taobao as with 1688.com.

Pricing

The prices you get charged on goods in 1688.com are much lower than those for similar products on Taobao.

Since you make purchases on 1688.com in wholesale, you find their unit prices lower than Taobao.

Furthermore, many sellers in Taobao purchase their products from 1688.com to resale them to individual customers.

Buying from 1688.com allows you to avoid paying the extra charge in profit for sellers on Taobao products.

Do you need Taobao Agent to buy from China?

When buying from Taobao, you can directly or use an agent to purchase on your behalf.

Consequently, you don’t need an agent to make purchases from Taobao if you can do it yourself.

However, using an agent can be advantageous, especially when you are new and not a resident of China.

The following are some of the reasons that will make you need an agent in Taobao:

1. Language Barrier

The Taobao e-commerce platform is provided in Chinese, restricting navigation when you do not understand the language.

Therefore, using an agent helps you avoid the difficulties in interpreting the information on the site.

Additionally, without a good command of the language, interacting with the sellers is difficult.

Many Taobao sellers have low or no knowledge of other widely spoken foreign languages such as English.

2. Payment

When buying on Taobao as a foreigner, you need to use Alipay as your mode of payment.

However, registering for Alipay when out of China is agonizing with a complicated verification process.

3. Quality Concerns

On the Taobao platform, you can find virtually any possible good you can think of.

Therefore, the chances of imitates and low-quality goods to exist within the high count product catalog is high.

When purchasing on online retail platforms, you may need to return a good for various reasons.

However, returning a good as a foreigner is bound to be problematic instead of when you use an agent.

4. Shipping Costs

When you directly purchase an item from Taobao as a foreigner, it has to be shipped to you.

Usually, you cover the cost of shipping to your location, which is ideally not cheap.

However, when you employ a Taobao agent, the cost of shipping reduces as agents typically consolidate shipping.

Consolidation saves you money as the agents will ship your item alongside those from other sellers destined for your location.

Should you Buy Directly from Taobao or use Taobao Agent?

The decision to buy directly from Taobao or employ an agent is dependent on two main factors.

Your location and understanding of Chinese have the most influence on whether you need an agent.

However, if you score unfavorably on the location and language markers, it is wise to use a Taobao agent.

You benefit from the knowledge of Taobao agents of the local sellers and consolidated shipping, which reduces your costs.

Some of the advantages you derive from employing a Taobao agent are as follows:

• A Taobao agent makes orders for you.
• Due to their command of the Chinese language, communication between the Taobao agent and the sellers is more effective.
• Your item’s quality is assured when using a Taobao agent.
• You can use a wide range of internationally accepted payment methods when you engage Taobao agents.
• Consolidated shipping employed by Taobao agents earns you savings on shipping costs you’d incur individually.
• Taobao agents offer you storage in their warehouses at no extra cost before shipping your product.
• Additionally, when you use Taobao agents, you can get your products shipped through various modes.
• The taxes you’re liable to when using a Taobao agent are lower than those you’d directly incur.
• You can quickly address any complaints, returns, exchanges, and refunds when you employ a Taobao agent.

Is there Taobao English App for Shopping?

You find the Taobao platform is only available in the Chinese language.

Consequently, you need an understanding of Chinese to navigate the Taobao online marketplace effectively.

An English version of Taobao is not provided, making it difficult for customers whose only language is English to shop.

However, employing Taobao agents to make purchases on your behalf, simplifies the process.

You can attempt to translate the information on the Taobao page into English using Google Chrome.

However, you can encounter some inaccuracies that can distort the information displayed, resulting in error-prone decisions.

How do you Buy from Taobao?

Before purchasing on Taobao, there are steps you need to follow to make your transaction successful.

These steps include:

1) Translating Taobao to English

The Taobao e-commerce platform is provided in Chinese with no options for other languages.

If you have a poor command of the language, you can translate the page to English using Google Chrome.

2) Registration and Login

You have to register an account with Taobao to shop through their vast product catalog.

Usually, you will find the login area on the page’s right, which you can fill in English.

For the username and password, you can use English characters without having to change them into Chinese.

You also input a phone number to which you’ll receive a message with a code for verification.

Upon confirmation of the code, you successfully log in, ready to browse through the many product ranges available on the platform.

3) Product Search

When you are logged in on the Taobao platform, you can access thousands of products made available by various sellers.

You can easily navigate through the several products available by browsing by category.

Categories are classifications that lump the products into distinct groupings such as electronics, clothing, and kitchenware.

The Taobao platform has many categories that will help you quickly identify the product you need.

You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to find a desired product or item.

You can search for an item in English or translate your desired item to Chinese before inputting it in the search bar.

Additionally, you can carry out an image search using the camera image to upload your item’s picture.

When searching by image, you select the image of the item you want in the dialogue box that shows up.

You can make comparisons between similar items from different sellers to identify the item with the least price.

Guiding your mouse over the image allows you to view other offers available for the product.

4) Choosing Products

When you search for products, you are provided with a list of products bearing similarities to your search.

Therefore, you have to select the particular item you desire from the list of hits you receive from your search.

5) Checking Customer Reviews and Seller Ratings

When purchasing a product, you can always establish customers’ experiences with the product from their reviews.

Customer reviews help you ascertain the product’s usefulness and quality from people who’ve already bought the product.

When buyers make purchases from a seller, they can rate the seller depending on their perceived product and service.

You find seller ratings are made from one to five, one being the lowest and five the highest.

6) Check-out

After completing your shopping, carting all the items you wanted, you have to check out to complete the transaction.

For you to complete your shopping process on Taobao, you have to cross out the following steps:

• Provide a shipping address.
• Identify the items you’d like to pay for.
• Address confirmation and shipping method selection.

7) Add Shipping

Shipping is essential for you to receive your product purchase, and Taobao requires you to select a shipping method.

You have the choice between direct or consolidated shipping, with some sellers limiting your option by offering only consolidated shipping.

With direct shipping, your package is directly sent to you from the warehouse in mainland China.

You pay for the product and shipping in a one-off payment and is preferred when buying from a single seller.

Consolidated shipping packs up your purchases in a single parcel before being delivered to you via a warehouse.

You pay an extra charge for the new package containing all your products based on the weight.

Consolidated shipping is an ideal choice when you make multiple purchases from Taobao but different sellers.

Otherwise, you will have to separately pay shipping for each package, making it a costly venture.

8) Making a Payment

Upon confirmation of the shipping details, you need to finalize your purchase by making your payment.

Alipay is used as the payment mode on Taobao, requiring you to provide a password for first-time use.

You also have the option of using bank cards, including debit and credit cards, alongside online transfer avenues.

Using transfer services attracts an additional fee of 1.5 %, which is incurred to complete the transaction.

Why should you Shop on Tmall?

Tmall is an online platform you find tailored for consumers in China to shop products from recognized and major brands.

You have a broad offering of branded goods available from both local and international companies.

You will find products on Tmall that are unavailable in the other conventional retail outlets.

Major brands also use Tmall to reach customers in areas where they have no physical presence.

Since only branded items are traded on Tmall, you find the customer base to consist of high-end clientele.

Therefore, when you get a store on Tmall, you attain a verified and enviable position in the retail market.

There are several reasons for deciding to shop on Tmall easier for you.

They include:

• When you make purchases on Tmall, it is from legitimate and verified businesses with a considerable market presence.

Therefore, you are less likely to receive low quality and undesirable products when you make a buy.

• The purchase process on Tmall is similar to Taobao, making it easier for you to make a purchase.

You use the Alipay payment system on Tmall just like on Taobao, and you don’t have to register a new account.

• The tools of analysis used in Tmall are remarkable, allowing you as a trader to make a comparative analysis with competitors.

How do you use the Taobao Keyword Product Guide?

The Taobao keyword product guide allows you to make a purchase even without knowledge of Chinese easily.

You use these keywords to filter items in various categories helping you identify your desired product.

Common keywords you can use on Taobao for products include:

1. Sports Gear and Athletic Equipment

Ankle Guard                                        运动护踝

Knee Guar                                           运动护膝

Dry Fit Long Sleeved Tops                   速干长袖衣

Dry Fit Sleeveless Tops                       速干背心

Dry Fit Socks                                        袜子

Dry Fit T-Shirt                                      速干运动T恤

Sports Bra                                           运动胸罩

Sports Shoes                                        运动鞋

Sports Jacket                                       运动外套

Sports Hooded Jacket                          运动连帽衫

Sweatpants                                          运动裤

Tights                                                  运动紧身裤

Yoga Mat                                            瑜伽垫

Yoga Pants                                          瑜伽裤

2. Men’s Clothing

Since clothing pieces can be similar for both genders, you have to add the for men character [男]for specification purposes.

Other keywords include:

Short Sleeved                                      短袖

Long Sleeved                                       长袖

T-Shirt                                                   T恤

Casual Shirt                                         休闲衣

Polo Shirt                                             POLO衫

Dress Shirt                                           衬衫

Suit                                                      西装

Suit or Formal Pants                         西裤

Suit or Formal Jacket                      西装外套

Belt                                                      腰带

Shorts                                                  短裤

Long Pants                                           长裤

Jeans                                                   牛仔裤

Leather Shoes                                    皮鞋

Sneakers                                              休闲鞋

3. Women’s Clothing

Like with menswear, you have to indicate that you are searching for women’s clothing using the search word [女装].

Other keywords are:

European/American Style                   欧美风

Korean Style                                        韩版

Japanese Style                                     式风格

High Waisted                                      高腰

V-Neck                                                 V领

Round Neck                                         圆领

Off Shoulder                                        一字领露肩

Oversized                                            大码

Vintage                                                复古

Top                                                      上衣

Dress                                                   连衣裙

Skirt                                                     半身裙

Overcoat                                             大衣外套

(Low/ Medium/ High) Heeled Shoes (低/ 中/ 高)跟鞋

White Sneakers                                   小白鞋

Flats                                                     平底鞋

4. Home Supplies and Equipment

Furniture                                             家具

Home Deco                                         家居用品

Nordic Minimalist                               北欧简约

Modern Minimalist     &nbs