Taobao Shoppers Advice Column

[Eric]

Hey guys,

So I’m a little late in the game, but in the past months I’ve become Taobao-obsessed. I see that quite a few of you are already quite active in the Taobao scene, and I’m interested in what linked you guys might have to share.

Catching up on the later posts, I see that some shoppers are quite satisfied with their 100% peanut butter? That’s the kind of stuff I would like to know more about. What other stuff do you guys find on Taoabo that’s (surprisingly) good quality or worth sharing?

An item that I’ve been personally quite happy about is:

– Kraft Mac & Cheese: Holy shit. They actually even have selections too. There’s like 8 different types? More than I would ever expect to get in chengdu.

[les]

Taobao definitely adds a new dimension to living here. You can find a wide variety of health supplements (protein, probiotics, enzymes, etc.) and I just snagged several boxes of raisin bran (Post brand) that was twice the volume at the same price of what is found in stores here.

[Charlie]

I basically make 80% of my purchases over 50 kuai on Taobao. Over the last few months:

– Sunglasses

– Gerber multi-tool

– Contact lenses

– Gerber multi-tool

– Shoelaces

– Needles for my turntables

– Coffee beans

– Air purifier

etc. All of this stuff is cheaper on taobao than it would be if I bought locally. Not to mention the hassle of running all over the place and sourcing some of this stuff which might not even be possible locally.

[SS]

Electronics – either buy on Taobao or find out on Taobao what the price should be first, then go to a local seller. During a recent computer crisis, I also discovered through Taobao that the upper floors of places like @world and digital plaza are full of wholesalers who sell the big ticket products for a few hundred less than the booths downstairs.

Perishable Food, like dairy or meat – use Taobao to find best prices, sort by local seller, and make a specific appointment for delivery so your package is not sitting with the security guards for a day. Also avoid buying in really hot weather.

Clothing – Some sellers are gold; you can tell them your height/weight or other measurements and they will be able to say if something will fit you or not. You can also ask the seller to take extra photos of the exact item you are considering and send them to you via chat – I thus avoided getting some very fake Birkenstocks last summer.

There is also a lot of junk on Taobao, so it pays to only consider the 7-day unconditional money back guarantee items and then pay the .5-1 kuai extra for return shipping insurance. Really cheap stuff, underwear, and most second hand items will not offer the guarantee, so you know, caveat emptor.

[Author]

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