Your first haul: from product link to your door
One complete beginner journey, with the right How2Ship tool at the moment you actually need it.
Your haul's route
Seven stages, two payments and one important rule: always compare the same haul with the same inputs.
- 01
What is a China shopping agent?
An agent buys products for you on Taobao, 1688 or Weidian and ships them to you in one parcel. You do not need a Chinese account.
View this step in detail - 02
Pick your agent in the comparison
Enter your haul's weight and your destination in the comparison. You immediately see which agent ships that exact parcel the cheapest and how long it takes. On a haul, shipping often costs more than the price difference on the goods themselves.
Compare shipping pricesView this step in detail - 03
Find your product
Use the product search, open the result you want and copy the shop link. You paste that link at your agent in the next step.
View this step in detail - 04
Submit the link to the agent
Paste the product link into the agent's app or website. Pick size, colour and quantity. The agent buys the item for you.
Convert a product linkView this step in detail - 05
Check the QC photos
Once the item reaches the agent's warehouse you get quality-control photos. Check the stitching, colour and size, then approve or reject.
View this step in detail - 06
Choose a shipping line
Compare the available lines by price, transit time and which goods they accept. Then pay for the international shipping and track your parcel.
Compare shipping pricesView this step in detail - 07
Tracking & customs
Follow your haul with the tracking number. Expect duty, import tax and a carrier handling fee to be added when it arrives. None of that is part of the shipping price, and it depends on your destination and your order.
View this step in detail
Four things beginners often miss
These explain why the first product price you see is not yet your total cost.
- You normally pay twice
- First you pay for the product and domestic shipping in China. International shipping comes later, once the items reach the warehouse and are packed as one haul.
- Weight is not always just the scale
- Bulky parcels may be charged by volumetric weight. Before purchase this is an estimate; after packing, the agent's weight and dimensions are more accurate.
- One sensitive item changes the route choice
- Batteries, liquids, magnets and other restricted goods need suitable lines. The exact rules come from the agent and the route you choose.
- Shipping is not always the final landed cost
- Duty, import tax and carrier fees may be added. Use the agent checkout and the rules at your destination for the final amount.
Check before you pay
One minute here can save questions, returns and unnecessary parcel volume later.
- Product link and seller are correct
- Size, colour, variant and quantity are correct
- Coupon conditions were checked with the agent
- QC photos show the important details
- Unnecessary packaging will be removed where useful
- The shipping line accepts the destination, weight and goods type
Plan with real numbers now
Compare shipping for your haul first. The personal recommendation below is extra context, not the ranking.
PikoBuy
The comparison tells you who ships cheapest. It does not tell you who you will be glad to deal with the first time something goes wrong. I order through this agent myself: support answers in English and German, the QC photos are usable rather than blurry, and when I had a question about a parcel I got an answer the same day. If you have never ordered through an agent before, it is a good place to start.
This is my personal opinion, not a measurement. We may receive a benefit if you use this link, at no extra cost to you. It changes nothing about the comparison above: there, price and delivery time decide alone, and if another agent ships cheaper, that agent stays ahead.