Yahoo Finance Which Taobao Delivery Service Should Singaporeans Use?
When you hear “Made in China”, you may be thinking of the pretentious, unfunny mockumentary film from 2009. Or you may be thinking of the 2005 album by Boston singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield.
More than likely, you’d be thinking of all the cheap, mass-produced products that come out from mainland China, lead and other toxins hopefully not included. Now with shopping site Taobao, known as the Amazon or eBay of China for the variety of items you have access to, you can save money on buying wedding dresses to electric scooters and everything else in between.
But unlike Amazon and eBay, it’s not as easy as just going to the site and ordering what you want. Because of restrictions, buyers like us who don’t live in China need external help. This need has resulted in a very saturated market of third-party “Taobao agents”, who help Taobao’s international customers communicate with the vendors on Taobao, handle the payment and most importantly, shipping the goods.
So if names like 4PX, 65daigou and Peeka mean nothing to you, then here’s our quick and dirty guide on which Taobao Delivery Service to use.
1. International Parcel Forwarders vs Delivery Agents
We’re going to assume you already know the basics of shopping on Taobao. The important question here is, what do you do once you’ve found the items you want? How do you get them from the vendor in China to your doorstep in Singapore?
First, you have to choose between International Parcel Forwarders and Delivery Agents. International Parcel Forwarders provide services that are integrated with Taobao itself, similar to services provided by FedEx or DHL. They’re a recent improvement to Taobao’s shopping experience. 4PX is arguably the most well-known International Parcel Forwarder.
Delivery Agents are the original reason why Taobao has become the international phenomenon it is today. The service many of them provide go beyond just forwarding a shipment to you. Several agents have been known to check the quality of the goods you’ve ordered, as well as liase with the seller should there be any damaged item. However, as a result, it is usually more costly to go with them.
2. Cost Comparison between International Parcel Forwarders and Delivery Agents
Before we start off, this is just a quick disclaimer: with the vast number of items available on Taobao, and the fact that you can get items from practically all over China, it’s impossible to say with accuracy how much your items will cost you until they reach the warehouse in China just before being shipped over. What we can do is just estimate cost based on available information.
Delivery Service | Price | For a 2kg order |
4PX (normal goods) | 43 RMB / S$9.40 (first kg) | 67 RMB / S$14.65 |
DPEX / Skynet (normal goods) | 39 RMB / S$8.52 (first kg)11 RMB / $2.40 (subsequent 0.5kg) | 61 RMB / S$13.33 |
65daigou (economy air) | S$1.99 (per 0.5kg) | S$7.96 |
65daigou (sea – | S$1.50 (per 0.5kg) | S$6.00 |
Peeka Buy4U (sea – | 5% of product value (minimum S$5) + S$1.40 (per 0.5kg) | S$10.60 (assuming minimum S$5) |
Peeka Ship4U (sea – | S$10 + S$1.40 (per 0.5kg) | S$12.80 |
While at first glance it may seem that 65daigou’s sea shipping may be the cheapest option, there are other factors to consider, such as additional charges like home delivery and agency fees.
When it comes to flat rates with no additional charges, international parcel forwarders like 4PX and DPEX/Skynet are almost unbeatable. Yeah, I’m not going to make any Terminator references.
Ultimately, we can’t just look at cost alone. We’ll also need to consider delivery time and other factors. What other factors? Glad you asked.
3. Size and weight limitations
Perhaps the most obvious restriction for International Parcel Forwarders is that as a general rule, packages cannot exceed 1 metre for each dimension and the total weight cannot exceed 30kg. This is because International Parcel Forwarders like 4PX use air freight.
On the other hand, delivery agents are willing to handle crates that weigh more than 100kg. This is because they have shipping by sea options.
4. Time taken for delivery
It’s not possible to determine exactly how quickly a package reaches you when buying from Taobao. However, since international parcel forwarders use air freight, you can expect your order to take about 4 to 7 days to arrive. Generally, delivery agents who have air shipping options will also be able to deliver within that same timeframe. 65daigou, Peeka and SGShop all have air shipping, but of course the cost is much more expensive than shipping by sea.
Shipping via sea should take about 2 weeks to reach you. However, it is probably important to note that shipments, regardless whether it is by sea or by air are at risk of delays.
5. Payment Options
In general, you can use MasterCard and VISA credit cards when buying directly from Taobao and use an international parcel forwarder. Some delivery agents like 65daigou and SGShop also allow the use of credit cards, but there is an additional fee (usually about 3% of the transaction amount).
However, for delivery agents like Peeka, payment can only be made via Internet Banking. There may be delays in payment if you’re doing an interbank transfer.
6. Other aspects to consider
In addition to the points mentioned earlier, here are some other things to consider when choosing a Taobao delivery service.
Storage: Maybe you want to consolidate your items before shipping them over. Or maybe you’re unable to take possession of your order immediately. Whatever the reason, you’ll be glad to know that most services provide free storage of at least 14 days. However, do note that after this “grace period”, they will start charging you $1 to $5 per day, depending on the size of your item.
Promotions: In order to remain competitive, delivery agents like 65daigou and Peeka do have promotional rates and discounts during certain periods during the year. Naturally, since they’re already affliated to Taobao, international parcel forwarders like 4PX do not have such promotions.
So, which Taobao delivery service should you use?
If you’re proficient in Chinese, it would be cheaper to order directly from Taobao. While it is true that International Parcel Forwarders do not ship heavy or bulky items, most Singaporeans turn to Taobao for clothes and other small items after all. The cost savings from going with a service like 4PX means that you’ll probably get your order without much inconvenience to you.
However, if you’re not proficient in Chinese, or are ordering bulky or heavy items from Taobao, then stick to a delivery agent. Not only will they help you ensure that the quality of your product is intact, but services like Peeka also ensure that your items are securely packed, and that you are notified of the status of your order.
Have you ordered anything from Taobao? Share your experience with Taobao delivery services with us.
Research done by: Lim Lay Ping
The post Which Taobao Delivery Service Should Singaporeans Use? appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.
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