shopping guide and tips • How to Buy and Ship Furniture from Taobao

[@haylivk]

For anyone interested, do consider exploring other 3PF/Taobao's official shipping as there has been a price increase in Oops' rates recently. Based on my past orders: 0.51-0.75 cbm: CNY 400 (Feb 2020) vs. 410 (Aug 2021) vs. 535 (wef 19 Nov 2021) >=1 cbm: CNY 450 (Jun 2020) vs. 600 (Jan 2021) vs. 665 (wef 19 Nov 2021) Overall, the cost savings may no longer be that significant with the price hikes. Pls consider these rates carefully before hitting checkout, and all the best for your Taobao shopping! 😊

[@tripmehard]

Hello! Do you know any 3PF other than Oops?

[@AlexTeo]

Very good and clear explanation especially on the 3rd party forwarder part. Have linked your video in my taobao guide video!

[@haylivk]

Thanks for that! Linked yours in mine too 😁 Looking forward to more vids from you!

[@bestwishesmaple]

Hardly comment on videos but you definitely deserve more views! Your video quality and vibes are impeccable 👌🏻😭 adding you to my list of favourite KZbinrs!

[@haylivk]

Thank you for the huge compliment Lynn! It truly means a lot. Putting the vids together can be excruciating, and I’m genuinely grateful that it resonated with your frequency 🥺 Thanks for staying around!😊🙏🏻

[@epiphadipity]

oh my god thank you this is so useful especially for someone like me that fail at Chinese and don't know what everything means LOL. would love if you could do a Taobao haul! :)

[@haylivk]

Aww glad that this was helpful!! TB becomes deadly once you know how to navigate it LOL. Okie, will do a taobao haul soon! 😊

[@DYLY544]

Omg Taobao really need some skills. tougher than getting a degree haha. Thanks for sharing this !! It’s really helpful :)

[@haylivk]

I’ll help you get a degree then 😉 you’re welcome, and am so glad that it was helpful for you! 🥰

[@tess_inone]

Wow. Explain so in details,even though I use taobao for very long, still learn sth new from you~

[@haylivk]

Aww thank YOU for watching even though you’re a TB user yourself 🥺

[@skizger]

Nice video.. great overview for someone that cant really read mandarin and hence never dare go near TB, but might need it for my new home soon.. 👍🏻 And I can’t help but notice your handwriting. So therapeutic seeing them. And nice 3D drawings in your notebook 😄

[@haylivk]

Thank you!☺️ Yes, TB is definitely a good place to get your new home stuff from, or just to get ideas generally. Aww thank you for your compliment! My black pen def helped in making my writing/drawing look better 😆

[@skizger]

@@haylivk envy the neatness 😊

[@ordifolks]

Wow this is super informative and quality content! 3:46 is a great tip, I do that sometimes too 😂 love your pokerface humour!

[@haylivk]

Tiil today, he still thinks that he was very involved in picking out items for the house 🥰

[@jongohh]

@@haylivk I burst at this part hahaha. We're definitely same frequency.

[@shiyunkwek578]

Thanks for creating and sharing this video. This is such a great resource for first time shoppers who would like to get bulky items from taobao. 👍 Just out of curiosity, how did you go about shortlisting 3rd party forwarders for your shipping?

[@haylivk]

You're very welcome, and glad that it was helpful for you! I just used the same forwarder our friend engaged. It gave me some assurance knowing that they've tried furniture shipping successfully irl :)

[@jiayongtan2092]

Waohh, very detailed and informative. Just curious, does any of your bulky furniture purchased require self assembly?

[@haylivk]

Hope you found it helpful! Yeah, most of them needed self-assembly with Ellen keys (which were included in the package). Only the chairs came assembled :)

[@xier85]

Thanks for the useful video. Wanna ask if the dining table was difficult to assemble?

[@haylivk]

Not at all; it didn’t require any drilling. We just had to attach the 4 legs to the tabletop (which was alr fixed) and flip it over :) All tools required were included 😊

[@jesslynnsh]

thanks for sharing, it is really useful. by the way, what app or software you use to edit your video? So nice!

[@haylivk]

Thanks Jesslyn! I used Final Cut Pro 😊

[@jackchew5768]

This is very awesome taobao 101 video come in so handy for me as I buy some items from taobao for my new home 😀.. maybe u can come out with a video sharing some of the item u buy from taobao and what the reason .. like cost, usability or other reasons etc etc ... thanks for the video

[@haylivk]

Thank you for watching (again)! Okie, will prepare a Taobao Haul / Review video next :) All the best for your new home shopping! 😁

[@jackchew5768]

@@haylivk xie xie 😀 look forward for your new taobao video ..

[@1Co8]

Thanks for putting together this video - Really helpful stuff! Am also preparing for an upcoming renovation right now, and wanted to find out how best to "time" the items to arrive in SG. Would you say having the items all consolidated in the 3PF warehouse and sent out about 2 weeks before the desired receiving period would be the best approach? Also in your video, I saw there was about a two month timeframe that your packages were being shipped to the 3PF warehouse and consolidated before shipping to SG - Is there a max range for the time period, and are there any additional charges for the packages that arrive first during that period?

[@haylivk]

Hey! If you still need this info- If the shipment contains reno-related items like built-in sinks or carpentry to be installed, I'd start shipping it over 1-1.5 months before the scheduled works to buffer against any shipment delays. If it just contains loose / non-essential items, I'll consolidate them for as long as I can wait to capitalise on the higher shipping tiers. On paper/website, there is a max storage time period but I wasn't charged extra for the overstayed items. Was just trying my luck haha but there's a risk there :) Hope this helps and all the best for your home shopping!

[@choppyfu8576]

Hi Hayliv, thanks for the amazing guide. At the customs declaration under the register package page, what should I put in for the unit price? The item's original price or the final paid price (after discount)? Thank you in advance!

[@haylivk]

Most welcome Choppy 🥰 I put the final paid price (after discount) as that’s the nett value of the item. You’ll need to pay GST once total declared price exceeds SGD400. Enjoy shopping 😊💜

[@MsSillyPig]

Hi hi! thanks for sharing your experience, I have been searching for info on how to ship stuff using a 3PF it jus seems so daunting. your video really helped. I love ur house decor and your video. Can I ask tho, are u able to share the link for the dining table and your bean bag, please?? Thank you so much!

[@haylivk]

Glad that it was helpful for you! Dining table: item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=571227417101; also linked in my house tour vid :) Bean bag: listing no longer avail :(

[@sivhengnhek3991]

I really like your video, so clear. could you link the Oops website, I dont know why I cannot find it. Thanks

[@haylivk]

Glad you liked it! ☺️ Here, but you can also use any other 3rd party forwarder/TB’s own forwarding services if you prefer to: www.oops.sg/

[@Myue2689]

Hi Hayliv, thanks for referring me to this helpful video you've made! just wondering, do you use Oops if you are buying small items (not furniture). I was thinking of importing 2 huge carpets from taobao. not sure if taobao official shipping will be costly.

[@haylivk]

I used to checkout smaller items using tb’s shipping (2-3 years back), but my recent purchases has all been with 3PF as I tagged along with my furniture :) Perhaps you can check with the seller regarding your carpet's size/volume to decide what shipping type -> compare tb and 3PF's rates of that particular shipping method to decide which forwarder to choose. Hope this helps!! :)

[@Myue2689]

@@haylivk I see. thanks a lot for the sharing! Appreciate it much. Am in the process of reno my new home and your videos did help me in making informed decisions! Keep it up!

[@haylivk]

@@Myue2689 glad to know that and happy to help!😊 You can DM me on IG if you’ve any other qns :) Jiayou 💪🏻💪🏻

[@WayneOng]

Hi Hayliv, with the recent covid cases surge in china do you know if Taobao shipment are getting delayed?. I have never bought from Taobao before and am looking at a bathroom vanity cabinet for my new home. Looking at your guide and it is useful for a newbie like myself 😁 haha. Just worried the shipment will take months now 😢

[@haylivk]

Hey Wayne! For 3PF, I’ve ordered a few shipments during COVID, and they took 1-2 months to reach SG upon checking out from the warehouse. Not too sure about the recent shipment timing though 😣 For taobao / shipment within China, it’s pretty much business as usual so shouldn’t have much delays there :)

[@WayneOng]

Oh wa. Not sure if 2 mths is standard or not. But thx for the info Hayliv (: Probably won't take the risk of getting delay

[@haylivk]

@@WayneOng oh 2 months is pretty long, usually arrives within 2-3 weeks. If there are missing spare parts or mismatched piping etc, these may take more time too. Agree that it’s prob not worth the risk atm, unless it’s something that you like a lot / have extra buffer time till your plumbing works :))

[@WayneOng]

@@haylivk Yup you're right. Probably not worth the wait in current times. ):

[@haylivk]

@@WayneOng it’s good news too, as this means that you’ll be able to see touch feel your future vanity before payment 🤗 Hope you’ll find something you like!!

[@Pw-jj6pq]

Hi, your video has been extremely helpful! I am going to purchase a few large furniture from Taobao and planning to use Oops as well after checking out your videos. At the same time I am getting many small items e.g. kitchen utensils and stuffs from different seller. Do you recommend putting them all in one shipment? (e.g. LCL sea shipping) I am just a bit worried if any seller delays the delivery and they start charging me for exceeding the free storage period. Looking forward to your reply!

[@haylivk]

Hello, glad to help!😊 Small items- yes definitely combine them out in 1 shipment with furniture if possible! It’ll save you the most $ :) For me, the shipping cost of each individual utensil/small item was negligible when I hit the highest tier (>1 CBM). Free storage- actually I’ve stored items in their warehouse for… close to 2 months and I didn’t get charged extra 😬 (but this is in practice, shouldn’t be the case in theory). Shd be pretty safe if you cart everything out within 1-2 weeks imo :) For a peace of mind, perhaps you can check with their CS if the fee can be waived if the free storage period is exceeded due to seller/dispatch reasons (or time to look at other 3PFs if they’re not willing to help 🙊).

[@Pw-jj6pq]

@@haylivk Extremely helpful !

[@cedrictan1993]

hi able to check if the Oops able to help us liaise with the 3pf to liaise with the taobao ppl

[@SightSage]

Your video is so informative! Can I just ask if I'm buying non-bulky items like storage boxes, organisers, etc., would it still be cheaper to use 3rd party shipping companies like oops instead of the usual taobao shipping? And I assume the more items you have the cheaper the shipping fee will be? 🤔

[@haylivk]

To choose a shipping provider i.e. 3rd party vs. TB's official forwarder, it might be useful to compare their shipping rates to see which one's more competitive to you at the time of ordering; To choose your shipping cost calculation method i.e. by weight or by volume, it would depend whether you can est which is cheaper: total weight*shipping rate or total volume*shipping rate. The cost is dependent on your items, so generally more items = more expensive shipping; but if you opt for vol shipping, then the unit cost of shipping would be cheaper if you can squeeze more stuff within the volume bracket e.g. 0.5 cbm. I generally prefer to go for volume (=sea LCL) shipping for my storage boxes etc as well, as idk how heavy they'll be eventually. Not sure if they'd be cheaper if I opted for weight shipping, but I went for the one I felt more comfortable with :) Hope this helps! 😊

[@tripmehard]

Hello what should I select for shipping from Taobao to Oops warehouse? Consolidate shipping or Direc shipping?

[@haylivk]

hello, consolidated shipping :) wishing you a smooth & fulfilling shopping journey!

[@nicholastay4293]

Hi Hayliv, Thank you for the amazing guide. Had been referring to your video for my bulk purchase for my new home in the past month. Have you tried to deliver bulky items that weighs more than 25 kg? As my bathroom vanity was split into 3 box of 30-35kg each, I think as per their terms, they won't be delivering up to my unit when it reaches Singapore....

[@haylivk]

No problem Nicholas, and am so glad that this was helpful for you! Yes I did- got our dining table set and vanity table set from Taobao and they were delivered to our doorstep 😊 Maybe can WA Oops/your 3PF to confirm this to be extra safe :)

[@crablrone]

Thanks for providing such a detail guideline for the firstimers, may I know how much does the 3rd party forwarder charge per cubic m? Does weight of the item matters more or the volume?

[@haylivk]

No problem! It depends on what shipping type you choose and the charges vary according to company. We chose sea LCL as we shipped furniture, and that was calculated per cubic m :) Volume would matter more than the weight in this case 😊

[@xiaohao22]

Hi there, are you still using Oops as 3PF? If not, any other recommendations?

[@haylivk]

Hello, I used taobao’s own forwarding service for my most recent purchase last year as I bought smaller items :) I’d recommend comparing the current shipping rates for volumetric shipping for furniture across the 3PFs, though i haven’t tried other ones apart from Oops

[@zc6128]

Thank you! This is useful!

[@haylivk]

Thanks for your continuous support! 🥰🥰

[@avishekghosh436]

Hi I have moved to HK and looking to buy furniture from taobao for the first time. Thanks for the video. Could you suggest if I get items like bed, can it be installed? Also in case of return do i have to pay shipping charges?

[@haylivk]

Hi Avishek! For furniture installation, you can check with the seller if they provide installation services (usually at an extra cost, selected upon item checkout). Same for return shipping charges and their policy, best to check with the seller directly. These are usually absorbed for smaller items + return shipping fees in China, but it’ll likely be different for furniture / HK. Hope this helps and congrats on your move to Hk! Hope you’re settling in fine 😊

[@geraldinelee4755]

Hi Hayliv, thanks for the super informative Taobao guide! I'm looking to ship ceiling fans and kitchen sinks using oops seeing your recommendation. May I know if there is a need to message the taobao seller or oops for sturdier packagaing? I'm worried that my electronics may be damaged or my sink will be dented. Have you experienced such issues before? Thanks!

[@haylivk]

Hi Geraldine! Yes, it’ll be good to drop them a message to remind that this for 集运/overseas shipment and ask for sturdier packaging. Alternatively, you can request for sellers to add 打木架 (wooden crates) for extra protection and this may come with an extra charge. We did this for some of our wooden furniture. Hope this helps!:)

[@user-to1kp7oj2w]

What is the difference between using the default taobao forwarder vs third party forwarder? Also average how much money do you save per shipment if use shopback with the third party forwarder? Im always too lazy to use a third party app so I just check out everything from taobao lol

[@haylivk]

Price differences depend on the item you're intending to ship, and there'd be administrative differences too as the latter requires manual entry of item details. Our friend tried furniture shipping with a 3PF, so we followed suit as it was tried and tested :p Shopback earnings are tagged to TB purchases and are independent of the shipment service you engage. Ikr, it can get administratively taxing sometimes 😆 More deterrence and reasons to eliminate non-essential shopping 😂

[@UyenNguyen-nf9gk]

What address shipping from china to usa Pls helpp me

[@jasonl4237]

Has the camera icon in the search bar disappeared, do you still see it?

[@haylivk]

Hm nope hasn’t disappeared, yes it’s still there for mine

[@kelvin1303]

how long did it took from checking out in taobao to item reaching your doorstep on average?

[@haylivk]

Hm about 1.5months for sea cargo shipping then, Im not too sure about now as I havent ordered for some time alr :)

[@mokoliver8871]

Hey great video esp for a noob like me! I wana get a tv console from TB n ship via oops. Do i need to let seller know that i want to 打木架?

[@haylivk]

Glad it was helpful! Yes it’ll be good to ask for it to protect the console from damage; but it’ll def make the item larger ie higher shipping cost. Some sellers might also charge extra for it, though I haven’t encountered that personally :)

[@mokoliver8871]

@@haylivk ah yes did not cross my mind! Thanks much :)

[@junfang647]

Hi, I wanted to purchase clothes on taobao but the shipping methods are so confusing 😫 is it safe to use their 官方集运 & another qns is do we choose 空运 or 海运?

[@haylivk]

官方集运 I’ve used it before, it works fine ie parcels were delivered, but I found the calculated shipping rates ex for air shipping. I’ve not used it in a while cos I was buying mainly house stuff. Remember to add your local add and select it upon checkout if you’re using this :) 空运/海运 The rates differ depending on whether it’s coming by airplane or shipping vessels! I usually choose 海运 cos sea shipping is more affordable though it has a longer waiting time. Shipping rates (for 官方集运) Can be found in Taobao app > 我的淘宝 > 跨境物流 > 时效价格 > 时效与价格 Hope this helps 😊😊

[@junfang647]

@@haylivk tysm for ur reply🥰

[@junfang647]

@@haylivk hi actually I got another question. will we get cashback from shopback if we place taobao orders on our phone?

[@haylivk]

Yes, but you’ll have to search specifically through the aitaobao search bar (you’ll be redirected there aft clicking through SB) and add to cart from there, so I find that not convenient at all 😂

[@junfang647]

@@haylivk omg this is so confusing HAHAHA, but thanks for clarifying 🙏

[@rosie3854]

Hi may i know what it means after paying and the status of the items being shipped says 等待买家合包? Is it anything i have to worry about?

[@haylivk]

Hello Rosie, shouldnt be an issue as it means waiting for seller to consolidate the packages. Can PM the seller to check if you see it being stuck at that status :)

[@chrleliu]

Is all these effort worth it? Compared to Shopee, is Taobao a lot cheaper?

[@haylivk]

hm, I think it's worth it if you're already purchasing big ticket items on taobao e.g. furniture, then the shipping costs of the smaller items will get increasingly negligible. I'll also purchase from taobao for the variety it offers that are not brought in by Shopee/Lazada sellers. Apart from these, if it's adhoc small purchases, I'll usually skip Taobao and purchase straight from local platforms to save all these effort haha. Hope this helps!

[@tausifkhan6492]

Hii suggest ME best apparel online app

[@Heart-j2c]

Will the shipping fee cost alot if you buy make up and clothes?

[@haylivk]

Hm if you're buying normal quantities i.e. not in bulk, the shipping fee might not be worth it for the (uncertain) quality of garments ordered. Just from my experience!

[@ericachua2379]

Why need oops? Is it because cheaper? We cannot ship bulk item directly via sea?

[@haylivk]

Can, different rates between TB and Oops. Can use the shipping method you prefer :)

[@izzybelle8092]

uhm when i copy the address it says that there shouldn’t be any special characters, do i just delete the brackets?

[@haylivk]

Oh, yeah can try deleting the brackets and see if it works. Mine was ok with brackets though 🤔

[@h0ney753]

what's the diff between Oops and ezship?

[@haylivk]

Just different company :) The general ordering principle would be the same as they're both parcel forwarding companies, just that website for warehouse checkout step would be different 😊

[@h0ney753]

@@haylivk is Oops cheaper? recently used ezship and the shipping fee was sooo expensive 😫

[@haylivk]

🥺🥺🥺 Went to check the rates, both are quite comparable but oops seemed to be slightly cheaper for >1CBM. Bought furniture/super heavy items to max out the shipping fee 🥲

[@audreytan302]

Hello! I wanna ask if the shopback thing can work on phones?

[@haylivk]

Hello~ Yes, open SB > select TB > and it generates a page with a specialised search link (aitaobao) and seems like you can only search/add items using that link. I prefer to use the chrome extension as it’s clearer 😊

[@bransontan4574]

hi i recently purchased from taobao but the shpping address, I put it as my house, so will my item come?

[@haylivk]

Hi Branson, if you selected consolidated shipping, you'll have to check it out from the warehouse + pay for shipping fees for delivery to your local add. If you selected direct shipping, the items should directly be sent to your local add. You might have paid for the direct shipping fee alr but I'm not too sure as I haven't tried that before. Hope this helps!

[@cottonslinens1]

Hi, mind sharing your sofa ? from ikea range ?

[@haylivk]

Hello, yes from IKEA. Sofa and other items are linked in my house tour video if you're interested :) www.ikea.com/sg/en/p/ektorp-3-seat-sofa-with-chaise-longue-hallarp-beige-s29320077/

[@rodhiahmurad3439]

Hello, happens to me. During to click shipping why cannot click any option from 3 option . System already auto "ordinary shipping". Whats it mean? Hope u can help Tq

[@haylivk]

Hello, can you let me know the timestamp of which part you're referring to? :)

[@rodhiahmurad3439]

@@haylivk after cart item, then next to do payment. We have to choose 3 option shipping mode either: 1. Direct shipping 2. Consoldt air 3. Consoldt sea But all these 3 option i cannot click. Is that mean the shop can not support oversea shipping? Just only mainland in China

[@haylivk]

@@rodhiahmurad3439 Ah I see 🤔 If you’re intending to consolidate via TB’s official forwarder, ensure that settings > location is set to SG. And yes, if the 3 options are unavail, it should be that the item can’t be shipped ovs. If you wanna consolidate via 3rd part forwarder, settings > location shd be China (Mainland). If the 3 options are all avail, then it’s confirmed that the shop doesn’t support overseas shipment :) However if the 3 options are still unavail, you might have to contact cs to check 🙊 Hope this helps!

[@rodhiahmurad3439]

@@haylivk i see..okay tysm. Next I need to do some searching how to register third party warehouse valid ship to Malaysia..tq again

[@haylivk]

@@rodhiahmurad3439 If you wish, you can follow the same method in the video, but set your local add as Msia instead of SG. Most welcome, glad to help :)

[@gohyewhoe7587]

Don't ship furniture/ bulky item using Taobao consolidation or direct ship it will cost you a lot. On top of that shipping bulky item using direct ship can get you scam by some dishonest seller . They may claim that you item is rejected by oversea cainao shipping, then requested you to pay for their local delivery charges. And you may not get your oversea shipping fee reimbursed as the seller can limit the amount you can claim. The sellers have the right to limit & reject your claim. Remember when you ship bulky item it cost you more, if it's a setup scam then you lose more money. And also it may be a tedious process for you to file complaint/ claim etc. it's not worth it. at the end you may waste your previous time & losing hard earned money. Be cautious when you buy from oversea & if you've problem reading chinese aviod it at all cost

[@haylivk]

Great points Yew Hoe, definitely pays to be more careful especially when purchasing high-value items.

[@emilysmilesmile]

hello! is it cheaper to use a third party to ship or consolidated shipping directly from taobao?

[@haylivk]

Hi Emily! Depends on what items you're shipping and whether you're going with air/sea/sea LCL shipping. For sea LCL, I find third party rates better than TB's and they charge per 0.1cbm, instead of TB's per 1cbm (according to their shipping fee table, haven't actually tried it before)

[@ianang5601]

I think the greatest plus point from using third party consolidated shipping is their personalised touch on your shipping. (e.g. Providing status update on the estimated shipment arrival date via Whatsapp, re-scheduling for shipment, Photos taken for unknown goods for your verification). I would say utilising taobao's shipping does work without those personalized touch and there is always this fear that you will lose / break something during transit (though it hasnt happen to me before)

[@tausifkhan6492]

Hiiii

[@imairmeli]

Oops should pay u. Although I blacklist them.

[@haylivk]

Had a bad experience with them? They’re not the best, but so far ok la no parcels missing can alr 😂

[@hanizhalim]

highkey jealous of chinese people because of taobao. the translation is too much of a hassle. hahahha i will stick to aliexpress for now *cries*

[@haylivk]

You can try exploiting friends around you! 😀 but yes, agree too that translation is a pain :(