How to Order from Taobao Yourself
In order to purchase goods from Taobao you must first register an account. The most difficult part everybody has is figuring out how to pay for the item or items. Well, I live here in China and i show you the process i use. If you want delivery outside of China you are better off with a Taobao Agent. Why? Read the last paragraph for that.
Delivery inside of China:
Once you register and click buy you need to figure out how to pay for it. I use my credit card from my home country and you can use any credit card with the Visa or Mastercard logo on it. the trick to use a foreign credit card is in the video. You need to click that drop down menu and select the last option (for overseas transaction). On the registration part of taobao (signing up for an account) I used my English name but my address is in Chinese You only need to do this once and thereafter your address is saved. Of course when you type in your credit card info, your billing address if you address in your home country. Also a big NOTE here: If your credit card has some error or issue its probably because you need to write your LAST name first.
If you live in China there are other ways you can pay besides a credit card, but from my experience the best and easiest way is credit card (note: My CC offers no foreign transaction fees 🙂 ) . Other then a CC, you can pay via your China bank account, use China Post Taobao document and pay them cash, use a kiosk (Lakala machine with a key pad and its blue and yellow) in a convenience store, etc. You can find more info here:
Delivery outside of China:
Taobao Agent (they speak English of course):
If you are trying to order to your home country your best bet is to use a Taobao Agent. They usually charge a 10% service fee but if you order multiple items from different sellers your items will get shipped to your Taobao agent. They will consolidate everything for you so your international shipping charge is less. If you are going to order anything off Taobao, I would recommend you make it worthwhile, order at least several items from different sellers so you can get the best bang for the buck. I hope you guys get my drift here.
Below are some Taobao Agents. Contact them for any questions.
