China Shopping & Shipping Service
The retail price for electronics, cameras, film gear is often much cheaper in China. Additionally, there are often great deals for open box and used items. I want to help customers in North America access these great deals. In exchange, I will charge a reasonable service fee to facilitate the purchase and shipping.
Primary Shopping Platforms:
Taobao - Comprehensive shopping website for all sorts of items. Similar to Amazon
Xianyu - Open box and used items. Similar to eBay or FB Marketplace
My Service and Fees:
I will communicate with sellers, confirm item details, handle payments and currency conversion, arrange shipping to Canada/US, and monitor the whole process to ensure it all goes smoothly.
Shipping service only: 15% service fee. You provide me with the direct item link(s), and I arrange shipping.
Shopping & Shipping service: 20% service fee. Let me know what item(s) you want, and I will research the best deals and provide you with options to choose from. Once you pick the seller, I will arrange shipping.
I believe my fees are fair, considering my familiarity with Chinese online shopping and consolidated shipping services to North America. Plus, you would pay 12% sales tax on top of list price if buying from BC. 15-20% is barely any more. Many items will still be cheaper than the list price in Canada/US even after my service fee.
$25 minimum service fee. If you are buying small, inexpensive items, Aliexpress or TEMU might be a better choice. Their process is more streamlined and the shipping will probably be faster.
BY USING THIS SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND DISCLAIMERS
Consolidated Shipping
I utilize consolidated shipping agents to deliver items to Canada/US. They package all your goods into one box, and ship them together to the destination. It takes a bit longer, but it’s the most economical option. Example: You buy a phone, a case, a screen protector, charging cable and brick, memory card, earpods etc. All of these items arrive individually to the consolidated shipping warehouse. They then get repackaged into one big box, which then gets sent to you in Canada/US.
Shipping Timeline Estimate
From Seller to Warehouse: 2-4 days
Warehouse repackaging: 3 days
Warehouse to final destination in Canada/US - by air: 12-15 days
Warehouse to final destination in Canada/US - by sea: 30-60 days
TOTAL SHIPPING TIME - BY AIR: 17-24 days
TOTAL SHIPPING TIME - BY SEA: 40-65 days
These are estimates only. Actual shipping time depends on your location
Shipping Cost Estimate
By air: C$31 for 1kg. C$10 for each additional 0.5kg
By sea: C$83 for 10kg. C$8.2 for each addtional 1kg (10kg minimum charge)
Shipping Insurance: roughly C$10 per C$300 of insured value. Max C$1000 insured value.
Shipping Insurance will be purchased by default
Lightweight but bulky items may incur an extra charge
These are estimates only. Actual shipping costs depends on the weight and dimensions of the package.
Shipping Insurance
If the package is lost at any point during shipping, or is confiscated by customs, shipping insurance will reimburse the value of the items and refund the shipping fee. This does not apply if the package is confiscated for having false declaration of contents or contains prohibited or illegal items. Insurance may not apply for “force majeure” events, including but not limited to war, extreme weather, pandemics, labour actions etc.
Shipping insurance does not cover damage to items during shipping. The shipping agent will do due dilligence to safely and securely pack your items to avoid damage.
Duties and Taxes
There will not be an additinal charge for custom duties and taxes. All duties and taxes are handled by a customs broker during import; this cost is already included in the shipping fee.
Warranty and Returns
TaoBao retailers usually provide warranty and have reasonable return policies for brand-new items. However, this only applies in China.
Xianyu sellers usually do not allow returns for used or open box items.
If your item requires warranty services, you will need to contact the manufaturer. (i.e Canon Canada, Aputure Canada)
I will do due dilligence to only recommend reputable sellers, and accurately communicate the condition of an item (if it is used/open box). If there is an issue with an item, I can communicate with the seller and try to facilitate a resolution (sometimes a partial refund is possible). However, I am not ultimately responsible for defective items.
Prohibited Items
including but not limited to:-Batteries: Electronics with internal batteries are permitted with restrictions (phones, laptops, cameras, certain lights). “Pure” batteries are not allowed (power banks, AA’s, V-Mounts, NPFs, spare camera batteries)
-Counterfeit brands - no fake Adidas, LV, or name brand products
-Flammable, explosive items, compressed gases. Flammable items include liquids with alcohol content: perfumes, lighters
-Knives, weapons, or ammunition
-Medicine, drugs, antibiotics, white powders
-Seeds, frozen foods, biological content
-Cash/Currency, ID documents
Invoicing and Payment
All costs will be calculated in (¥) Chinese Yuan Renminbi. Customers can choose to pay in ¥CNY, $CAD or $USD. I accept e-transfer(CAD), Zelle (USD), Venmo (USD), Wechat Pay(CNY) and AliPay(CNY). Currency converstion is calculated at the time of payment, using real-time mid-market rates. I do not charge an additinal conversion fee.
Your invoice will look something like this:
¥xxxx - product
¥xxxx - product
¥xxx - shipping and insurance
¥xxx - 15 or 20% service fee
¥xxxx total
=$xxx at (time and date)