Full Breakdown of the Daigou Process: From Proxy Ordering and Inspection Photos to Consolidated Shipping — A Pitfall Guide for Overseas Buyers

First, Tell the Three Roles Apart: Daigou, Proxy Bidding, and Consolidation

Many newcomers lump the three together and end up paying extra.

• Daigou (代购): The service provider buys on your behalf, charging the item price plus a daigou service fee, usually with an exchange-rate markup built in.
• Proxy bidding/ordering (代拍): Only places the order for you on the platform; mostly used for Xianyu (闲鱼), Mercari Japan (日本煤炉), Yahoo Auctions, and other scenarios that require a local account or bidding.
• Consolidation/forwarding warehouse (集运/转运仓): Only handles receiving goods, inspection, consolidation, and shipping on international lines, billed by weight or volume.

The three can be the same company, but the billing logic is completely different, so always get an itemized quote first.

What These Platforms and Industrial Belts Sell, and Who They Suit

• 1688: Guangzhou apparel, Yiwu small commodities, Shenzhen 3C accessories, Foshan furniture, Nantong home textiles — suited to cross-border sellers doing small-batch product testing and looking for source factories.
• Taobao/Tmall (淘宝/天猫): Full-category retail, suited to single-item purchases, samples, and custom-made items.
• Xianyu (闲鱼), Mercari Japan (日本煤炉), Yahoo Auctions: Secondhand, limited-edition, out-of-print — suited to art toys, vintage bags, film cameras, and sports cards.
• Amazon Japan, Rakuten, Coupang Korea, European and US discount stores: Cosmetics and skincare, supplements, mother-and-baby goods, outdoor gear.
• Xiaohongshu/Douyin (小红书/抖音): New-consumer beauty and domestic Chinese brands — pay attention to shelf life, authorization, and batch numbers.

The usual way to order: send the product link, size, color, and quantity to customer service; they reply with a landed price or a price on arrival at the domestic warehouse; pay after you confirm.

The Five Steps of the Whole Process

1. Ask for a quote and confirm: Make clear that the landed price = item price + daigou fee + domestic shipping, and ask exactly when the exchange rate is settled and what the fee percentage is.
2. Place the order and pay: Distinguish between the platform price and the daigou quote; keep chat records and payment receipts.
3. Arrival and inspection at the warehouse: Require unboxing photos (front and back, hang tags, defects, serial numbers), weighing, and an item count; for high-value goods, you can add a quality check or a packing video.
4. Consolidation and packing: Merging multiple orders saves on the first-weight charge, but watch out for volumetric weight, splitting boxes when overweight, reinforcement for fragile items, and packaging restrictions on liquids and batteries.
5. Forwarding and customs clearance: Choose postal, dedicated line, or commercial express according to the destination country, and declare the item name and value truthfully.

Step	Key actions	Common pitfalls
Quote request	Ask for an itemized quote	Service fees, storage fees, and reinforcement fees billed separately
Inspection	Unboxing photos + weighing	Only the outer carton is photographed, making shortages hard to prove
Consolidation	Confirm the volumetric weight rule	Billed as length × width × height ÷ 5000 or 6000, which is higher than the actual weight
Forwarding	Pick the right line and declaration method	Under-declared value gets seized, and liability falls on the recipient

Common Pitfalls, and How to Avoid Each One

• Hidden price hikes from volumetric weight: Light, bulky goods (cushions, shoe boxes, toys) are billed by volumetric weight, which is usually far higher than the actual weight.
• Vague inspection standards: By default only photos are taken without unboxing, so when items are missing or the wrong color arrives, you cannot claim against the seller.
• Rejected prohibited items: Lithium batteries, perfume, aerosols, counterfeit-branded goods, and meat products are not accepted by most channels, and return shipping is expensive.
• Pre-sale and custom production lead times: Some items take a long time to ship, and the daigou party has no obligation to advance funds and wait, so it is easy to exceed the free storage period.
• Returns and exchanges are nearly impossible: Cross-border return costs often exceed the value of the goods, so confirm sizes and versions before buying.
• Exchange rates and settlement: Different service providers add different markups to the rate; for large purchases, consider locking in the rate in batches.

Advice for Overseas Buyers and Cross-Border Sellers

Start with a small order to test a shipping line, verifying transit time, packaging, and customer service responsiveness; confirm the number of free storage days at the warehouse and the overdue fees; sellers can ask the daigou party for a packing list and a packing video to support after-sales service and platform appeals. Prices vary by category, weight, and destination country, so always go by a written quote and do not place an order based on verbal promises alone.