October 2014
65
convenience, range of products and,
in particular, the ready availability
of imported items. “While I have
a pretty good system in place for
getting hard-to-find items shipped
[from the US], I can often find the
same items on Taobao and have them
arrive at my home within days, rather
than waiting the weeks that it would
take for them to arrive from the
United States.”
Bargain-hunter Simon Gluyas says
that excellent value for money is his
main reason for choosing Taobao. He
has purchased furniture, electronics,
clothes, kids’ toys, food, party items
and more. When it comes to finding
a convenient solution to delivering
all those bargains, Simon explains,
“Shipping can be done a number of
different ways: for example, you can
buy multiple items from different
stores and have them sent to a freight
forwarder, who will combine them
into one package and then send it to
Hong Kong.”
Buyer beware
As for Taobao’s disadvantages, Simon
cautions, “You do have to be careful,
as there are quite a lot of counterfeit
products for sale; however, if you
choose sellers with good feedback,
then you can generally avoid this risk.”
He adds, “It is important to buy from
a store where the pictures are of the
actual product and not just taken from
a brochure or manufacturer’s website.
Reputable sellers will provide plenty of
details about the product, along with
additional pictures on request, and
should offer a seven-day return policy
as standard.”
Jenny also has the usual caveats
for potential Taobao-ers. “As with any
other online store, there’s always the risk
of ending up with something that isn’t
exactly what you have in your mind.
For example, it’s important to remember
that any electronics purchased will most
likely need a three-pin plug adapter to
use in Hong Kong. Also, the majority
of instructions and user manuals are in
Chinese, so ensure that you can source
a translation if you think you’ll need to
refer to these regularly”.
Crystal also acknowledges that
Taobao shopping is not without its
frustrations. “Online translation tools
don’t always give a clear description,
and can be very misleading. If you are
planning on shopping unaided, always
check previous buyer feedback for a
good idea of product quality and how
well the seller communicates.”
The final verdict on Taobao comes
from Simon: “I just love knowing that
I am getting the exact same product
as in the shops for a fifth of the price!”
With 1.4 million registered users in
Hong Kong alone, our city’s shoppers
clearly agree.
