Are Taobao-Agents getting more pressure? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: soFPG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2021, 07:27:05 pm
content: The Taobao-Agent I am usually contacting for buying electronic parts from China now does not accept payment from private bank accounts anymore which leaves me wondering whether China wants to prevent people from outside buying stuff off their platforms?Any insider here who has more information?

author: I wanted a rude username
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2021, 09:16:55 am
content: Weird ... usually the Communist Party tries to prevent money from leaving China, not entering. (However the individual platforms such as Taobao gladly prevent everyone who doesn't have a Chinese ID from using their services, which is bizarre when you think about it.)

author: Black Phoenix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2021, 11:23:20 am
content: Quote from: I wanted a rude username on April 30, 2021, 09:16:55 amYes and no... I live in Shenzhen and have an account on TaoBao and JD as a foreigner. And can buy with my own account and pay via WeChat or Alipay without problems too.The difference is that i have a Mainland Mobile Number. And to get the account for that mobile number I needed to fill a document and provide them my passport to be scanned and added to the account details.So it is by having the mobile number that my account works, since with the phone number I log in in Taobao, JD, Alibaba, Wechat and whatever more things I need in this country.Have a medic appointment? Give them the Phone Number;Membership card on the Supermarket? Phone Number;Had you gone to the bank and didn't bring your Bank Card? No problem, give them the phone number...You got the idea.

author: all_repair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2021, 01:07:48 pm
content: Quote from: I wanted a rude username on April 30, 2021, 09:16:55 amIt has nothing to do with communist party. It has all to do with corruption. Money made legally when you have legal proof with tax paid is allowed free movement. If people cannot take profit, you think why there are so many companies so eager to invest. They are quite escaped here (Singapore) and once a while, news come out. But many more are in Australia, Canada and US.My Alipay account has been locked when the authority enforced the anti money laundry rule, I am using payment through credit card on Taobao. Lately, there are debit cards that give very good exchange rate and on some day Taobao give card fee waive, there is not much advantages using Alipay on my end anymore

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2021, 09:30:42 pm
content: Quote from: soFPG on April 29, 2021, 07:27:05 pmIts probably an issue with that specific agent and not China in general. If you are doing this regularly, make your own Taobao account, buy the stuff yourself (credit card), and then use a reshipper. Some agents will do both reshipping + buying. Then you have to deal with less money going to the agent.Surely they offer other payment methods?

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2021, 10:03:06 pm
content: I have been paying Superbuy to thier local TransferWise account lately, they effectively just have a local (in my case NZ) bank account you pay into in your local currency. If Superbuy didn't tell you it was TransferWise on thier site you'd never know. Of course it does mean that the fx to cny is in Superbuy's hands and they could easily hide some fees in it, but it's always been "about right" for me and certainly cheaper than Paypal.Only thing is there is basically no visibility into the process, you do the transfer in your banking and submit the form on SB to tell them you've sent however much and the reference code you used, and at some point between a few hours and a few days later the appropriate amount is credited to your account, until then there is no log on the SB site or any indication that "yes your credit request is being processed". Usually takes under 24 hours, but I've had as short as 3 hours, and as long as 5 days.

author: soFPG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2021, 04:41:51 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on April 30, 2021, 09:30:42 pmI thought about doing this since the agent offers reshipping as well, furthermore the exchange rate EUR : CNY my agent offers is not perfect.How do you communicate with the taobao-sellers? Google translate (sorry if I just assumed you don't speak mandarin)?QuoteThat's exactly the only alternative I have now. But I don't like loosing 2% of my money to wise.com on top of the bad exchange rate.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2021, 09:28:52 pm
content: Quote from: soFPG on May 01, 2021, 04:41:51 pmYes google translate.You have to install "aliwangwang" chat client if you want to have a conversation (chinese app). I was able to get away for a few years just buying and not having to use chat at all.