Kakobuy Purchasing Service: How the Buying Agent Works
Everything about buying through the Kakobuy agent — supported platforms, how a purchase order moves from “paid” to “in warehouse”, realistic timelines, 1688 wholesale rules, cancellations, refunds and Kakobuy’s authenticity policy.
Kakobuy’s core job is simple: you find a product on a Chinese marketplace, Kakobuy buys it for you, receives it at its warehouse, checks and weighs it, and then hands it off to international shipping. This guide walks through that buying stage end to end so you know exactly what happens after you submit a link — and what the service does and does not cover.
What is a shopping agent, and why use one?
A shopping agent (or “buying agent”) purchases products in China on your behalf and forwards them to your country. Most large Chinese marketplaces — Taobao, Tmall, 1688 and JD — don’t sell or ship directly overseas, and their checkout only takes Chinese payment methods. Kakobuy bridges that gap: you pay in your own currency, and Kakobuy handles the Chinese-side purchase, receipt and consolidation.
People typically use the service to:
- Access sellers with no international checkout — buy from any supported platform, even stores that don’t ship abroad.
- Consolidate many sellers into one parcel to cut international freight.
- Pay in familiar currencies — USD, EUR and more, instead of Alipay or WeChat.
- See the goods before they ship via warehouse inspection and QC photos.
In short: you get access to the whole of China’s online retail, in your own currency, with a warehouse checkpoint in between.
Which platforms can Kakobuy buy from?
Kakobuy supports the major Chinese platforms: Taobao, Tmall, 1688 and JD.com. Support for more marketplaces is added over time.
If a product link can’t be automatically identified or crawled, you can still order it: fill in the link, product name, price and details manually, and Kakobuy will buy it from the information you provide. Be accurate and complete — the order is placed against exactly what you enter. For customized items, contact customer service before ordering.
Purchase order statuses, explained
Every purchase order moves through a fixed set of statuses. Knowing them tells you what’s happening and what you can do at each step:
- Pending payment — the order is created but unpaid. Pay for the goods to move it forward.
- Paid — payment succeeded; Kakobuy will place the order with the seller.
- Purchased / Processing — the buyer is ordering from the merchant (or has succeeded) and is waiting for the merchant to ship.
- Shipped / Mailed — the merchant has dispatched the goods toward the Kakobuy warehouse.
- Has been stored / Warehouse — the goods arrived, were signed for, and go on the shelf after inspection and weighing.
- Available for shipment — you can now submit the item for international shipping (“submit the waybill”).
How long does buying and dispatch take?
Two clocks matter: how fast the seller ships, and how fast their parcel reaches the Kakobuy warehouse.
Seller dispatch (typical):
- Taobao sellers ship in about 3–7 days (excluding customized or pre-sale items).
- JD.com / Amazon self-operated logistics often ship the same day; third-party sellers on those platforms usually ship within 3–5 days.
Domestic transit to the warehouse (Kakobuy’s warehouse is in Xiamen) depends on the seller’s region:
- Pearl River Delta — around 1 working day.
- Yangtze River Delta — around 3 working days.
- Other areas — around 7 working days.
My goods arrived — what now?
“Arrived” means the item has entered the Kakobuy warehouse. Staff then inspect the package and measure its weight and volume. Once done, the status becomes “Can submit the waybill” and the item appears under Member Center → My Orders. From there you submit the waybill and pay international freight.
Keep a small balance topped up. The weight and volume measured on arrival can differ from the final packed parcel, so the final freight may not exactly match your first estimate. A little balance on hand prevents a parcel being held up because a payment came in late.
Can I cancel or return an order and get my money back?
What’s possible depends on the order status when you ask:
- Paid — contact customer service to cancel.
- Processing (bought, not yet shipped by the merchant) — Kakobuy cancels it and returns the payment to your account balance.
- Mailed (merchant already shipped) — Kakobuy negotiates a return with the seller. If the seller agrees and no return freight is due, the money returns to your balance after the return; if return freight applies, Kakobuy advances it (with your agreement) and deducts it before refunding the rest.
- Warehouse, within 14 days — you can apply for an exchange, subject to the seller’s agreement. Restocking a replacement typically takes 7–20 days; exchange freight is borne by the buyer.
- Warehouse, within 5 days — you can apply for a return, subject to the seller’s agreement; the refund lands in your balance after the merchant receives the goods.
Buying on 1688 (wholesale rules)
1688 is China’s leading wholesale marketplace, so it behaves differently from Taobao. Before you order:
- Check minimum order quantities (MOQ). Nearly every 1688 seller has one. If your order is below the MOQ it won’t be valid — you’d need to cancel and re-submit with the correct quantity.
- Prices and shipping change with quantity. Confirm the exact unit price and shipping for your quantity and submit those exact figures.
- Pick sellers with good credit and compare a few before committing, to protect quality and your exchange/return rights.
- Agree return/exchange terms in advance — e.g. who pays return freight.
Boxes vs pieces: Kakobuy counts the number of boxes received but does not guarantee the piece count inside each box. For quantity or quality disputes, Kakobuy can only help coordinate between you and the seller.
Authenticity & anti-counterfeiting policy
Kakobuy’s stated policy is that products bought through the platform must be authentic; selling or purchasing counterfeit, bootleg or pirated goods is prohibited. Breaching this can result in loss of purchasing privileges, withheld funds, or disposal of inventory.
It is the buyer’s responsibility to check and buy only authentic products. Kakobuy works with rights holders and couriers to detect inauthentic items, may decline suspect orders, and may suspend accounts used for fraud or counterfeit purchases.
Important: standard warehouse inspection checks appearance, model, style and size — it does not verify authenticity or electronic function. Buy from reputable listings and treat authenticity as your own due diligence.