Friday 25 September 2009

The Fine Prints

How It Works
  1. Download the order form from here.

  2. Fill up the order form and send it to taobao.intl@gmail.com. Please provide alternatives if possible in the remarks column.

  3. We will receive your order and verify the availability of your requested items with the online merchant.

  4. In the event of Out of Stock (OOS) items, we will follow your alternative instructions in the submitted order form (i.e. change to another colour/size or merchant) or cancel the order for the item after consultation with you.

  5. When your order is finalised, we will quote a confirmed exchange rate and the amount due for the 1st payment.

  6. Once the amount for 1st payment has been received by us, we will commence with the ordering of the requested items. No requests for amendments, cancellations or refunds will be possible once payment has been made. However, in the event the occurrence of OOS items after payment, we will notify you through your email address and the excess amount will be used to offset the 2nd payment for the International Shipping charges.

  7. The items received would be consolidated for international shipping. The 2nd payment would have to be made prior to the commencement of international shipping. A tracking number for the shipment would be provided once the requested items have been sent for international shipping.

  8. Customers who wish to save on remittance charges may opt for the alternative single payment method. We will provide a single payment amount which includes the item price, agent fee and the international shipping charges (based on the estimated weight of the items). A tracking number for the shipment would be provided once the shipment has been sent for international shipping.

  9. The items should arrive at your desired location within 7 days after the commencement of shipping.

  10. Under normal conditions, it will take a minimum of 2 weeks from the commencement of the ordering process till delivery to the customer.

Terms and Conditions
  1. Everyone is welcomed! This includes any individual who is interested to buy from Taobao, along with spree organisers/blog owners and also retail merchants.

  2. No amendments, cancellations or refunds (other than for OOS items) would be allowed once the 1st payment has been made.

  3. 2nd payment would have to be made prior to commencement of international shipping. Items whose international shipping charges are not paid for 6 weeks after our 1st notification will be disposed of at our discretion. (Not applicable for customers who opt for single payment method.)

  4. Items may be held by customs authority for inspection. This would cause additional delays for the shipment and result in exceeding the minimum of 2 weeks for delivery.

  5. We will not be responsible for any delay or damages caused by customs inspection.

  6. Please refrain from purchasing replica/imitation items and prohibited/contraband items. Items or the whole shipment may be confiscated by the customs authorities if such items are found.

  7. Prohibited items include food items, liquids, cigarettes, powder substances and replicas/imitation items.

  8. We will not be responsible if your shipment is confiscated due to any customs regulation infringements!!

  9. Any import taxes or other fees incurred will be borne by the buyer. For more information, please check with the relevant customs authorities at the shipping destination.

  10. For shipping to Singapore, a 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST) might be incurred for orders exceeding SGD 400.

  11. While we will exercise our utmost diligence during the ordering process, you will agree that we will not be held responsible in the event that the merchant sends us wrong or defective items.

  12. There may be a discrepancy in the colour and quality between the items delivered and the photographs on the website. Please check the reputation of the Taobao merchants prior to ordering.

  13. We will not be responsible should any items become lost or damaged during shipment.

  14. We reserve the right to turn down any orders, or parts of any order should we feel that we are unable to satisfactorily complete your order.

Additional Terms and Conditions for payment via PayPal [No longer applicable, archived for reference]
  1. An additional charge of 4% will be added on top of the total cost (i.e. item price + local courier + international shipping fees) to cover the transaction charges incurred with the usage of this payment option.

  2. A minimum spending of HKD 600 per transaction is required (including the additional 4% transaction charges).

  3. Payment shall be made to us as Personal payments --> payment owed, under the "Send Money" tab.

  4. By making your payment to us through PayPal, you will be deemed as having agreed to indemnify us from any subsequent chargebacks (along with any additional fees that may be incurred) that you may initiate through your card issuing bank/company for any reasons, and have voluntarily waived your rights to any claims with PayPal with the only exception of non-delivery of shipment.
While we understand that the Terms and Conditions listed above are a little harsh and may seem grossly unfair to you, but please do understand that we only provide buying service on your behalf and is not affiliated with the Taobao sellers which you may select on Taobao.com.

By placing an order with us, we promise to exercise our utmost diligence to ensure that you have a pleasant shopping experience!

Last updated on 07 December 2010.