Everything you need to know to go from zero to delivered. Account setup, finding products, reading QC photos, choosing shipping, and what to expect from customs.
See Current Listings ↗Superbuy is a Chinese purchasing agent — a service that buys products from Chinese e-commerce platforms like Taobao, Weidian, and 1688 on behalf of international buyers. Because many Chinese sellers do not ship internationally, or do not have convenient international payment options, purchasing agents bridge the gap: you tell Superbuy what to buy, they purchase it domestically, receive it at their warehouse, and then ship it to you internationally.
Founded in 2012, Superbuy is one of the most established purchasing agents in the market. It has extensive documentation in English and a large community of users who share advice, batch recommendations, and buying guides. For buyers new to Chinese e-commerce sourcing, Superbuy's relatively mature interface and customer service infrastructure makes it a common starting point.
The platform is used for a wide range of purchases: fashion, electronics, homeware, and collectibles among others. Within the rep community specifically, Superbuy is used to access clothing and footwear from sellers on Taobao and Weidian who list items that are not readily available through conventional retail channels. The spreadsheet ecosystem around Superbuy exists to help buyers navigate which sellers and products have been community-vetted for quality.
Superbuy charges a service fee on each purchase, calculated as a percentage of the item's purchase price. The fee represents Superbuy's compensation for executing the purchase, handling the item at their warehouse, and managing QC. It is charged at the point of purchase, before shipping.
The service fee percentage decreases as the item value increases, making higher-value purchases proportionally cheaper in fee terms. For budget purchases under ¥200, the effective service fee percentage is higher than for items in the ¥500+ range. Buyers who do large consolidated hauls benefit from this structure relative to buyers who place many small individual orders.
Superbuy's fee structure is separate from shipping fees. Shipping is calculated based on the weight and dimensions of your consolidated package and the shipping method selected. Use the fee calculator on this site to estimate total cost before purchasing — the combination of service fees plus shipping is the relevant total cost metric, not item price alone.
| Method | Speed | Cost | Customs Risk | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHL / FedEx | 5–10 days | High | Moderate | Time-sensitive, high-value |
| EMS | 10–20 days | Medium | Low–Medium | Balanced option |
| YunExpress | 10–18 days | Medium | Low | Popular community choice |
| SF Express | 7–14 days | Medium-High | Low | Reliability-focused buyers |
| China Post SAL | 20–45 days | Low | Very Low | Budget, non-urgent hauls |
Quality control photos are the most important decision point in the Superbuy process. When your item arrives at the warehouse, Superbuy photographs it before asking you to approve or reject it for shipping. This is your only opportunity to visually inspect the item before it is packed and shipped internationally. Developing the ability to evaluate QC photos effectively significantly improves haul outcomes.
The standard QC photo set includes multiple angles of the item. For shoes: sole, upper from multiple angles, interior, and detail shots. For clothing: front and back, close-ups of logos, stitching, and any distinctive details. Review each photo systematically rather than making a quick pass — QC is where most experienced buyers catch issues before they become shipped problems.
When in doubt on a QC decision, the safest approach is to request additional photos before approving. Targeted additional photo requests — asking for a specific angle that addresses your concern — are better than generic re-shoot requests. Good agents respond to specific photo requests efficiently. If a photo clearly shows the item is wrong, rejecting it and requesting a seller resolution is better than approving a known problem item.
For first-time buyers: spend time looking at QC approval and rejection posts in the rep community before your first haul. The community documents what good and bad QC looks like for common items. This calibration exercise significantly improves your ability to evaluate your own QC photos accurately.
The most expensive common mistake is not researching shipping costs before purchasing items. Many new buyers discover their total haul cost significantly exceeded their expectation because shipping fees were not factored in at purchase time. For a typical mixed haul of shoes and clothing, shipping can represent 30–50% of total cost. Always model the full cost before committing to a haul composition.
The second common mistake is ordering without community spreadsheet research. Buying from random Taobao sellers without batch verification leads to inconsistent quality outcomes. The community spreadsheet ecosystem exists precisely to solve this problem — use it, especially for your first haul where you do not yet have the experience to evaluate sellers independently.
Approving QC too quickly is another frequent error. Taking the time to review each photo carefully, compare against community examples, and request targeted additional photos when uncertain is worth the extra time. The cost of an incorrectly approved item — paying to ship something you discover is wrong only after receiving it — is significant compared to the cost of a few extra days waiting for better photos.
Finally: start with a focused first haul rather than an ambitious one. A well-researched haul of three to five items teaches you more about the process, timing, QC evaluation, and customs management than a sprawling first haul. The knowledge gained from a focused first experience pays dividends on every subsequent haul.
One of Superbuy's most valuable features for serious haul buyers is warehouse storage. Items you purchase arrive at the Superbuy warehouse and can be held there — sometimes for months — until you are ready to ship. This allows you to consolidate multiple purchases into a single international shipment, which is significantly cheaper per item than shipping each order separately.
Consolidation strategy has a meaningful impact on total haul cost. Shipping a combined 3kg package is much cheaper per item than shipping three separate 1kg packages. The optimal consolidation approach is to collect all items for a haul session before shipping, rather than shipping each item as it arrives. The storage period also gives you time to do additional research, wait for additional items from later orders, or reconsider any items you are less sure about.
Superbuy offers several packaging services at the shipping stage, including vacuum compression for soft goods, reinforced packaging for fragile items, and brand tag or label removal on request. Selecting appropriate packaging options for your item types protects items during transit and can reduce volumetric weight for clothing-heavy hauls.