An Agent with Insider Knowledge

Obook is a Taobao Agent with a unique perspective. They themselves run a successful Taobao shop selling books and magazines (hence the name). With this insider’s knowledge of the Taobao market, they are uniquely qualified to help you buy stuff from Taobao – at the right price.

Quick and Easy – Just Email Them

The Obook website doesn’t require registration or learning any new webforms. They cut out the automation and focus on personal attention. Just send them an email telling them what you want. The flexibility of this personal attention helps a lot when you have a special request. They are very fast and responsive, and will provide you a quick price quote for your consideration. With offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong, they can provide logistical flexibility to ensure that your order is handled as efficiently as possible. And now that Shanghai enjoys same-day delivery options, that means getting your order that much faster.

The Taobao-eBay Hybrid Method

Obook loves positive feedback, and cultivates it on eBay as well as on Taobao. Running shops on both sites allows you to view their reliability from several perspectives. You can find their eBay shop here, and read the positive reviews given by happy customers of their Taobao Agent service.

If you have an eBay account, you will be able to pay a part of the transaction through eBay, and leave them some feedback of your own. Or if you don’t have one, you can still pay via Paypal, like with other Agents.

The Obook service fee is 15%, and includes:

• Quick and friendly response on all inquiries
• Easy and flexible email service
• Insider’s knowledge and negotiation with Taobao shops
• Complete product verification to make sure you receive the right stuff
• Efficient and safe packaging
• Discount international shipping (65% to 70% cheaper than list price)
• The option to leave eBay feedback

Want a quick answer on your Taobao inquiry? Send Obook an email now and get a quote on your order.

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Taobao Direct: These Guys ‘Get It’

Taobao Direct is a Taobao Agent, and we like their style. Of course they can help you buy the products you want. But like us at the Field Guide, they also have a deep appreciation for Taobao culture. They share that love on their website with updates about what they’ve been buying, along with tips on how to make your Taobao journey more successful.

Like a Friend You Can Go Shopping With

Going shopping with someone of another culture exposes your cultural differences in unexpected ways. And working with Taobao Agents, this sometimes leads to problems. But not with Taobao Direct.

At Taobao Direct, you’ll be chatting with a genuine, born-in-the-USA American who not only knows how to translate across languages, but also across cultures. So instead of asking carefully considering your questions and thinking about how you can describe your standards, you can cut to the chase and tell them what you really want in your own words.

For example, you can tell them: “I don’t want a Wal-Mart humidifier, but, like, a Sharper Image humidifier.” Or let them know that you want to “make sure the toy’s outer packaging looks vintage like Christmas morning 1984.” They’ll get it.

The USA Connection – Always On

Taobao Direct has representatives in Los Angeles and Shenzhen. Working on two hemispheres means they can make good on their promise of 24-hour service. That means you can have an answer right now (instead of waiting overnight). Go ahead, test them!

The Taobao Direct service fee is 10%, and includes:

• Help finding the best seller and translating the product page
• Package receiving, inspection, quality verification and repackaging
• The best possible international shipping rate: 40% off regular EMS shipping rates
• Crystal clear understanding of all your requirements
• Instant communication, always on

If you are aiming for a fast and flawless Taobao experience, don’t hesitate to visit Taobao Direct today.

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Back when I only had one computer, one VPN access point was fine. But now that I have two computers, a PS3, and a wifi-ready Android phone. Applying the VPN to the latter two, in particular, has become a sisyphean ordeal. I need an easier way to share the VPN love.

Here’s the answer

The Belkin Enhanced Wireless Router is a home networking ninja, which will take your VPN login info and keep you connected. This tip comes courtesy of my amigos at weird shanghai (I think you’ll need a VPN to see it).

It’s called Passthrough

Not sure if this works for all VPN services. So check with your provider if they support ‘VPN passthrough’ before buying the router.  For example here is how you would set it up for Witopia.

VPNs and Taobao Access

One word of warning: VPNs can mess with your Taobao access. If Taobao thinks you are signing in from overseas, they may freeze your account. Just give them a call and tell them that you have the VPN, and they will chill out.  Taobao Service Number: 0571-88157858

Belkin Enhanced Wireless Router – 285rmb

I am the subject of an increasing number of belly pokes recently. Friends, colleagues, and girlfriend laobanniang all seem to think it is funny to point out my fatness. What’s worse, my recent attempts to lose weight via peculiar Chinese products has flat-out failed.

American-style weightloss

My fellow Americanos may not be the fittest bunch, but we do have some advanced fitness products. I have heard some great things about P90X, a 12-DVD set that promises to get you into Terminator-fighting shape.

Look at that! Awesome!

P90X Equipment

To be able to fully take advantage of the P90X system, I need to get some stuff from Taobao.

Since the program is done at home, the user needs to have dumbbells (usually 15s, 20s, and 25s) and a pull-up bar, or else a resistance band, for strength training exercises, along with a sturdy chair. Optional equipment includes a yoga mat for the abdominal and yoga portions, push-up handles … and a heart rate monitor for the cardio workouts.

I am going to get the stuff in bold, skipping the weights in favor of resistance bands.

Pull-up bar

Just hook this one on the door frame and presto! Another place to hang clothes!

Pull-up bar – 43rmb

Resistance band set

These glorified rubber bands cost a bit, but go for ones that look capable so you don’t lose an eye doing your curls.

Resistance band set – 70-100rmb

Yoga Mat

The yoga mat market seems to be unfairly directed towards women. Modern men need these ones too. They suggest a thick one to maintain tail bone comfort.

Yoga mat – 230rmb

Push-up handles

You can get traditional I-shaped ones, or if you prefer your push-ups more perfect, try the rotating versions. Same price.

Push-up handles – 20rmb

Heart-rate monitor

I expected these to be cheaper on Taobao. For a heart rate monitor that straps to your wrist, expect to pay at least 100rmb. There are finger spot-check models for cheaper, but I am serious about my fitness.

Heart-rate monitor – from 138rmb

Total cost

All-in we spent about 500rmb on all this stuff. Plus some shipping, which we mitigated by buying some of the things together form the same Taobao Sellers. That is quite a price to pay – but anything to avoid those pesky belly-pokes.

Warnings come in about yoybuy.com

A reader from Australia has written in to warn us of a bad experience he had shopping with Taobao Agent yoybuy.com. Before we detail the complaint, let us say that to our knowledge yoybuy does a mostly decent job serving their customers (thanks for the reports from two satisfied yoybuy customers in the comments).

The issue

The complaint says that yoybuy took the buyer’s order and sent him a cheaper version of the product. The buyer had found a good vendor for his products on Taobao, and had been satisfied with previous orders, and even though he requested that yoybuy use that vendor, they did not, and the result was inferior products.

Any other reports?

If you have worked with Taobao agents before, let us know about your experiences!

I did nothing!

Now that we are turning the corner on winter, I have realized that I have not yet scheduled my annual cold-weather-escape trip to Sanya. That makes me 0 for 3 on my annual activities. I did not manage to make it to Dino Beach water park, nor did I go for outdoor lasertag. Nor did I replace these with any other suitable activities.

Rather than moap around feeling like a total failure, I intend to do something about it. Schedule a last-minute trip to the island? No way! Who has the time?

My Sand Scheme

Instead, I plan to purchase a bag of genuine Sanya Island sand, and sprinkle it into my luggage. Then I will trick myself into thinking that I did actually go to Hainan, and did subsequently enjoy some relaxation from the experience.

Brilliant.

Sanya Sand – 10rmb per kilo

If you are planning a trip to the beach, don’t forget our favorite – the Waboba Ball!

Following from the last post, some people caught some laser-etching mania.  My partner laobanniang among them, found some really crazy stuff.

A perfect Valentine’s day gift

Don’t have a dog? Me either. But I do have a girlfriend (the aforementioned laobanniang). So my plan is to get one of these customized with her image, and put on a cute dog collar.

Or maybe I get it with my image, if I am going to give it to her? I haven’t worked out all the details yet. But there is a really cute little gift in there somewhere.

If you are a master Ninja-About-Town, you will want to equip one of these in your adventure kit.  Stainless steel construction ensures that you could use it as a throwing weapon, if need be.

Not only does it let you know where you are going, but it can also double as an emergency mirror for peeking around corners.

Available for major Chinese cities

If you live in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing or Hong Kong, you need to pick one of these up for your wallet or risk the danger of being caught lost.

Live for 2010

Last year’s fashion was to have multiple credit cards prominently displayed in the wallet. This year, it will be the stainless steel subway map. Stay ahead of the game and order yours today.

Steel Pocket Subway Maps of Chinese Cities ~70rmb

We were right

And it feels so good. 3c.taobao.com is now online serving up a streamlined shopping experience. Run your purchases through the Taobao Electronics Mall and you won’t need to do a lot of comparison shopping.

For example, I bought this sweet HDTV a few weeks ago only after thorough investigation. Totally unnecessary now. The Taobao Electronics Mall gives me a pretty good price and thorough reliability. Shipping included in the price, and guaranteed 7-day unconditional return. All the good stuff.

I love you TH-P42S10C. I love you so much!

Go for it

If you have been waiting for a slightly easier, slightly more secure option for your Taobao shopping, you found it! Live the feeling!

A long while back we reported on the cool dude who started his own Taobao business importing Moleskine notebooks and created the Chinese-language web community to evangelize the Moleskine lifestyle. Those still make a great gift.

But if your new years agenda includes the resolutions to be more productive and more frugal, this cool new Taobao shop might be more of what you’re looking for.

Complete GTD kits for cheap

GTD001.taobao.com is a Taobao shop that is near and dear to my heart. Not only did they create their own line of crazy-cheap notebooks, they give intensive instruction to teach productivity noobs how to step correct

Apparently this guy also likes the Palm 650 – which we also covered long ago, and is still an excellent choice for a super-cheap smartphone.  He also offers cool little GTD decision charts.

Get yourself organized! Make some lists! Get Things Done!

GTD Brand Notebooks – from 16rmb