***GIVEAWAY ALERT***
Read until the bottom of this post to enter my giveaway!
你好!
(Nǐ hǎo)
It's such a wonder with all the Taobao agents available in Malaysia,
I've been skeptical about shopping on Taobao (China's most popular shopping website) for the longest time.
It's no joke when I hear horror Taobao stories from fellow friends, saying that their parcels were held at customs, lost, or worst case scenario, agent went missing and.... not being REFUNDED! Thousands of Ringgits burnt, just like that.
Such heartache.
Those were the very things that have been putting me off all these while.
Also, especially when we can't vouch the quality of China's products.
Oh, and the hassle of returns (if there's even any!)
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This year has been such a blessing that I was given the opportunity to work with many brands, and SGshop is the latest addition! Basically, SGshop is a Taobao shopping agent from Singapore which has expanded its territory to Malaysia; and I have been asked to review their shopping service.
So I budgeted myself a total of RM200 to spend on for my initial haul, and I spent
SO. MANY. HOURS
on the website, trying to choose the best products for its price.
To be fair, this was my first time navigating through the best Taobao agent website and it's really superbly English-user-friendly, I KID YOU NOT. Even a banana (a Chinese who doesn't speak/write Chinese) like me find it so convenient to compare prices between sellers and even search for items using elusive image search!
There is no need for translating back and forth because SGshop website automatically translates everything and even calculates the final product price IN RINGGIT upon loading the page.
SUPERTIP:
For those of you wanting to compare prices from those Pre-Order blogshops or Carousellers:
Save the image of the product you want and search similar products on Taobao on Taobao China mainland website (www.taobao.com); the SEA Taobao does not have this option for now.
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OK, enough of the long intro, let's get into
MY FIRST EVER TAOBAO HAUL!
Disclaimer:
Price can vary as the currency exchange changes overtime.
Be sure to look out for agent fee/shipping discounts!
You can use my code "GRAC16OCT" to enjoy 25% off for service change.
(Valid until 31 Oct 2016)
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Item #1 - Transparent Rim Sunglasses
Bought at RM5.15
Expectation
Rating: 5/5
Product came as described and in good quality.
Came with a pouch and cleaning cloth.
It sits nicely on my face and it's not too big or too small.
Saw this exact design selling at Kitschen at RM20-30.
It's a super steal at RM5-ish!
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Item #2 - Reflective Blue Diamond Sunglasses
Bought at RM9.61
Expectation
Rating: 4/5
This is the second pair of sunnies I bought on this haul.
Came with a pouch and cleaning cloth.
It feels a bit lightweight and fragile.
But overall, nothing to complain about! :)
Could have found a cheaper version if I tried to look harder I guess.
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Item #3 - Bejewelled Silver Flats
Bought at RM19.29
Expectation
Rating: 5/5
Lightweight and fits my feet perfectly. Not too tight or loose.
I love that the blings are really shiny and can be seen even from afar.
I would so wear this often!
The only thing I contemplate is how fast the blings would drop off though.
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Item #4 - Metallic Gold Heels
Bought at RM13.42
Expectation
Rating: 4/5
I thought I ordered silver but ended up I received gold instead.
I checked my order, apparently I accidentally chose gold, but I'm okay with either colour.
I think it looks very metallic and shiny IRL but I have yet to wear this out. Can't say much about the comfort level but it's okay when I tried it on.
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Item #5 - Velvet Dusty Rose Pointy Heels
Bought at RM18.58
Expectation
Rating: 3/5
I chose this colour because it looks almost nude and it has such a sweet outlook.
Looks very pretty in real life but it gets really painful when you need to walk a lot.
I was suffering while wearing this to walk in One Utama, thinking that I would only go there for dinner. But dinner turned into a long night when we had our car parked at the other end of the building (I had to walk back and forth the New and Old Wing) and this is not definitely a pair for long distance. The ball of my feet were literally burning as I reach for the nearest seat.
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Item #6 - Black Lace Up Flats
Bought at RM13.87
Expectation
Rating: 3/5
The smell of this pair is horrendous!
They have a scent of strong chemicals and it feels very nauseating when kept in my room.
Thank God these are meant to be worn some place far away from
my nose else I would have no choice but to bin them!
They look very pretty IRL though. The smell is the only thing that puts me off.
Else this would have gotten a full mark.
Item #7 - White Sports Shoes
Bought at RM19.29
Expectation
Rating: 6/5
Hands down, the COMFIEST SHOES I have ever worn in my life!
The soles are super plush and soft, I don't mind wearing them again and again and again!
(Hence the extra mark lol)
I actually don't mind repurchasing in other colours too.
Super lightweight and fuss-free, definitely awesome for travels because
they're so light and would not take up much space in your luggage.
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Item #8 - White Sports Shoes
Bought at RM16.00
Expectation
Rating: 4/5
These may not be perfect, but it's good considering the price I paid for them.
Has a weird wording "---COOL---" at the soles area but
not very visible from standing point of view.
I like the fact that it has a little platform height for shorty me.
Item #9 - Leopard Sports Shoes
Bought at RM25.16
Expectation
Rating: 4/5
Not as comfy as the other white pair I got (pictured above), but it's okay.
I'm not buying for the inspired "cult status", but rather for its design.
Can look a little fake and can come off as "counterfeit" in front of those sneakerhead friends!
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Item #10 - Selfie Ring Light for Phone
Bought at RM34.13
Expectation
Rating: 5/5
This is the most expensive purchase of my haul (at only RM30+, I'm not complaining)!!!
As featured on NikkieTutorials May Hits 2016, this one has gotten almost every girl going GA-GA!
(I was one of them, hehs)
SUPERB DEAL, as the one she advertises for is USD27 (that's RM112+ right now).
This is like..... A FRACTION OF THE PRICE!
It has 4 light brightness settings.
I also have the Lumee casing but I so prefer this one because it has a natural soft white light, as opposed to yellow light.
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Item #11 - Black Eyelet Dress
Bought at RM12.65
Expectation
REALITY
Rating: 5/5
I'm loving the material, how lightweight it is and comfy it is to wear it out.
No inner lining but the thickness is just to my liking.
It resembles to the pictures and I'm so loving this purchase! ♥
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Item #12 - Little Black Dress
Bought at RM12.83
Expectation
REALITY
Rating: 3/5
At first when I put this on, I felt that the velvety material doesn't really flow nicely onto my body.
I may not be as thin as the model, so maybe that's why this dress doesn't look as good on me.
Note to self: DO NOT buy figure hugging clothes on Taobao because it may not look as terrific.
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All in all, if you calculate everything, I spent a total of
RM199.98 on these 12 products for the first payment. Such a steal!
I don't think I am able to get this price anywhere else.
The shipping cost for all these items straight to my house is RM70 (5.353kg),
for the cheapest option excluding insurance.
That's including all the shoe boxes, sunglass box, and the selfie ring light box.
Also, more importantly, there's also repackaging done on SGshop end too
(which includes clear plastic for each product and
an orange label sticker with my name and product code on it).
Some Taobao Tips I Learnt:
1. Buy a size bigger when you buy shoes. Most shoe cutting is a little narrow, thus it's advisable to get 0.5cm bigger. (Eg If you are a size 38, choose 39).
2. Try not to purchase outfits in white if it's super cheap because the materials used can sometimes be semi-transparent.
3. Take advantage of the measurements given on the website to avoid disappointments.
4. Scroll the page down to see bigger, clearer pictures of the product.
5. Buy insurance for big/fragile items.
6. Compare prices with other sellers by using the "Image Search" option. If they use the exact same picture, most likely they are getting from the same supplier.
7. Avoid figure hugging clothes.
So How Do I Order From Taobao China?
That's the golden question for every non-Chinese speaker/writer, yes?
Since Taobao China only ships within China, you have two options:
A) Get a China address and ask them to send to you
B) Get a Taobao Shopping Agent to do BOTH the shopping and shipping to you
Everything I got from this haul is through SGshop Malaysia.
FYI, I used their shopping+shipping service.
Therefore, there will be two payments when you shop with SGshop.
The first payment is product price + the domestic shipping fee (if any).
The second payment is international shipping fee + service fee + clearance fee.
More info About SGshop's cost and fees, you can refer to this link
http://www.sgshop.com.my/?help=8.
While you are contemplating at it, just know that you can use my discount code
GRAC16OCT
(valid until 31 October 2016)
for 25% off for service change.
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***GIVEAWAY ALERT***
I have collaborated with with the kind people at SGshop to giveaway
ONE lucky reader RM200 credits to spend on SGshop!
All YOU have to do click this link (which will bring you to my FB post), LIKE & SHARE on your FB (make it public) and Tag 3 friends. That's it! Giveaway ends in 7 days (14 Oct 2016 11.59pm GMT +8).
If you have RM200 to spend, what would you get on Taobao?
Let me know in the comments section, I would definitely love to read about them!
I'm thinking of getting some makeup organizers next... hehe.
And more phone cases lol.