questions on taobao
 

so whats the low down on tao bao? i am not currently looking for dirtbike stuff, but rather a MTB frame... i am curious about an in depth description of how tb trends works and all that, and how to go about ordering... is there a fee for tbtrends? also... how horrendous is shipping going to be on a 3kg package?

It's pretty easy. First, go to www.taobaotrends.com and set up a free account. Second, go to their order form page, and keep it open. Third, open a www.taobao.com tab (in Google Chrome) and find what you need / want / desire. Fourth, copy and paste the URL of the Taobao item into the order form. Wash, rinse, repeat.

After you have completed the order form and checked out, the Paypal button will be greyed over, not allowing you to proceed. The people at TBTrends will confirm your order, and then release the Paypal button for initial payment. That fee will be the actual cost of the goods, plus the shipping fee as noted on the Taobao site. After you pay, they will order the items to their warehouse, unpack them, photograph them for you and let you know about any changes.

Once you're satisfied, they'll give you a shipping quote to your door by EMS, HK post or DHL. Make your selection, and they'll send you another Paypal invoice that includes their 10% fee. Pay that amount, and the goods will be en route to you.

You'll find an explanation of the shipping fees on the www.taobaotrends.com site, although Spud reports that there is an error there. It doesn't matter to me, because it's still a really good deal.

If you're struggling to find a certain item, ask Humanbeing for help here: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=13773

thank you sir, i have had no issues finding things, i was just unsure of how to go about ordering... how do you go about specifying which color you would like? sometime between now and christmas hopefully i will be getting one of these in blue/white since i snapped my trek fuel frame this past weekend...

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=39127798342

http://gd3.alicdn.com/imgextra/i3/38...!386801545.jpg

Awesome looking frame! The price is nice as well.

Any time there has been a colour choice, the people at TBTrends have clarified with me, so I can make a selection.

awesome.... and yeah i know its not a real Kona... i wish it was, but even for the frame alone, which i have found out is an old KHS open pattern design (an 07 khs bikes xc204)

http://www.khsbicycles.com/03_xc_204_07.htm
this particular one is a newer model, with a sloped down tube, but you can see the same model in the link...

http://fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/bik...4-100_8904.jpg

all in all i just love the look of the frame, as its considerably stronger in all the weak areas of the trek fuel 80 that i have been riding, and broke...

That frame is a great find, BB. :tup: What search terms did you use?

I did a translation and it told me that frame is $11. Is that right?

No, $192.07 USD.

The sounds much more like it. Wonder what the shipping will cost.

i searched 軟尾車架 which is "soft tail bicycle frame" i just punched that in to Google Translate and selected traditional chinese as the translation... then just copy-pasted it into the taobao search... however, over on the ADVRider forums, a very kind Gentleman has offered me his old 2008 Cannondale rush frame at well under market value, and shipped will be cheaper than the frame i was originally looking at, and its a genuine american made frame... and its hardly been used... he will be keeping the fork and wheels, but all that will cross right over from my current frame...

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd3d438a.jpg

from my research in chinese bike frames, my guess is $80-120 to ship it via EMS... :tup:

Excellent news on the Cannondale frame.

X2. :tup: