Taobao is one of the more popular sites for shopping online – known for great variety and even greater value. So if you’re looking for a piece of the action but you’re at a loss because of the language barrier, fret not because we’ve got your back! Read on for this cheat sheet on how to shop online at Taobao and get the best Taobao promo codes there are.
Shopping Online at Taobao Guide
Let’s find out how you can use ShopBack to earn some Cashback out of it!
Step 1:
Login to your ShopBack account.
Step 2:
Head on over to ShopBack’s Taobao merchant page, you will see a search bar where you can search if your desired item has cashback. Once you input your search query, you will be redirected to Taobao’s main page.
Step 3:
Taobao operates in Chinese. This is where Google Translate comes in handy, especially when searching for products. Download Chrome’s Google Translate extension and see the entire page in your desired language.
You can also choose to read our handy dandy Taobao Dictionary that translates every Taobao thing you want to buy from Chinese to English.
Step 4:
Download the ShopBack Cashback Button (it’s available as a Chrome extension) and install it in your browser. It’ll notify you if there’s Cashback on an item so rest assured that you won’t be missing out on earning Cashback on Taobao.
Step 5:
A list of search results will be presented to you once you’ve activated your search through the Cashback Button. Clicking on a product from the list will redirect you to the product page where you can take a closer look at the product and its details. You can then click on the respective buttons to instantly purchase that certain item or add it to your cart. A pop-up will appear showing all the quantity, size and colour options available.
Step 6:
After you are satisfied with the items in your cart, you’re going to want to checkout. Click on the shopping cart icon at the top left of the page to be redirected to the contents of your shopping cart where the different products are grouped into the many different sellers. Check the boxes next to the products that you would wish to pay for and proceed to the next step by clicking on the orange button.
Step 7:
After choosing the products you wish to purchase, click on the orange button at the bottom of the page to cart out. 
Next, add in your Address details for shipping. Remember to set your country as Malaysia (or 马来西亚 in Chinese) right in the grey box under ‘Add Address’.
Then, click on the shipping method that you wish to employ — there are more details on the different shipping methods in the pro-tips section below.
Step 8:
To complete your purchase, simply input your credit card details and click continue. Congratulations again, you’ve done it! You’re now a proud Taobao shopper!
8 Hacks For A Better Taobao Shopping Experience!
As you all know, you have to have a passion for online shopping to work at ShopBack. Hence I have compiled some of the best tips and tricks you should definitely keep in mind whilst shopping online at Taobao Malaysia.
1. The Search-ception
If you aren’t all too happy with the results of your search using Google translate then here’s a way for you to get a more in-depth search for your products.
- Step 1:
- Use Google Translate for the translation of the product you are searching for.
- Step 2:
- Copy and paste the Google Translate results into ShopBack’s Taobao merchant page search bar.
- Step 3:
- This will get your redirected to the search results on Taobao’s website.
- Step 4:
- Now here comes the important part. If the results aren’t all that satisfying for you due to reasons such as a lack of credible sellers, you can execute an extra step to widen your search results. All you have to do is copy the name of the product that you are most satisfied with and then paste the untranslated product name again into the search bar. Execute the search and you will be presented with a more extensive result. Easy!
2. Currency Converter Plugins
To make life easier for you when trying to figure out the price of products in your local currency, all you have to do is download a currency converter plug-in to save you from having to switch between windows.
3. Direct Shipping vs Consolidated Shipping
Essentially, if you don’t want to have to deal with all the complications, Taobao’s Global Direct Shipping method is the one you should be using. It is much more straightforward and you get to know the prices before you check out. It may not necessarily be cheaper than the alternative, but it would save you some hassle.
4. “Find Similar” Button
Another way to look for a wider range of sellers for the same products is to use the “Find Similar” button. Clicking on it will present to you a range of similar products from many more different sellers. It is also a good idea to change the order of products from sellers with the highest number of purchases to the lowest. That is one of the best ways to gauge if a seller is credible. Also, scrutinise the photos of the products to ensure it is the exact same one you are looking for.
5. Read the Reviews
Reading the reviews is a must to see if a seller is credible or not. Most of it is worded in Chinese so you will have to translate it like we have below:
6. Check Seller’s Rating
See all those little symbols? Those are seller ratings. A seller is awarded a positive (+1) point for every positive rating whilst a negative one will knock off a point (-1). The rating system is tiered with the symbols changing to a new one once the sellers have received more than enough positive ratings to acquire 5 symbols. Another good measure of a seller’s credibility.
7. Contact the Sellers
If you have any inquiries with regards to your purchases, you can contact the seller in double-quick time using Taobao’s instant messaging system, Aliwangwang. You will have to download the program for it and after you’ve done that, you can link up with the seller in an instant. If you are planning on using this tool, here are some questions you can ask the sellers:
- How long will it take for the products to arrive
- The quality of the products (e.g. material)
- The price of the products
- The size and dimensions of the products
The seller knows best so use this tool to be extra sure!
8. Know When to Shop
Prices at Taobao Malaysia are ridiculously low, that we all know. Well, there is a way for you to shop online at Taobao Malaysia at even lower prices. We at ShopBack want to make your shopping experience both easy and well-informed. This includes shopping online at the best prices. To help you along with that, ShopBack Malaysia houses information on some of the best deals and promo codes available from our extensive list of merchants.
Well, that’s it for our Taobao guide, folks. You are now ready to take on the online shopping behemoth that is Taobao! But be sure to shop online at ShopBack because promo codes and Cashback rewards are yours to enjoy when you do!
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