Outside of China, Taobao is commonly known for curating trendy and affordable fashion items. In recent times it has seen a surge in popularity among youths on TikTok, who showcase their hauls in videos that get thousands of views. The platform's rise is similar to that of the Chinese fast fashion phenomenon, Shein.
While many of my friends have shopped on Taobao, I've never tried it for myself. This changed recently when my editor set me on a mission to buy five of the best fashion items I could find — with a budget of $3.50 for each item.
Ordering off Taobao without a grasp of the Chinese language was difficult. The website's English translation was inaccurate, the layout was confusing, and I had to manually convert all of the prices to my local currency.
Delivery, however, was speedy. I received my parcel in less than a week, but not all of my orders came. A pair of wireless Lenovo earphones never arrived, and getting my money back proved just as difficult as expected. Not being able to speak Chinese led to a conversation with a customer service agent that was filled with miscommunication.
Products sold on Taobao may be cheap, but the expectations don't always match up to reality. So I decided to put the Taobao shopping experience to the test, and figure out if it's actually worth ordering off the website.
Here's a review of my Taobao haul, ranked from my best to worst purchases.
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