Let’s face it – sometimes you just don’t want to leave the house, cram back into the subway to cross town so you can wander around Zhongguancun being pawed by vendors shouting ‘helloo’ top-volume at you when all you need is memory card for your camera. Where do you get a book that’s not written by Jack Welch or Donald Trump? Even if you’re willing to brave the crowds and take a chance on buying something counterfeit or able to bargain down marked up laowai prices, do you even know where to go for a voltage converter or the new Neil Gaiman children’s book?

Thanks to the twin marvels of the internets and international shipping, those of us living in China are still able to enjoy many of the creature comforts we’re used to, the things we crave so badly during a Northern China winter. The books and TV shows, the miscellaneous electronic parts, the new hard drive to store all the downloads we’ve accumulated. After all no one wants to read ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ and ‘Tale of Two Cities’ all winter and few of us want to watch CCTV9 at all.

Amazon

Although Amazon has bought up Chinese auction site Joyo they have maddeningly not created an English version of the site. Fortunately, the regular US based English language Amazon ships to China. Priority shipping should get your goods to you in (according to the Amazon site) 2-4 days, expedited shipping takes, on average, 12-20 days, and standard takes 17-28. More info on Amazon shipping to China here.

The downside to Amazon shipping is that some goods on Amazon come through independent merchants who set their own shipping policies and these policies may not include China so be sure to read the shipping policies before you get too attached to anything.

Alibaba

With Alibaba you never really know what’s going to come out of the lamp. The site is used by manufacturers as well as individual buyers and you many find the perfect shirt at a great price only to find out the minimum order is 10 pieces. Since everything comes through individual sellers – like eBay – payment and shipping terms vary although everything ships within China. The site is available in a variety of languages besides English which will be helpful for the many non-native English speaking expats tired of always having to do everything in English.

Alibaba is not the easiest place to find a new phone or jacket but with a bit of effort you can find some pretty amazing products that Amazon certainly doesn’t have – in English. And it’s certainly amusing. Ever wondered where to buy a cement mixer? Well now you know. You may not have room at home for a potato chip processing line but you must have room for a new watch phone, maybe even room for 100 of them. The buying procedure isn’t as simple or streamlined as it should be but with some patience and perseverance you can come away with a good deal and it’s especially good for businesses needing larger quantities or looking to wholesale.

Paddyfield

For hungry readers who don’t want to wait several weeks for Amazon, Paddyfield may be a better option. Based out of Hong Kong, Paddyfield ships books to the mainland faster and cheaper (usually) than Amazon does. The book selection is thorough and diverse and the Asian fiction session is especially good. The deliveries aren’t super quick – they average about two weeks – but they’re trackable directly through their site. You can pay by credit or international debit card, bank draft, or through T/T if you arrange it with them. The books themselves are sold at good prices – what you would expect to pay in the US or elsewhere.

Bongo – mail forwarding

If you really need something sent to you that you can’t get through Amazon, or locally, Bongo can help you. Bongo is a mail forwarding service that provides you with an address in the US, you have your packages shipped to that address, and Bongo forwards it to you. It’s available for one time users as well as by membership subscription. If you are receiving more than one package they can wait for them all to arrive and ship them to China together to save you money. For 50 cents a photo they’ll even photo your items and send them to you so you can verify the contents and condition of a package before it’s shipped all the way here. You need to register with them first, a process which usually takes one business day. They ship everywhere in China and they are quick about it – to Beijing should only take 3 days. More on their China shipping times.

Chinese-language sites

Taobao

If you speak Chinese or have a good helper there are several Chinese sites that offer similar services. Taobao is the auction wing of Alibaba – think eBay but Chinese. Like eBay they offer a wide range of consumer electronics, shoes, and MP3 players shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. You can read more on Taobao here.

Joyo

Although owned by Amazon, using Joyo has some advantages over using its parent company – mainly that you pay for the item on delivery which ensures you get the proper item in the proper condition.

Dangdang

It’s too bad Dangdang is all in Chinese because the site’s design and wide range of products are both pretty sweet. They even have a bookstore section although the English titles are mostly business books available off of street carts for cheaper prices (although not much cheaper).
 

Related Links
Getting the Goods – Shopping Online in China
5 International Shopping Websites That Ship to China
Planes and Plastic – Using an International Credit Card to Buy Plane Tickets in China

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