In-depth experience of Amazon overseas direct shopping: the things are really cheap!

The full launch of the US direct purchase business has attracted the attention of the entire industry. For overseas shopping consumers, the "low price and genuine products" of overseas channels make "shopping enthusiasts" unable to stop. Currently, there are two main ways of overseas shopping: direct mail from overseas official websites and international logistics transfer. The relatively simple purchasing agent, as a third and less sunny way of overseas shopping, is also active in the e-commerce circle. The reporter deeply experienced these three ways and compared their advantages and disadvantages.

Direct mail: low price, good quality, slow delivery

Amazon.com currently allows direct shipping to China, but not all categories. According to the official website, most products can be shipped to overseas markets. The reporter recently discovered that some men's and women's shoes and boots can be directly supplied to China, and quickly placed an order to experience overseas direct shipping.

In terms of process, the process of Amazon in the United States is similar to that of Taobao: select the product - fill in personal information (name, mailing address in China, zip code, mobile phone number) - select the delivery method - fill in credit card information - check the order details. In addition to confirming various information, you also need to check the product price, shipping costs, prepaid tariffs and other items. Since there is no Chinese version of the page yet, consumers who are not good at English may only choose to purchase on behalf of others. Amazon said that it will launch a Chinese page in the future, which can support RMB pricing.

In this experience, the reporter chose two pairs of sports shoes that were on sale. If the purchase amount was over $150, Amazon would provide free shipping. The price of a pair of men's shoes purchased by the reporter was about RMB 820 on Amazon, while the price of the product on JD.com was RMB 990. In addition, consumers can enjoy a 20% discount on purchases over $150 on Amazon. After the discount, the men's shoes are nearly RMB 300 cheaper than the price of Chinese e-commerce. The free shipping information shows that the shoes will be shipped directly to China between the 8th and 16th. The prepaid tariff is $18, and the excess will be refunded without supplementing the shortage. Consumers do not have to worry about customs clearance procedures.

After completing the entire shopping experience, the reporter found that the price of Amazon in the United States has a considerable advantage in the field of overseas shopping, but the logistics speed is relatively slower than the domestic consumer experience of 1-3 days. However, whether it is customs clearance procedures or product quality, Amazon is trustworthy.

Since not all categories can be shipped directly to China, especially third-party flagship stores often do not support direct shipping, consumers have to choose forwarding services. In the future, after Amazon fully opens up direct shipping to China, these aspects will be the key to attracting consumers.

Transshipment: Postage is convenient but customs clearance is complicated

Transshipment, as the name suggests, means choosing a third-party courier company to forward the goods you purchase from overseas websites back to China. For consumers who are in China but shop on overseas websites, this gives their parcels an extra destination before they reach the hands of the consumers.

At present, the transit platforms frequently used by consumers include Transshipment China, Fenglei, Transshipment Sifang, Youjia, Haigou Fengyun, etc. Taking Fenglei as an example, consumers need to pay Fenglei for international shipping and domestic express delivery after placing an order. Compared with direct mail, there is an extra link, and the transit time is relatively long, up to 14-21 days.

It is understood that in order to avoid taxes, some transshipment platforms will take some measures. Some goods can pass through customs safely, while some goods need to be sampled. The reporter shipped a cosmetics through Haigou Fengyun. When passing through customs, the courier called the reporter and said that the customs clearance fee needs to be paid 220 yuan. If you want this product, you need to pay the customs clearance fee. If you don’t pay, you will not receive the product. Consumers often choose to pay the customs clearance fee, but the long waiting period and the premise that it cannot guarantee smooth customs clearance make many consumers hesitate.

Purchasing on behalf of others: Simple operation but difficult to guarantee supply

Taobao is the earliest e-commerce platform for overseas shopping, and countless small sellers make a living by doing so. Consumers who are not familiar with English and do not have shipping channels often ask overseas relatives or friends or Taobao purchasing agents to make their overseas purchases. In addition to paying the price of the goods, consumers also need to pay the purchasing agent a purchasing fee and a courier fee.

If the product is in stock, it will take 1-4 weeks to reach the consumer, and 4-5 weeks if it is not in stock. As Alibaba's regular overseas shopping network, Tmall Global does not require consumers to pay a purchasing fee, and goods in the bonded area are also free of international shipping and can be delivered within 7 days.

For small purchasing agents, consumers only need to place orders as they would on ordinary Taobao shopping, specifying the product model and recipient information. The entire purchase process is handled by the seller, which saves consumers a lot of trouble. However, whether the purchased products are genuine and whether they can pass customs smoothly is the biggest concern for consumers who use purchasing agents. Cases of receiving high-quality counterfeit goods and products being seized by customs are not uncommon.

A purchasing agent told the reporter that even those who claim to charge zero yuan for purchasing on behalf of others will certainly "take advantage" of consumers. Some merchants who do not charge purchasing fees will take advantage of the mall discount season to stock up on goods and then sell them to consumers at the original price, thereby making a profit from the price difference. If consumers place an order by name and the product is out of stock, they will tend to buy it at a discount supermarket and try not to choose products at the original price of the counter.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.