How to buy reps from China — complete beginner guide

What are reps?

Reps (short for replicas) are unauthorized copies of branded items — most commonly sneakers, bags, clothing, and accessories. They're made in Chinese factories, sometimes the same factories that produce the originals, and sold at a fraction of retail price.

The community uses the word “reps” as a neutral term. Quality varies enormously — cheap copies look nothing like the real thing, while the best reps (called high-batch) are nearly indistinguishable. The rep community on Reddit (r/fashionreps, r/RepLadies, r/Repsneakers) obsessively tracks which factories and sellers produce the best version of each item.

Is it legal? Laws vary by country. Importing counterfeit goods for personal use sits in a grey area in most Western countries. Packages rarely get seized at customs for small personal quantities, but it's not risk-free. Do your own research for your country before ordering.

What is Taobao — and Weidian and 1688?

These are China's main consumer marketplaces. Think of them like a Chinese Amazon or eBay, but with millions of small independent sellers. Most rep listings live on one of these three platforms:

• Taobao — China's largest marketplace, owned by Alibaba. The most rep sellers are here. The site is entirely in Chinese. URLs look like item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=…
• Weidian — A smaller mobile-first platform. Many rep sellers prefer it because it's less policed than Taobao. URLs look like weidian.com/item.html?itemID=…
• 1688 — Alibaba's wholesale platform. Cheaper per item but originally designed for bulk orders. Some rep sellers operate here too. URLs look like detail.1688.com/offer/…

None of these platforms ship internationally directly. That's why you need a buying agent.

What is a buying agent?

A buying agent is a middleman service based in China. You give them a product link, they buy it on your behalf, store it in their warehouse, take quality-check photos so you can inspect it, then ship it to you internationally.

What you pay:

• Item price — the price shown on Taobao/Weidian, converted from CNY
• Domestic shipping — a small fee (usually ¥5–15) to move the item from the seller to the agent's warehouse
• Service fee — most agents charge 0–10% on top of the item price. Some like CNFans charge 0% on Taobao orders
• International shipping — the biggest variable. Depends on package weight, destination, and which shipping line you choose

Popular agents include CNFans, Kakobuy, Sugargoo, ACBuy, and Superbuy. They all do the same job — they differ in fees, shipping rates, UI quality, and how good their QC photos are. Compare agents side-by-side →

Step 1 — Find a product

You need to find a specific listing on Taobao, Weidian, or 1688. There are a few ways to do this:

• Community spreadsheets — the rep community maintains public Google Sheets listing trusted sellers for popular items (Nike Dunks, Supreme hoodies, LV bags, etc.). Search “[item name] rep spreadsheet” or “[item name] W2C” on Reddit.
• Reddit W2C threads — post in r/fashionreps, r/RepLadies, or r/Repsneakers asking “W2C [item]” (Where To Cop). The community will link you to the right seller.
• Search inside an agent — agents like CNFans and Kakobuy have a built-in Taobao search. You can search in English; the agent translates and shows you results.
• Image search — paste a product image into the search bar on Taobao (their image search is good). Or use the search on any agent's site — most support reverse image search.

Before buying, check if there are multiple “batches” of the item (different factories, different quality). Search “[item] rep review batch comparison” on Reddit or repspy.com to see which seller/batch is best.

Step 2 — Get the product link

Once you find the listing you want, copy the full URL from your browser. It should look something like one of these:

• https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=728493021847
• https://weidian.com/item.html?itemID=4982039471
• https://detail.1688.com/offer/672930492.html

If you found the item on Reddit or a spreadsheet, the link is usually already there. If you're on the Taobao mobile app, use the share button to get the link — it may come as a text blob like “¥abc123¥ check this out https://…” — that's fine, Haulkit handles it.

Short links (like m.tb.cn/xxxxx) need to be expanded first. Open the short link in a browser and copy the full URL from the address bar.

Step 3 — Convert the link with Haulkit

This is where Haulkit comes in. Rather than manually navigating to each agent's site and re-searching for the product (which is tedious and error-prone), you paste the link once and get a ready-to-use link for every agent instantly.

1. Go to the Link Converter
2. Paste your Taobao, Weidian, or 1688 link into the input field
3. You'll see a card for every major agent, each with a direct link to that exact product on their site
4. Click “Estimate Cost →” on any agent card to see a landed cost breakdown — item price + agent fee + estimated shipping

The links Haulkit generates are “agent-ready” — they open directly on the product page inside the agent's site, with the correct item pre-loaded. You don't need to search again.

Not sure which agent to use? Check the agent comparison table for a side-by-side look at fees, shipping rates, and payment options.

Step 4 — Pick an agent and place the order

Once you've picked an agent, click through from Haulkit. You'll land on the product page inside the agent's site.

1. Create an account on the agent's site if you don't have one. It's free.
2. Select size and quantity on the product page. If the size selector is in Chinese, use our Size Converter to translate.
3. Add to cart and pay for the item. At this stage you only pay the item price + domestic shipping (the small China-internal fee). International shipping is paid later.
4. The agent buys the item from the seller and it's shipped to their warehouse — this usually takes 3–7 days.

Payment: Most agents accept PayPal (Goods & Services), credit/debit cards, and sometimes crypto. Avoid PayPal Friends & Family — it offers no buyer protection.

Step 5 — QC photos and shipping

Once your item arrives at the agent's warehouse, they take QC (quality check) photos and upload them to your account. This is your chance to inspect the item before it leaves China — once it ships internationally, returns become very difficult.

What to check:

• Compare photos against retail references side-by-side
• Check stitching, logos, labels, colorways, and any visible defects
• For shoes: check the sole, toe box, heel tab, and insole
• For bags: check stitching corners, hardware, zipper alignment, and lining

If everything looks good, give it a GL (Green Light) — this tells the agent to ship it. If you spot a problem, you can RL (Red Light) it and request a refund or replacement from the seller.

Need more detail? Read the full QC Guide →

Once you GL, you select a shipping line. Agents offer multiple options — economy lines are cheaper but slower (2–5 weeks); express lines are faster (1–2 weeks) but cost significantly more. Use the Shipping Calculator to compare costs by weight and destination before deciding.

Most agents give you 60–90 days of free storage, so you don't have to ship immediately after QC. Many buyers wait until they have several items to ship together (called a haul) to save on international shipping.

Step 6 — Receive your package

After shipping, you'll get a tracking number. Economy lines typically show limited tracking updates until the package enters your country's postal system. Express lines (DHL, YunExpress Priority) have full end-to-end tracking.

Customs: Most small packages pass through without issue. Customs rules vary by country — in the US and UK, packages under a certain declared value ($800 US / £135 UK) are typically not subject to duty, though individual customs officers have discretion. Agents usually under-declare value and mark packages as “gifts” or “samples” by default.

When it arrives, take unboxing photos or video — this is your only recourse if something is damaged in transit. Most agents cover shipping damage claims if you have documentation.

That's it. Post your haul on Reddit, help other beginners, and repeat.

Common questions

Do I need to speak Chinese?

No. Agents like CNFans, Kakobuy, and Sugargoo have full English-language interfaces. The underlying Chinese marketplace listings are in Chinese, but you never need to read them — the agent handles everything. Haulkit's tools are all in English.

How do I know which batch/seller is best?

Check Reddit (r/fashionreps, r/Repsneakers, r/RepLadies) and repspy.com before ordering. Search for “[item name] rep review” or “[item name] batch comparison”. The community documents everything obsessively.

What's the cheapest way to ship?

Economy lines (standard post, EMS Economy) are cheapest — roughly $15–25 for a 500g package to the US. For heavier hauls, per-kg rates matter more. Use the Shipping Calculator to compare rates across agents and lines.

Can I order from multiple sellers in one shipment?

Yes — this is called a haul and it's the most efficient way to buy. You order items from different sellers, they all ship to the agent warehouse separately, then you consolidate and ship internationally together. Use the Haul Builder to plan it.

How long does the whole process take?

Roughly: 3–7 days to the agent warehouse → 1–3 days QC → you approve and select shipping → 2–5 weeks to your door (economy line). Total: 3–8 weeks for most orders. Express lines cut transit to 1–2 weeks.

Which agent should I start with?

For most beginners: CNFans (0% service fee on Taobao, clean UI, solid QC) or Kakobuy (good English support, fast turnaround). Both are beginner-friendly. See the full agent comparison →