Beginner guide
What is a shopping agent?
A shopping agent is a company that buys from Chinese marketplaces for customers abroad. You send them a product link and size. They pay locally, receive the parcel, and ship it to your address.
Why marketplaces need a middle layer
Weidian, Taobao, and 1688 are built for domestic buyers — local payment, local addresses, and fast in-country shipping. If you live outside China, checkout usually does not work without help.
An agent gives sellers a warehouse address in China and converts your payment so the order can go through.
Typical workflow
You submit a link, pay the item price plus a service fee, and wait for domestic delivery to the warehouse. Staff can photograph the product for QC. When you are happy — or when you have more items ready — you pay freight and the parcel leaves for your country.
Agents vs forwarding-only services
Some services only reship parcels you already bought. Full agents also place the order, track seller shipment, and offer QC in the dashboard. For most finds on this site, you want the full agent flow.
Where LitBuy Finds helps
Instead of hunting raw links in a spreadsheet, you can filter finds by brand or category, read QC references when they exist, and open a pre-mapped agent link. Still compare the listing yourself before paying.
Common questions
- Is an agent the same as a reseller?
- Usually no. Agents buy the specific listing you choose and charge service and shipping fees. They are not picking random stock to mark up unless you use a curated shop inside the agent app.
- Can I buy without an agent?
- Some sellers offer direct international shipping, but it is uncommon on the marketplaces behind most finds here. For those listings, an agent or similar forwarder is the practical route.