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Buying and QC on Oopbuy with the clock in mind
The decisions you make before and just after an item arrives decide how long it sits on the shelf. Here is what Oopbuy's free QC covers, how to check photos inside the 120-hour window, how to choose sellers and items, and the goods that never leave the warehouse.
This page: before day 0 and the first five days
Read the photograph before guessing about the item
In this actual warehouse example you can compare the shoes, their colour, the visible upper and the box. You cannot see the complete outsole, insole length or every size marking. A useful extra request names the missing view, such as both tongue labels or a ruler alongside the insole.
The overlay describes the item as inspected, including packaging then present. It is not the final chargeable parcel weight. Keep the saved seller variant and measurements next to the photo, and raise a specific discrepancy promptly.
QC · what is covered
QC photos: what Oopbuy's quality check covers
The warehouse opens each arriving box to look for prohibited goods, then weighs it before shelving. Oopbuy's Inspection Information page says staff verify quantity, colour, size and other specifications, then repack items in Oopbuy self-sealing bags. Standard QC photos are free; the regular set is “generally three”.
Three things are explicitly outside the check: colour difference, size error and usage effect; whether electrical and digital products work; and the inside of sealed CDs, handmade or adult products. Extra detailed photos cost 1 RMB each, and a fuller custom shoot is a paid service.
QC · coverage map
What the QC photos can and cannot tell you
Treat QC photos as proof of what arrived, not of how it will wear. They are good at catching the wrong size label, the wrong colourway, a missing item or a visible stain. They cannot tell you whether a charger works, whether a sealed item is complete inside, or whether the fit matches your usual size.
That shapes what you check first and what you pay extra to see.
QC · reading order
How to check QC photos inside the 120-hour window
Open the photos as soon as the status changes. Check the size tag and label first, because a wrong size is the clearest reason to ask for an exchange. Then compare colour against the seller's own photos, then look at seams, stitching and print edges. Order a 1 RMB detailed photo only for the exact spot you doubt.
The published conditional guarantee uses 120 hours under its next-whole-hour stock-in rule. Seller eligibility, resaleable condition and exclusions still apply. A date-only storage planner cannot give this exact deadline; ask support promptly if the guarantee window has passed.
Returns · the rules
The return and exchange rules behind that window
The Returns and Refunds page lists what cannot be returned under the guarantee: custom-made items, products with tags removed, newspapers and periodicals, second-hand goods, products from outside mainland China, undergarments, adult products, items the seller excludes, food, books in lots of fifteen or more, and opened products that need special return packing.
For eligible items the seller must offer guaranteed returns and the item must be resaleable. You pay return shipping, and if there was no free-shipping offer, both legs. The seller has the final say.
Sellers · signals
How to choose a seller with storage in mind
Oopbuy's own User Registration Agreement suggests choosing a store “with a reputation of three or more hearts” on Taobao, and warns that low-reputation stores invite disputes over non-delivery and after-sales. For your storage clock, add speed: a seller who takes two weeks to ship makes every other item in your parcel age while you wait.
Check that the seller offers guaranteed returns, since the five-day exchange depends on it, and look for buyer photos in reviews, which cut down on QC surprises.
Items · choosing
How to choose an item you will not need to return
Measure a piece you already own and compare it with the listing's size chart in centimetres, not with its S, M or L label. Check the listed weight, because a heavier item can push a parcel onto a different line. Check stock status: pre-sale items can take weeks to reach Xiamen.
And check eligibility before you buy, not after QC: underwear, food, custom pieces and second-hand goods cannot be exchanged, so a mistake with one of those simply waits out its storage period.
Before you pay · checklist
A short checklist before you pay for an item
Four questions catch most of the problems that later become storage problems. Is the item on the prohibited list? Is it a liquid, paste, powder or medicine that needs a word with support? Will it arrive in time to ship with the rest, or start a second clock? Is it from outside mainland China, and so outside the five-day exchange?
If any answer is unclear, ask before paying. A question to support costs a few minutes. An item that cannot ship, or that holds a parcel past day 90, costs the item.
Before you order · cautions
Before you order: things that never ship
The Shopping Guidelines refuse tobacco, alcohol and a long list of contraband, from kitchen knives and lighters to seeds and magnetic parts. On counterfeit and IP-infringing goods the wording is blunt: “The Platform reserves the right to destroy such goods directly in-warehouse. Shipment and refunds will not be granted.”
That clock is zero days. An item destroyed at inspection never reaches storage at all, and the money is gone. Medicines, liquids, pastes and cosmetic powders are restricted by China Customs export rules, so ask support before ordering them.
