Choosing
Four decisions, and who carries each one
Most of what goes wrong with an order was decided before it was placed. Not in a dramatic way; in the ordinary way of picking the cheaper line without reading what that line does when a parcel goes missing.
Four choices matter. This page takes each one and says who ends up carrying it if it goes badly, which is a more useful frame than a list of tips. The full chain of custody behind that is on the handoffs page, and the shelf by shelf conditions are on the categories page.
Choosing between similar entries
Two entries for what looks like the same item usually differ in ways the photos cannot show.
The size chart is the only size authority
Charts are flat measurements in centimetres, not body measurements. Where you order a size that does not fit, the official table files it under the customer.
Colour names refer to batches, not shades
A colour that arrives different from the photo is not automatically a seller fault. Where the seller checks and concludes there is no quality issue, the case comes back to you along with the fees.
Sending something else entirely
Wrong colour, wrong size, wrong item. That is the seller row on the official table, and the customer does not pay for the return.
Choosing a line is choosing a compensation standard
The quote screen shows price and an estimated time. It does not show the two things that matter when something goes wrong: the compensation standard that line pays against, and whether it offers overseas re-delivery at all.
The official delivery notice is blunt about the second one. Some lines have no overseas re-delivery or return service, and a parcel returned to the carrier overseas warehouse will not be sent out again. That is not a rare edge case; it is what happens after one missed delivery attempt on the wrong line.
Putting the parcel together
Consolidation is where the arithmetic changes, because freight is quoted on the parcel rather than on the items in it.
Decide what travels together
Items sit in the warehouse under the free storage period, so waiting for a second order to arrive is normal practice rather than a trick.
Remember what repacking does
The original courier box is removed and the goods are repacked into a sealed bag unless the item is fragile or oversized. If a box matters to you, that is a thing to raise before dispatch, not after.
Weigh the bulky item separately in your head
One coat can cost more to send than everything else combined. It is often the item that decides whether the parcel is worth sending at all.
Read the risk alerts
The customs page describes alerts shown at order and review time, and lower risk methods being recommended once goods reach the warehouse. Those alerts are the cheapest advice on the site.
Choosing between agents at all
If you are comparing this agent against others, compare the currency column rather than the fee column. An agent charging a visible six percent service fee with a low conversion can land cheaper than one charging nothing visible.
The other axis worth comparing is how much of the responsibility framework is written down. Storage periods and photograph counts are easy to advertise. A table naming who pays for a return in each situation is harder to write and more useful to read.
Choosing a Spreadsheet site
A useful catalogue lets you reach the original seller, tells you what its product cards leave out and keeps the buying guide easy to find. Prefer specific option and measurement information to claims that every item is the best. Check whether a dated price or promotion is still available before relying on it.
Use this catalogue to discover a product, then make the final decision on the current seller listing. Read what a catalogue entry includes.
Checking the seller before paying
Look for recent feedback about the same item and variant, buyer photographs, a clear measurement chart and written return conditions. Store age or a high sales count alone cannot tell you how your selected item will arrive.
If the listing uses the same picture for different versions, ask which materials, size and accessories belong to the option you selected. Keep the reply with the order and compare it with the warehouse photos. Continue to ordering and QC.