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7 Tips Taobao China e-site useful sources

7 Tips Taobao

Note: We have updated the Taobao information list and added new sources on how to use China’s largest online shopping sites locally.

You will need a Chinese phone number, a credit card or PPS for foreign cards. Shipping mail address in China and email address. Which basically excludes foreigners outside of China to shop on Taobao, but if you happen to plan on living in China for study or work it’s worth the process to open an account.

Taobao is the biggest consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce platform based in China. The Chinese online sites might look like a daunting process, but we’ve found some helpful sites with advice, tips and how-to’s to get you started.

Take your time to read the shared information on the use of agents as go-in-between too and decide which route or process you prefer to follow to make your first purchase(s).

You want to choose a trustworthy and experienced seller by looking at his profile with records of how many processed transactions and successful delivery. The same process as shopping on Ebay, counts for picking an agent as an outside buyer.

Taobao Focus We help you buy all kinds of products offered at an incredibly low price from China’s biggest domestic online shopping website.
YoYCart Connects individual sellers as well as small businesses from China factories.
These are just two examples there are many more internet agents who provide e-shopping services.

Update: Previously this blog post title had 6 Tips how to use Taobao shopping site in China. We added new information click on the provided links for tutorials and guides with step-by-step information.

7 Tips Taobao China e-site useful sources

Taobaofocus
The Ultimate Taobao Guide for Foreigners | Hao Hao Report.
Tmall and Taobao how-to guide
How to order from outside China | Reddit NEW
How to buy from Taobao | Taobao field guide NEW
Shopping process in engtaobao.com
Taobao tutorial in China on Vimeo
~~Tutorial how-to-buy on Taobao~~ Website seems no longer to be active.

WSET wine course in Leiden

After years of enjoying many and more glasses of wines and spirits I decided to sign up for the International Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), qualification Level 2 and 3. The WSET wine course is the largest wine educator in the world with 56,000 students per year in 62 countries. The institution has become the international standard for sommeliers, importers, retailers and hospitality. This action does not come as a surprise for my inner circle, who are familiar with my entrepreneurial history in the restaurant business. The enrollment was just a delay due to travel and living abroad. What’s not to like in another discovery trail and acquiring a certificate for wine appreciation it is hitting two birds with one stone.

WSET wine course in Leiden

The above mentioned WSET wine course has approved program providers in The Netherlands ensuring the high standards of teaching. From the listed companies on the WSET wine course page in Dutch I have chosen the Dutch educational company “Wijnstudio”. The Wine Studio claims since 2005 the highest exam results for the International Wine Certificate with 99 graduates in one take and 71 graduates for Wine Professional (Source: wsetglobal.com).

The Winestudio is an independent company, who does not sell wines nor being tied to an importer. The company also focuses in addition to the educational courses on gastronomy, the pairing of wine and food taste in flavor and aroma. For those who aspire a professional career and wonder what the education differences entails here are two summarized articles to consider on wine courses; comparison of wine certifications; Guide to Wine education courses. More information in the Wine education widget as listed on our Asianfoodtrail ZEEF page.

Having viewed Dutch wine educational websites information and comparing course fees, it was enlightening to notice their graduates success rate. While this is encouraging information, the decision maker however was distance for preferred location. The WSET wine course program is being held in my present hometown Leiden at a new course location this year. Instead of a bored meeting room it is being hosted now at the wine shop La Bordelaise which lies conveniently in the heart of the city.

Last night entering the class room, all students received the course material and the box with tasting glasses. The Level 2 Award course began with our teacher opening the first bottle of the evening, a Royer Brut Champagne, France. Although we received a wine tasting list overview, I wished I had remembered to take a snapshot of the wine labels. Besides illustration purpose I wanted to test a new mobile wine app, coming up in a next post.

Unboxing of WSET level 2 award