The Spreadsheet Index: Every Agent and Marketplace, Side by Side

Which shopping agents are working this month?

Status is the first thing to check, because a spreadsheet tied to a closed agent is only useful once you move its links. We re-check every agent monthly against its own website, rep.tools status write-ups and Trustpilot activity. "Unclear" means the sources genuinely disagree — for ACBuy, a working homepage against repeated closure reports; for MuleBuy, unconfirmed raid rumours against a working site and stuck-order reviews.

Sources are listed on each agent's page. Status can change within days.

Verdict: Pick from the green rows. If your spreadsheet uses a red or amber agent, convert the links first with the link converter.

How do agent fees and free storage compare?

Headline fees matter less than they look: most agents charge little or nothing to buy, and make their margin on shipping and exchange rates. Still, the differences are real at the edges — CSSBuy's clear 6%, HooBuy's 8% clause, Superbuy's ¥20 cap on Weidian — and free storage ranges from 60 days at LoveGoBuy to up to 180 advertised by Basetao.

Sources: the agents' own pages where they publish fees, rep.tools profiles, and Trustpilot (fetched Sept 26–28, 2026). 'Score withdrawn' means Trustpilot removed the rating after guideline breaches. A dash means no primary source confirmed it.

For the full picture on any one agent — how QC works, how shipping is quoted, what reviewers complain about — open its page from the status table above.

Which marketplaces need a shopping agent?

The marketplace spreadsheets answer a different question from the agent pages: can you buy there yourself? Three of Alibaba's own marketplaces — 1688, Taobao and Tmall — are built for buyers inside China, as is Weidian, so an agent is the normal route. Alibaba.com and AliExpress, DHgate, Temu, SHEIN, Hacoo and Amazon all sell to you directly.

Details and sources on each marketplace page.

Verdict: If the link is Weidian, 1688 or Taobao, use an agent. If it's AliExpress, DHgate, Temu, SHEIN or Amazon, buy direct — and compare returns rules before you do.

How to choose an agent in five questions

1. Is it working this month? Only consider green rows in the status table.
2. What does it charge on your platform? Most are free on Taobao and 1688; check the Weidian fee if your list is mostly Weidian.
3. How long will you take to build a parcel? Slow shoppers need long free storage — KakoBuy's 100 days or Basetao's advertised 180, not LoveGoBuy's 60.
4. How much QC do you want? Six photos at HooBuy, a weight shot at Oopbuy, a video at LoveGoBuy.
5. How will you pay? Prefer PayPal or a card for the dispute route; USFans, LoveGoBuy, Basetao and others take PayPal.

After that, the deciding number is almost always the shipping quote to your country. Our landed-cost estimator adds duty and VAT, and the buying process explains each step from link to parcel.