Agent buying has two payments and a warehouse stop in the middle. Most first-time confusion comes from expecting one checkout like Amazon.
Pair this with how to use the ZentBuy spreadsheet if you are still picking finds.
1. Create the account (invite / coupon)
Register through the coupons page so the invite code and new-user shipping discount can apply. Read the coupon & invite guide — the headline “40% off shipping” is freight-component only.
2. Open the item from the spreadsheet
From a find on this site, use View / Order on ZentBuy, or paste a Weidian / Taobao / 1688 / JD link into ZentBuy search. 1688 listings often have a minimum order quantity — check before you pay.
3. First payment: item + domestic shipping
You pay the seller’s item price and shipping to the China warehouse. ZentBuy states no agent service fee on the item. Watch the exchange-rate markup (measured at about 11.2% over mid-market on 2026-11-08 on this site’s notes). Product cards here show ~USD at CNY÷7.2 as a reference only.
4. Warehouse arrival and free QC
Staff photograph and weigh the piece. Published notes commonly cite 3–6 free photos, with custom angles around ¥1. This is the step beginners skip. Use the QC checklist before you approve.
Decisions while it is still in China:
- Approve — ready to consolidate
- Exchange — wrong size / colour if the seller allows
- Return — cancel before international freight
5. Storage window: consolidate on purpose
Free storage is reported as 90 days from shelving, hard stop around 120. Order slow sellers first. One 3 kg parcel is almost always cheaper than three 1 kg parcels because every shipment carries base handling.
6. Second payment: freight + declaration
- Select warehouse items for one haul.
- Run the Freight Estimator with real weight (and volume).
- Pick a line for your country — start with US, UK, Germany or Australia.
- Apply the shipping coupon if eligible.
- Set declaration value + generic description (how to declare).
- Pay freight and save the tracking number.
7. Track and inspect on arrival
Follow the carrier site as well as the agent app. Photograph the outer box if it looks damaged. Claim windows are usually short.
First-haul mistakes to avoid
- Spending the shipping coupon on a single light pair of shoes when a bigger haul is coming
- Approving QC without checking size labels
- Declaring $10 on a heavy box (implausible = delay risk)
- Ignoring volumetric weight on sneakers and puffers — see shipping weight