Shopping on Taobao can be easier if you know where to check whether the item is available in stock or not, and we will explain it to you! The quantity of items in stock is not always updated, or information is often incorrect. We want to help you understand how to know if the item is in stock.
On the Taobao product page, you can always see the product’s stock quantity (highlighted and pointed out in the following screenshot). However, such information might not be accurate or updated in real-time with every seller, so sometimes the product might not be available with the particular seller you are checking, regardless of whatever stock quantity is listed. What a dismay to find out that your desired item is out of stock after spending so much time and effort reviewing and deciding about it! We understand your frustration, and Parcel Up will now tell you how to check other information to ensure you are buying from a seller who most probably has the product.
Buy from good rating sellers
The rule of thumb is to always buy from sellers with good ratings on Taobao, as they are more likely to have more items in stock and provide more accurate information. In such case, you don’t need to worry about any listed items not being available for purchase, and here is How to find good Taobao sellers?
Use statistics on the product page
First, go to taobao.com and use its search function to look up an item (you might want to read about how to search on Taobao?). Once you enter the product page of a selected item, you will see a lot of information, which could be very confusing. You can use your browser extension to translate the full page to make things much easier, and our following screenshots will also help you better understand the important information.
Taobao offers many useful statistics on the product page from the transaction history. On the following screenshot, mouse over to the number 201 (the Chinese underneath is 交易成功, meaning successful transactions), wait for a second, and you will see a small explanation box (underlined in blue) pop out stating: within 30 days, 284 pieces sold, and 201 successful transactions. If you don’t see the part where the mouse is on the screenshot, you probably need to widen your browser. When you are looking at a product that had many successful transactions in the past month, it means the seller most probably has a large stock, or the stock quantity listed is usually accurate, so as long as the number is not 0, you will be able to buy it.
Check customer review dates
Your second option is to check customer reviews on the product page. Next to the 201 successful transactions, there is another number, 1983 (the Chinese underneath is 累计评论, meaning accumulated reviews). Click on the number 1983 to view customer reviews.
The page then jumps to the customer review section, as in the screenshot below. Go to the field where the arrow points, and you will see a drop-down menu, select the second option (“最近评论:” Latest reviews).
Then you will see the reviews listed in the order of time as below, and you can check the dates of the latest reviews (the time of review is listed at the bottom of each review). It is more likely that a product with very recent reviews is in stock compared to those whose last reviews were a few months or even longer.
Contact Parcel Up Support
Products on Taobao sell super fast since Taobao has become the largest marketplace in Asia. As more new products or newer generations come out, certain products are no longer being produced. Sometimes your desired item is not on the Taobao market anymore. This statement on the seller’s page circled on the screenshot indicates that the item is not available (“此宝贝已下架:” this item has been removed off shelves). In such a case, you could contact our support on Facebook, and we might be able to double-check with the seller or help you find similar items upon request.
In brief, to make sure that you are buying an item that is in stock:
- Choose sellers on Taobao with higher ratings;
- Find items that have at least several successful transactions over the past month;
- Select items that have more recent reviews;
- Contact Parcel Up customer support by making a request on our Facebook page.
Enjoy shopping with Parcel Up!