Review of 86OF – Ocean freight to Singapore for Taobao and China goods

I don’t know what is it is with the Chinese, that they love to use numbers in their branding. Ezbuy was 65daigou previously, and they had to undertake a labourious re-branding exercize. Now we have 86OF, also a parcel forwarding company. In case you’re interested, here are some articles that explain why the Chinese love to use numbers in their URLs and branding. By the way, 65 is the phone number country code for Singapore, and 86 is for China. Sorry for the sarcasm, but how creative is that!

Moving on to 86OF, i’ve been wanting to give them a go, and i finally did. The main attraction is the price. Typically, ocean freight shipment requires that you take up at least 1 cubic metre (CBM) of volume each time, which is hard to achieve for retail consumers, unless a few people pool together to do the shipping. Enter 86OF. They let you ship a minimum of 0.1 CBM, which is a lot easier to attain for retail customers. 0.1 CBM of volume is roughly equivalent to 5 rice cookers. The price for shipping 0.1 CBM is S$11.50, which is a lot cheaper than what it will cost if you used ezbuy (it will cost you S$120 and ezbuy no longer does sea freight). Update: price for 0.1 CBM is now increased to S$13, still cheap.

There is a limit as to how many separate parcels you can consolidate at a time. Every parcel will be counted as taking up a minimum of 0.01 CBM regardless of its actual size. This means you can consolidate up to 10 parcels each time when you ship 0.1 CBM. Update: there used to be a limit of 10 parcels when shipping up to 0.5 CBM but this limit has been removed.

Take note also that shipping via ocean freight means GST will be incurred always, but you will probably save from the lower shipping fee despite paying GST anyway.

If you ship 0.5 CBM or more of goods, you get free home delivery. Do note that if your parcels exceed 0.5 CBM, you will be charged the 1 CBM shipping fee, which means you should either try to avoid hitting 0.5 CBM, or ship as much as you can. If your goods are under 0.5 CBM, you have the choice of paying for 0.5 CBM (S$59) to get the free home delivery. Which means, if your goods are above 0.3 CBM (which costs $39), you might want to just pay for 0.5 CBM and get free home delivery.

It is a no-brainer to ship all your bulky goods through 86OF, including furniture and such.

My very first shipment through 86OF worked pretty well, and these are the plus points:

  • Instant SMS notification (update: this is no longer done as it is obviously too costly) for every parcel that arrives at the warehouse in China (Update: they no longer send any SMS, which is expected since it is costly)
  • Shipment to Singapore took place within 2 days after submission to ship
  • Arrival in Singapore was 14 days from date of submission to ship, as promised
  • Friendly and responsive (Update: response time varies, and the Chinese way of communication may not come across as friendly to many people) customer service

Here are things that are not so impressive:

  • Broken English in their communication
  • Website not as intuitive (as compared to Ezbuy) (Update: there has been improvements in this area)
  • I’m not sure what went wrong but the status was stuck in “Arrived in Singapore (到达新加坡)” for quite a few days. When i called to check, i was told my goods were ready for collection. I suspect they might have forgotten to update the status. Anyway, i think this was probably a one-off event, but i do worry about their ability to scale when they get more business.
I received this message after i have already collected my goods. They most likely forgot to update the status of my goods as and when it was ready for collection.
The office where you do collection. The sign is so small you’ll likely miss it. There is a ramp leading up to level 3 where they are located. You will have to pay a minimum of SS0.65 for parking.
S$11.50 for all these goods, and i did not fully utilize 0.1 CBM

For the low price and reliability demonstrated, I highly recommend 86OF. Here are the various self-collection points (choose the one nearest to you).

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113 responses to “Review of 86OF – Ocean freight to Singapore for Taobao and China goods”

  1. Ming Avatar
    Ming

    Hi Yen Kai, it’s my first time buying from taobao and I have been reading up on the shipping options and how to calculate shipping charges for the different options. Came across your posts and they have been really helpful, thanks! But being a rookie, I’m honestly still rather confused by the wealth of information out there. Would you advise using 860F ocean freight or a parcel forwarder like px4 for the following items?
    1) 1.5m aluminium portable table 150*60*75cm
    – after folding it’s 75*60cm but no mention of height
    – seller site says 包装体积: 0.03 (I suppose it means 0.03CBM)?
    2) Portable aluminium laptop table 71*48*30cm
    – it is not clear the dimensions after folding, but I suppose 71*48*5cm? The table can’t be folded in half, only the legs can be tucked to the back of table.
    – seller site says 包装体积: 0.1
    3) PVC leather tote bag 29*22*12cm x 2pcs
    4) Foldable travel bag of light fabric 50*40*25cm

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ming, I would definitely recommend 86OF in your case. Item 1 is bulky and will cost you a bomb if shipped any way other than the cubic metre type sea freight.

      The way to calculate the CBM is to convert the measurements into metre and do the multiplication. Since 0.75 X 0.60 = 0.45, assuming the final parcel volume of 0.03 CBM mentioned by seller is accurate, the height would be 0.03 / 0.45 = 0.67 metre in height, which is not unreasonable. There is likely some protective material used in the packing which would mean higher length and width than the dimensions of the table itself.

      The parcel volume of 0.1 quoted by seller for item 2 is definitely unreasonable and likely inaccurate. Going by your estimated dimensions, it would be 0.017 CBM.

      If you take 0.03 and 0.02 as the parcel volume for items 1 and 2, you still have lots of allowance to ship under the minimum shipment of 0.1 CBM with 86OF, and it will cost you only S$11.50 if you do self collection. In fact, I’m pretty sure you can ship all these items (1 to 4) for S$11.50.

      1. Ming Avatar
        Ming

        Thanks a ton Yen Kai! So glad I asked you for advice! I have registered with 86OF and am slowly deciphering their instructions now (great opportunity to polish up my rusty Chinese haha). Hope I get all the steps right and have the items successfully delivered to SG 🙂

  2. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    This is my first time use it. I have some questions to ask the customer service. The staff whoes family name is Guo is super rude. It is a very bad experience for me. After that I ask my friend about this company. she said the company lost her goods and drag very long time to pay her back. she can not communicate well with them. because all the staffs there are unfriendly. it is a nightmare to her. We are not going to use it anymore. my first time and last time.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Emily, sorry to hear about your experience. I hope I don’t encounter the same. I do have a second shipment with them and will report on how it goes.

      I think the language barrier is a problem. I’m not sure if I contacted the same person, but I received instant reply and resolution both times. I communicated in Chinese. I guess they need to employ someone who has a good command of English, but then they also need to keep costs down so we can enjoy low shipping fees.

      Thanks for sharing with us your experience. It serves as a good reference for others to consider whether to peruse 86OF’s service.

  3. RT Avatar
    RT

    Hello, I am currently using oops.. do u think thiis 86OF is better than oops? I have a 0.77 CBM shipment with them and paid $118SGD. Processing time is the thing that is pissing me off. I submitted my order on Satuday and today is Tuesday and they have yet to ship it out.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi RT, I have no idea about oops. I have just done my second shipping with 86of and they shipped my stuff the next day after I submitted to ship, so I’m quite happy with that. More importantly, I paid $31 for 0.24 CBM of goods, so that seems cheaper than oops. In fact, the higher the CBM, the cheaper it gets. A full CBM costs $90 with free delivery thrown in.

  4. April Soh Avatar
    April Soh

    Hi, do you have a step by step to buy things from Taobao and using the forwarder 860F.com? I am getting a whole load of furnitures from Taobao. But I’m not sure if it’s cheaper to use the prime ezbuy or just buy from Taobao and consolidate with a forwarder. And I am not too sure how to use a forwarder if I am going by option 2. Thanks

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi April, unfortunately i am not familiar with ezbuy Prime, and i’ve not done furniture shipping through 86OF either. I believe the process for shipping furniture through 86OF is just the same as shipping regular smaller parcels. In short, you need to sign up an account, buy your items from Taobao and ship to your 86OF address (86OF’s warehouse address plus your account ID as suffix). Thereafter, you lodge a “forecast” entry in your 86OF account and monitor the arrival of the goods at the warehouse. Once all the items have arrived, you can ship them to Singapore. I have written a post with some pointers on how to use 86OF’s website, but i don’t think i will do a step-by-step guide, because i think those who can manage will know what to do without a step-by-step guide, but those who cannot manage will have trouble understanding even a step-by-step guide. This is indeed the “digital divide” that i will not attempt to bridge.

      86OF has something similar to ezbuy Prime, whereby if you buy through their 3-ch website, you will be entitled to subsidized shipping. How it works looks confusing though, you might want to find out more. The advantage of 86OF is that if you ship more than 1 CBM of goods (which is most likely the case if you ship furniture), the home delivery is free.

      As for ezbuy Prime, it does look very attractive with the S$2.99 shipping fee, but you will be limited to choosing only those items they include on their website. If you find items that you want, it could be worthwhile. There is a 5 days trial for S$9.90, but even if you have to pay S$99 for the one year membership, you will save money even if you do only a one-time shipment of furniture. My only worry is, if something is too good to be true, it usually is. One thing is for sure, items sold on ezbuy will cost more than the equivalent item sold on Taobao.

      Ultimately, i can’t help you decide which is better, and you will have to take the risk to find out for yourself. All the best!

  5. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi…

    如果 我的货物 长度: 130cm / 宽度: 30cm / 高度: 40cm / 重量 2kg…,

    do you think can use sea shipping with 860F…? I asked Taobao prouter, they say air shipping costs 1000rmb…around SGD$200. my product only $35 singapore dollar…

    If can go by sea shipping, i wonder does that mean i should consider order a few more bigger items, to make the sea shipping (to fit more inside the given storage space) worthwhile?

    I hope my understanding of sea shipping is accurate…

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Meow, based on the dimensions you have given, your item will be 0.156 CBM (1.3 X 0.3 X 0.4), which means you will theoretically pay around $20.30 for the shipping, plus $2.45 in GST, when you ship with 86of. As long as you have more than 0.1 CBM, you don’t need to ship more stuff to make it more worthwhile. Your understanding of sea shipping is correct for the traditional method of sea shipping whereby you have to ship a minimum of 1 CBM, but with 86of, you only need to ship a minimum of 0.1 CBM, which is quite easy to achieve (and in your case you already exceed this minimum requirement).

      1. Meow Avatar
        Meow

        Hi yenkai,

        Thanks for the quick reply…!

        So based on what you mentioned, it sounds like 86of is different from traditional shipping in the sense that they only require 0.1 CBM. I wonder is it just this company or different companies set their own minimum requirements for dimension…hmm…

        1) I wonder if what I understand is correct, the traditional shipping would be something like those shipping services where they have different box sizes, so you order and send them the parcels you think can fit into say a minimum size box. If after measuring, the shipping company deem one of the parcels or more has exceeded the dimension, then the customer will pay extra for the next bigger size box, am I right? Sounds like daigou65 last time…

        Or are customers paying for the cubic metre “storage space” (without a given box) in those long gigantic containers to store the individual goods…? I suppose both are possible, just different mode of storage…(e.g. a big sofa cannot fit into a box)…hmm…

        2) So besides the previous item (a 200cm wide outdoor umbrella), if I have few other items of different packaging dimensions from Taobao, does that mean the shipping will also be calculated “as per item” using the same formula? Say for e.g. I have a 30cm*30cm*30cm package and a 10*10*20 cm parcel.

        3) Do you know if it’s okay to order the below items via sea shipping…?

        https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=545467026824&toSite=main

        https://world.tmall.com/item/538479195155.htm?spm=a312a.7700714.0.0.Pm54DM

        Do you think it’s possible to ship with 4px…? I managed to ship dehumidifier, mini voice recorder before with 4px. No problems and everything arrived safely… =)

        4) When finalizing Taobao payment, we will reach a page where there is shipping information and 3 options such as taobao direct shipping, consolidation shipping, seller arranged overseas shipping. So where do I change the shipping information to 86of warehouse in china?

        Usually by default of previous consolidation option chose, my subsequent Taobao orders and delivery goes straight to 4PX warehouse at shenzhen.

        5) I read somewhere you are expecting another shipment with 86of…so how did it go?

        Lastly, thank you so much for sharing what you know about Taobao and shipping stuff, these are valuable information that will help many people who are not sure about the procedure or risks. I hope more people will share what they know, especially regarding what kinda electronics stuff they managed to air shipped to Singapore, or what problems they face with say prouter…

        I read somewhere that they are quite serious about clothes with brands and stuff that they think might be fake or pirated…In fact, I don’t dare to try prouter as I fear they might even find fault with hello kitty products or something like that. I find 4px focus not so much on such issues. Hehe… =)

        1. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          Hi Meow, as far as i know, before 86of, all sea freight ship in increments of 1 CBM, so 86of is disrupting the market and others might be following by now.

          1) No box whatsoever. They just dump all the parcels as is into the shipping container. They call this packing.

          2) Yes, the volumetric weight for every item is calculated individually.

          3) The second item may contain battery and if so, is considered sensitive. Otherwise, it should be possible for both items to be shipped via 4PX. If any item cannot be shipped, you will not be allowed to complete the check out anyway. There is a size limit for shipping with the taobao parcel forwarders. See here. Select Sinagpore and click on the 重量体积限制 tab.

          4) You have to go to “帐号管理” which is found under the “Hi, ” drop down menu. On the left hand side, there is a “收货地址”. Add your 86of warehouse address.

          5) It went well. Read my review here.

          You’re welcome. I share everything i know on my blog. i have nothing to lose. i’m not paid to promote any business and i won’t do so unless it is my true opinion. No idea about pirated stuff. i doubt they will bother unless you’re shipping fake branded handbags.

  6. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi yenkai,

    Yes…the first item is heavy, even if not exceeding the 30kg limit, I would not order via 4px cuz air-shipping by kg will be very expensive. I read somewhere 4px only ship normal goods only (not sure if true), this means they might reject sensitive goods at the warehouse. As for sensitive goods, gotta go through Taobao prouter where they will categorize normal and sensitive goods as they deem so.

    1) So…can sensitive items such as possibly electric cooking appliances, and other confirmed sensitive items such as Gopro camera (China brand Shangou/mountain dog) with ion-lithium batteries, ebook readers, china android tablets….be shipped via sea shipping with 86of…?

    2) I know at Taobao….can order sex toys but seller won’t be able to shipped out because it’s prohibited item via 4px. I know cuz my friends and I have tried eventually got a refund through alipay. hahaha…do you think sex toy can be successfully shipped by sea via 86of?

    3) How about liquid stuff…such as charcoal mask peel for blackheads…liquid stuff…china snacks/food….via sea-shipping 86of…?

    4) I found the 帐号管理 and saw the 收货地址. So let’s say after adding a new 86of china address, next time when checking out, I choose the 86of address, does the taobao system automatically blank/grey out the 3 options: Taobao direct shipping/ Taobao consolidated shipping, and contact seller for overseas shipping charges? Don’t mind I ask…think I wanna know more before trying with the settings…afraid of messing it up.. =P

    Again, thank you so much for sharing… =)

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Meow, yes I think you’re right. 4PX might reject items at the warehouse.

      86of explains their policy on sensitive and prohibited items here. In a gist, if you ship just limited quantities (like just one), they will not even bother to charge you extra for the sensitive items. I’ve done it before so I can confirm it’s true.

      1) Yes

      2) It is stated in the same page that sex toys are allowed, and even books containing illicit content.. I’m surprised. Not sure if Singapore customs will deny entry though.

      3) Yes

      4) If my memory does not fail me, I think Taobao will grey out the other options when you have chosen the 86of address as your delivery address. In any case, you can only choose one address per check out, so there’s no cause for worry.

  7. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi yenkai,

    Quote:
    ” your item will be 0.156 CBM (1.3 X 0.3 X 0.4), which means you will theoretically pay around $20.30 for the shipping, plus $2.45 in GST,”

    Can you teach me how the 86of math formula calculation works?

    Another example, if I have
    65cm x 20 x 20 cm = 0.65 x 0.20 x 0.20 = S$….??? (^__^ !)

    item is S$28, weight: 2.3kg…via 4px probably S$10 air shipping = S$38 to S$40.

    lol, I wonder which shipping method more worth it.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Meow, to calculate CBM, just multiply width and length and height in metres (e.g. 65 cm = 0.65 m), so 0.65 X 0.2 X 0.2 = 0.026 CBM. This will cost $13 to ship with 86of because 0.1 CBM is the minimum. Anything below 0.1 CBM will cost you $13. Between 0.1 and 0.5 CBM, it will just be calculated proportionately based on $13 per 0.1 CBM. The other item you mentioned before was 0.156 CBM and it costs 0.156 X 13 = $20.30 to ship.

      If you are just shipping that one single item, or if you need it quick, then choose 4px, but it is more worthwhile to accumulate a few items over time, or pool together with other people and ship together via 86of.

      1. Meow Avatar
        Meow

        hi,

        if I am shipping that (item A) 0.156 cbm long item, which already fits their minimum requirement, and at the same time, with the same batch, i also ship the (item B) 0.026 cbm item, and say example other (item C) 0.03, (items D) 0.06 that does not meet minimum 0.1 CBM, then the other smaller items will also be individually charged at $13 / per item / sea shipping?

        Not sure if I still need to pool together a few people to buy more things cuz i do have quite a few things i wanna buy, like android tablet, 19 inch media player tv screen…the long outdoor umbrella, a 65cm*20*20 , 2.3kg fan, those Gopro similar looking camera and so on…*omg, i am addicted to Taobao…lol*

        But if *each* individual item below 0.1 cbm is automatically charged $13 sea shipping fee, then I gotta calculate and think about it again. I wonder do they meant to say minimum at least 1 item should be over 0.1 cbm, then the rest of the smaller items will be charged according to the minimum sea shipping rate of that particular category. If yes, then that might be better.

        lol…i am not sure even if i make any sense myself saying that…

        thanks for the info, looking forward to hear from you… =)

  8. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Btw, i did check out the 86of website about the pricing…but still dun understand how they calculate…after trying out myself…

    thanks,
    meow

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Yes, it is difficult to understand. This page gives you the pricing. This is how to interpret the chart: 0.1 CBM (cubic metre) costs $13 (self collection). 0.5 CBM costs $59 (equivalent to $11.80 per 0.1 CBM) and you also get free home delivery. I think “10 Express No” means you are allowed to ship only 10 items. 1 CBM cost $90 and you can ship up to 20 items. If shipping furniture or commercial goods, 1 CBM cost $85, but you are limited to 4 items or below. If you ship more than the allowed number of items, you will be charged additional $10 for every 20 items that is above the limit (which is quite worthwhile actually).

  9. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    After reading again what you wrote,

    I believe the answer to my question is yes….charge by per individual item $13 if below 0.1 cbm…this means doesn’t matter how small the package is…even if 10cm*10c*10cm package = $13 flat rate per item.

    if over 0.1 cbm, they do the math according ly e.g. 0.120 x $13 =

    If yes, then even if go by the old fashion shipping rates, if say another item A exceeded 1 m(3), but item B (0.156 cbm) is below 1 m(3), item C is (0.023 cbm) then, it sounds like it doesn’t matter whether more people buy together or not. Because in the first place, it would be difficult for typical items to exceed 1m(3) even if many people buy together all kinds of items, say clothes, shoes, bags, and etc…i guess i still don’t quite get how sea shipping works with more people order together.

    just a thought i have on this traditional sea shipping method / rate and 860f rate 860f business model only reduce the dimension limit to 0.1 CBM minimum, that’s all.

    Still, i shall wait for your wise insights…lol

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Meow, actually the answer is no. The minimum 0.1 CBM works like the 4PX first kg shipping rate. If you ship a 100g mobile phone screen protector using 4PX, you will still have to pay the first kg shipping rate. What you will normally do is to add on other items to make the shipment more worthwhile. You do the same with 86of. You try to utilize the 0.1 CBM as much as possible because you already paid for it.

      There is another rule that i haven’t mentioned before. Every item is counted as minimally 0.01 CBM, so 10 items add up to 0.1 CBM.

      Basically 86of sea freight is far far cheaper than air freight like 4PX and ezbuy.

  10. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi yenkai,

    ok, the following is about sea shipping only…with 860f…let’s see if i got it right… =)

    1) So my outdoor umbrella 0.156 cbm already meets the minimum 0.1 cbm, This one shipping fee is S$20.30.

    2) so on top of the outdoor umbrella, I wanna include another order to be sea-shipped together, a fan that is 0.65 X 0.2 X 0.2 = 0.026 CBM. To calculate shipping fee for this fan is 0.026 CBM x $13 = 0.338, which I think means S$3.38, right? so I suppose shipping fee will be $20.30 + $3.38 = $23.68 (exclude gst).

    3) no matter what, the first 0.1 CBM minimum, is always $13 flat rate if the first package does not exceed 0.1 CBM. So good thing is the outdoor umbrella already met the minimum requirements.

    But hypothetically let’s say in other case, or next time another order for another sea shipping via 860f, is it possible try to order max 10 items (i understand additional orders got extra charge) hopefully all the items packaging dimensions add up can exceed 0.1 CBM, would it be right to say that? Does it work like that, buying more items so that the dimensions for all packages add up to meet the 0.1 CBM…?

    4) which brings me to another question, how would I know if my 10 orders packaging can exceed 0.1 CBM? If let’s say the 10 items does not meet the 0.1 minimum, so does that mean the first item they still charge flat rate $13, then subsequent small or typical size items packaging they charge accordingly by their “dimension CBM x $13”, which adds up to say for example, $3 plus for each shipping fee for eachitems..

    5) Suddenly, I am concerned about the indication on their page where they said if sensitive items are for personal use, minimal orders, they can charge as normal goods fee, which means waive off 20% incremental fee. I wonder because what is considered minimal order? If I order, an android tablet, a 19-inch multimedia player screen, an electronic cooker device, and probably a speaker…i wonder would they impose the 20% sensitive items fees…

    6) So glad you can share what you know.with us here ..I am quite slow in understanding all these shipping and fees stuff. So Thank you… =)

    meow

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi again Meow,

      1) Yes

      2) Yes, and although this way of calculating shipping fee is correct, normally you don’t calculate the shipping fee for each item/parcel individually. If you ship two or more items, you add up the volumetric weight first then calculate the shipping fee.

      3) I think this is where you’re getting confused the most. The minimum 0.1 CBM is more of a minimum shipping fee 86of will collect. They won’t care if you ship a single item that is only 0.00001 CBM, they’re happy that they still get paid $13. I try to, but don’t always manage to ship a full 0.1 CBM of goods. Even if my goods only come up to 0.05 CBM, i will still ship it anyway because it’s cheaper to ship this way than say 4PX.

      4) You won’t know, and you need not be bothered. Just ship as much stuff as you can at one go. The shipping is cheap no matter what. The shipping never goes by “first item”, it is always by the total volumetric weight of ALL the items.

      5) There is no clear indication on how they decide whether to charge the extra fee for sensitive items, but i would think they won’t be bothered for retail consumers like us. Even if they do impose an extra 20%, it isn’t a lot really, $13 becomes $15.6, still cheap.

      6) No worries, but i hope you do understand by now.

  11. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi yenkai,

    thanks so much for the reply.

    will try out the next 860f soon, once done, will share my experience here with you. Hopefully, the process for 860f ordering is straightforward.

    Most likely it will be 1) register account with 860f, 2) order from taobao, 3) send parcels to 860f china warehouse, 4) update the taobao order info to ‘claim’ the parcels with Taobao ID / courier serial number, 5) check how much total shipping fee and top up 860f account for final payment, 6) indicate collection at which outlet, 7) wait for 860f system update on parcel arrival in Singapore, 8) confirm with them in person then go self collect.

    EAsy peasy…. i hope… =D

    btw, i admire your overseas trip without tour groups…you even rent car and drove around too. Impressive, you probably can speak Japanese too i suspect, lol…chat more with you in the future..

    thanks….

    Meow

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Well done Meow, you got the steps right, mostly. For steps 1 and 6, actually you need to choose the self collection point from the beginning and register with the correct website upfront (Clementi, Woodlands etc.). Step 4 – it is better if you submit a forecast entry first, right after you have done the Taobao purchase. If you didn’t do this, then you can do the claim parcel as you have mentioned when the parcel arrives at the warehouse.

      Thanks for taking time to read my blog. I don’t speak Japanese unfortunately, but language never deters me from visiting any country. I am going for my month long Europe trip next week and it is going to be quite exciting!

  12. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi,

    1) ok…will keep the forecast entry in mind. I guess it’s like updating the incoming Taobao courier delivery the 860f account in advance so the workers will recognize the id number and sort accordingly for their customer when they check in the parcels.

    I believe when I see the account registration page and user interface, should be able to figure it out. Most likely registering with the Clementi “outlet” Taobao2SG as their warehouse collection is at Boonlay Tradehub21, closer to where I stay. Hopefully their service is as good as their other outlets.

    2) Are you familiar with paying extra for insurance at 860F when parcel is over S$100 value? I wonder how much, and is it for ALL the parcels exceeding $100 in value, or each individual item that exceeds $100…I read somewhere in their webpage

    3) Oh…lucky you, looking forward to see your Europe photos, really well taken in your previous post. Wish you happy happy trip in advance… =)

    4) I really hope the 860f clementi staff will be helpful when I encounter problems. Hope my Chinese language works on them…lol

    Meow

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      1) Yes that’s exactly how the forecast works

      2) There is just a one liner information on the insurance, which says individual items above $100 has to be insured. No idea how they implement it. I would suggest not shipping small and expensive items (such as a tablet as mentioned on their website) via sea freight. This is where 4PX or ezbuy is more appropriate.

      3) Thank you, and indeed I will attempt to post photos spontaneously this time.

      4) I would like to say that I share my experience with 86of as it really happened, but some people are bound to encounter problems when shipping with 86of. Hope it goes well for you, and I think the language part shouldn’t be a problem.

      All the best!

      1. Meow Avatar
        Meow

        Sigh, unfortunately,

        1) Taobao does not allow consolidated shipping of tablets, gopro similar cameras, and certain kinda electronic devices to be shipped during adding to cart or checking out. This means even prouter consolidated shipping also probably won’t work, probably prouter express might? Not sure…too bad, never used before prouter…

        2) Certain electronic items can be consolidated shipped and checked out at Taobao, only uncertainty is not sure 4px will reject or not. Seems like 4px customer service usually when in doubt just tell customers cannot. I chatted with them last time. anything electronic / cooking device with cable plug, with ion-lithium battery, , cannot shipped…but at warehouse level, seems like they close one eye.

        Interestingly, for many years, Taobao forbid the consolidated shipping or possibly even normal/sensitive direct air shipping of those transparent underwater / waterproof handphone pouches. Finally, recent months, they allow it…probably after confirming it won’t cause WW3 in the asia region…lol, last time many people complained on the web regarding this silly banned item.

        3) Just found out about the insurance after checking out the Clementi outlet website. Seems like it’s either 2% of the item price submitted, or flat rate of minimum S$10, for each receipt/order. I find the 86of site is like a mystery puzzle, where one has to investigate further from other places to find more clues…hahaha…

        http://cm.86of.com/Article/index/act/132/cap/%E6%96%B0%E6%89%8B%E6%94%BB%E7%95%A5/id/139/tpl/detail/did/679.html

        4) I read that the ezbuy seems to have lots of problems and no sea shipping services. Agree, sometimes gotta think carefully if wanna ship expensive stuff.

        Meow

        1. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          1 2 and 4) I started using ezbuy precisely because I couldn’t ship an item which contained a battery. I have shipped a gopro like camera with ezbuy before, so I would suggest you do the same. It works, and I have not encountered any problem with ezbuy other than delayed shipment, despite hearing that they are problematic.

          3) 86of should hire me to sort out their poorly organized website.

          1. Meow Avatar
            Meow

            hehe,

            good, offer me shipping discounts if that happens…ok?

            lol

            Meow

  13. Hazel Avatar
    Hazel

    Hi,
    Yenkai, would need your help in this issue. I realise for 0.1-0.5m it says 10单快递。does it mean if I use 0.cbm which cost up to $13, I can only be limited to 10parcels? What happens if I exceed 10parcels…?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Hazel, it is stated on their pricing page that beyond the first 10 parcels, every additional 20 parcels (“over free package”) will cost $10, which i think is reasonable.

  14. hazel Avatar
    hazel

    Hi yenkai,

    Quite of bard to comprehend the 86 website from 86of.. well not too fluent with my Chinese. . When j try to click enish I don’t have much information abt it..
    So to get it right, does it mean for ever 0.1cbm I am entitled to free 10p parcels? Which means I can ordered from 10 different sellers? And for 0.2cbm I am entitled to free 20 parcels?

    Have you shipped liquid items and food items from taobao using 86of?
    Any additional charges in shipping?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Hazel. Yes, 10 parcels from 10 different sellers is fine. For 0.2 CBM, it is still 10 parcels. They will know if you try to ship two 0.1 CBM separately. You get 20 parcels only when you ship 1 CBM. I have not tried shipping liquid nor food. I wouldn’t try to ship liquid but I think dry food should be fine.

  15. hazel Avatar
    hazel

    Did you purchase insurance from 86of?
    Any experience or troubles with your goods if you did not purchase insurance?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Never bought insurance. Nothing happens to your goods under normal circumstances. I have bought so many things from Taobao over the years and have not had any problem except for one single defective item.

  16. hazel Avatar
    hazel

    Any idea for 0.1cbm how much kg of items can it hold?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Usually the weight limit for 1 CBM is 500 kg, but i don’t think it’s mentioned anywhere on 86of website that they impose a 50kg limit on 0.1 CBM. I think the reason is, unless you ship tiles and bricks (which is specifically mentioned on 86of website to have different shipping rate), you will not hit this 50kg limit, so they don’t normally bother about actual weight but only go by volumetric weight.

  17. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi Yenkai,

    So I already registered an account with 860f, made my first Taobao order to deliver to their Guangzhou warehouse, completed the parcel forecast, package signed and accepted by their warehouse, waited for about 4 hours to see the parcel details appear on the “在仓包裹”.

    So for the first parcel indicated on the page, I saw a word blue colour “申报” at the end of the item description/detail.

    1) May I know what happens when I click it?

    2) Should I do it early when I see a new parcel has entered their warehouse, or do it it one by one, when all my parcels arrived and entered their warehouse system?

    3) Does it means if I click it, they proceed to finalize the gst and payment for the sea shipping? I hope not because I still have other things to buy…

    thanks…

    Meow

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Meow, actually I don’t remember exactly. Been 2 months since my last Taobao shipment with 86of. I normally do the detailed entry just before I want to ship. Anyway, not to worry, there is usually very obvious prompting when you do the shipping and you wouldn’t accidentally do it.

  18. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    I choose 86OF shipping with the outlet at Hougang, their customer service very well detailed, when I ask whether anyone can help me in English as my Chinese was not very well. The other customer service ask me to contact another person which is well versed and explain to me how the shipping and pricing works. Well done on this part which I can converse in English, if the other outlets can’t get back well on English part can try the Hougang outlet, they have both English and Chinese customer service.

  19. Nana Avatar

    Hi Yen Kai
    I just bought a bladeless fan from Taobao and sent to Lazada (Sea). The item’s weight is 4.5kg but the calculated weight is 14.336kg. The size is 96cm*32cm*28cm. Lazada charges 14.5 RMB/kg. Now what should I do?

    1. Can I change to another forwarder since it’s already at the warehouse?
    2. Dispute the weight (but I suspect they calculate based on volumetric weight)
    3. Cancel the order and ask for refund? Will the company penalise me?

    Thanks for your time!

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Nana,

      Hmm didn’t know Lazada does forwarding. I guess just about all forwarders use volumetric weight. Ezbuy allows you to send item back to seller, but of course you will have to come to an agreement with the seller to accept the refund request first. Not sure about Lazada though. I don’t think there is any forwarder that allows you to send the parcel to yet another forwarder. Your options now are to either just ship it or to try to ask for refund from seller (if Lazada can dispatch back to seller that is), and you will likely lose out by having to pay various fees or penalities this way.

      1. Nana Avatar

        Thanks for your prompt reply. I’m considering resending to 86OF. Would like your help in computing the cost so that I wont get cheated. These items are (with dimensions and weight):
        1. Bladeless fan 96*32*28cm 4.5kg
        2. 28″ Luggage 50*33*78 5.5kg
        3. Dehumidifier 48*32*18 2.74kg
        4. Pillows 43*22*41 3.5kg
        5. Cushion 37*32*10 0.48kg
        6. Solar film 56*8*8 0.71kg

        The shipping for 86OF i calculated for items 1-6 are:
        SGD 13+16.9+3.9+5.2+1.56+1.3=S$41.86. The total CBM i calculated is 0.305.

        Is this correct? Also will there be any issues shipping back any of these items I bought?

        1. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          Woah, this feels like answering an exam paper. First thing i need to mention is that the dimensions and weight as quoted in the Taobao product page is most likely before packaging, and the packaging can add a lot of bulk to the final parcel volume. You can never know the actual real dimension of the parcel until you have received them, so you can’t really argue with the forwarder. You can ask for a photo to be taken, but i doubt any forwarder will take such detailed photos as to prove to you the real measured dimension of the parcel. I would think anything below 30% of extra volume is still reasonable. Anyway, the volumetric weight for the items according to the dimensions you have listed are:
          1. 0.086
          2. 0.1287
          3. 0.0248
          4. 0.0388
          5. 0.0118
          6. 0.0036 (this will be deemed as 0.01 which is the minimum volumetric weight of any single item)

          The total volumetric weight using this calculation is around 0.3 CBM as you have correctly calculated (you can just use the total volumetric weight for calculating the shipping cost instead of assigning the cost to each parcel first as you have done), but as i said, including packaging you can expect the final volumetric weight to be higher. Assuming it is less than 0.5 CBM, you can expect to pay $39 to $59 for the cost of shipping, plus GST. I don’t foresee there will be any problem importing these items.

          Oh and i almost forgot to mention, when it comes to sea freight, the actual weight doesn’t really matter, unless you’re shipping very dense items like tiles, where the actual weight is like hundreds of times more than the volumetric weight. Technically, you can ship 500kg worth of goods per CBM. Obviously, your items are feather weight relative to the 150kg or more that you would have been entitled to.

  20. Nana Avatar

    Thanks Yenkai. These are the actual measurements from items in lazada warehouse in Guangzhou. Changing to CBM cos the volumetric weights are too high and the shipment too expensive.

  21. ivan98 Avatar
    ivan98

    Based on this blog’s recommendation, I’m using 86OF (Clementi) for the first time, to ship a 2.4m long table from TB.

    About 30 hrs ago, TB tracking says it has already delivered to 86OF warehouse in Guang Zhou, but 86OF website is not showing up. I WhatsApp 86OF but they ignore my photo of TB tracking and insist on some official tracking receipt from the goods seller. I am doing this but it’s taking some time as the seller have to get it from the courier.

    My question: Is shipping large furniture problematic like this normal? Is it due to the furniture arriving at level 1 of the Guang Zhou warehouse (since courier won’t bring the large furniture up)?

    BTW: Related or unrelated to this, I’ve received a parcel in my 86OF GZ warehouse. I’ve checked, double check and triple check but this parcel is not mine. 86OF says it is possible for a parcel to change its tracking number midway. I ask the furniture seller if this is so, she says not in this case.

    So, as of now, I’ve one extra parcel and one missing table, in GZ warehouse.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ivan, first of all, thanks for reading my blog. I do have to clarify that what i share on my blog is my personal experience and does not come with any form of guarantee. I am not affiliated to 86of in any way other than being their regular customer.

      I guess all forwarders will make mistakes, and i do feel your pain that it happens on your very first shipment. I have not shipped a furniture item before (but will do so very soon), so i’m not sure if it is more problematic than the usual parcels. Maybe they need to see the actual signature of the person who accepted the delivery, so they need to see the official tracking receipt. Usually the TB one just says something generic.

      Just wondering, does the other parcel size match the size of your furniture (with one of the dimension figure being 2.4m or more)? For very large items they usually give you the dimensions. Anyway, just this week, one of the items i bought says it will ship in more than one parcel, but as you know TB only shows one single parcel tracking number per order, so i also received some parcels with tracking number unknown to me, and i sort of have to just go by faith and ship it.

      1. ivan98 Avatar
        ivan98

        I believe the table will be shipped in two packages: the wood table top and the metal legs. The table top will be 2.4 x 0.8 x 0.05 = 0.1 CBM. The legs, I’ve no idea. Can probably check with the seller.

        The domestic shipper is given as 安能物流 which is not a 快递 and not a listed shipper on 86OF (I’ve to select “others”). The extra parcel in GZ warehouse is from 百世快递 (0.02CBM which is not small). So what is the possibility of my seller shipping 1 package via 安能物流 and another package via 百世快递 for the same purchase? 🙂

        BTW: I’m not blaming you; just sharing my experience. My first time buying a large item from TB.

        1. ivan98 Avatar
          ivan98

          The mysterious parcel is even more mysterious. Normally, when an item is more than 0.01CBM, 86OF will list the dimensions. But this item is 0.02CBM and the dimensions are blank.

          See https://s18.postimg.org/l85x6lt89/tbdel1.png

          1. yenkai Avatar
            yenkai

            I have a few 0.03 CBM parcels for which the dimensions are not given. I guess they have no hard and fast rule as to when they will provide the dimensions.

        2. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          Hi Ivan, my understanding of 物流 is that it is a courier company and should be no different from a 快递. And it is possible for the seller to ship via two different domestic courier service, you could check with the seller. In my case, my order which was supposed to be shipped in more than one parcel, the second parcel is listed as shipped via 其他快递 with only 8 digits for the express no which is very short. Anyway I am only guessing and cannot confirm if it is really the separate parcel for that order, will only find out when I get the delivery.

          1. ivan98 Avatar
            ivan98

            In the 86OF Clementi FAQ, under “What to do if goods are not matched in China warehouse”, they did give good advise on what to do, and (in my haste), I did not read it prior to the incident.

            When goods are not matched in China warehouse, they need a photo of the actual “airway bill” as pasted on the parcel (FAQ has example). 86OF will not accept anything else, not TB online parcel tracking (which is the right thing to do if you read their FAQ). So I ask the seller for it on a Fri 11am, and they revert on Mon 11am (after getting it from their courier). 86OF then found it on Tue 12noon, 24hrs later.

            Whose fault was it in all this?

            Looking at the actual airway bill, I see the issue. 86OF wanted “收件人” to be “your-userid”转CM1234. This is too long for the airway bill and it got shorten to “your-userid转C”. Without CM1234, apparently it did not get matched to my account. And it seems the express # did not help, even if it’s clear and not mangled.

          2. yenkai Avatar
            yenkai

            Hi Ivan, thanks for coming back to tell us what happened. That was helpful to me and i believe other readers too. Maybe the moral of the story is, choose a short userid? Anyway, i have an account with the same userid with AMK HG and TP branches, and one of my parcels got allocated to TP when in fact i designated it for HG. I guess the userid as designed to be used by 86of is problematic.

  22. Aileen Avatar
    Aileen

    Hi yenkai,
    I just read 86of website. It seems like they will use 0.02 cubic m for items less than that, instead of the previous 0.01. Is my understanding correct?
    Leen

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Aileen, 86of announced quite some time back that they would use 0.01 as the minimum. I’m guessing they have not updated their shipping fee notice page (amk.86of.com/Article/index/act/50/cap/Ocean Freitht/id/294/did/294.html). I am consolidating a shipment currently and I have a few 0.01 parcels in my parcels list. I guess the websites for the newly launched branches have more current information and they mention 0.01 e.g. cm.86of.com/Article/index/act/141/cap/集运服务/tpl/services/id/701.html

  23. ivan98 Avatar
    ivan98

    Here’s my case if it’ll help anyone in understanding the shipping cost calculation:

    I’ve 9 items whose CBMs are 0.01, 0.03, 0.01, 0.04, 0.6, 0.01, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.01, for a total of 0.77 CBM. When they all arrived at GZ warehouse, I did a consolidate and ship.

    My bill shows 6 options and their amounts:
    1. “SELF COLLECT”. Freight is S$97.50, GST is S$41.18, for a total of S$138.68.

    2. “DELIVER TO MY ADDRESS FROM 1CBM + GST”. Freight is S$90, GST is S$41.18, GST “article fee” is S$35, for a total of S$166.18.

    3. “DELIVER TO MY ADDRESS FROM 1CBM”. Freight is S$90, GST is S$41.18, for a total of S$131.18.

    4. “AIRWAY (inaccurate)”. Freight is S$249.75, GST is S$41.18, GST “article fee” is S$3.00, for a total of S$293.93.

    5. “ENTERPRISE & FURNITURE”. Freight is S$85, GST is S$41.18, for a total of S$126.68.

    6. “ENTERPRISE & FURNITURE + GST”. Freight is S$85, GST is S$41.18, GST “article fee” is S$35, for a total of S$161.18.

    I chose the easy way out – I ask WhatsApp if the right option for me is #3. She confirmed yes.

    Thinking back: option 5 & 6 are for furniture shops whereby 86OF gave them a special rate of S$85/CBM. This is gleamed from 86OF website (clementi).

    Option 4 is of cos out, I’ve no idea what “GST article fee” is, maybe some special GST filing with Customs?

    Which leaves option #1 and #3. In other parts of the website, it says they will deliver to your door FOC if above 0.5 CBM. My package is 0.77CBM, but in this final payment list, it says 1CBM. Conclusion, they didn’t update their website to reflect the new 0.5CBM to qualify for door-step delivery.

    Now why is option #1 freight different from option #3 freight???

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ivan, you’re charged the full CBM shipping fee when your volumetric weight exceeds 0.6, so that’s why the final payment indicates 1 CBM (yes you could have shipped another 0.23 CBM without having to pay more). The FOC delivery to your door from 0.5 CBM is correct and there’s no conflict with the options presented to you.

      As for why option 1 is different from option 3, beats me. I would like to know too.

  24. ivan98 Avatar
    ivan98

    On the 15th day after I submit to ship, I received a voice call from a land-line 6xxx-xxxx with a heavy China accent speaking in Mandarin. I said wrong number and hang up. Spams are not un-heard of, for me.

    She called again, blah out a string of unknown Chinese in quick succession. This time, I asked her to speak slowly. She’s from 86OF, asks if I’m expecting a delivery from China. She wants to confirm if they can deliver tomorrow 5pm-8pm time-slot. She also repeated my address in English.

    Pleasant surprise.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ivan, sounds like the shipment went quite ok. Personally I am grateful for Taobao, the freight shipping companies and of course the industrious Chinese individuals who manufacture the goods that ultimately improve our standard of living. China goods, Chinese shipping and Chinese customer service representative with heavy Chinese accent sounds like a match to me. S$90 per CBM with free home delivery? Thank you very much. It used to cost S$100 without free home delivery.

  25. Ivan Avatar
    Ivan

    Hi yenkai,
    Thanks for providing so much information for me to benefit. Would appreciate if you could let me know how are the charges like if say my total items is more than 1 CBM. e.g 1.4 or 1.5 CBM. Would the excess 0.4 or 0.5 CMB be charge differently or charge base on the 1 CBM rate pro-rated. Or is it better to split into 2 shipments …

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ivan, it will be pro-rated based on the 1 CBM rate. I just tried not too long ago.

  26. Grace Avatar
    Grace

    Hi,
    I am first time user using 86of.com for sea shipping. Since last week, my items are not logged into the system, once they are delivered. Called the customer service, but not much help. I was told that they had received too many stuff to handle.

    Without being able to see my items in the system, it meant no difference from losing the items. I have to pray for the items being eventually found in their warehouse, and logging into their system. But who knows.

    I asked people who used before or using now in a forum. All said the service used to be good, but recently being very bad. Either the items not being able to log into the system, or not being able to deliver after user submit and paid.

    Use it with your own risk!!

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Grace, not too sure what you mean by logged into the system. I assume you mean to register the arrival of your parcel at their China warehouse.

      You should submit a forecast entry to make it easier for them to identify your parcels in the first place. Otherwise, if Taobao indicates that your parcel is already delivered but you did not see it registered in your account, you can try doing claim parcel, in case there was difficulty in identifying the parcel as belonging to you. Without “logging into their system” they can’t collect the payment for shipment from you, so it is not in their interest either. I guess users have to do their part to make the system work. 86of is poorly managed, no doubt. But i have benefitted much from their service and sincerely hope they will succeed. Or some competitor to beat them.

  27. Grace Avatar
    Grace

    Hi yenkai,

    Thanks for quick response. Yes, I meant the registration of parcel in the China warehouse. I did the submission of prediction for each of my arrival parcel, but that doesn’t help at all.

    I also asked taobao seller to provide the evidence that warehouse had received the parcel. This is very troublesome for sellers, since they need to contact with domestic delivery companies to get the pictures that shows the warehouse receiver ‘s signature. Luckily most of sellers are very nice to provide them to me. However, even I provide the evidence to 86OF.com customer service, no follow up at all. So far I lost three parcels, and one more on the way to the warehouse.

    In another forum, someone feedback that he/she lost parcel in warehouse 2 to 3 months ago. So I share my experience here, and hope that can help others who plans to use this company.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Grace, sorry to hear about your bad experience, especially it being your first time using 86of. I think you’re the third person to have left a comment here to mention about lost parcels. Very sad. Well, I hope you’ll get your parcels. To say that they have received too many stuff, more than they can handle, is really not acceptable.

  28. N Avatar
    N

    Hi Yen Kai,

    Thanks so much for sharing your review and clarifications – really appreciate all the helpful comments.

    I just want to check if I’m correct in my understanding. If for example, I’m ordering the following items which have these dimensions:

    1. 50cm * 18cm * 15cm -> 0.0135cbm * 4 pcs = 0.054 cbm
    2. 40cm * 30cm * 4cm -> 0.0048cbm * 4 pcs = 0.0192cbm
    3. 30cm * 30cm * 4cm ->0.0036cbm * 2 pcs = 0.0072cbm
    4. 100cm * 23cm * 18cm -> 0.0414cbm

    Total = 0.1218cbm

    BUT How will they calculate whether I have exceeded the 10 items per 0.1cbm rule though?

    Using the example items above, items 1-3 would be 10 items but a total of 0.08cbm. There are 2 ways I can think of to calculate shipping price in light of the 10 items rule:

    a. Anyhow take first 10 items (e.g. Items 1-3 above) to count as a unit of 0.1cbm + remaining item(s) pro-rated
    -> $13 + (0.0414 * $13) = $18.38

    b. If total cbm exceeds 0.1cbm, then just take total cbm * $13
    -> 0.1218 * $13 = $15.83

    Which would be correct? Thanks so much again for your help!

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi N, I’m confused by how you equate items 1 to 3 to being 10 items? Isn’t it just 3 items? Every parcel with a courier shipping number that arrives at the warehouse is counted as one parcel, it has nothing to do with the volume (size) of the parcel. Sometimes one Taobao order can be shipped in more than one parcel, so the parcel count will follow the actual number of parcels that arrive at the warehouse.

      The upper limit of 10 parcels applies to all shipment below 0.6 CBM (not 10 parcels every 0.1 CBM), otherwise you just pay extra $10 for every additional 20 parcels, no big deal. I have never exceeded the parcel count so I don’t know if they are really strict in applying this rule.

      Assuming you have 4 parcels with total 0.1218 CBM, calculation b is correct.

  29. N Avatar
    N

    Hi!

    Thanks for the clarification. Sorry for not being clearer; I meant cos multiply by the quantity of each, i.e. item 1 (4 pieces), item 2 (4 pieces), item 3 (2 pieces) = 10 pieces [assuming that they are separately packaged even if from the same seller].

    So does that mean that if I have 14 parcels that add up to <0.1cbm, I will have to pay $13 + $10?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi N, sellers will try to pack everything into one parcel wherever possible, especially for small items (less than 0.02 CBM), so you should normally assume that everything will be in a single parcel.

  30. Joyce Avatar
    Joyce

    Hi Yen Kai,

    Thank you for such a wonderful, informative and detailed writeup. I admire your willingness to share, patience in answering each and every questions posted and your time in putting up such detailed blogs.

    I have done tons of research before I’m confident enough to do a direct purchase in Taobao just yesterday and to ship them via ezbuy (been using ezbuy’s buy-for-me service). Your blogs really came in handy and contained all the answers I am looking for… an alternative sea forwarder that charges by CBM. Will definitely look into 86OF when i need to ship bulky items in future. By the way, do you have any experience receiving a broken item (fragile item)? What do we do when that happens?

    I spent hours enjoyed reading your blogs. Thank you so much for sharing.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Joyce, thank you for your very generous compliments. I have received 3 items that were broken or damaged enroute, and 3 items that were malfunctioning or different from my actual choice. What do you do? You either accept them as is, or repurchase, asking for a discounted price from the seller. It’s too expensive to return to the seller.

  31. Meow Avatar
    Meow

    Hi yenkai,

    Nice to see you are still sharing your experience and wisdom…

    Just thought you might wanna know, now they have new advice that is the customers (referring to us) should ask the Taobao sellers to write the 86of username eg. CMxxxx on the outside of the box, should appear prominently and write big big….

    Also, now when you check out, they got fine print at the bottom, in Chinese writings if I remember, something about sensitive items such as batteries, liquid stuff, electronics, branded items should shipped under sensitive sea shipping. Also something about otherwise, might be rejected.

    What they mean? I have no idea as it is always very ambiguous and cryptic regarding their updated information. In fact sometimes I get small panic attack when I see new changes and announcements on their user system…

    Hmmm….I shall assume they are referring to bulk orders like maybe a carton of 500 batteries, or maybe a carton of 200 nike t-shirt…probably that tiny print was meant for businesses using their shipping services…

    Also their air shipping services has stopped for now…

    So you ordered anything new recently?

    mEoW

  32. Ade Avatar
    Ade

    do u know what is free seafright for wocaotx.com ?
    order from here free sea to SG? too good to0 be true = hidden gimmocks to me
    thks

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Adeline, actually 86of has something similar. It is not gimmick. The shipping cost is somehow factored into the items pricing, much the same way how ezbuy offered their Prime program. I have never tried any of such program, because i just want to be able to select from the widest choices possible and buy only from the tried-and-true sellers. I’ll have to say that the website address already does not give me confidence to buy. wocaotx.com? It sounds so much like “Wah Kao”, the Chinese equivalent of the Singlish phrase “Walao”.

      1. Ade Avatar
        Ade

        Hi, true also…i browse the “walao” site nothing capture my eyes…no wonder free shipping ….

  33. clim Avatar
    clim

    The 86of link is down? Can you give me the link to 86of website, their aliwangwang contact (if any) and any other way to contact them?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Clim, 86of.com seems to be working fine. If you are not yet a registered user, you need to register with one of the branches listed, e.g. Ang Mo Kio (HQ), Woodlands etc. The customer service contact as listed on the website is WhatsApp: 91602555 Wechat:sg91602555 QQ: 2112413277

  34. Ariel Avatar
    Ariel

    Hi, I’m thinking of purchasing sofa from Taobao and considering to use 86of service to ship to Singapore. The measurement of the sofa is 1600mmx680x150 which will give me 0.1632cbm so shipping will be around $15? Excluding 7% gst.

    And since I did not hit the 1cbm to enjoy the free delivery, do they provide delivery service to the doorstep?

    Thanks for your help!!

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ariel, 0.16 CBM costs $20.8 (16 X 1.3), so expect it to cost a little more taking into account the packaging material. Delivery to doorstep costs $20.

      1. Ariel Avatar
        Ariel

        Thanks for your info! If I have more than 1 cbm to ship, will 86of be a better choice or do you recommend another forwarder?

        1. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          Hi Ariel, I have tried another sea freight forwarder more than 5 years ago, so you could practically say I have not tried and therefore have no other sea freight forwarder to recommend. So far I am happy with the home delivery offered by 86of. There was never a lost item (there were broken ones but I wouldn’t entirely blame 86of), and they are always either exactly on time or ahead of schedule. If you are going for the full CBM shipment, do try to ship as much stuff as possible (it’s even better if you can exceed 1 CBM). It will be so worthwhile.

          1. Ariel Avatar
            Ariel

            so anything more than 1cbm is a flat shipping rate of $90 with no additional charges?

          2. Ariel Avatar
            Ariel

            Also, is the shopback cashback attractive enough to warrant my purchases through the shopback?

          3. yenkai Avatar
            yenkai

            Hi Ariel, you have nothing to lose to make purchases through shopback. Most of the time, i was able to find the same seller when searching through shopback. i always sort by sales volume on the Taobao site, and i do the same for the search result when going through shopback (ai.taoboa.com). 1% cashback may not sound like much, but if you make a lot of Taobao purchases, like i do, over time, the cashback will accumulate. I suppose you’re already on Shopback.. if not, well, here’s my referral link 🙂

  35. Ariel Avatar
    Ariel

    i see! just that im not sure why my computer is not compatible with the cashback buddy extension so that is why im wondering if it is worth the effort to download it.

    Just one more thing, if i were to ship more than 1CBM of items, is the shipping rate also charge at $90 flat without incurring extra charges?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ariel, you can try the Chrome browser. The cashback buddy may not be compatible with the latest Firefox.

      If you ship more than 1 CBM, the shipping fee will be calculated proportionately. No free lunch. If you fall short of 1 CBM, you still pay $90.

  36. william Avatar
    william

    Hi, I have parcel (120x68x18cm) with ezbuy and they charge me 28.72KG and shipping fee will be $69 (24.72 x 1.20 x 2). It way to expensive as my item is actually acrylic frame 120 x 55 x 10cm.
    Will it be better if I cancel and use 86OF shipment? I quite confuse about the 0.1m3 thing.

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi William. The volumetric weight is 0.147 m³ (1.2 X 0.68 X 0.18) which equates to $19.10 (14.7 X $1.3) of shipping fee. You will also have to pay GST. If you need delivery to doorstep it will be another $20. Overall, should be cheaper if you went with 86of.

  37. Ade Avatar
    Ade

    Hi,
    Just to check
    “Arrival in Singapore was 14 days from date of submission to ship, as promised” is excluding sat/sun?
    example shipped left china 8/jan/2018 , latest date to arrive my place as i opt for door to door?

    Thanks

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Ade, actually i can’t remember whether it was business or calendar days when i wrote that statement, i think most likely calendar days. Let me quote the example of the most recent shipment i received. I submitted to ship on 26 Dec, and the parcels were shipped out on 28 Dec. The ETA was 12 Jan, but they delivered it 10 Jan. Between 26 Dec and 12 Jan, it is 17 days, so they delivered in 15 days from the date of submission. Considering that it was year end, it was very quick. A word of caution – they don’t normally inform you before the delivery. They will just suddenly appear at your doorstep! Just check the ETA for your parcels. They are usually right on time, or a day or two ahead.

      1. Ade Avatar
        Ade

        Hi ,
        ok…i will take it sat/sun no count…..max wait 3 wk
        Suddenly appear at door step?
        what if nobody at home? charged again for re-delivery?

        1. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          Hi Ade, under normal circumstances you should expect the delivery in around 2 calendar weeks. I think you can try checking with 86of ahead to find out the exact delivery date. I have no idea what happens if nobody is at home when they deliver. I think they will try to deliver at least one more time. The delivery is done by logistics companies that are completely unrelated to 86of. So far, I have not come across the same company doing repeat delivery.

  38. william Avatar
    william

    Hi Yenkai. Thanks. I check with EZbuy this morning that my 11 items weight will be around 120kg (volumetric weight) which will cost me $120 shipping fee. My items only 300 plus yet I have to pay $120 shipping….I decided to cancel all my items and use 85of.

  39. Yvonne Avatar
    Yvonne

    Thanks for your review. I tried using 86of recently and have 19 parcels received at their GZ warehouse. The remaining 2 parcels have not been updated since 21 March afternoon and today afternoon respectively 🙁

    The previous 19 parcels were updated rather quickly (within 5 hours I think). Do you have any idea how I can contact the customer service?

    I’m using the Pioneer branch but they keep telling me they only handle SG delivery matters and to direct my questions to HQ side. But without telling me which is the HQ -.-”

    Didn’t realise I’ll hit 0.5 cbm to enjoy free delivery otherwise I would have stuck to the more reviewed branches (e.g. AMK, Tradehub).

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Yvonne, I’ve encountered lost parcel before, and if that happens to you, take a look at my posting on lost parcel. Usually, contacting customer service is useless, unless you’re sure your parcel is lost and you provide them with the photo of the stamped delivery slip. In your case, I guess you should wait at least one more day before trying to get the photo of the delivery slip from your seller. Without this photo, customer service will likely ignore you. To contact customer service, WhatsApp them at 91602555.

      I have also encountered the situation where a single Taobao order came in 2 parcels without my knowledge. By the time I found out, it was 3 weeks later. I checked my 86of account and there it was, but it was only updated in my account a few days before, which means the parcel was “lost” for more than 2 weeks. So this can happen. Experience tells me that parcels hardly get lost, they may just be misplaced for some time.

      HQ is AMK.

      1. Yvonne Avatar
        Yvonne

        Hi Yenkai, thank you very much for your prompt reply.

        I’m a bit anxious as I’m ready to ship. I currently have 0.42 cbm (incoming ones probably + 0.03 cbm) and some items are in storage for 13 days already.

        Just an update, the Pioneer ppl said over WeChat that the HQ only has hotline (phone), no WeChat. I’ve read your other post, will get the signed courier slip and then call up the hotline.

        Didn’t read your tip carefully, next time I’ll make sure to write the branch and my code on the parcel clearly.

        Thank you for your help.

        1. Yvonne Avatar
          Yvonne

          Just to add, I messaged the Lakeside number and they told me to contact HQ. I asked for the number/WeChat. They said the HQ has no WeChat, only has hotline and to refer to website for the number.

          I thought the HQ meant 86of.com. In brief, 86of.com is AMK and they told me to refer to my 分行客服. Felt so frustrated.

          Then it suddenly occured to me that perhaps the Lakeside ppl was referring to the Pioneer/Boon Lay website (www.cargosg.com). I went to WhatsApp the number that is listed as 推荐.

          Bingo. Got the help I needed.

          Now I’m just waiting for my top-up to be verified.

          Paid GST + S$59 in shipping fee (round up to 0.5 cbm for free delivery). It would have cost me S$100+ if I chose a forwarder that goes by actual weight.

          I only dared to give 86of a try after reading your various blog entries.

          1. yenkai Avatar
            yenkai

            Hi Yvonne, glad to hear all is fine now. I’ve only used a branch office once and thereafter stuck to the HQ, since they’re not that far from my place anyway. So far, I’m pleased with 86of’s service. I think some people get frustrated and freak out and start calling names when their parcels are not updated promptly. If they would just stay calm and handle it in a logical manner, things would turn out fine most of the time. There’s no better way to save money than to sea freight Taobao goods.

  40. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    Hi Yen Kai, after reading all the reviews, I decided to give 86of a try. I have got a few bulky items to order and want to know if you think these will be under the 0.5 CBM.

    1) Long bench at 120cm*30cm*40cm
    2) Skeleton model when packed: 13kg, 100*46*28cm
    3) Spine model when packed: 4.5kg, 82*30*16cm
    4) 4 acrylic boards: two at 120*65cm, another 2 at 60*65cm, together about 10kg
    5) 13 pairs of slippers, can imagine it can be quite bulky when packed.

    Thanks so much for your input!

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Stephanie. I did a rough calculation, and I think most likely the items will exceed 0.5 CBM. You do want them to be over 0.5 CBM right, so you will get free delivery? Anyway, they will at least be close to 0.5 CBM in case they fall short. The weight is irrelevant, as you can ship up to 250kg of goods for 0.5 CBM.

      Update: for the benefit of other readers, please see new comment below – it’s better to keep the parcels below 0.5 CBM.

      1. Stephanie Avatar
        Stephanie

        Hi Yenkai,

        Thanks for the response. I do want to get free delivery. If it is over 0.5CBM but under 1.0 CBM, is it going to be $59 for anything under 1.0CBM? or every additional 0.1CBM will cost $0.9? I bit confused with the pricing on their website.

        TIA!

        1. yenkai Avatar
          yenkai

          Hi Stephanie, to be honest, I’m not sure how it works for over 0.5 CBM now. There used to be a special “grace” tier for 0.5 – 0.59 CBM whereby you pay $69 in case you exceed 0.5 CBM. Anything 0.6 and above would be counted as 1 CBM, whereby you have to pay $90! Now they seem to have removed the “grace” tier, which probably means you pay $90 once you exceed 0.5 CBM. I think you can split the items into two shipments, but then you have to pay additional $20 for delivery for the smaller group of parcels. You have to do the sums to see if it’s worthwhile to just opt for the $90 1 CBM shipping. I may be wrong, but I think this is how it works.

          Don’t worry if the items are less than 0.5 CBM. You can opt to pay $59 and still get free delivery. For example, if the items are 0.45 CBM, it is still worthwhile to choose to pay for 0.5 CBM ($59) to get the free delivery.

          Bottom line is, better to have less than 0.5 CBM. Sorry that I suggested it was better to be over 0.5 CBM earlier on, that’s probably wrong.

          1. Stephanie Avatar
            Stephanie

            Hi Yen Kai,

            Is there a way that I choose the way of shipment after they’ve received everything in their warehouse ie option to go for either below 0.5CBM or over. I will be adding a few more things than those I mentioned above so it will likely to go more? In order to obtain the total CBM, did you convert the size of items from cm to meter then multiply them and after which add all the items together?

            I hope that makes sense, thanks!

          2. yenkai Avatar
            yenkai

            Hi Stephanie, yes, you can opt for either below 0.5 CBM or over. First of all, you can choose the specific parcels you want to ship together, and from there, you can choose the pricing. Yes, the way to calculate the combined CBM is to multiply width, length and height (in metres) of the individual parcels (taking into account the packaging) and then add them together.

          3. Stephanie Avatar
            Stephanie

            Also, I’m trying to submit my order on taobao, where would I fill in the 86of China address? Would I still do consolidation shipping or just change my Singapore address on Taobao to the 86of China address?

            Thanks!

          4. yenkai Avatar
            yenkai

            You can add the 86of China warehouse address under 账户设置 -> 收货地址. At the cart checkout page, make sure you choose the 86of China warehouse address at the top (if you are more likely to use 86of in the future you can set it as the default address). Once you have placed the order, you monitor the delivery of the parcels as you would normally do on Taobao website. When a parcel is delivered, you should see the parcel listed in your 86of account. Once all the parcels you wanted to ship have been registered in your 86of account, you can consolidate and ship. To get the local delivery, you need to enter your Singapore address into your 86of account.

            A very important point to take note is to instruct the Taobao sellers to write your 86of ID on the parcel. For example, my 86of ID is AMK 8777. The chances of parcels getting temporarily lost (owner unidentified) is higher with 86of.

  41. william Avatar
    william

    Hi Yenkai, 86of warehouse is going to stop operation? You receive any message from your branch (north)?

    I got a message from them saying after 15th May, they will stop accept goods to warehouse in Guangzhou coz they are moving.

    Is it all the branches or only my branch (tp86) will be affected?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi William, my branch, AMK (HQ), is unaffected. The warehouse address remains unchanged and it is different from the address for TP branch. I guess you have to use another branch for the meantime.

  42. Ade Avatar
    Ade

    add on my branch bugis also not affected

  43. Yorkme Avatar
    Yorkme

    Hi,

    Would there be any inspection service like how ezbuy, sgshop provide? Insurance. If it’s damage during the process of shipping, what can we do?

    1. yenkai Avatar
      yenkai

      Hi Yorkme, I’m not so sure but I doubt 86of provides inspection service. Anyway, what looks OK to them may not be OK to you, so I think such a service is practically impossible. If item is damaged during shipping, liaise with the seller to see if you can return the item or ask for some refund.

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