Walkthrough
Nine stages, and the point inside each one where the answer changes
An order from a Chinese marketplace runs through nine stages whether or not anyone explains them. Five of those stages quietly close an option that was open in the one before. This is the order they happen in, what each one asks of you, and what it costs.
The whole order as one matrix
Read down a column to see everything available at one stage. Read across a row to see where a single action stops being available.
What is still possible, stage by stage
Read down a column to see every action available at that stage. Read across a row to see when one action closes.
| Action | PickDay 0 | LinkDay 0 | Pay itemDay 0–1 | ArriveDay 3–7 | QCDay 4–8 | MergeYour call | FreightDay 8–12 | CustomsDay 12–25 | ReceiveDay 15–40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel the orderStop the order before the item leaves the seller | Still openNothing has been ordered yet, so there is nothing to cancel. | Still openThe link is only staged. Deleting it ends the matter at no cost. | Last chanceSplit by order state: at [paid] you ask support to cancel; at [Processing] the agent cancels on your behalf and returns the money to your agent balance. | ClosedAt [Warehouse] cancellation is no longer the instrument — the item is physically held, and the route becomes a return or exchange. | ClosedThe no-reason window runs from the moment the status reaches "Stocked in", so on most orders it is already counting by this stage. | ClosedOnce items are merged into a shipping request the order is closed to changes of any kind. | ClosedFreight is settled and the parcel has left the agent. | ClosedThe parcel is outside the agent’s control entirely. | ClosedThe order is complete. |
| Change the delivery addressChange where the international parcel is finally sent | Still openNo parcel exists yet; the address on file can be edited without consequence. | Still openThe address is only read when a parcel is created, so it stays freely editable. | Still openStill editable — the address matters at shipping, not at the moment of payment. | Still openEditable, but read it back before you submit anything. | Still openEditable. Correcting it now is what avoids a redirect later. | Last chanceLast chance: a shipping request issues a label against whatever address is on file when you submit it. | ClosedA label has been issued; a different destination now means a second shipment at your cost. | ClosedThe parcel is moving under the issued label. | ClosedDelivered or in final delivery; address changes are refused. |
| Ask for a refundGet the item price back for something that never matched | Still openNothing has been paid, so there is nothing to refund. | Still openNothing has been paid yet. | Last chanceBefore dispatch a cancellation returns the money to your balance. After dispatch the route is a return agreed with the seller, and the money returns to the balance once it completes. | Still openAt [Warehouse] a refund is decided through the 5-day return or exchange window rather than as a cancellation. | Still openThis is the stage the window runs in: 5 days, counted as 120 hours from the status change to "Stocked in". | Last chanceLast chance before the parcel is sealed. After that the instrument is a damage claim, not a refund. | ClosedThe item sits inside a sealed parcel; refunds now run through a claim. | ClosedIn transit — a refund is no longer the right instrument. | ClosedClosed: after delivery the route is a claim, reported to support within 72 hours of signing. |
| Return it to the sellerSend the item back for a replacement or a credit | ClosedNothing to return. | ClosedNothing to return. | ClosedThe seller has not shipped, so there is nothing to send back. | Still openOpen: the 5-day no-reason window applies here. The first return in each calendar month carries no service fee; later ones are charged on a rising scale. | Still openThe window is counted in this stage. Excluded from no-reason returns: customised items, underwear, food, second-hand goods, and anything whose tags or packaging were removed as requested. | Last chanceLast chance: after merging, return freight is yours and rarely worth it for low-value items. | ClosedSealed and shipped; a return now costs more than most items are worth. | ClosedIn transit — returns are not possible from here. | Last chanceOnly if the item is materially different, and you accept paying the return freight. |
| Claim for damage or lossClaim against the carrier or the agent for damage, loss or a wrong item | ClosedNo international shipment exists. | ClosedNo international shipment exists. | ClosedNo international shipment exists. | ClosedNothing has been shipped internationally. | ClosedNothing has been shipped internationally. | ClosedNothing has been shipped internationally. | ClosedNot yet — but if the box arrives crushed, photograph the outer packaging before opening and keep the box and its tape. | Last chanceLast chance to raise a seizure or a return-to-sender case while the parcel is still moving. | Still openOpen, and time-boxed: report a damaged or missing parcel to support within 72 hours of signing, and to the local post office within 2 days where delivery was not inspected in front of the courier. |
- Still open — the agent or marketplace accepts the request
- Last chance — accepted only if the parcel has not moved on
- Closed — the request is refused at this stage
Where the state boundaries come from. Two layers, kept separate on purpose:
- Flow dependency — whether a parcel exists, has been sealed, or has left the warehouse. This holds for any agent.
- Agent rule — Order cancellation and returns by order state, and the 5-day no-reason window. Kakobuy help centre, question id=51, captured 2026-10.
- Agent rule — Storage limits: 100 days for a normal parcel, 60 days for an unmatched parcel. Kakobuy help centre, question id=1, captured 2026-10.
- Agent rule — Reporting a damaged or missing parcel: 72 hours to support, 2 days to the post office. Kakobuy help centre, question id=54, captured 2026-10.
These are the wording and boundaries recorded on those dates. They are re-read every month and any change is diffed on the term snapshot pages. Other agents write their own rules; each one is described on its own page rather than assumed here.
Each stage on its own page
The day markers below are the order events happen in, not a delivery promise. No platform publishes a reliable average, so this desk does not print one; the only transit figures worth quoting are the ones you record yourself in the transit log.
- 01Pick an agentDay 0Every action open
An agent sits between you and a Chinese marketplace.
- 02Hand the link overDay 0Every action open
The agent needs one thing it can attach a payment to: a single item, identified by a number the marketplace recognises.
- 03Pay for the itemDay 0–1Cancel and refund both open
The first payment is domestic.
- 04Item reaches the warehouseDay 3–7Cancel closes; return opens
Arrival is when the item stops being a purchase and becomes an object the agent is holding for you.
- 05Read the QC photosDay 4–8Return window is counting
QC photos are taken at the warehouse, by staff, under warehouse light, for the purpose of confirming the item arrived.
- 06Merge and packYour callStorage clock is counting
Merging puts several items into one box.
- 07Pay international freightDay 8–12Address change closes
International freight is quoted after the parcel is sealed and weighed, against the greater of real weight and volumetric weight.
- 08Clear customsDay 12–25Nothing left to change
Customs processing is invisible from outside.
- 09Receive and checkDay 15–40Claim window is counting
After delivery, the instrument changes again: refunds are closed, and claims open.