When stuck
AnovaBuy help desk: escalation ladder, screen words, deadlines
Where to go when something stalls, a glossary of the terms on AnovaBuy order screens, and answers to what first-time buyers ask most.
Stuck on an order: the escalation ladder
If you need help, start at the top of this ladder. Most problems are answered somewhere in AnovaBuy's help center. When they are not, only AnovaBuy can change anything on your order; this site can explain, but it never sees your account.
Write with the order number, the product ID and a photo where relevant. For problems on delivery, remember the 72-hour limit from signing.
AnovaBuy screen vocabulary, QC to IOSS
This glossary mixes two sources. A few terms come from AnovaBuy's interface, a few from the wider buying community. QC, GL and RL are the abbreviations you will meet most.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| QC | Short for quality control. At AnovaBuy it means the arrival check plus the photos posted to your order. |
| GL / RL | Buyer slang for approving the photos (green) or rejecting them (red). |
| In Stock / Warehoused | Your goods have reached the AnovaBuy warehouse. The return and storage clocks start here. |
| Ready for Shipment | Shelved and free to go into a parcel. |
| Rehearsal | Pre-packaging demonstration: the parcel is packed and weighed before you pay shipping. CNY 20. |
| Volume weight | Length x width x height in cm, divided by 5000 (or 6000, 7000, 8000 on some lines). |
| First weight unit | The lowest weight a line bills; anything lighter costs the same. |
| Line | One shipping service as AnovaBuy sells it, with its own prices, quoted days and list of accepted goods. |
| IOSS | An EU scheme under which VAT is paid at submission through AnovaBuy on some lines. |
| Product ID (PI) and parcel number (PD) | Reference numbers AnovaBuy asks for when you request a service. |
| Custom Order | AnovaBuy's route for goods that need negotiation or special sourcing. |
| Forwarding Order | Sending things you bought yourself to the AnovaBuy warehouse for shipping. |
Ten short answers drawn from AnovaBuy rules
These are frequently asked by people on their first AnovaBuy order. Each answer points to the AnovaBuy rule behind it; the handbook chapters go into detail.
Is a Chinese mobile number required to sign up?
It is not. Registration runs on email, with a code sent there; Google or Discord accounts also work.
Can I order from a Weidian link?
AnovaBuy does not list Weidian in its examples. Paste the link and see whether the product page fills in; if not, use Custom Order.
Is the service fee 6 percent or zero?
AnovaBuy publishes both, in two different help articles. Your Confirm Order screen shows the figure applied to your order.
How many free photos will I get?
Two, by one article; typically two or three, by another. Extra detailed photos are CNY 1 each.
How long can goods wait in the warehouse?
Ninety days free from the Warehoused status. You can pay CNY 10 per product ID per month for more, up to six months per request.
Can I return something I simply do not want?
Yes, if you ask within five days of In Stock and the item is not excluded. You pay the return postage.
Why does my tracking not move?
On some lines the first scan takes about three days and the next one three to ten days. Aircraft Arrival can mean in the air or landed and waiting.
What if my parcel comes back?
If it returns from abroad for a failed check, no one to sign or a bad address, you pay to resend it. Failures inside China usually get the freight refunded to your balance.
Where do refunds go?
To your AnovaBuy balance, not back to the card.
Will electronics be tested?
No. Staff check the outside and the accessories, but nothing is switched on.
Something wrong on this site
If a figure here no longer matches AnovaBuy's pages, or a link has stopped working, write to [email protected] with the page address. We check corrections against AnovaBuy's own pages before changing anything then log the fix on the updates page.
