UIDBuy QC photos, read like an inspector would

Every item UIDBuy buys for you is photographed when it reaches the warehouse. This page covers how many photos to expect, what the inspector checks, how to read the photos, and what to do when something is off.

How many photos you get, depending on which page you read

UIDBuy gives three different numbers. The home page promises 3 to 5 free QC photos. The help article on detailed photos says the quality inspection usually provides 3 standard photos from different angles: front, back and side or logo. The product page in the official beginner guide says "We provide free 3-7 pcs HD quality inspection photos".

Plan on three. If more arrive, good. Standard photos are taken from fixed angles set per product category and cannot be changed, but a blurred photo can be re-taken on request.

What the inspector checks, and what stays with you

The inspection scope article covers the item's colour, its model and version, the size label, stains, and any damage over a large area, all judged against your order remark. Size is read from the label and the tag. Colour difference and actual measured size are outside the scope, as are "use effect" and the quality of threads. For electronics, inspectors only look at the outside and check that accessories are present; they do not switch devices on, and they do not open sealed boxes to count parts.

The same article adds a line worth knowing: if there is no obvious damage or contamination, UIDBuy assumes you and the seller agreed on the rest. That puts the burden on your remark. Write what you care about when you order.

Five sweeps over a fresh set of warehouse pictures

Here is how to read the QC photos without being fooled by good lighting. First pass: is it the item and the option you ordered, in the colour you picked? Second: the label and tag, checked against the size you asked for. Third: the obvious defects, such as stains, holes, loose threads at stress points, crooked prints, scuffed corners. Fourth: anything you asked for in the remark; if you asked for a measurement and the photo shows none, say so straight away. Fifth: what is missing from the frame, like the other shoe, the strap or the box.

Judge colour last and with caution. Warehouse light is flat and cool, and the same item can look a shade off from the listing photo without anything being wrong.

Paying for detailed photos

Detailed photos are UIDBuy's paid extra for the angle you choose: a close-up, a measurement, a part of the item. They cost 1 RMB each, with a maximum of 20, and you can order them when you submit the product order or after the item is stored. UIDBuy asks you to describe the shots clearly and, for stored items, to give the item number, and to check that the number of photos you buy matches the number you describe.

The most useful requests are measurements with a tape in frame, and close-ups of the part that usually goes wrong for that kind of item. The shelf pages list one for each category.

Returns and swaps inside the hundred-and-twenty-hour limit

UIDBuy's return rules rest on a seller-side guarantee: within seven days of the seller's delivery being signed for, which UIDBuy translates as five days, or 120 hours, after the item's status changes to Stocked in. Within that window UIDBuy will negotiate a return or exchange with the seller. The seller decides. For items that came with free shipping, you pay the return postage.

Some goods are excluded: custom-made items, products marked non-returnable, items whose tags or packaging you asked to remove, second-hand goods, underwear and socks, food, adult products, and items from outside mainland China, among others. If you change your mind after the seller has shipped, the help center says you would have to send it back after it lands in the warehouse and place a fresh order, paying the return postage yourself.

Gifts, sold-out replies and other warehouse surprises

Seller gifts belong to you and are packed into your parcel unless they cannot be mailed; dangerous items are thrown away. If you want a particular gift, put it in the remark, but UIDBuy will not chase a gift the seller never sends, and gifts you did not mention are not inspected.

A store can show plenty of stock and still tell the purchaser an item is sold out, because many sellers rarely update their listings. UIDBuy treats the seller's answer as final and asks you what to do. And if your order shows Pending for confirmation, the purchaser needs an answer from you; the instructions are on the order page.