[Tsagadai]

Most of the time the experience is fantastic but like any shop you can get ripped off. I've been ripped off a few times on ebay and craigslist too. Certain product categories tend to attract scammers and I know many people who have never had a bad experience (other than getting things months late but that is usually caused by customs or courier services at either end). As always, until the product is working and in your hands you should be wary of the seller and take precautions to avoid becoming a mark.

Taobao has one factor that generally makes it better than ebay and most other online retailers and auction sites: it is the sole source of income for many companies that sell through it. Many Chinese manufacturers are only selling their products through the alibaba ecosystem so they really care about their reputation. That is why they get defensive or start offering all sorts of things to remove bad reviews, because it can shut down their whole revenue stream.

[BEIJINGSHOTS]

ive used both ebay, and taobao, and i have been ripped off once from taobao, compared to about 5 times on ebay. i am not including ebay the corporation themselves ripping me off. they froze my account, and took all my money. i've also talked to someone else who had her account frozen with about $10,000 in her account. ebay is now using the excuse of "security" to freeze your account. they say they want to protect your "online safety", but the truth is, they just want to take your money. many ebay employeees have come forward and exposed the dodgy practices of ebay. China will always come up with the better stuff because people are constantly criticising China, so they strive to be better. on the other hand, anyone criticising ebay, or amazon will be met immediately by 100 shills who say that ebay, and amazon are great. thats why ebay and amazon will never improve because instead of spending time to make themselves better, they are spending money hiring shills.