From arrival to photo: the process KakoBuy describes
KakoBuy says its inspectors check every product that reaches the warehouse. These steps are what its help pages support.
- Seller ships to the warehouse. KakoBuy says 1 to 7 working days, by region.
- Item is stocked in. The status becomes "Stocked in", which starts the 5-day return window and the storage clock.
- Inspector checks it. The check covers appearance and the details in the next section. Garments are judged against the remark you left or your last change to the order.
- Photos appear on your order. How many is not published.
- You decide. Keep it, ask for extras, return it, or ship it.
If you spot a serious problem the inspection missed, KakoBuy says to contact customer service for a re-check. The order status guide decodes the status labels; the QC spreadsheet page covers reading a sheet's linked photos.
Inspection starts at stock-in, and so does the clock for acting on it.
Inspection scope in the official wording
The table separates the shopping-agent service, where KakoBuy buys for you, from the forwarding service, where you send a parcel to the warehouse yourself.
| Service | Checked | Not checked | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopping agent, garments | Colour, size, large-area damage, stains, model, version number | Colour deviation, thread, tiny issues | 76, 58 |
| Shopping agent, bags, suitcases, shoes | Appearance, model, style, size | Items in sealed packs are not opened | 89 |
| Shopping agent, electronics | Appearance, missing accessories | Not powered on; no function or quality check | 76, 58 |
| Forwarding, no inspection option | Restricted items only | No counting, no quality check | 72 |
| Forwarding, "Unpack and inspect" | Style, quantity, colour, size, model, logo flaws, breakage | Colour difference, size error, performance, lining, print quality | 72, 58 |
The articles disagree about size. One says size is checked against your remark; another says inspection follows the label and tag and "wrong sizes" will not be checked. Read that as: the inspector confirms the tag matches your order, not that the garment measures what the chart says.
The warehouse checks labels and obvious damage, not measurements or finish.
What "obvious flaw" means for forwarded parcels
Only the forwarding page gives numbers. With the inspection option selected, KakoBuy says it looks for flaws such as a round mark with a diameter above 0.5 cm or another shape longer than 1 cm, large stains, dye marks, scratches, laddering and external damage, plus a badly flawed main logo on the front or back. Sealed items, items with seal strips and non-apparel, non-bag, non-shoe products are checked from the outside only.
Seller gifts are inspected only if you note their name and quantity on the forwarding order. Orders without real product information, such as invalid links or "RMB 1" deals, get only a damage and stain check. Without the inspection option, the warehouse does not unpack a forwarding parcel in principle. The storage page explains why to finish forwarding details quickly.
Specific flaw sizes exist only for forwarding; for purchases, assume large and obvious.
Photo counts, extras and the three parcel photos
KakoBuy does not publish how many standard QC photos each item gets. The figure circulating is 3 to 5 per item, reported by rep.tools as community consensus; rep.tools states that it earns KakoBuy affiliate commission. We could not verify it.
| Service | Price | Timing | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard QC photos | Included, count not published | After stock-in | Automatic |
| Personalised photos | ¥2 per photo | Within 24 hours | Buy per photo; OG number and request in remarks |
| Parcel photos (3) | Free | Within 24 hours of buying the service | Tick "Package Photograph" when submitting the parcel |
| Secondary quality inspection | Not published | Not published | Forwarding goods already in storage |
The three parcel photos show the goods before sealing, the sealed parcel and the parcel on the scale; for volume-priced lines, one placement photo plus two of the sealed parcel. Skip the tick and none are taken by default.
Pay ¥2 only for a shot the standard set lacks; the parcel photos cost nothing.
When a photo shows a problem: action and cost
The route depends on whose fault it is. KakoBuy's return terms say you pay nothing for a wrong item, a faulty item (holes, stains) or damage in domestic transit. If you simply dislike the item, you pay shipping both ways plus a service fee, waived for the first return each calendar month for non-Prime users.
| What the photo shows | Action | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong colour or size sent, or a hole or stain | Request a return or exchange within 5 days of stock-in, choosing the seller-fault reason | Customer pays nothing |
| Parcel damaged by domestic courier | Same request, same window | Customer pays nothing |
| Item matches the listing but you dislike it | Return request within 5 days; seller must agree | Two-way shipping; first return each month ¥0 service fee, then ¥5 to ¥20 |
| Detail unclear in the photo | Buy personalised photos | ¥2 per photo |
| Fault found after day 5 | Contact support; KakoBuy negotiates with the seller | Seller's decision; may be refused |
| Photo missing or will not load | Check status, then ask support | None stated |
Example: two extra photos on a ¥300 jacket (about $42) cost ¥4, about $0.56, or 1.3% of the item price. The fee tiers are on the refunds and returns page.
Decide within 5 days; seller faults are free, preferences are not.
The May 2026 image incident
On 11 May 2026 KakoBuy published a notice about QC images. It said some pictures made or changed between 2 and 8 May 2026 displayed incorrectly or could not be opened. Its stated cause was outsiders abusing the upload permissions on the warehouse side. KakoBuy says order, payment, address and shipping records were untouched, and that it reset the permissions and began monitoring.
For you, that means a photo dated in that window deserves a second look, and a newer photo or a ¥2 personalised photo is a reasonable fix. Our incident log keeps the full timeline, and the insurance page covers parcel losses, which this notice did not.
Treat a photo from that early-May window as unverified until replaced.
Two checkpoints before you pay for shipping
QC photos answer "is this the right item"; parcel photos answer "is it packed and weighed as expected". Pay for each parcel when you submit it, not before. Our shipping page has line quotes, and the contact page carries a QR code for help reading photos.
Ship only what the photos support.
Questions buyers ask
Does KakoBuy open sealed boxes for QC?
Not outside clothes, bags, suitcases and shoes. KakoBuy's inspection rules say that sealed items, and products in other categories, are checked for outer appearance only, without opening the wrapping. Its forwarding rules repeat this and add action figures in sealed boxes. Any item whose value sits inside a sealed box therefore gets a photo of the packaging, not of the contents.
How big does a flaw have to be for KakoBuy to flag it?
For forwarding parcels where you choose the inspection option, KakoBuy's help page gives thresholds: a round mark with a diameter above 0.5 cm, or another shape longer than 1 cm, counts as an obvious appearance flaw. Large stains, dye marks, scratches and damage are also listed. The shopping-agent pages state no such numbers.
Can I ask KakoBuy to inspect an item again after it is stored?
Yes, for forwarding orders. KakoBuy's help page offers a "Secondary Quality Inspection" service for goods already in storage, which applies the standard inspection if you skipped it before warehousing. It does not publish a price for it in the articles we read on 12 October 2026, so confirm the fee with support before you rely on it.
How do I order a ¥2 personalised photo?
Buy the personalised-photo service from the Discount Information area on KakoBuy's homepage, once per photo, and write the order's OG number and the shot you want in the remarks box, for example a logo area or a measured clothing length. KakoBuy says the photos arrive by internal message within 24 hours. Four photos cost ¥8, about $1.12.
Is a QC photo proof that the seller will accept a return?
No. A photo shows the item; the seller decides on returns. KakoBuy's rule says it applies to the seller for a return within 5 days (120 hours) of "Stocked in", and the result depends on whether the seller agrees. Obvious faults such as holes or stains are seller responsibility, so you pay no service fee.
Why are there no QC photos for my order?
The item may not be stocked in yet, so check the status first. A photo dated 2 to 8 May 2026 may be one of those KakoBuy said displayed wrongly or were unavailable after its 11 May 2026 notice. Image servers were also upgraded on 18 October 2025. If none of these fits, ask support, and say whether the order number begins with OG.