The nine steps, and what each one decides
The path below is ordered by decisions rather than by tasks. Each step exists because a choice made there cannot be undone later: the address you register, the option string you paste, the line you pick, the verdict you write on the warehouse photos, and the numbers you record at the end.
The path as a whole
Dispatch happens around step 8; everything before it is reversible, and almost everything after it is not. That is the single most useful asymmetry to keep in mind: an extra day before dispatch is cheap, and an extra day after it is not.
Get an account and an address record that survives a customs form, before any money moves.
In hand: an email address you check daily · the full delivery address including unit or apartment number · …
Understand what a row commits you to, so a link is not mistaken for a purchase.
In hand: the row you intend to order, including any option or size notes · the currency shown next to the price · …
Convert a verified row into an order that the warehouse can execute without asking you questions.
In hand: the verified row from step 2, including the exact option string · the quantity, in the seller’s own units · …
Recognise a normal domestic leg and identify the moment waiting becomes a problem.
In hand: the seller’s dispatch notice and domestic tracking number, if one was given · the warehouse address the parcel is heading to · …
Plan around the free storage window so nothing is dispatched in a hurry or charged for storage.
In hand: the arrival dates of every item in the warehouse · the free storage window your service publishes · …
Turn a photo set into a decision you can defend later.
In hand: the photo set, at full resolution rather than thumbnails · the listing images for comparison · …
Choose whether to rehearse the pack, merge parcels, or leave the parcel alone.
In hand: the current contents of the parcel and their individual weights · the per-parcel fee your service charges for merging or rehearsal · …
Pick a line from the chargeable weight and the arrival window you actually need.
In hand: the chargeable weight from step 7 · the destination and any deadline · …
Interpret tracking correctly, respond to customs requests, and close the order with a record.
In hand: the tracking number and the line’s published window · a way to receive mail at the delivery address, including from the carrier · …
Three routes through the same path
A first order of light items
Steps 1 to 3 carry the weight, then step 6. Skipping the rehearsal is usually fine here, because a parcel of textiles rarely flips onto volumetric weight. Budget attention, not money.
A parcel with footwear
Steps 5 to 8 do the work. A boxed pair is the classic volumetric-weight case, so the merge decision and the line choice are where the money is decided.
Several items arriving late
Step 5 dominates: name the holding item, put a date on the storage window, and split the parcel rather than let one slow seller set the schedule for everything.
Time and cost, step by step
| Step | Typical elapsed time | What it decides | Reversible after dispatch? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Account and address | same day | where the parcel can be delivered | yes |
| 2 Reading the row | 10–30 minutes per row | the option string and price basis | yes |
| 3 Placing the order | same day | what the warehouse is asked to do | partly |
| 4 Domestic leg | 2–7 days | whether a case is opened in time | yes |
| 5 Warehouse clock | window set by the service | when dispatch happens | yes |
| 6 QC photos | 1–3 days after intake | whether a defect travels | yes |
| 7 Rehearsal and merge | 1–2 days | the chargeable weight basis | yes |
| 8 Line choice | same day | postage and arrival window | no |
| 9 Tracking and closing | line-dependent | next order’s accuracy | no |