FAQ

Costs, shipping & refunds

The answers our CS team sends every day — kept in one place so the website and WhatsApp never disagree.

• ▸▾Do you charge a service fee for buying from 1688?

  We do not charge any service fee for purchasing your goods from 1688. You only pay the product price, the China domestic freight, and the international shipping cost.
• ▸▾How is China domestic freight (CN freight) calculated?

  China domestic freight is charged at the supplier's actual cost, with a minimum of 100 TK. When you add an item to your cart, the CN freight for that item is shown right there.
• ▸▾Do you charge to combine parcels, and what does a wooden crate cost?

  Combining parcels from several suppliers into one shipment is free - we do not charge a consolidation packing fee. If you want a parcel reinforced with a wooden crate, that costs 1,000-2,000 TK per parcel depending on its size.
• ▸▾What are your air and sea freight rates?

  *Air freight* - General goods: 750 TK/kg - Battery, liquid, ordinary cosmetics: 1,150 TK/kg - Cosmetics line: 850 TK/kg (minimum 400 kg) *Sea freight* - 280-550 TK/kg depending on product type (minimum 200 kg) These rates already include Bangladesh import duty and customs clearance. _Please note: Bangladesh customs valuation can vary, so the final cost may change._
• ▸▾Is there a minimum order quantity or a minimum shipping weight?

  There is no minimum order quantity for the products you buy. Shipping, however, is billed from a minimum of 0.5 kg.
• ▸▾After customs clearance, do you deliver to my door?

  After customs clearance in Bangladesh, your goods come to our Dhaka warehouse. You then have two options: 1. Collect from our Dhaka warehouse yourself - no local delivery charge. 2. Have it delivered by a Bangladeshi local courier - the courier's door-delivery charge is paid by you.
• ▸▾Do you accept cash on delivery (COD)?

  We do not accept cash on delivery in any form. An order is paid from your CIEF wallet balance before we purchase from the supplier.
• ▸▾How do I get my wallet balance refunded?

  You can ask customer service to refund your wallet balance at any time. There are no conditions and no handling fee, and the refund is completed within 3 working days.
• ▸▾Can I cancel an order, and is there a fee?

  You can cancel free of charge any time before we place the purchase with the 1688 supplier. Once we have already bought the goods, the order can no longer be cancelled free of charge.

About CIEF Source BD

• ▸▾Do I need a Letter of Credit (LC) to buy on CIEF Source BD?

  No. You pay us in Bangladesh taka via bKash or local bank transfer. We handle the CNY-side settlement to the 1688 supplier through our Hong Kong subsidiary — entirely legal, fully audited, no LC paperwork on your side. This is the single biggest reason experienced BD importers switch to us.
• ▸▾How do I pay?

  Top up your wallet on cief-source-bd.com via bKash or local bank transfer. The amount sits in your CIEF wallet in BDT. When you place an order, we debit the wallet. If a product can't ship, the BDT goes back to your wallet (withdrawable to your bank).
• ▸▾Can I really see the original 1688 price?

  Yes. We display the live ¥ price from 1688 unchanged. There's no service fee — we earn only on the shipping margin and FX, both shown on every product page before checkout. We do not mark up the product itself — that's our core differentiator vs typical BD resellers who mark up the product itself.
• ▸▾Can I negotiate the listed price further?

  Yes. Click Request Quote on any product page. Our CS team chats with the seller on 旺旺 using our 超级买家 (Super Buyer) account tier and pushes the price down 5-10% on average. Free to use, no commitment. We're the only platform in Bangladesh that does this.
• ▸▾How long does shipping take?

  Depends on the shipping lane. Air General Goods: 10-14 days. Air Sensitive (battery/liquid/chemical): 14-18 days via Hong Kong transit. Air Cosmetic: 18-25 days. Sea: 30-35 days. The default lane is picked by our AI classifier based on the product; you can override.
• ▸▾What products can't you ship?

  Banned categories include: weapons, drugs, counterfeit brand goods, certain liquids/powders/chemicals beyond customs limits, and items 1688 sellers don't ship internationally. Our system flags banned items at order placement. If a product can't be shipped, we cancel and refund your wallet immediately — you're never charged for an unshippable order.
• ▸▾What if customs holds my goods?

  We handle customs clearance through our Bangladesh-side partner. If goods are held for a clearance issue, we work it out with the customs agent — usually within 1-3 days. If a shipment is ultimately rejected by customs (rare, usually a category we missed), the wallet is refunded.
• ▸▾What's the refund policy?

  Wallet refund within 7 days if your goods are not delivered (lost in shipping, customs rejection, supplier failed to ship). Refunds go to your CIEF wallet in BDT and can be withdrawn to your local bank account.