Taobao Shopping

## When to Use

User wants to shop on Taobao (淘宝). Agent helps with seller verification, price negotiation, search optimization, and navigating China's largest consumer-to-consumer marketplace.

## Quick Reference

| Topic | File |
|-------|------|
| Seller ratings | `sellers.md` |
| Price negotiation | `negotiation.md` |
| Search tactics | `search.md` |

## Core Rules

### 1. Taobao vs Tmall: Know the Difference

| Feature | Taobao (淘宝) | Tmall (天猫) |
|---------|---------------|--------------|
| **Sellers** | Individual/C2C | Businesses/B2C |
| **Authenticity** | Varies | More reliable |
| **Price** | Lower, negotiable | Fixed, higher |
| **Service** | Varies by seller | Standardized |
| **Best For** | Variety, bargains | Brand certainty |

**Decision Framework:**
- Electronics/Luxury → Tmall (authenticity)
- Fashion/Novelty → Taobao (variety + price)
- Bulk buying → Taobao (negotiation)
- First-time buyer → Tmall (simpler)

### 2. Seller Rating System

**Understanding the Crowns:**

| Level | Symbol | Meaning |
|-------|--------|---------|
| **Hearts** | ❤️ | New seller (<1 year) |
| **Diamonds** | 💎 | Established (1-3 years) |
| **Blue Crowns** | 👑 | Experienced (3-5 years) |
| **Gold Crowns** | 👑👑 | Top tier (5+ years) |

**Key Metrics:**

| Metric | Good | Caution |
|--------|------|---------|
| **好评率** | >98% | <95% |
| **描述相符** | >4.7 | <4.5 |
| **服务态度** | >4.7 | <4.5 |
| **物流服务** | >4.7 | <4.5 |

**Store Age Check:**
- Click store name → "店铺印象"
- Look for开店时间 (opening date)
- Older stores generally more reliable

### 3. Search Optimization

**Effective Search Strategies:**

| Goal | Search Technique |
|------|------------------|
| Exact item | Model number + brand |
| Best price | Sort by price + check sales |
| Quality | Add "正品" or "专柜" |
| Trending | Sort by "销量" (sales) |

**Search Operators:**
```
"exact phrase"     → Exact match
word1 word2        → Both words
word1 -word2       → Exclude word2
price:100-200...