Electronics are the category where a small detail and a large amount of money meet. A wrong voltage, an unsupported network band, or a lithium battery on a line that will not carry it can turn a good price into a parcel that never leaves China. Here are the seven checks worth completing before you pay.
Short answer
Whether a Chinese electronics listing is safe to buy is a question about the exact model, not about the category. Run seven checks before paying: voltage and plug type, network bands, region lock or ROM, battery rules on the shipping line, who honours the warranty, whether the discount survives the landed total, and the duty or certification costs at your border. A listing that fails one of them is the wrong listing.
The seven checks at a glance
- Voltage and plug type: will the device run on your mains supply?
- Network bands: will it connect to your carrier?
- Region and ROM: does the software work outside China as sold?
- Battery rules: can the line carry it, and at what capacity limit?
- Warranty: who repairs it, and where?
- Price sanity: is the discount real, and what is the landed total?
- Border costs: duty, tax and certification for your country.
1. Voltage and plug type
Read the input range printed on the charger or the label. Many adapters sold for export accept 100-240V and work almost anywhere, while others are built for 220V only and will not run safely on a 110V supply without a step-down converter. China also uses flat two-pin plugs, so your socket standard may need an adapter. Ask the seller which version ships with the item.
Buyer check
Confirm the input voltage on the label and your own plug standard before ordering.
2. Network bands
A handset that works perfectly in China can be close to useless abroad. Carriers operate on different 4G and 5G bands, and China-market phones often omit the low bands your network leans on. "Supports 4G" proves nothing. Ask for the full band list in writing and compare it with the bands your carrier publishes.
Buyer check
Get the complete band list and match it to your carrier's published bands.
3. Region lock and ROM
Many devices sold inside China ship with the China ROM: no Google services, domestic app stores preloaded, and no clean path to an international setup. Some models are also region-locked at activation, and flashing a global ROM yourself can break over-the-air updates and void the warranty. Ask, in writing, whether the unit is the global version, whether Google services are included, and whether any region restriction applies.
Buyer check
Request the exact model number, ROM version and Google-service status in writing.
4. Battery and route rules
Lithium batteries are the most restricted cargo in cross-border shipping. Devices with factory-installed cells normally travel on standard lines, while power banks, loose cells and e-bikes face capacity limits that depend on carrier and route. Ask which line accepts your item, whether the battery is pre-installed, and what that line's capacity rule is before you commit.
Buyer check
Name the item type and ask which line accepts it, and under what capacity limit.
5. Warranty and after-sales
A China-market warranty usually works inside China only, and most overseas service centres will not touch a grey-market unit. What you actually receive depends on the seller's own terms: coverage period, exclusions, who pays return freight, and how a dead-on-arrival unit is replaced. Get those terms in writing before payment, and if you buy through an agent, read that agent's terms as well.
Buyer check
Ask for coverage period, DOA replacement and return-freight responsibility in writing.
6. Price sanity
Compare the landed total – device, freight, service fee and border charges – against local retail rather than against the sticker price. Then ask what is being sold: listings far below the market average are often refurbished units, engineering samples or export rejects described as new. Ask whether the item is brand new, sealed, in original packaging, with the factory warranty.
Buyer check
Price the landed total and ask for evidence that the unit is new, sealed and authentic.
7. Border costs and certification
Savings can disappear at the border. Duty, tax and thresholds differ by country and by product category, and many electronics also need local certification before they can be imported or resold. Two 2025-2026 changes matter for planning: the US $800 de minimis exemption ended for all countries on 29 August 2025, so there is no small-parcel tax-free line to assume, and Australia charges GST from the first dollar. Confirm how the parcel will be declared.
Buyer check
Verify your country's duty treatment and certification rules for this exact product.
The pre-payment script
- Write down the model number and ask for the label photograph
- Confirm voltage range, plug type and bundled accessories
- Compare the band list with your carrier's published bands
- Ask which shipping line accepts the battery, and its limit
- Save the warranty terms, the price evidence and the seller's answers
- Check duty, tax and certification before the first payment
After payment: warehouse and export
Electronics purchased through CNCartGo are received at the Guangzhou warehouse, inspected and photographed at intake, and held while you decide how to consolidate them. Storage is free for 100 days, then ¥0.1 per parcel per day up to a maximum of 180 days. The service fee is 6-15% of the item value, freight is billed separately and reconciled up or down after weighing, and orders start at /en/buy/. Transit afterwards follows the lane: express 5-10 working days, postal 10-25, economy 20-35.
Run the seven checks before you pay and keep every answer in writing. Voltage, bands, ROM status, battery rules, warranty terms, price evidence and border costs are what separate a genuine bargain from an expensive lesson.
Reviewed in September 2026. Carrier battery rules, warranty terms and duty thresholds change; the live pages show current terms.
Related guides
The seven checks cover the basics, and each one is taken further in the guides below.
- How to Buy Electronics From JD.com and Ship to Your Country: The Complete 2026 Guide
- How to Check a Xianyu Seller Before Payment: Practical Guide for International Buyers
- China Warehouse Inspection Before Shipping: What International Buyers Should Check
- Before You Pay International Shipping: 7 Address Mistakes to Check at Your China Warehouse
- Warehouse Inspection vs Seller Confirmation: Which Check Matters More Before Shipping From China?
