Module three of the guide
Categories, and what to check before each one
Twenty five categories. For each one, what Basetao inspects when it arrives, and the specific thing that stays your responsibility because the inspection does not cover it.
Six groups, twenty five categories
Each chip opens that category, except home and lifestyle, which runs a search because it has no clean category page. The note beside each group is the failure it actually produces, not a generic warning.
On your feet
Sizing error is named on Basetaos own inspection page as outside the check, so this row is where centimetres matter more than anywhere else.
Worn on top
Everything here passes inspection as long as it matches its own label. The label is not the same thing as your size.
Worn below
Waist tags on Chinese denim and trousers are frequently the Chinese size rather than an inch waist, so ask for flat measurements.
Carried
Bags are charged on the space they occupy. Dimensional weight is length times width times height in centimetres divided by 5000.
Worn at the edges
Small, light, and the cheapest things to add to a parcel that is already going out.
Has a rule attached
Each of these touches one of the two banned lists, or one of the eight commodity attributes on the official freight calculator. Read that page first.
How to read a brief
Two lines per category, and neither of them is a score
Every brief below has the same two lines. The first is what Basetao states it checks for that kind of item when the parcel reaches the warehouse. The second is what falls outside that check, which is therefore work you have to do before you pay.
There is deliberately no rating, no star and no ranking. A rating would imply we tested these categories, and we have not. What we have done is read the official inspection standards, both banned lists and the freight calculator, and worked out what each one means for each group of goods.
The badge on a brief says one of two things. Nothing on the two banned lists means the category itself is ordinary cargo. Check the banned lists first means something in that group is named on the purchasing list, the forwarding list, or the commodity attributes the freight calculator asks about.
The twenty five briefs
Open a category to see both lines. Every statement about what Basetao checks comes from its inspection standards page, read 2026-08-04.
Sneakers and trainersNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Pair count, colourway, the size marked on the box or insole, and the model number are checked, and the shoes are photographed out of the box.
What stays your job. Sizing error is one of the three things Basetao names as outside the inspection, so a shoe that runs a full size small still passes. Ask the seller for the insole length in centimetres for the size you want, and measure a pair you already wear before you commit.
Casual and canvas shoesNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Pair count, colourway, the size marked on the box or insole, and the model number are checked, and the shoes are photographed out of the box.
What stays your job. Width is never measured. Canvas and knit uppers sit narrower than leather at the same marked size, so read the sellers own centimetre table instead of converting from your usual EU number.
Leather shoes and bootsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Pair count, colourway, the size marked on the box or insole, and the model number are checked, and the shoes are photographed out of the box.
What stays your job. Colour deviation is also excluded from the inspection, and leather dye shifts between production runs far more than fabric does. Treat the listing photo as the intention and the arrival photo as the fact.
Sandals and slidesNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Pair count, colourway, the size marked on the box or insole, and the model number are checked, and the shoes are photographed out of the box.
What stays your job. Strap length and footbed width decide whether these are wearable, and neither is part of the check. Ask for the outsole length and the strap width, then compare against a pair in your cupboard.
Hoodies and sweatshirtsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. A hoodie that matches its own label passes even when it does not fit you. Ask for chest width and body length in centimetres, because the same letter size is usually cut shorter in the body and sleeve than the European brands you are used to.
T-shirts and topsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. Print placement and fabric weight are not part of an appearance check unless something is visibly damaged or stained. If print position matters to you, put it in the order note so the buyer can flag an obvious mismatch while the item is still returnable.
Jackets and outerwearNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. Zips, snaps and lining seams are only caught when the damage is visible. Nothing is worn, pulled or function tested. Ask for shoulder width and sleeve length, and expect the parcel to be charged on volume rather than on weight.
Down jackets and puffersNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. This is the clearest case where volume sets the price. Basetao computes dimensional weight as length times width times height in centimetres divided by 5000, and couriers charge on whichever number is larger. Decide whether the puffer ships with the rest of the order or alone.
Knitwear and sweatersNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. Knit stretches, so the same label size behaves differently between two sellers. Ask for the flat measurement across the chest with the garment lying down, which is what Chinese sellers normally quote.
Jeans and denimNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. Waist tags on Chinese denim are often the Chinese size, not an inch waist. Ask for waist, hip, thigh and inseam in centimetres. The wash shade is a colour question, and colour deviation is outside the check.
Trousers and pantsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. Inseam is the measurement people forget, and it is not inspected. Put your inseam in the order note rather than assuming the size chart matches the one you already know.
ShortsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Piece count, colour, the size printed on the label, and the model or version number are checked against your order, and the garment is unfolded and photographed on arrival.
What stays your job. Cheap and light, which makes shorts a sensible thing to add to a parcel that is already going out. They rarely move the freight bill on their own, so they are a poor reason to ship early.
Handbags and shoulder bagsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, visible damage, stains, model and version number are checked, and the bag is photographed from several angles on arrival.
What stays your job. Hardware plating and stitching density read very differently in a warehouse photo than in a listing render. Ask for the finished dimensions, and expect a structured bag to be charged on the space it occupies.
BackpacksNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, visible damage, model and version number are checked and photographed.
What stays your job. A backpack is mostly air. Asking for the softer items in the same parcel to be packed inside it is the one packing decision that genuinely changes what you pay, and you have to request it in the parcel note.
Wallets and card holdersNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, visible damage and stains are checked, and the wallet is opened and photographed.
What stays your job. Small, light and cheap to add. Worth grouping into an order you are already placing, because the service and freight side of the bill does not shrink just because the item is small.
BeltsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, buckle model and visible damage are checked and photographed.
What stays your job. Belt length is quoted buckle to middle hole in some listings and end to end in others. Since size deviation sits outside the inspection, ask which measurement the seller means before you order.
Luggage and travel bagsCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, visible damage and model are checked and photographed.
What stays your job. Basetao states it cannot ship items over 1.5 metres in size, and large rigid cases are exactly where dimensional weight hurts. Check the packed dimensions against that limit before you pay the seller.
Hats and capsNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, embroidery model and visible damage are checked and photographed.
What stays your job. Structured caps either crush or take up space, depending on how the parcel is packed, and packing is something you can ask about. Say in the parcel note whether you would rather the shape survived or the box stayed small.
Sunglasses and framesNothing on the two banned lists
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, model number and visible damage or scratches are checked, and the frames are photographed out of the case.
What stays your job. Lens tint is a colour question and colour deviation is excluded, so the shade in the arrival photo is the one you are buying. Prescription work is not something an agent parcel can carry for you.
Jewellery and small metalCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, visible damage and model are checked and photographed. Metal content is never verified.
What stays your job. Basetao lists currency, gems and precious metals among the categories carriers will not accept. Costume pieces are ordinary cargo, but anything sold as solid gold or silver has to be checked against that list first.
WatchesCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, model and version number and visible damage are checked. As a digital or electronic product the check is external only, so the movement is not started and accessories are not counted.
What stays your job. Watches are one of the eight commodity attributes on the official freight calculator, which means the shipping line has to be matched to them. Because the movement is never started, a watch that arrives dead counts as a functional issue, and Basetao states functional issues are not covered by the insurance.
Perfume and fragranceCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. Count, packaging condition and visible damage are checked and photographed. The bottle is not opened.
What stays your job. Liquid appears on both of Basetaos banned lists, the purchasing one and the forwarding one. Treat fragrance as something to confirm with support before you pay the seller, not after the bottle is already sitting in the warehouse.
Consumer electronicsCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. External appearance only. Basetao states that for electronic and digital products it does not check whether accessories are complete and does not power the device on. Arrival photos are provided instead.
What stays your job. Two separate rules bite here. Pure batteries are banned outright, and computers, laptops and phones are named as things the forwarding side cannot ship. Because nothing is switched on, a dead unit is a functional issue and sits outside the insurance.
Headphones and audioCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. External appearance only, photographed on arrival. Nothing is paired, charged or listened to.
What stays your job. Built in cells make these a battery item, which is one of the attributes the freight calculator asks about and which narrows the lines available. Ask support which line takes them before you order a pair.
Home and lifestyleCheck the banned lists first
What Basetao inspects here. Count, colour, visible damage, stains and model are checked and photographed.
What stays your job. This is the category where the banned lists reach ordinary shopping. Food, liquids, powders and anything flammable are all named. Candles, cosmetics and kitchen liquids are the usual surprises.
Six categories carry a rule that has nothing to do with quality
Perfume, consumer electronics, headphones, watches, jewellery, luggage and most of the home and lifestyle group each touch a published rule. Liquid, powder, food, pure batteries and imitation brands are refused outright at the purchase stage. Computers, laptops, phones and anything over 1.5 metres are refused at the forwarding stage.
On top of that, the official freight calculator asks you to declare whether a parcel contains brands, liquid, cosmetics, food, magnetic material, watches, batteries or powder, so it can match a shipping line. A parcel that needs a special line is not necessarily a problem. A parcel bought before you checked is.
How to judge a seller when the listing is all you have
The agent purchases under its own account at whatever shop you point it at, so the seller is your choice and your risk. The agent checks the parcel against your order. It does not vet the shop.
Three things are worth reading before you commit. Whether the shop photographs its own stock or reuses the brand press images, because a shop that only has press images cannot show you what it will actually send. Whether the listing answers questions in its own description rather than leaving every variant unexplained. And whether the colourways in the photographs match the options the listing actually sells.
If the answer to any of those is unclear, ask before ordering. A question costs nothing. A reorder costs the item, the domestic leg and a second share of international freight.
