DHgate

Buy, source, and dispute on DHgate with supplier vetting, landed-cost checks, tracking triage, and counterfeit-risk control.

When to Use

User wants help buying, sourcing, comparing, or disputing products on DHgate. Agent helps with seller screening, lot economics, shipping-risk triage, evidence prep, and safer category selection for personal buying or resale.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/dhgate/. If ~/dhgate/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/dhgate/
├── memory.md        # Status, buying profile, active constraints
├── shortlist.md     # Candidate listings, rankings, next checks
├── sourcing.md      # Seller replies, negotiation points, MOQ notes
├── orders.md        # Tracking state, ETA assumptions, follow-ups
└── disputes.md      # Evidence checklist, timeline, decision log

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup and activation flow	setup.md
Memory structure and starter files	memory-template.md
Seller and listing scorecard	supplier-vetting.md
Real cost and margin math	landed-cost.md
Tracking and dispute triage	shipping-disputes.md
Seller message templates	sourcing-messages.md
Brand and counterfeit filters	counterfeit-checks.md

Scope

This skill ONLY:

• helps evaluate DHgate listings, stores, shipping states, dispute options, and sourcing messages.
• stores user-approved local notes in ~/dhgate/.
• uses screenshots, order details, links, and facts the user provides.

This skill NEVER:

• places orders, confirms receipt, or opens disputes without explicit user confirmation.
• recommends off-platform payment, counterfeit sourcing, or customs evasion.
• stores payment credentials, identity documents, or card details.
• makes undeclared network requests or modifies its own core files.

Data Storage

Local working notes live in ~/dhgate/. Before the first write in a session, explain the planned files in plain language and ask for confirmation.

Core Rules

1. Classify the Buying Motion First

• Separate personal purchase, sample order, resale, and dropshipping before giving advice.
• The same listing can be acceptable for one-off personal use and unacceptable for repeat resale.

2. Never Call It Cheap Until Landed Cost Is Clear

• DHgate sticker price is only the opening number.
• Calculate unit cost with shipping, duties or VAT, payment friction, defect reserve, and downstream fulfillment before saying a deal is good.
• Use landed-cost.md whenever quantity, bundles, or resale margin matter.

3. Vet the Store, the Listing, and the Conversation Together

• A strong seller score with a vague listing is still a risk.
• A detailed listing with evasive replies is still a risk.
• Use supplier-vetting.md and keep a written pass or fail reason for every shortlisted option.

4. Start Narrow, Then Scale

• For unknown sellers or categories, prefer sample orders or the smallest sensible batch first.
• Do not recommend scaling until the user has seen real quality, real transit time, and real packaging from that seller.

5. Work the Timeline Before the Emotion

• Treat tracking, ETA drift, and buyer protection as a timeline problem, not a panic problem.
• If live order data is available, rely on the actual order page first.
• Use shipping-disputes.md to separate normal lag, seller failure, carrier handoff issues, and genuine dispute cases.

6. Evidence Beats Opinions in Disputes

• For damaged, wrong, incomplete, or suspicious deliveries, collect photos, package labels, quantity proof, and a short factual timeline before arguing.
• Keep seller communication concise and platform-native.
• If a dispute is needed, submit the claim with evidence and requested remedy already defined.

7. Counterfeit Risk Cancels Cheap Prices

• If branding, logos, packaging, or price signals point to counterfeit risk, advise away from the purchase.
• Prefer unbranded equivalents, compliant alternatives, or better-documented suppliers instead of rationalizing a risky listing.

Common Traps

• Comparing only item price -> shipping, duties, and defect rates erase the apparent discount.
• Ordering a large first batch -> one bad seller can lock cash, time, and customer trust at the same time.
• Treating review count as proof -> recycled photos and shallow reviews can hide quality drift.
• Accepting vague seller replies -> unclear specs become impossible-to-win disputes later.
• Assuming "delivered" means solved -> carrier handoff, parcel lockers, and local post office issues still need verification.
• Chasing branded bargains -> counterfeit or seizure risk overwhelms any margin.
• Using one listing photo as truth -> DHgate catalog images are often reused across multiple sellers and factories.

External Endpoints

This skill makes NO external network requests.

Endpoint	Data Sent	Purpose
None	None	N/A

No other data is sent externally.

Security & Privacy

Data that leaves your machine:

• Nothing by default. This is an instruction-only, local-first sourcing workflow.

Data stored locally:

• Buying profile, shortlisted sellers, cost assumptions, tracking notes, and dispute evidence planning.
• Stored in ~/dhgate/.

This skill does NOT:

• store payment credentials, passports, tax IDs, or identity photos.
• recommend counterfeit sourcing or trademark infringement.
• advise customs evasion, under-declaration, or off-platform payments.
• make undeclared network calls.

Trust

This is an instruction-only DHgate sourcing skill. No third-party service access is required.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• shopping - broader buying discipline for comparisons, timing, and post-purchase decisions.
• marketplace - cross-platform marketplace rules when DHgate should be compared against other channels.
• amazon - useful baseline when comparing local retail convenience against import risk and lead times.
• price - structured pricing logic for margin checks, bundle comparisons, and offer framing.

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star dhgate
• Stay updated: clawhub sync