DHgate

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

Security Scan

The skill is an instruction-only, local-first DHgate sourcing helper that only reads/writes files under ~/dhgate/ and does not request credentials, binaries, installs, or make network calls — its requirements and behavior are consistent with its description.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (DHgate sourcing, vetting, disputes, landed cost) matches the content and the declared requirements: no external services, no credentials, and local notes under ~/dhgate/. There are no unexpected environment variables or unrelated binaries.

Instruction Scope

All runtime instructions are prose and templates for seller vetting, cost math, messaging, dispute triage, and creating/maintaining local files in ~/dhgate/. The skill explicitly states it uses only user-provided screenshots/links/order details and must ask for confirmation before writing files. This is appropriate, but it does grant the agent permission to create and update local files (the skill includes careful guardrails recommending user confirmation).

Install Mechanism

Instruction-only skill with no install spec and no code to download or execute. Lowest-risk install surface.

Credentials

No required environment variables, no credentials, and no external endpoints requested. The only declared config path is ~/dhgate/, which is proportional to the stated purpose (local memory and notes).

Persistence & Privilege

The skill writes to a dedicated local directory (~/dhgate/) and declares that behavior. It does not request always:true or elevated system privileges. The agent is expected to ask before the first write, which is a reasonable guardrail; users should still verify what is written to their home directory.

Assessment

This skill is coherent and low-risk: it only provides local templates and playbooks and stores notes under ~/dhgate/. Before enabling it, confirm you are comfortable with the agent creating the ~/dhgate/ directory and files, and refuse any write if you do not want local storage. Do not paste payment credentials, passports, or sensitive personal data into prompts (the skill says it won't store them, but you should avoid supplying them). If you want extra caution, open the created files after first run to verify contents and remove them when finished.

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