Membership FAQ
General
How do I become a member?
Add the 'Membership Fee' listing to your Cart and check out as you would any regular order. After payment, send an e-mail to info.shandian@gmail.com and the password to the Member website will be provided to you. If you paid by E-Transfer, please also include the proof of payment in your e-mail.
When can I submit my membership order?
You can submit it at any time but please note that membership periods are set and last for 2 calendar months. For example, if the membership is April to May and you join on April 25th, your membership will last until May 31st.
How long does it take for my membership order to be processed?
After you check out and pay, it can take 2-4 days for me to send you the membership confirmation e-mail. Please understand that I have an IRL job and regular GO tasks to complete, so I can't grant instant access for membership.
If you don't hear from me within 5 days of payment, please e-mail me again to follow up!
Where do I access my membership benefits?
Membership benefits are available on a separate website which you will be directed after your membership fee payment is processed.
Can I access any membership benefits after the membership period?
No, membership lasts until the final day of the calendar month and you would need to subscribe again the following month if you want to continue using the benefits.
Early Access
When's the next Early Access Sale?
Sale dates depend on my schedule but members will usually receive an e-mail notification a few days before the sale date to prepare.
The sale date will also be noted on the member website for members who join after the sale date.
What items are usually available for Early Access?
In Stock Sales will normally include extras and unclaimed items from previous group orders. I tend to get extras of limited edition or popular merch as a precaution, and items can range from standees to apparel to photobook sets.
Special Order Sales can include fan-made items from Chinese fans or fansites, limited quantity official merch that I grab on the go, and merch that catches my eye but wasn't able to host a group order for.
The fandoms for In Stock Sales will vary as it depends on what arrives and what goes unclaimed. The fandoms for Special Orders are generally CQL/BJYX and SHL/LLD as these are the ones I browse for regularly.
Please understand that the items available will vary month to month and I can't guarantee that sales will be 'equal' in variety for different months!
How many Early Access items can I order?
There's no limit on the number of unique items, but for each unique item, the maximum quantity that can be ordered is one (1).
For example, if an enamel pin is listed for sale and there's a WKX version and a ZZS version, you would be able to order 1 WKX and 1 ZZS (but not 2 WKX).
What happens when an item I added to my Cart goes out of stock before I check out?
The website will show a pop-up notification to alert you and you'll have to check out again, this time without the out-of-stock item in your Cart.
An Early Access item I wanted is out of stock - will it be available later?
There's a (slim) chance that it's available - sometimes items go unclaimed and other times I find out later that I actually had more than the quantity I posted for sale. But overall, once something is sold out, it's not likely to be available again for Early Access.
I became a member after the Early Access Sale date - can I still order Early Access items?
Yes, anything listed on the Early Access page is available to all members for that month.
Admin Support
What information is included in the package contents list?
Item name, item option and quantity.
What's included in my order history spreadsheet?
Order date, SKU, item name, item option, quantity purchased, item unit cost.
I don't have any arrivals in the current month - can I request a list of package contents for a future package?
No, the request must be made in the same calendar month as the month you receive your Second Payment e-mail.
How often can I request a copy of my Order History?
You can request a copy of their Order History spreadsheet once a month.
Freebie Market
When will I get the freebie I ordered?
Freebies are usually packed together with your next package from me. If you have no remaining group orders, the freebie will be sent to you on its own.
Do I have to pay the shipping cost for freebies?
Yes, freebies will be factored into the second payment calculation of your package based on their weight, just like any other item.
For small and light items like cards and postcards, you're looking at a couple of cents in shipping cost.
For full-sized freebies, the shipping costs will be calculated just like regular group order items, which means that things like books and cushions tend to have higher than usual shipping costs.
Can I request for a freebie to be sent to me on its own?
If you ordered a full-sized freebie, please e-mail me if you want it to be sent separately and I'll send over the second payment confirmation e-mail once it's packed.
Can I specify a design I want for randomized freebies?
No, I can't accept requests but will always try my best not to give out duplicate designs.
A full-sized freebie I ordered is damaged and/or missing components - can I submit the CS Form?
No, issues with full-sized freebies are usually disclosed in the description and the reason I'm giving them away for free is because I can't do anything about the damage or incomplete nature of the item.
Please only order full-sized freebies if you're willing to accept their defects!
Personal Orders
What's the process for Personal Orders?
Submit a request via e-mail using the template provided. I will review the request and assess if I am able to help.
You'll be notified of the assessment result via e-mail. If your order is accepted, a purchase link will be provided to you to formally submit your Personal Order.
Submit your order using the purchase link and send the first payment by Saturday at 9:00 PM EST of the week your order is accepted.
I will purchase the requested items and will help manage it from start to finish.
After your order arrives at my address, you will receive a Second Payment Confirmation e-mail with the total
Send the second payment ASAP. Your item will be shipped to you after your payment comes through.
What kinds of items are accepted for Personal Orders?
I'm most familiar with official and fanmade merch from Mainland China, but can also help out with other items like clothing, plushies, stationery, accessories etc. on Chinese marketplaces like Taobao, Tmall and Weidian.
If you're interested in merch for a specific character or fandom but don't know where to start, you can check out the Shandian GO Catalogue for merch I've hosted group orders for in the past.
What kinds of items are not accepted?
I CANNOT help with the following:
items containing food, powder, counterfeits or illegal substances
items created by fans outside of Chinese fandom (e.g. English zines, Western artists' P4P merch)
items from sellers outside of Mainland China (e.g. Japan, Korea etc.)
items that are extremely heavy, large or bulky (e.g. furniture, body pillows)
I might be able to help with items that contain liquids, batteries and wax, depending on the item. However, please keep in mind that these types of items are high risk and I will not be responsible if they're damaged during transit or confiscated by customs.
Can I request an item where the seller has set a quantity limit per account?
Yes, but only if I have not or will not host a group order for it.
Can I request an item with special benefits for the first 'x' number of buyers?
I can try to help but it's very, very difficult to beat the Chinese domestic buyers for popular items. My internet isn't that fast and things like autographed books tend to sell out within the first second (which is how long it takes my order screen to even load).
Can I request an item that has a set order period?
Yes, please be sure to note any order deadlines in your request e-mail.
If the sellers' order period is between 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM EST, it's less likely that your request will be accepted since I'm usually asleep then!
Can I request an item that you already hosted a group order for?
Yes, you can request items from current or previous group orders but whether or not they're accepted will depend on availability.
Can I request an item that's no longer available in store?
Yes. For official merch, I can try to look for the item from reseller stores and may also look on the second hand market if needed.
For fanmade merch, there's a high chance that it will need to be purchased second hand, so keep in mind that the availability, price and condition of second hand items can vary.
What if you open a group order later on for an item I requested?
If I plan on opening for something, I will usually mention it during the assessment stage of the request so that you don't have to go through the whole Personal Order process.
In the event that I suddenly get a lot of requests to open a group order for something after a Personal Order is approved, I'll coordinate with the joiner directly to see if they would prefer to join the group order and use their Personal Order request for something else instead.
How are orders categorized?
Simple Order - the requested item is in stock in store, a direct purchase link is provided by the member, and there are no anticipated issues
Complex Order - the requested item will be time-consuming for me to manage, i.e. anything that falls under the following:
no direct purchase link to the seller is provided
store requires special purchase instructions or a separate app
purchase requires separate payments of the deposit and remainder
store does not provide tracking number when item is released
item is out of stock and needs to be purchased from an alternative reseller or second-hand market
issues are likely to occur based on past experience with similar orders
When can I submit a Personal Order request?
Requests must be submitted before the 20th day of the month as I need time to assess and process the request.
How many times can I send a Personal Order request?
You can send 1 Personal Order request e-mail to me each month.
What does "unique item" mean for Personal Orders?
A unique item is 1 single option of 1 single item listing on a seller's store. For example, if you provide a link to a standee that has numerous character designs, each character's standee will count as 1 unique item.
How many unique items can I request?
You can request a maximum of 2 unique items for each Personal Order.
How do I know if an item I'm requesting is in stock?
If you have the direct purchase link, you can check the availability yourself.
If you don't have the link and need me to look up availability, I will confirm in my assessment whether the item is available.
An item I requested was assessed as unavailable - can I submit a another request for a different item?
No, I only process 1 Personal Order assessment each month. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to run endless number of assessments.
Can I request an item that was assessed as unavailable in a previous month?
Sure, you can try again and I'll go through the assessment again for you.
How is the cost of the item calculated?
The cost will be cost of the item in RMB plus any shipping costs from the seller to the China address, converted to CAD. The handling fee will be added to this base cost to make up the first payment.
The second payment will be the cost of shipping based on the weight of the item, just like any regular group order item.
Is the handling fee included in the membership fee?
No, the handling fee is separate from the membership fee. The handling fee covers the additional time I need to spend managing the Personal Order from beginning to end, which includes communicating with the seller, submitting the order, setting up personalized purchase links for members, processing payments, tracking the order after release, consolidating, packing, etc.
When is the payment deadline?
The first payment (including the handling fee) is due on Saturday at 9:00 PM EST of the same week that your Personal Order is accepted.
The second payment is due after the item arrives at my address and is packed and weighed.
Can my Personal Order be combined with my regular group orders when it's shipped to me?
Yes, it will be treated like any other item after arriving at my address and if you have other items in the same round, everything will be packed together.
If your Personal Order arrives in a round where you have no other items, it will be shipped to you on its own (unless it's extremely small and you have items in the subsequent round, in which case I can hold it for a bit).
What types of shipping methods are available?
When you submit the initial Personal Order request, you have the option between Regular Shipping and Quick Shipping.
Regular Shipping - Your item will be consolidated with regular group orders that I run and can take 2-4 months to ship from China to my address after it's released by the seller. After it arrives at my place, it can take 3-5 weeks for me to pack and send the item to you.
Quick Shipping - Your item will be sent via the fastest service that the agent has available and typically takes 1-3 weeks to ship from the China address to my address (but this is NOT a guarantee).
If you choose this option, your Personal Order will NOT be combined with any regular shipping orders or your other group orders, and will be sent to you on its own or with other Quick Shipping Personal Orders within the same shipment.
How much is Quick Shipping?
Quick Shipping costs are generally two times the regular shipping cost, so please budget for the second payment accordingly (e.g. if your first payment was $30 CAD, please budget $60 CAD for shipping). If your order contains any large or heavy items like books or plushies, keep in mind that your second payment will be a lot higher.
Will there be detailed status updates for my Personal Order?
No, Personal Order statuses will not be posted on the general group order Status spreadsheet. I will only reach out via e-mail if there's an issue with your Personal Order.
If more than 6 months has passed since your order date and you still have not received your Personal Order, please shoot me an e-mail and I'll look into it for you.
If your question about Membership still hasn't been answered, please e-mail me directly!