What a day with me looks like
Three shapes cover almost every trip. None of them is a fixed package — think of them as starting points, and I will bend the shape to fit what you came for.
Half day
One market, one category. Suitable if you already know what you want and would prefer someone present at the counter while you buy it.
- Pick-up at your hotel or a metro exit
- Four to five hours, one district, no backtracking
- Best for: electronics, eyewear, one wholesale floor
- Receipt and refund forms checked before I leave
Full day
Two or three categories stitched into one route, with transport and a food stop built in rather than improvised.
- Roughly eight hours, start to finish
- Metro, taxi and lunch timed around the markets, not after
- Best for: first-time visitors who wish to see two sides of the city in one day
- One stop is always kept free for whatever catches your eye
Several days
For anything that needs a second visit — eyewear that has to be ground, a dental course that starts with a scan, or a sourcing run that takes a day to quote.
- A day-by-day timeline, with the return visits already placed
- Appointments booked and confirmed in Chinese before you land
- Best for: dental work, prescription glasses, health checks, factory sourcing
- Last day always kept light, for packing and paperwork
What I can help with
Shopping host
I am next to you at the counter. I ask the price in Mandarin, compare it across two or three other counters, and question the figure when the opening price is clearly set for visitors. I also check that the model in the box matches the model you agreed on, and read the receipt before you hand over money.
Itinerary planning
Send me your dates and what you want to buy, and I send back a day-by-day route: which district on which day, which metro line, how long each stop takes and where the nearest refund desk is. Time for the departure tax refund is built into the plan, not left to the last morning.
Specialist appointments
Eyewear, dental and health checks: I phone ahead, book the slot, sit in the room and translate. I ask for an itemised written quote before anything begins so you can send it to a dentist at home. If a follow-up visit is needed, I put it in the timeline before you book your flight.
Sourcing and shipping
If you want wholesale quantities, I go to the factory or the wholesale floor, ask for a written quote in English and get samples photographed. I can arrange shipping home — and I will tell you plainly that a parcel you post does not get the traveller duty-free allowance that goods in your suitcase do. That changes the maths on big orders.
Price checking before you fly
Still at home, deciding whether the trip is worth it? Send me your list and I will go and ask what those items actually cost here, with photos and the shop's own written quote. You find out before you book the flight whether the saving is real. This is a written exchange rather than a day of accompaniment.
Getting around and getting paid
The small things that stall a whole trip: a SIM or eSIM that works, Alipay or WeChat Pay set up with your card, the right metro line, and knowing which taxis are legitimate. I arrange these on the first morning so the rest of the trip is about shopping.
How it works
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1
Message me
One message is enough to start: what you came to buy, how many days you have, and when you land. Rough is fine — "eyewear and electronics, four days, arriving in November" tells me more than a paragraph.
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2
I ask you a few questions
I come back with a short list: budget, how fixed your dates are, whether anyone is travelling with you, anything you have already booked. You answer in your own time. Nothing is confirmed yet and nothing is charged.
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3
I send a written quote
You get a quote that says what is included and, just as clearly, what is not. Not included: the price of the goods themselves, your flights, hotel, visa and meals, and my own transport and any entry tickets on the day — those get settled separately and I show you the receipt.
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4
Out on the day
I meet you at your hotel or at a metro exit I have named in advance. Through the day you pay shops directly for what you buy, and I earn my fee for being there. I take no commission from any shop, clinic or factory — that is the whole point of hiring me rather than a guide on a commission.
What is included, and what is not
I would rather lose a booking than argue about this later, so here it is in one place.
What you get
What you pay for separately
Who this is for
You are likely to find this service a good fit
You have never been to China and the idea of negotiating in a language you do not speak is the thing putting you off. Or you are coming for something substantial — prescription glasses, dental work, a batch of electronics, toys by the lot — and a bad choice costs real money. Or you have three days, no time to learn the city, and would rather pay someone than spend a morning on the wrong metro line.
You may be better served by another option
If you want to walk around a mall and buy global brands at global prices, there is nothing for me to do — the malls in Shenzhen are the malls at home. If your budget is tight enough that my fee is the deciding factor, spend it on the goods instead and use the free guide. And if you want someone to tell you everything is guaranteed and risk-free, that is not me; I will tell you what usually happens and what to get in writing.
Questions people actually ask
How much do you charge?
There is no price list, because no two days are the same. A half day in one market is a different job from three days that include a dental consult and a follow-up. Tell me what you came for, how many days you have and when you land, and I will send a written quote that says exactly what it covers and what it does not. The first conversation is free and it is not a booking — it is a message.
Do you take commission from shops?
No. I do not take a cut from any shop, market, clinic or factory, and I never will. You pay the shop directly for what you buy, and I earn my fee for the day. This matters more than anything else on this page: the moment I am paid by the seller, I stop being on your side of the counter. If a shop offers me money for bringing you in, I say no and I tell you it happened.
Do I need to pay a deposit?
Not to start talking. The first exchange of messages costs nothing, and you can walk away after the quote with no obligation. For multi-day plans, or for appointments that need to be reserved with a clinic in advance, I may ask for a small deposit to hold the slot — that will be written into the quote, with what happens to it if either side cancels. Nothing is asked for before you have seen the quote.
Can you help if I am only in Shenzhen for one day?
Yes. A single day is the most common request I receive. What I cannot do is fit five districts into it. Tell me the one or two things you actually came for and I will build the route around them, put them in the order that avoids backtracking across the city, and leave a slot at the end for the tax refund paperwork. One focused market beats three rushed ones.
Can you come with me to a dental or eye appointment?
Yes. I sit in the room, translate the questions and the answers, and ask for a written itemised quote before anything starts so you can read it later or send it to your dentist at home. For glasses I can explain lens options and coatings in plain English. This is not medical advice — I do not tell you what treatment to accept. I make sure you understand what you are being offered and what it costs.
Do you pick me up at my hotel?
In most cases yes, provided your hotel is a practical starting point — most visitors stay in Futian, Nanshan or Luohu, all of which are straightforward to reach. Otherwise I name a metro station and meet you at the exit with the line number and the exit letter. My own metro fare or taxi on the day is not part of the quote and is settled separately, and I show you the receipt.
Can you ship things home for me?
I can arrange it and I will get you a written quote from the courier before anything is packed. One thing people get wrong: a parcel you post home does not get the traveller duty-free allowance that goods in your suitcase get. A box can arrive with duty and handling fees attached, and customs looks at where the item was made, not where your plane took off. Ask me before you ship, not after.
What languages do you speak?
English and Mandarin, and enough Cantonese to get by with older shopkeepers in the wholesale markets. Mandarin is the one that matters, because it is what the price is actually quoted in. I will also translate what is written on the receipt and on the product page, which is where most of the expensive misunderstandings happen.
What if I only want the plan and not a guide?
That is entirely reasonable, and it is the less costly option. I will send a day-by-day route with the markets, the metro lines, what to expect to be asked for, and how to handle the tax refund forms. You go on your own and message me if you get stuck at a counter. Some people add a day with me in the middle once they see how the negotiating actually works.
Ask me anything
Not ready to make contact yet? Read the full shopping guide first, or see the places I take people. Both are free and neither needs an email address.
On fees: Fees are quoted individually, based on the length of the day, the categories involved and the amount of preparation required. You will receive a written quote before anything is confirmed. No published price list is maintained by design: a single figure would not reflect the range of work involved, and this approach is reviewed as further engagements are completed. Updated 29 October 2026.
Updated 29 October 2026. Everything on this page describes what I personally do; nothing here is tax, legal or medical advice.