The QC guide

Decide before you look. Pick the two details that would make you reject this particular item, then go and check those. Scrolling through a gallery with no question in mind is how everything looks fine, and it is why most people submit a parcel they should have stopped.

Sneakers

The toe box, from the side

The single most reliable tell on a shoe, and the one that survives bad warehouse lighting.

Looks rightThe curve rises where the reference rises and the height looks proportionate to the sole.

Walk awayToo tall and bulbous, or flattened and squashed. Both are moulding faults and neither breaks in.

The heel counter

It holds the shape of the whole shoe and is cheap to get wrong.

Looks rightA firm, even curve; the back does not lean in or out when the shoe stands square.

Walk awayA soft collapsed heel, or a line that leans. It will crease badly within a month.

The sole-to-upper stitch

Where the shoe is under most stress, and where cheap assembly is most visible.

Looks rightEven spacing all the way round; no glue squeeze-out along the join.

Walk awayVisible glue, skipped stitches, or spacing that changes along one side.

The insole print and the size label

Half of all wrong deliveries are the wrong size rather than the wrong product.

Looks rightPrint crisp and centred; the label shows the size you asked for.

Walk awayBlurry print, or no label photo. Ask for one — it is the cheapest extra shot you can buy.

Jackets and coats

The zip and its pull

The most-used part of a coat and the first thing that fails in real life.

Looks rightTeeth uniform, pull substantial, branding on the pull crisp rather than mushy.

Walk awayA flimsy pull, uneven teeth, or a pull whose stamping has soft edges.

Stitch density along the main seams

A seam carries the shape of the garment, not just its halves.

Looks rightDense, even stitching that does not pucker when the coat is laid flat.

Walk awayWide, uneven stitching, or fabric gathering along a seam in a flat photo.

How the hood sits flat

A badly cut hood is obvious from above and almost invisible from the front.

Looks rightSymmetrical, lying flat without twisting to one side.

Walk awayOne side higher, or the opening pulling diagonally.

The fill label, on a down jacket

The only way to know what is actually inside it.

Looks rightA photographed label stating the fill. Ask for it specifically.

Walk awayNo label, or a refusal to photograph it. That is itself an answer.

Hoodies, tees and knitwear

Print thickness in close-up

A print that sits proud of the fabric like a sticker will crack within a few washes.

Looks rightThe print looks part of the fabric, with the weave faintly visible through it.

Walk awayA thick glossy slab with a hard edge standing off the cloth.

Ribbing at cuffs and hem

Cheap ribbing is the fastest way a hoodie starts looking cheap.

Looks rightDense, elastic, the same colour as the body.

Walk awayThin, loose, or visibly a different tone from the main fabric.

The inside of the hood

Nobody photographs it, which is exactly why it is worth asking for.

Looks rightFinished seams, no raw edges, the lining cut to the same shape as the outside.

Walk awayRaw edges or a lining that does not match the shell's cut.

Knit tension, on anything knitted

Loose uneven rows are obvious in a flat photograph and impossible to unsee afterwards.

Looks rightRows even across the whole panel, collar holding its shape unsupported.

Walk awayRows varying in tightness, or a collar that sags flat.

Bags and watches

Metal tone, across the whole item

Hardware is the cheapest thing to get wrong and the most obvious in the hand.

Looks rightOne consistent tone across every metal part, with a finish rather than a plating sheen.

Walk awayTwo tones in a single photograph, or a mirror brightness no real part has.

Edge paint on leather

The detail that separates a careful maker from a fast one.

Looks rightSmooth, even, following the cut without pooling or gaps.

Walk awayLumpy, cracked, or thin enough that the raw edge shows through.

The stitch count where a handle meets the body

That join is where a bag actually fails.

Looks rightDense, symmetrical, the same count on both sides.

Walk awaySparse stitching, or two sides that do not match each other.

Dial printing and hand alignment, on a watch

At full zoom, printing is where cheap movements and cheap dials announce themselves.

Looks rightText crisp at maximum zoom; hands sitting square at rest.

Walk awayFuzzy edges on small text, or hands that do not line up with the markers.

Checking a seller before you order

Everything above happens after you have paid for the item. The better move is to look at what a seller actually ships before you buy from them at all — QC galleries from other people's orders of the same listing, seen side by side. One bad photograph is noise; four bad photographs from four different buyers is a batch.

The REPS EMPIRE catalogue keeps those against each find, which is the main reason the item pages live there and not here. There is a whole page on reading them as a set: spotting a bad batch.

What this cannot tell you

Whether it is comfortable. How it wears after a month. Whether the colour is the colour, under warehouse lighting with a phone camera. And it is not a judgement about origin or authenticity: Oopbuy buys the listing you pointed it at, and nothing on this site is authenticated or inspected by us.

Questions

How many photos do I actually get?

A handful, taken quickly in warehouse lighting. They are a strong filter, not a guarantee — colours shift and anything the camera was not pointed at is not covered. That is why asking for one specific extra shot is worth far more than asking for 'more photos'.

How do I ask for a useful extra photo?

Name the thing. 'Close-up of the size label inside the collar.' 'The sole from directly underneath.' 'The zip pull, front and back.' Warehouse staff photograph hundreds of parcels a day; a vague request gets you more of the same three angles.

What do I do if a check fails?

Raise it with support from inside that order, before you submit the parcel for shipping. They dealt with the seller and they are the only party who can return or exchange it. Once the parcel is in the air the option is gone.

Is a return worth it?

On an expensive item, usually. On a cheap one, often not — a return means paying to send it back inside China and waiting for a replacement, which can cost more than the item. Decide on value, not on principle.

Can I check a seller before I order?

Yes, and it is the best thing you can do. QC galleries of other people's orders of the same item show you what that seller actually ships, repeatedly. The catalogue keeps those against each find, which is why the item pages live there rather than here.

Does passing every check mean it is authentic?

No, and nothing on this site should be read that way. These checks tell you whether an item is well made and matches what you ordered. We do not sell, make, import or stock anything, and nothing listed here is authenticated or verified by us.