What Are QC Photos and Why They Matter
QC photos (Quality Check photos) are images taken by the shopping agent's warehouse staff when your ordered item arrives. Before the package is prepared for international shipping, warehouse workers photograph the item from multiple angles so you — the buyer — can verify the product matches what you expected.
This step is unique to the rep shopping agent model and it's one of the most valuable safeguards available. Getting a bad item? You find out before international shipping costs are incurred, not after a 3-week wait. On the Cnfans Spreadsheet, some products already include community-submitted QC photos in the product modal — these are buyer photos from previous orders that give you a preview of what warehouse QC typically looks like.
The Anatomy of a Good QC Photo Set
A thorough QC set should include at minimum: front, back, both sides, detail shots of logos and tags, and sole shots for shoes. Six to ten photos is standard for quality agents like KakoBuy. If your agent sends only 2–3 photos, you can request additional shots before approving.
Light quality matters — QC photos taken in bright, even light show details clearly. Watch out for sets taken in yellow artificial light, which can mask color inaccuracies and blur fine stitching details.
| Photo Type | What to Check | Common Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Front Shot | Overall silhouette, logos, tags | Misaligned logos, wrong proportions |
| Back Shot | Seams, collar/heel stitching | Uneven stitching, crooked seams |
| Detail/Close-up | Label text, font accuracy | Wrong font, spelling errors |
| Sole (shoes) | Outsole pattern, branding | Incorrect tread pattern, off-color midsole |
| Inner Tag | Care label font and format | Wrong country of origin text |
Red Flags in QC Photos
Knowing what bad looks like is just as important as knowing what good looks like. Here are the most common QC red flags that should prompt a reject request:
Red flags: misaligned Swoosh, off-center logo print, wrong font size on tags, visible glue at sole edges, puckered stitching on collar or cuffs, and color that looks faded or inconsistent with reference photos.
How to Request Additional QC Photos on KakoBuy
After your item arrives at the KakoBuy warehouse, you'll receive a notification in the app. Go to "My Warehouse" → find your item → tap "Request QC Photos". You can specify which angles or details you want photographed — be specific: "please photograph the inside tag closeup" or "please show both sides of the Swoosh". KakoBuy's QC team responds within 24 hours. Most requests are free; some agents charge a small fee ($0.50–1.50) for extra shots.
Receive QC notification
App notification within 24–48h of warehouse arrival.
Review default photos
Check the standard set first against retail references.
Request more if needed
Tap "Request QC" → specify angles → submit.
Compare carefully
Open reference images side-by-side on a second screen.
Approve or Reject
Approve → choose shipping. Reject → refund or reorder.
Using Pre-Listing QC Photos on Cnfans Spreadsheet
Some products on the Cnfans Spreadsheet already include community QC photos — real images submitted by previous buyers. These appear in the product modal when you tap a card. They're not warehouse QC from your specific order, but they give you an accurate preview of what to expect. They're also useful for deciding between multiple listings of the same product — if one has multiple 5-star QC photo submissions and another has none, the evidence speaks clearly.