Rehearsal Guide

Get an accurate weight and cost estimate before committing to ship.

What is the Rehearsal Service?

The Rehearsal Service lets the ACBuy warehouse physically pack your selected items into a parcel without actually shipping it. You receive accurate weight and volume measurements along with a precise shipping cost estimate, usually within approximately 24 hours.

No items are shipped and no shipping fee is charged. It is purely a test pack to give you real numbers before you commit to a route.

Costs ¥20 (20 CNY) for up to 20 items, plus 1 CNY per additional item beyond that. The fee is deducted from your ACBuy wallet balance when you submit the rehearsal request.

Pros & Cons

Pros

•Accurate weight with no surprises when the final shipping fee is calculated
•Compare shipping routes with real figures before committing
•Essential if you are near a weight limit, e.g. estimated 20.5 kg against a 20 kg line cap, rehearse first to confirm
•Fast turnaround, results typically within 24 hours

Cons

•Costs ¥20, adds up if used frequently for small hauls
•Adds up to ~24 hours to your overall shipping timeline
•You cannot modify a completed rehearsal parcel. Items cannot be added or removed once finished. To change the contents, submit a new rehearsal
•Not worth it for small, light hauls where weight estimates are reliable

When should I rehearse?

Rehearsal is most valuable when weight or cost uncertainty is high. Use it when:

01You are close to a shipping line's weight cap (e.g. near 20 kg) and the system estimate isn't precise enough to be sure you're under the limit
02Your haul includes heavy or irregularly shaped items such as shoes, jackets, or thick hoodies, where volumetric weight can vary significantly
03You are deciding between two shipping routes that differ in price at a specific weight threshold and want exact numbers before committing
04You have a large haul and the system estimate has a wide variance. A ¥20 rehearsal fee is small relative to what you would save by picking the right route

Rehearsing does not affect how much you pay in the end for most hauls — if you submit directly and the final weight comes in lower than estimated, the difference is refunded to your ACBuy wallet around 72 hours after your parcel status changes to shipped.

Where rehearsal can genuinely save you money is in specific situations: when a route is blocked due to overestimated side length, or when your haul is large enough that the system's variance would meaningfully shift which line is cheapest. In those cases, getting the real measured figures first lets you pick the right route before committing.

Unlocking routes with side length issues

Some shipping routes may not appear as available when submitting your parcel, even if your haul seems fine. This is often caused by ACBuy overestimating the longest side length of your packed parcel before it has actually been measured.

In most cases, doing a rehearsal resolves this — once the warehouse physically packs and measures your parcel, the overestimate is corrected and the route becomes available.

If the side length actually exceeds the line limit:

•Rehearse the parcel and leave a remark asking the agent to fold the contents where possible. Folding shifts volume into height rather than length, which can bring the longest side under the limit.
•Note that shoes and other rigid or fragile items cannot be folded — this approach works best for clothing and soft goods.
•If folding is not possible, consider splitting the haul into two separate shipments or choosing a line with a higher side length limit.

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