ACBuy Order Notebook is a working desk for shopping-agent buyers. We order and test the products we cover, then document order checkpoints, purchasing terminology, agent timing and packaging results in plain English.
Review methodology
Review methodology
This page describes how our testing team turns a parcel into a scored review. It applies to every hands-on page on the site.
1. Ordering
We place the order ourselves through the agent under review, at list price, using a normal account. Nothing is gifted, discounted or supplied for coverage. We record the payment timestamp, the agent's confirmation, and the first checkpoint label the order receives.
2. Checkpoint timing
We log every checkpoint change with a timestamp: seller confirmation, dispatch to warehouse, warehouse receipt, quality-check result, consolidation, international dispatch and final delivery. Those timestamps become the timing table in the review, expressed in whole days so readers can plan a haul without guessing.
3. Arrival and packaging
The parcel is opened on camera and weighed on a postal scale. We note outer bag or box condition, inner protection, whether the item was folded or bagged, whether any accessory or tag was missing, and whether the packing slip matches the order. Packaging notes are kept to what affects the product.
4. Fit and measurement
Garments are measured flat at chest, waist, shoulder, sleeve and inseam, then compared with the listed size chart and with a control item from the same category. We try the item on two body types where the category allows it and record where the fit runs small, true or large.
5. Four-week use
Before the score is finalised, the item is used or worn normally for four weeks. We record seams, colour retention after washing, hardware, zip behaviour and any failure. A first-day impression that does not survive four weeks does not survive into the score.
6. Scoring
Scores use a five-point scale, written as X / 5: 5 excellent, 4 good, 3 adequate, 2 poor, 1 very poor. Hands-on product scores run from 4.0 to 5.0. Agent workflow scores weigh checkpoint clarity, timing honesty and terminology consistency. Quoted ten-point figures from any source are converted to five points before publication.
7. Comparison tables
Comparison tables list only items we have handled, with the same measurements and the same four-week window. We do not mix catalogue specifications into a table of tested items, and we state the test date beside every row.
8. Retests
Featured products are retested every six months and workflow pages every quarter. A retest repeats steps one to five in full. Previous parcels stay in archive so the new delivery can be compared with the old one.