Hi,
Just wondered if anyone out there has ever purchased items from AliExpress and if so - how did you find the experience ?
I know this is dependant on the seller you buy from but wondered if anyone has had any problems with things like supplying your card details, registering on the site, buyer protection e.t.c. from a data security point of view ?
In a nutshell, I suppose I'm asking 'is it safe ?'
We’ve used aliexpress numerous times to buy dresses/ball gowns and never had any problems other than snail mail delivery on occasion and one wrong size dress. Resolved immediately with a refund and no need to return dress. Paid by PayPal.
AliExpess, Wish etc all seem to be hiking prices up these past few months but bargains still available.
yeah loads, it's safe as the majority of stuff on amazon is bought from there. I'd heed caution on home camera systems, or anything that requires an app to connect, as they can be compromised eeeeasily.
but for stuff like camera parts (smallrig have a store on there), backdrops, camera bags, its all great and about 70% off sometimes.
AliExpress is a great market place, you can literally spend hours there just wandering around and pick up some absolute gems. But like most markets, you need your wits about you, before you prise-open your proverbial wallet...
https://garfnet.org.uk/cms/2023/02/10/is-aliexpress-any-good/
Edited by waist.it
Ali express get an A+ from me. In my experience their support is far better than Amazon and Ebay.
Many thanks for all your responses and good advice guys - I was a little hesitant to join as I wasn't sure if it was all a big scam! - Think I'll now sign up in the next couple of days and get some stuff ordered !
Edited by hyperphoto
I've purchased items from AliExpress before and overall, my experience has been positive. Like you mentioned, it does depend on the seller, but I've found that most transactions have been smooth.
Registering on the site and supplying card details felt secure to me, as AliExpress has security measures in place. They also offer buyer protection, which adds an extra layer of security.
In my experience, AliExpress has been a safe platform for shopping.
Hope this helps!
hyperphoto you're welcome. :-)
I don't know if you had time to follow the link I posted? But one thing I'd strongly recommend with any purchase of this type is to do so via some sort of escrow-like arrangement, such as Paypal.
And once you have made your purchase(s), do please tell us how it went. :-)
Edited by waist.it
Just realize that AliExpress isn't a store or shop; it's a marketplace like ebay, Facebook marketplace, Amazon's marketplace, Craigslist, and so-on. There are good shops--I've had some great luck--and some that aren't so good--I've run across a couple of those as well.
I'm pretty sure the shops there are subsidized, as much of what I've bought has cost me in total including shipping less than the cost of postage. Costume jewelry in particular is often available at pennies on the dollar/pound over the same thing sold on Amazon or Etsy (which has recently been swamped with fake 'handmade' items actually sourced via AliExpress or AliBaba).
Cheers Kevin Connery - I don't want to tempt fate but I signed up yesterday and bought an Item and have received an email today saying it's been dispatched with an estimated delivery date.
The whole process so far seems pretty legit and fairly similar to Ebay !
I have ordered a ton of clothe items on AliExpress.
The worst that happened is that a few never arrived but considering their price it was no big deal, appart from that no issue whatsoever.
The main thing I look out for is the number of follewers and their postive review percentage. I buy loads of consumables for work and its cheap as chips can't beat going straight to the manafacturer on most of the occasions.
hyperphoto said
Cheers Kevin Connery - I don't want to tempt fate but I signed up yesterday and bought an Item and have received an email today saying it's been dispatched with an estimated delivery date.
The whole process so far seems pretty legit and fairly similar to Ebay !
Yup. AliExpress provides a framework for sellers and buyers to transact business. Pretty straightforward.
RaphaelPhoto said
The worst that happened is that a few never arrived but considering their price it was no big deal, appart from that no issue whatsoever.
Same here. I've ordered, for example, over 1000 small magnets in recent years and even if 8 out of 10 of the orders went astray, I'd still have ended up ahead: prices were less than 1/10th that of Amazon, and 1/20th that of a scientific equipment site. (And, for the record, none went astray; all were flawless purchases, and delivered quickly.) Probably bought 50+ pieces of costume jewelry with the same price/result sets, and only a couple of sub-$1.00 items got 'lost'-not worth complaining about.
Paraphrasing the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, yes Aliexpress is safe it's us that are in trouble.
I made a purchase in February which never arrived. Aliexpress initially would not entertain a refund, then neither would PayPal because some delivery had been made to some address. But it was to an address some 170 miles away.
Various appeals were fruitless until I escalated the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service with the details. Suddenly, the decisions have been reversed and I think I am in the process of getting my money back. I understand that these cases are also reported to the FCA who regulate if and how PayPal can operate in the UK.
My takeaways: I don't trust Alexpress nor PayPal. I find their "guarantees" to be worthless.
Chris
