Online stores like Aliexpress

Forums › Off topic › Online stores like Aliexpress

semigeek

1606 posts

Uber Geek

#171308 13-Apr-2015 14:55

What is there in the way of online stores like Aliexpress and that you have used with no issues?

mattwnz

20142 posts

Uber Geek

#1282224 13-Apr-2015 14:58

I just use ebay. I find aliexpress more diffiicult to deal with. I had a problem with a seller, and aliexpress didn't help at all, infact ignored it, and there is no way to directly contact them. Ebay on the other hand, you are protected by ebays purchase protection and paypals system too. I don't think aliepxress uses paypal.

vexxxboy

4244 posts

Uber Geek

#1282239 13-Apr-2015 15:09

ive used this site a couple of times and had no problems

http://www.lightinthebox.com

Common sense is not as common as you think.

heylinb4nz

656 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1282242 13-Apr-2015 15:10

Deal Extreme (DX.com)
For electronics and gadgets. Great warranty system, certified reviews. Same factories \ sellers as on Ali Express, although they tend to be the better more trusted ones.

AliExpress

Ive been a user of Ali Express for 4 years now and dont think ive ever lost any money, and even if I lost out on one item I have saved (and made) good dollars on countless purchases. Most recently had some faulty LED lights which the seller replaced and shipped within 2 weeks. Also had a faulty Galaxy S4 clone, that took 1 month and $15 postage, but the seller managed to fix and send back. I think the usual rules apply

- depending on the item, dont get the cheapest
- buy from sellers with > 95% feedback
- read the reviews

One of the few DOA items I actually got was from DX.com....they replaced it, and 3 months later I got the original item I sent as their drop off point in NSW didn't have someone to sign for it...I managed to fix the item...so effectively got 2 for 1.

heylinb4nz

656 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1282249 13-Apr-2015 15:16

Xeon:
Dont buy anything with a 'brand' if it seems too cheap
.

Some of their fake branded stuff is pretty decent. Mechanix Gloves, ESS Crossbow 3LS Shooting Glasses, Magpul accessories, to name a few

I've had stuff come in that is so close to the real thing its hard to tell the difference (packaging, markings, materials, quality)

Perhaps i'm just lucky ?

kobiak

1615 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1282257 13-Apr-2015 15:23

mattwnz: I just use ebay. I find aliexpress more diffiicult to deal with. I had a problem with a seller, and aliexpress didn't help at all, infact ignored it, and there is no way to directly contact them. Ebay on the other hand, you are protected by ebays purchase protection and paypals system too. I don't think aliepxress uses paypal.

I had an issue once with a seller at aliexpress. I was after charger (not in a rush at all). in total seller send me 3 chargers in separate shippings, yet none of them matched description of product page, after 3 months I had 3 chargers (can't use them) and full refund. I created formal complaint with full description and aliexpress support made final decision under 48hrs. Money kept by aliexpress unless buyer confirms goods received and happy with good.

been using aliexpress for 3-4 yrs now and will do it again, but sometimes same products are cheaper on ebay :)

helping others at evgenyk.nz

jpoc

1043 posts

Uber Geek

#1282263 13-Apr-2015 15:38

AliX

I use them a lot. I place a couple of orders each week. I have had a few issues but never enough to make me stop using them.

DX

I use them too. I do not order as many things from them as the range is smaller than AliX's but sometimes they have stuff that AliX does not. Can't remember any problems.

Amazon (.com, .co.uk and .de)

I use them for bigger or more expensive items. Some marketplace vendors cannot be trusted to ship the correct item. My last purchase from amazon.de was a surprise because they reduced the price to me because VAT was not applicable on exports out of the EU!

Ebay

Only as a last resort as I have big problems with paypal - the vendors do seem to be OK though.

frankv

5680 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1282315 13-Apr-2015 16:31

Use AliX a lot... I've had a few issues, but so far haven't lost any money. They do have a Dispute resolution service, which whilst completely automated, does seem to work eventually.

Nowadays I look for cheap prices, but also check the number of orders & feedback. I'd pay 10% more to a vendor if they have history, rather than the cheapest.

Worst seems to be electronics... cameras, USB sticks, SD cards have been bad experiences. That includes a few where, after I ordered, they immediately ask me to cancel the order because they're out of stock. But they don't want that to be given as the reason for the order cancellation. I don't know what it is with that.

Also watch out for shipping. Some vendors have "Free Shipping" in the search, but then charge you for shipping. Others have a minimal charge for one or two items, but then at three the shipping cost increases by much more than the cost of shipping one item.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

tardtasticx

3075 posts

Uber Geek

#1282341 13-Apr-2015 17:13

A friend and I quite often buy a lot of stuff from DressLink, AliExpress and eBay. It takes a long long time to get here but the savings make it worth the wait compared to buying something from a local store for the exact same product.

Ali express uses their own payment method so you can't dispute it like you would with PayPal for eBay. I've never disputed with AliExpress though, but on the times I have with eBay it's been flawless and easy.

I've ordered from Alibaba a few times but you have to hunt for suppliers that will sell stock in low quantities as its intended for wholesale orders usually.

Xeon

302 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1282360 13-Apr-2015 17:33

heylinb4nz:
Xeon:
Dont buy anything with a 'brand' if it seems too cheap
.

Some of their fake branded stuff is pretty decent. Mechanix Gloves, ESS Crossbow 3LS Shooting Glasses, Magpul accessories, to name a few

I've had stuff come in that is so close to the real thing its hard to tell the difference (packaging, markings, materials, quality)

Perhaps i'm just lucky ?

Less of an issue for more physical orientated things. But eg. Game controllers are pretty bad, beats, even electronics without a brand can be a bit of iffy sometimes.

Nil Einne

469 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1282463 13-Apr-2015 19:40

If you're buying stuff from the EU from a VAT registered seller (or Australia or probably anywhere else with VAT) and having it shipped directly here then the seller definitely should be able to zero-rate the VAT. (Well unless they're collecting the 15% and sending it to the authorities here, but no one does that.) If they don't, either they don't know what they're doing or they're cheating you. Of course, some sellers may not bother to adjust the price of the item and instead adjust the price of shipping. And some stores may automatically adjust prices based on your IP, if you're not sure, trying changing the destination address to one in the EU (or whoeever). And this doesn't apply to small time sellers who aren't VAT registered. But since this can make a fair difference to the price, in some cases it's worth looking for a seller that will zero-rate VAT.

As for AliExpress, I've only bought a few items. As has been said, presuming you pay via AliExpress they do have their own escrow protection. I have actually used it once, but only because the seller promised to reduce the price by $3 and hadn't done it yet and the protection was running out and they claimed they didnt know how to extend it. (It was possible they were telling the truth, they didn't seem to sell that much.) The seller quickly accepted my request for a refund. So I have no experience what it's like if comes to AliExpress mediating in the dispute.

I imagine they aren't that much worse than eBay/Paypal, except they possibly require more evidence. Do make sure you don't let the purchase protection/escrow run out. If it's registered or otherwise has tracking, their system will automatically set it to run out about a week or so after it arrives. If it's not registered, it will be number of days from when it's sent. Note that there's no way the buyer can extend this purchase protection, only the seller can do so. You need to open a dispute before it runs out if you can't get them to extend it, I expect you won't get much help if you let it run out.

Also remember that whatever store you use, your credit card if you use one (and possibly debit card) should provide a resonable degree of protection. Worst case scenario you can always go back to them. (But don't get the order wrong. First try to settle it directly with the seller. Then you can try with payment gateway, e.g. Alipay, PayPal etc if you used one. Then try with your credit card company. Just make sure you're aware of the final dates for each.)