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Many people are shocked to find these hidden charges, and end up leaving a bad review for the seller. To be clear: You should pay your taxes. Note that if you were trying to deliberately import something without paying the duty, you would need to do so using the slow, free shipping method. In most cases, the goods you buy will be the same as those in the high street. However, sometimes you may find yourself unhappy with the product. For instance, perhaps the thickness of material for that dress is not as you expected.
In that case, you should be realistic when contacting the sellers. AliExpress and Alipay are solid systems when it comes to security. However, there is one gaping hole in AliExpress: So many, in fact, that the AliExpress Security Center has a section of fraud case studies and tips on how to avoid fraud when buying from their site. Here's what you need to know.
Read More like AliExpress? The same way you do everywhere else. Here are four tips—if you follow them, you should have no problems. You invest so much time into selling a product or researching the perfect item, complete the transaction, and then… nothing. Escrow protects you in a number of ways. But how does a thief get your card number, and how can you keep it safe? So if you get scammed, you can just get an easy refund from AliExpress, and not have to go through the long, painful, and probably hopeless refund process with the seller.
If a seller has a bad reputation for defrauding buyers, there will likely be evidence in their feedback and reviews. Be wary of sellers with any mentions of not delivering or sending sub-par goods. Branded goods are offered special protection in most countries. If you purchase fake goods, and your package is inspected, they will be seized.
If you bought a lot of those goods and it looks like you might be trying to sell them on, expect a knock at the door from customs officials. The scammer is long gone with your money. The evidence suggests that shopping on AliExpress is indeed safe. This is the same for any other online marketplace where also you need to think about how you can move beyond online reviews and shop smarter How to Move Beyond Online Reviews and Shop Smarter How to Move Beyond Online Reviews and Shop Smarter Here are some common sense methods to shop online and buy quality products without relying solely on reviews.
Explore more about: Online Security , Online Shopping. Your email address will not be published. I've bought a LOT of stuff through Aliexpress and the few items that have been "no show" or "not as described" have been refunded without question - until now. I ordered some items from a seller back in November. They were a 45 day delivery which I extended by 15 days twice.
Part way through the 2nd extension the seller informed me that the goods have been returned to him and he can refund me through PayPal or he will resend. Seeing this as a possible scam and not wanting to break from AE protocol I thought OK, I'll open a dispute, so I opened a dispute and entered the reason from their drop down menu "Package was returned to seller by shipping company". The seller even responded to this dispute admitting that the package was returned but refused refund through AE.
As expected, AE step in a few days later but to my surprise they decline the dispute based on the reason "Purchase Protection is running out, but package is still in transit", telling may to wait until the delivery deadline has been reached. AE has completely ignored my dispute reason and also the fact that the seller admits the package was returned to him in his message. Clearly a bug in their dispute resolution algorithm. I always used to think of AE as a pro-consumer business but this has got me rethinking my future relationship with them. From my AliExpress shopping experience.
Buyer reviews are critical. Also the sellers ratings helps and always read the item description. Very important. Asides that they do have a good buyer protection policy. Don't trust AliExpress. The seller shipped my purchase from California but sent the wrong item. To start a dispute, the website guides you through a tunnel of limited choices that only benefit the seller. I requested a return and refund but they sent a return address to someone in China. I objected but they said that is what I agreed to. The shipping to China would have been about the same cost as the item but after arguing with the seller and then with the AliExpress buyer protection contact they would not pay for shipping.
I would suggest logging into your AliExpress account and checking on the status of your order.
It can take up to a month or more for an item to arrive from China. I used to buy a lot of stuff from Aliexpress until I realized I could get the same stuff at least at the same price but usually cheaper on eBay, which gives you the purchase protection that comes with purchases on eBay. On a rare occasion I will still go back Aliexpress usually it is for items that are not as popular in the US and it is always worth checking the price differences.
This is great info. Thank you for posting. In creating my AliExpress account password, I was prevented from using special characters, which would add to the security of the account, and the pw length is also limited to 20 chars. I shopped on Aliexpress for the first time and bought a Nitecore flashtorch.
The product is excellent but to claim the 5-year global warranty, you need an official purchase receipt and a warranty card with a store stamp. The seller couldn't provide any of that so I lodged a dispute with Aliexpress. Guess what the verdict is? Aliexpress Customer Service ruled that warranty is only an "accessory" and there is therefore invalid! This also means that if the charger is missing, they will be happy to declare the transaction completed "successfully" even if you can't charge your torch.
Apparently they have no idea what warranty really means. Imagine you buy a car that comes with manufacturer's warranty, the seller refuses to issue a purchase receipt. It's like letting an ignorant guy do a judge's job. Have been shopping with Aliexpress for awhile now. Be careful very careful!
Dispute process very suspicious ali seems to support seller! Just remember in china not customer always right! Seller is always right! Inquire again with the seller will I be able to track my parcel seller says sorry out of stock!!!!! Option to cancel order available for buyer choose option stated reason no product? Option cancel i found out subject to seller approval my request seller would not allow me to release my money!!!! Even though he was out of stock. Just be careful I will not buy at ali ever again sellers not trustworthy ali not supportive of customers when they have problems!
Believe me I am not a disgruntled customer this is not only my exp but exp of all buyers will not reccommend just end up losing yr money and sleep and time dont trust! I will make a report to my government its serious.
I'm having an issue paying for an item on AliExpress. Concerns have been raised among consumer groups that buyers should be fully aware of what they are getting into and how they should go into any deal with their eyes open. Under the Alibaba umbrella is AliExpress, launched in and aimed at an international audience.
There are undoubtedly bargains — one of the main reasons why buying from the east is so popular. But with bargains come warnings about hidden charges. Consumers in the UK enjoy healthy rights when buying goods online from the EU. However, the same rights do not apply when buying from a seller in China. While some sites might offer protections, they are not the law.
For instance, AliExpress promises a full refund if a buyer does not receive an order, or a full or partial refund if the item is not as described. Jan Carton from Citizens Advice says there are some rights which come with credit cards and debit cards regardless of whether goods are being bought under UK law. While the price of some goods — such as the iPhone cover for 86p — might suggest that a purchase is a no-brainer, there is the potential for problems.
Delivery charges are included on many items but not on others, so prices can quickly go from bargain to overpriced. Key, too, is the amount of time it can take for your order to arrive. In the case of delivery from China that can be weeks, so patience is required. Allow between 20 and 40 days for an AliExpress item, although this can be reduced by paying for a courier service. Where costs can really add up are in VAT and customs charges.
Customs duty at 2. After the first full post-Brexit summer, few people who have travelled outside the UK will be unaware of the hammering sterling has taken since the vote to leave the European Union.