Team-BHP - Buying from AliExpress

I've bought a lot of things on Ali Express over the years. Most of them cycling related. Parts and gear and clothing. Great experience every time. Never been cheated. And the refunds are reliable and without question. The platform is great in terms of buyer protection and ability to raise a dispute and come to a settlement prior to a full refund if that does not work out. Your money remains with Ali Express till the time you confirm that you have received the item and are satisfied with it. Only after that do they release it to the seller.

English is obviously a bit of a problem, so it's a good idea to read the details if the item carefully to know exactly what you're going to be getting for your money, as the photos are often misleading. It's a great idea to go through the reviews of customers as well, and look at the real life photos of the same item they've bought to get a much better idea.

Also there will be tons of sellers selling the same item under different brand names and slightly differing prices. Welcome to the manufacturing superpower that is China. It's always better to buy from the one (regardless if price) who (in this order) has sold the maximum number of items and has the highest rating points and has a buyer protection in number of days fir receipt before which a full refund is automatically initiated.

As it comes through normal post, (I rarely if ever choose an option of shipping that is not free), it does take time, so it's best you pay and then forget about it for at least 2-3 weeks. Sometimes (often( you do get the same thing on Amazon here (100% they too buy from the same Chinese source) but the price difference is huge. So if I'm not absolutely in urgent need, I don't mind waiting. The packaging is cheap bubble wrap and white plastic but does the job.

I've gotten broken stuff on Amazon but never from Ali Express. That days a lot. I've however never bought a big brand item that's more than a thousand bucks on this yet. Still not built up that confidence on originality, though I have no reservations on guaranteed delivery. In the end, everything is made in China. The originals and the knockoffs. So simply on price it's difficult to take a call. Maybe someday soon ...

Cheers, Doc

My wife buys a ton of stuff from aliexpress every month. All kinds of little knick-knacks for the house and a few high value things like a couple of Dash Cam.
She always uses the standard delivery by india post and they are pretty reliable, have been asked to pay customs duty a couple of times but all in all a pretty good experience.
She generally uses only vendors that are rated high and checks the reviews before ordering.
Overall we have seen that the prices are super low and the quality is pretty damn good, and if a item has not been delivered for too long, she lets AE know and they return the money pretty promptly.Good Value option and much better prices than Flipkart or Amazon if you can wait 30 or so days to get the thing.
Cheers

I have bought loads of stuff from AliExpress. Small techno gadgets, kitchen stuff, motorcycle stuff, accessories for mobiles. I think I have lost one package in years. And one dispute - which was settled smoothly. I think it is a great place to buy certain things - like for instance, I bought replacement foam pads for my headphones - something the OEM was charging a lot for! The AliExpress stuff was really, really good and a perfect fit.

My wife buys loads of earrings, small necklaces etc - each averaging around $2. You get the same in shops here for 3 times that price.

One of the biggest items I've bought from them was a center stand for my Africa Twin. I was slightly skeptical but went ahead with it. I got a great deal compared to OEM and it was so well packed and so well put together! It was made solidly and weighed quite a bit. The seller was even helpful enough to send the circlip that didn't fit in correctly.

Have been buying small stuff from AE over the last 3 years or so. Most delivered, some not. At least 2 didnt work - one soaked in water possibly at Kolkatta transit during the rains some time back.Two times the measurements were not as mentioned in the product page. Some items not delivered. I have raised disputes with supporting pics, for all these and have got refunds. Only with one BlueTooth headset I was asked to show a video that it is not working. For the non-delivery items, I raise a dispute a lil before the last date mentioned for delivery and this serves as a heads-up for the seller. The disputes have mostly gone through smoothly, though couple of times the seller delayed it and AE disputes team stepped in.

While I look at the # sold for the items, the feedback wont be completely reliable because buyers are supposed to give the feedback upto 1 month from delivery. This does not give long term feedback for the product. This makes buying it a chance, and hence I am a lil careful of what I pick up.

Of the items I have purchased, I felt that the HID / Xenon bulbs are not upto the mark. Most others are ok.

I have bought dozens of items from Ali, specially earphones both bluetooth and wired as I love to listen to music while commuting. Luckily not paid a single rupee as customs till today.

I use only my credit card and just to be on safer side, I always keep my international usage de-activated. I activate the international pay, pay for Ali and immediately de-activate (Yes, I am paranoid). Never got a chance to call the customer care as of today :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by hothatchaway (Post 4717989)

Are credit cards the preferred mode of payment on AliExpress? Do cards issued in India work smoothly since the OTP verification may not apply.

Feedback from anybody using virtual cards/mobile wallets on AliExpress would be great.

I have purchased several low cost item from Ali including a mood cost DVR Dashcam.

I feel that the quality is far more superior than Amazon product and prices are very cheap.

The only issue I have is about reviews. Most of the reviews are written only about delivery quality and not about product quality.

Second more funny point is, the reviews are written in horrible English, few auto translated too. Reading those reviews are real fun and good time pass.

Sometimes, I have even thought, what is the probability of getting membership in our forum if these people write "why team-bhp" sectionlol:

I mostly buy scale models & patches from Aliexpress. Not a single one has been lost in transit till date. I always choose China Registered Mail or Aliexpress Standard Shipping as Shipping options (even if I have to pay extra) because it I can atleast track it. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for delivery(including 7-15 days for customs clearance in India). I have one scale model coming today - 23 days after order payment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hothatchaway (Post 4717989)

Are credit cards the preferred mode of payment on AliExpress? Do cards issued in India work smoothly since the OTP verification may not apply.

You need to have a credit card with International Usage enabled (not sure if debit cards work). You will not get an OTP for transactions on Aliexpress ot other International websites, but you will get an SMS from the bank immediately after the credit card transaction is successful. I have got a call from the bank couple of times asking for confirmation if I used my credit card for international transactions, a safety feature perhaps in case the charge needs to be disputed?