Anyone use AliExpress regularly, what's your thoughts please?

I want to purchase a few items on AliExpress, but would like to get some feedback on this website first, before I buy.

 

Can anyone give their experiences on AliExpress purchases please. Also, what's the AliExpress Standard Shipping like for reliability and speed on fairly small packages?

Every time I've seriously considered buying something from Aliexpress, I found that the same products were available from the UK via ebay, for a similar price - there's no guarantee of course that they'll be sent from the UK, even though they claim to.

I could be wrong, but it might be much easier to get a refund from ebay - the trash power module I bought a couple of weeks ago for example: full refund. Ebay nearly always sides with the buyer.

I buy quite a bit from Ali never really had an issue, items that fail to turn up I have been fully refunded. Postage can vary depending on the seller but often one receives an email to say item has arrived in your country with a week or two then it's up to RM how quick they re - route it once it has left customs checking.

I thought you might be an AliExpress fan Nealh

 

Do they take PayPal? Can't see the PayPal symbol on their website.

Ali add UK VAT on the price at the checkout, ebay don't (yet).

I thought you might be an AliExpress fan Nealh

 

Do they take PayPal? Can't see the PayPal symbol on their website.

 

That's my other reservation with AliEx - Paypal is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority... I'm nervous about entering my card details directly into any foreign website, I know lots of high profile websites are hacked regularly and card details sold on the Dark Web, and operators of hacked websites pay ransoms to keep it hushed up. It happens a lot more than one might assume.

Ali add UK VAT on the price at the checkout, ebay don't (yet).

So in theory, anything under £135, should just go straight through customs?

So in theory, anything under £135, should just go straight through customs?

I've only ever bought low value items on Ali over a few years and never had any problems.

I've used the site quite a bit over the last 4-5 years, inc. a £160 battery welder, no probs, everything has turned up within 2 weeks without damage or issue. I think some sellers take Paypal and others do not, but this may have changed.

I think some sellers take Paypal and others do not, but this may have changed.

 

Only fools take Paypal lol. Horrendous for sellers, especially if I'm buying

Edited October 20, 20214 yr by guerney

I’ve made 11 Ali purchases this year, from grips to stems and frame bags etc, all small stuff really.

I paid via PayPal and all items arrived safely, most came in about 8 to 10 days but two took 4 weeks to arrive.

Just like eBay I've found the same item from multiple sellers at different prices, these days the price difference between Ali and eBay is a lot less than it was a few years ago.

Thanks for the replies peeps. I've gone ahead and bought a few low cost items and it allowed me to pay via PayPal. Items are being sent by AliExpress Standard Shipping. Will post back with my experiences, in case anyone else is thinking of buying from them.

Ok, so received my order today. That's the 21st Oct - 3rd Nov, from purchase to my door. Not bad in my opinion. The delivery was through 4PX, which I believe is AliExpress' delivery group?

 

Ordering was a doddle, as was payment via PayPal. The app gave me fairly good tracking, letting me know most of the stages of my parcel's journey. It kind of faltered when it got to UK customs, telling me to ring a number to track my parcel.

 

Didn't bother with that, but popped the tracking code into Royal Mail's tracking website and it started tracking the parcel a few days after it had hung around customs for a while.

 

All in all, a pleasant first time experience with AliExpress. I particular liked the fact that I could pay via PayPal, for that extra peace of mind.

I, ve bought quite a few things on Alibaba and just a couple on Aliexpress. Experience fantastic on all occasions.

You tend to need Eori number for Alibaba but not always case and certainly not on Aluexpress. (it's person to person transactions, Alibaba is supposed to be B2B but you can from most suppliers get samples direct to door and cheaper than Aliexpress.

Awaiting some stuff now.

I have had some items delivered recently and yes about 10 -14 days tends to be the norm.

I've bought 3 ebike batteries, 2 Bafang Mid drive kits and a few other smaller items from 4 or 5 sellers I trust with good feedback on Aliexpress. All delivered quickly (some shipped grom uk in a few days), and never any duty or customs paid. Saved shed loads on UK/EU prices, and the sellers have been very helpful with good comms. Paid in $ with a fee free credit card and got cashback too ..example here

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/bafang-36v-or-48v-bbs01b-250w-mid-drive-full-kit-lowest-price-ever-%C2%A3230-inc-shipped-from-uk.42257/

A dissenting voice here......

I've bought 50+ items from Aliexpress. Around 5 to 10 have never been received and I have been refunded. There have been occasional problems with quality and delivery of correct sizes eg an an XXL cycling shirt was sent when I'd ordered XXS. Delivery has generally been faster recently than a year or so ago, but generally 3 to 8 weeks. Since Brexit I have always been charged VAT.

While it's always worth comparing eBay and Aliexpress prices, the differential is less than formerly and the eBay service better and provides more confidence.

A dissenting voice here......

I've bought 50+ items from Aliexpress. Around 5 to 10 have never been received and I have been refunded. There have been occasional problems with quality and delivery of correct sizes eg an an XXL cycling shirt was sent when I'd ordered XXS. Delivery has generally been faster recently than a year or so ago, but generally 3 to 8 weeks. Since Brexit I have always been charged VAT.

While it's always worth comparing eBay and Aliexpress prices, the differential is less than formerly and the eBay service better and provides more confidence.

Hopefully never have to go this route, but is the refund process pain free?

I have used Aliexpress for a few years now, and its been ok apart from now and again, I get refunds ok but an odd few sellers try to give you a small refund even though the item is faulty. like other week I ordered a mini cordless drill cost £15.64 was ok at 1st but then kept cutting out or wont start, the seller offered me $5 refund which I think is about £3.69 I told the seller whats good of $5 refund when item is faulty he has now sent me a link to pay just 0.01p for a replacement. But most sellers give you refunds

I have used Aliexpress for a few years now, and its been ok apart from now and again, I get refunds ok but an odd few sellers try to give you a small refund even though the item is faulty. like other week I ordered a mini cordless drill cost £15.64 was ok at 1st but then kept cutting out or wont start, the seller offered me $5 refund which I think is about £3.69 I told the seller whats good of $5 refund when item is faulty he has now sent me a link to pay just 0.01p for a replacement. But most sellers give you refunds

 

That reminds me of a recent experience on ebay - seller offered me a $5 refund for a $35 dollar item, I said no, "Give me full refund, or else!", then he offered $10, then $15 etc. On ebay sellers are pretty much prey - I got a full refund eventually... and this is why I've never strayed from ebay: It's seller beware! Ebay would have refunded me when the case timed out, if the seller hadn't. But there are some very shiny looking gizmos on Aliexpress..

Hopefully never have to go this route, but is the refund process pain free?

Whenever I have had cause to refer an issue to the arbiters at AliExpress, they have always accepted my proposals for full or, in a couple of cases, partial refund for slightly faulty, but not unusable, items.

They do seem to require a long time before you can refer an issue for refund, simply because the Aliexpress delivery "time windows" are very wide.

A previous poster has referred to buying e-bike motors or batteries; I'd be very wary about expenditure at those levels although that might be an area where there are the greatest savings to be made.

 

Relevant, or at least related, to this, I've noted an increase since Brexit of eBay vendors claiming their items to be in UK, but in reality the delivery times and the packaging suggests the items have been via a UK middleman who has ordered from China and received in the UK, possibly already packaged and labelled, in around 5 days and then forwarded using Royal Mail so that the complete process has taken 7 to 10 days.

Is this Drop Shipping ?

I had used AliExperss, but now I don't. The delivery is expensive.

The delivery is expensive.

 

This over generalised. Some items are"free" ie included in the headline price.

I use Ali because of the sheer amount of choice and some items one can't source elsewhere without wasting hours/days trying to search.

Certainly things have changed since brexit.