I’m interested to hear of folks’ experiences buying from Aliexpress. Some of their prices seem extraordinarily low. But what happens when products fail - what is the reality of warranties with them? My understanding is that you add 20% VAT to the stated price if an item, like a phone or computer, comes from China, but nothing else (other types of goods may also attract an additional customs charge). But there is a hint that some items can be shipped locally (including France) in your own country, so I guess there is nothing extra to pay? I’d really appreciate it if speculative replies could be avoided - really interested, in particular, of your own experiences, or those of others you know.
Have you checked their background out regarding the company behind them and any comments people have made on them outside of their website? I often get ads for some really beautiful clothing, never hearing of the sellers before but when checking them out am very disappointed in where they originate and customer’s remarks. A lot of these chinese based companies have many offshoots, basically you pays your money and takes your chance!
Have you actually bought anything from them?
Many of the sellers are not the manufacturers and thats where you can have an issue later. Manufacturers stand by their products at least for a while whereas sellers will sell but zero backup. I was ripped off for a mobile phone that claimed a spec that it simply didnt have, really slow, different processor and ram etc. Thought I would be in for a total loss but contacted AliExpress directly and they intervened and refunded me. Very surprised! Currently I have a seller who shipped a chipped router cutter, they are now becoming a pain and refusing to send a replacement. I will be contacting Ali today and see what they have to say.
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In general you should assume there’s no effective warranty and beware unfeasibly low prices. I’ve had a couple of watches and some other bits I forget now, but wouldn’t spend serious money because there is no redress if it isn’t what was advertised or fails quickly.
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I’ve bought from AliExpress a couple of times. Basically I wouldn’t buy anything expensive and treat the money as lost. If it turns up and actually works then it’s a bonus.
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Never heard of them until you posted, hence my reply as to their background history and where they are etc.
I specifically asked for experiences of people who have dealt with them, and not speculative responses.
DH orders regularly from them. However not anything high cost. Mainly electronic bits (often near impossible to source here), small diy bits (at a fraction of the cost and sometimes better quality than the bricos) ect. They have massively improved their post times, used to always be up to 3 months, now if your order is over 10€ it is generally under 9 day delivery and if not delivered in time you get a euro or something back!
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Fall out the wrong side of the bed this morning?
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A bit tired from a disappointing stake out last night for the aurora, which never showed. But really, I went to the trouble of asking for actual experiences of buying from Aliexpress and NO speculation. The responder ignored my plea and, as I had tried to avoid, went on about nothing useful based on a complete lack of knowledge of Aliexpress. Sigh.
So, I have done some more digging around and the experiences of Aliexpress customers can be positive but what really stands out is that you have to be wary of products aping a reputable brand.
I’m looking for a new Android tablet and I really like the spec., and reviews of the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro. There are numerous ‘Pad 5 Pro’ tablets for sale on Aliexpress, but looking carefully, the brand name is Xioami (not Xiaomi - check the spelling) and the technical specifications, although apparently better, are nowhere to be found on the official Xiaomi website.
This is confirmed on Youtube with disgruntled customers receiving what they term ‘fake’ phones and tablets. ‘Fake’ is debatable as, buyer beware, you should check the details carefully.
I’m still curious about the ‘send from COUNTRY’ listings - presumably this is stock held in local warehouses and so VAT and import duty has already been taken care of. But I don’t know for certain.
Yes in a lot of cases goods are now in several countries so duty can either be paid at the time of purchase but you still get the odd surprise.
Some items of electronics like phones etc are from other Asian countries like Korea where they are much cheaper so you can get the genuine article but loaded with Korean apps and software.
A bit rude to say the least. When you start a thread it does not become your sole property and, if someone like me and @Shiba have never heard of them, it is perfectly legitimate to ask a simple question.
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Why? If you know nothing about the topic and decide to contribute what amounts to nothing despite being asked not to - isn’t that rude? No question was asked, just advice that wasn’t based on an actual experience with the company.
AliExpress has been going for 14 years and is a giant global online marketplace with millions of daily customers. If you have never heard of them, then that tells me a lot.
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The problem isn’t so much with Ali Express - I’ve bought a fair few items from there and been very happy (it’s the best place to get cheap LED strips, ESP32 controllers, etc…). But there are loads and loads of dodgy sellers on there too.
But as others have said, don’t spend anything that you’d be pissed off if you lose out and either get ripped off or don’t receive anything. My limit is €30… Anything above that, I’ll look elsewhere first.
ETA: These guys are who I buy LED stuff from, they’ve got a great reputation… https://btf-lighting.fr.aliexpress.com/store/1051119
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Based on what I have read from actual customers, this does seem like good advice. I don’t think I will be buying a tablet through AliExpress after all.
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I’ve bought from there many a time over the years. Very rarely had a problem. I did have one order not arrive at all and it took over 2 months to get a refund. Also had some items that were terrible quality and not fit for purpose but you can show photos and/or videos which usually results in a refund or percentage back. One time I was so disappointed I opted to return an item, but was told it would be at my expense, and they’d refund the shipping. I explained for me to ship it, would be many times the cost of the item itself, as we don’t have subsidised shipping. In the end I didn’t risk it, but the seller was kind and refunded about 70% of the costs without having a return.
For small things, it seems to be worth it. I wouldn’t buy anything too expensive from there.
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I think the only time I’d consider it for something as expensive as a tablet would be if the vendor was recommended by a YouTube channel I trusted. There are a few who buy gear from Ali Express and post reviews that I watch. Otherwise too risky for me.
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I like the lawn tractors that have suddenly started appearing with pictures of the real brand names but at only £500 an absolute bargain 
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