How safe is AliExpress and how can you evade scams
Keyword: is AliExpress safe? Is it safe to buy from AliExpress?
Online business has been booming in recent years, but the main challenge for all e-commerce sites is a bad reputation. The same problem is major for Alibaba, and this is evident in AliExpress too. The bad reputation is that it sells junk merchandise and cheap products. That’s a challenge that has left many customers with the big question of how safe is AliExpress. The bad reputation at times is spread by conniving and unscrupulous sellers who want to make money at the expense of customers. The quality of goods from AliExpress is great, just beware of the conniving sellers that compromise the quality of products to spoil the name of AliExpress. Below is a guide that will explain how you can safely shop at AliExpress and evade all scammers.
All you need to know about AliExpress
AliExpress is a thriving company that ranks among the best e-commerce sites globally. This company was launched in 2010 when it sold Chinese goods direct to clients. AliExpress is a popular platform that acts as a marketplace for all independent businesses and small businesses. Customers meet sellers and easily attain goods or unique products using this platform. That’s how this big e-commerce site had been thriving in the competitive markets and e-commerce sites globally. One thing you need to know about AliExpress is that native Chinese people do not have straightforward access to shop from AliExpress sites. They shop on other diverse marketplaces, and that’s a unique thing about this e-commerce site.
There are major e-commerce sites that are on the rise and compete with AliExpress like eBay. The website that’s somehow comparable to AliExpress is eBay because it has wide varieties of products for customers to choose from, and this is how AliExpress entices many customers. Both sites are trending e-commerce sites, and the products they sell are widespread, in short, you can get anything you dream of buying from these e-commerce sites. The Alibaba group of companies owns the e-commerce store, and it’s based in the famous city of China where labour costs are favourable. That’s the advantage of the location of AliExpress geographical location because when you cut on costs of labour, you can quickly maximize on other resources to enhance your e-commerce site.
A summary of the AliExpress versus Alibaba e-commerce sites
These two e-commerce sites belong to a similar company; hence clients often get confused, especially when choosing services from these sites. The two companies vary in the following traits:
Alibaba will work best for you if you are looking for a wholesale supplier. It’s best for private label goods for sale as it has great customization and packaging of products is unique in this e-commerce site. AliExpress is best for shopping if you need personal use goods or a variety of goods for drop shipping uses. AliExpress works best for small start-up capital or new sellers as it has incredible cash outlay. The best way to dip your toes to e-commerce sites is through AliExpress dropshipping sites.
How safe is AliExpress?
The bad reputation about how safety measures of AliExpress are compromised may have gotten you thinking of how safe is AliExpress. Still, the truth of the matter is that AliExpress is a safe and incredible e-commerce site. Both buyers and sellers safety is a priority at AliExpress despite the beliefs that compromise e-commerce sites popularity. AliExpress has better buyer protection programs than other e-commerce sites like eBay.
Delivery and shipping in AliExpress are on a whole new level because clients cannot be lost. The site guarantees that clients get their products safe and sound without compromising time or product descriptions. If a dispute arises due to wrong shipping or delivery services, clients can always get a refund. That’s how you know AliExpress is a safe site and you need to ignore the propaganda about this e-commerce site.
Once you use the AliExpress platform as a buyer, you get protected in all ways, and you can comfortably make purchases. In all the purchases, buyers get equal protection rights; hence there is nothing to worry about when it comes to protection or safeguarding buyers’ rights. When you get the wrong delivery or junk products, you can always use your buyer protection rights against AliExpress. Here’s how you can do that:
- Reach out to AliExpress supportteam and report your problem about the goods ordered. Once the Seller gets a notification about your complaint, the situation will be rectified.
- In case the Seller doesn’t respond, you can file a dispute.
- In case the Seller fails to respond to your dispute, AliExpress refunds the victim.
After the dispute is resolved, you get your money as a full refund. That’s how buyers’ protection rights work in AliExpress to ensure the safety of their customers.
Reasons behind AliExpress bad reputation
There are several reasons for the lousy propaganda about all the products of AliExpress, but the main reason is the unrealistic expectations of AliExpress.
All AliExpress products go through quality control assessment processes to assure that the products are of high quality, so ignore the propaganda of quality problems. Worry less and shop comfortably from AliExpress because products meet the standards set by the bureau of standards. The propaganda of counterfeit goods is a myth that customers need to beware of if they want to get the best products. Due to the quality issues of AliExpress goods, it has been a short term business model.
Dangers of AliExpress
1. Fraudsters
As much as e-commerce sites are reliable security systems, many dangers are associated with AliExpress safety. These dangers are visible and related to the security of buyers and sellers. Bugs malware and other technological hitches cause issues like data leaks to occur in e-commerce sites, and these companies buyer and seller safety. The process of merchant approvals is most prone to security hitches due to the arising scams and data leaks. Technology is a good thing that came to transform the world is a great way, but the rising scams in e-commerce sites are causing many dangers for buyers and sellers. You need to beware as a customer or a seller to evade being scammed easily.
Buying safely from AliExpress
Suppliers are vital in an e-commerce business but getting reliable and trustworthy suppliers is a primary challenge in the procurement and supply chain systems. In AliExpress, you can get hold of a wide range of suppliers but attaining the best quality goods will depend on your supplier appraisal strategies as a buyer. Competitive markets have many suppliers, and this is the same case on AliExpress. You need to follow some guidelines to make the best supplier sourcing decisions.
The guidelines are:
1. Ensure that you choose only reputed sellers who have positive feedbacks and ratings
When you are doing supplier appraisal for AliExpress suppliers, this is a vital guideline. Source for suppliers with a 95% or five-star rating. That’s how you can gauge the performance of the supplier that you are interested in working together on a project.
Through feedback, you can see the history of potential suppliers and make wise decisions when choosing one supplier. Gauging the performance of suppliers through testimonials from clients is also an excellent way of assessing the reputation of potential suppliers. Keep in mind that you cannot determine if a supplier is trustworthy through feedback and ratings.
2. Compare prices against competitors
If the deal is too good, think twice. You should apply this adage on AliExpress. When you are a newbie on the platform, you will find extremely cheap products as compared to competitors’ prices. Such prices are usually offered by unreliable suppliers who offer no feedback. New suppliers have the lowest prices to attract customers and make a mark in the marketplace.
In most cases, such low prices are a scam or the quality of products is inferior. Ensure that you compare the prices with different suppliers. If you discover that most suppliers have a particular price range, that’s the right price for the product. A significantly lower price may mean that the product is not genuine. AliExpress has a tool that filters out extraordinarily high or low priced products. When going through the website, hover the pointer over the “price” bar of a product. You will be able to see how many people bought that product at the same price range. If a few people are buying lowly priced goods, that’s a bad indication.
- Ensure the product is authentic
Fake products are a significant concern on both Alibaba and AliExpress. There are millions of products on offer that it becomes challenging to flag and filter out counterfeit products. A good example, go to the website of either of these platforms and search Xiaomi T.VT.V. You are likely to receive over 2,000 results. Most of the products that appear are genuine. However, it’s challenging to differentiate the fake products from genuine ones when only a few product images are available for comparisons.
Check the Seller & product feedback score.
Feedback score is crucial for sellers. Reputable and reliable sellers don’t engage in questionable practices that might negatively affect their feedback store. Apart from the seller score, you can view a product’s feedback. Simply go to the product page and click on “feedback”.
Check Seller’s other products on sale.
Sellers who specialize in selling just one type of products or brand are very authentic. On the other hand, those who sell so many different kinds of products are more likely to have low-quality products. On the product page, check the “Seller’s Categories”. It’s usually on the left sidebar of the screen. In such cases, the Seller is more focused on accessories from upcoming brands.
Check warranties and price.
Always check the seller warranties for all products before placing orders. There is a tab known as “Seller Guarantees” on the product page. If you still don’t feel sure about the product, first place an order for a single product to ensure it’s of high quality and authentic.
- Communicate with the supplier before placing an order
You must communicate well with your suppliers since the products come directly from them. AliExpress, as an ecommerce market has no products of its own. It only brings together suppliers and buyers. The best approach is writing directly to a supplier. You can ask them all the queries you may have, such as product specifications, costs and shipping options. You can find a seller’s contact details on the left sidebar on a product’s page.
5. Pay attention to how responsive a supplier is
You will communicate with a supplier through chats or messaging. How quickly does the supplier respond to your queries? The rate of their response will help you know whether the supplier is responsible. You should view your supplier as a business partner. If your supplier gives slow responses while communicating, it means they are unreliable. Therefore, the bad communicator is not a good business partner. However, keep the timelines in mind when you try to communicate with your supplier. Local China time is UTC +8.
- Bargain prices on bulk orders
Most sellers offer a small discount for bulk purchases. You can view the discount information on “Bulk Price” on the product page. The prices on the product page and those quoted by the supplier are negotiable. A seller is more likely to offer a discount if your order is larger than the sellers quoted bulk price. However, the units ordered should be at least over 100 units. In such cases, you can negotiate for a higher percentage discount. Always negotiate before committing to a purchase order.
7. Go through item details/description carefully
Product photographs on AliExpress and other ecommerce platforms can be very enticing. However, do not judge a book by its cover. A pretty picture may fool you. Always read the item’s description before placing an order. At times, there is important information in the details section of a product.
8. Check out seller guarantees
More times than not, sellers offer their guarantees. Branded items have “Guaranteed Genuine” tags. If the product has the tag but is counterfeit, you will be fully refunded, shipping costs inclusive.
9. Know that Custom duty may be charged (hidden costs)
If you are new to ordering shipments, you will not be in the knowhow of the import taxes involved. Suppliers may try to bypass those taxes on your behalf. Almost all countries globally have an import tax for most imported goods. Import tax is a percentage value of the cost of the goods imported. The tax is paid to the government. In the European Union, there is a fixed 20% V.A.T.V.A.T. levy on almost all imported goods. You are legally obliged to pay the import tax, and the shipping company pays on your behalf and issue you the bill. The company will also charge you a handling fee which is usually a flat rate of $10 to $15. Therefore, it is important to factor in all these hidden costs while bargaining with your supplier and before you make payment. Most first time customers are shocked by the tax costs and blame it on the supplier, and even give them bad reviews. As a result of this, most suppliers automatically mark low-value products as “gifts”. Import duties are not imposed on “gifts”. Just to be clear, that little trick is illegal. You should be responsible enough and pay your taxes. However, this “little illegality” will not land you into any serious trouble. Ratings that have been given so far will reduce your chances of receiving junk mail. As a consumer, if you spend more money, you should expect exceptional service and high-quality products from your supplier.
Check AliExpress Delivery Times
Most products on AliExpress are shipped from China. However, you may be lucky to find a product that can be sourced from a local distributor in your country. However, this is very rare. There are high volume lists that fall under this category. Shipping time can be adjusted if you pay more. Usually, shipping takes around 14 to 28 days. Some shipping’s can take up to two months. It all depends on your location and how fast the Seller can send out your products. For buyer protection, the delivery guarantee lasts to the last day of the published estimated delivery time. If you don’t receive your products by then, you are entitled to a full refund.
AliExpress Payment Methods
When you are done placing orders, it’s time to check out. Click on “checkout”. You will be expected to fill in your billing and shipping information. There are three major methods to pay on AliExpress. They are credit card, PayPal and iDeal. The iDeal is not accessible, therefore, just use PayPal and credit cards. I opt to pay using a credit card. It gives me points and the option of disputing a payment. You can dispute payment if AliExpress buyer protection redemption stretches on for long. Whether you choose to pay via PayPal or credit card, you are protected by buyer protection policies. Also, there is almost no risk of fraud using these methods.
Check Your AliExpress Order A.S.A.P.A.S.A.P.
China may be a long way from home, and by the time your order arrives, you may have forgotten about it. However, you must check for quality as soon as your package arrives. Ensure it is in excellent condition as you requested it. Buyer protection lasts for just the duration of the delivery window. Be very careful and keen on inspecting your goods on arrival. Take immediate action if something is amiss. If you delay in taking action, you may have to file a dispute with PayPal or your credit card company, depending on the payment method you chose.
What you should do when product quality goes wrong
Unfortunately, you cannot completely protect yourself from poor product quality. It’s common for sample products to be different from the final product. In such a case, you have to rule out litigation. American and European court judgements cannot be applied to Chinese companies. As a buyer, if you have already paid for your order, you have almost no leverage over the supplier. It is especially challenging for large sellers who receive a lot of feedback, mainly good feedback from customers. One bad review or bad customer experience will not stand out and will most likely not affect the supplier much.
Below are two major things you should do when you receive a poor quality product.
- Enquire whether it’s a manufacturing mishap: Poor quality products may be a result of a manufacturing problem. An upgrade to new machinery can even cause it. In such a scenario, the supplier should be able to make up to the customer in their next order.
- Seek the services of a third party inspection company: There are many quality risks involved in manufacturing. Most businesses hire third-party inspection companies in China. The companies ensure product quality. A simple google search will give you a comprehensive list of such companies in China.
AliExpress buyer protection policy gives you 60 days to settle a refund or initiate a dispute. On the product page, there is a “my orders” icon. Click on it and click “open dispute”.
Conclusion
AliExpress has a poor reputation. Unrealistic expectations may have caused it. If you aren’t after products of superior quality, your AliExpress orders should satisfy your expectations and needs. AliExpress composes random individuals, small businesses and factories. They all converge on the ecommerce market to buy and sell products online. Risks of losing money on AliExpress are almost non-existent. That can be owed to the strict AliExpress buyer protection and PayPal credit card protection. However, quality control may be an issue. After all, there is only so much information that can be displayed in the product description. In conclusion, AliExpress is a great ecommerce market for connecting buyers and sellers all over the world.