Regarding online shopping, few resources are as popular and known as AliExpress. The Alibaba-backed e-commerce company has been around for nearly two decades, providing customers with a simple and cost-effective way to purchase goods worldwide. But is AliExpress legit and safe? Let’s find out.
The short answer is yes — when it comes to security and legitimacy, AliExpress meets the industry standards. The site uses secure payment methods like PayPal and credit cards, so customers can rest assured that their information is safe. Additionally, the company offers a buyer protection program that guarantees refunds in the event of defects or delays in delivery. Customers also have access to customer service representatives, who can answer questions about their orders 24/7.
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How does AliExpress work?
Alibaba’s AliExpress is an online retail service of small businesses in China and other locations, such as Russia, that offer products to international online buyers. It is similar to Amazon.com in the United States.
How does it work? First, users must create an account with AliExpress. Then, search for the item you would like to purchase. You can filter your search by price range or select from one of many categories, such as Electronics, Home & Garden, Automotive parts, and much more.
Once you find an item that suits your needs and budget, simply click “Add to Cart” at the bottom of the page. The next step is to review all items in your shopping cart before proceeding to checkout by clicking “Go To Checkout”.
Why is AliExpress So Cheap?
The answer lies in its business model and strategic business partnerships. AliExpress offers merchandise directly from manufacturers, allowing them to bypass traditional retail markups that drive up prices. Additionally, many of the items featured on their website are produced in China, where labor costs are lower than in other countries – further driving down product costs. Furthermore, they also have exclusive relationships with suppliers who offer bulk discounts or special promotions to customers buying through their platform.
What About AliExpress’s Quality of Goods?
If you’re wondering if AliExpress is legit regarding the quality of goods, let me explain. In reality, the e-commerce giant has both good and bad things for sale. You can often find high-quality items for very low prices if you know what to look for. Mostly sellers with bad reviews are banned from selling on the platform, so there’s less chance of getting bad products. On the other hand, many products come from questionable places (new sellers, leftovers) or are made with low-quality materials and may not last long or work the way they should. So, if you want to make sure you’re happy with what you buy on their website, you should take the time to read reviews of the products first.
Is AliExpress Legit and Safe to Buy From?
But with so many online scams out there, it’s natural to wonder: How legit is AliExpress? The answer is yes! AliExpress offers plenty of protection to its shoppers. The marketplace initiates secure payment processing through PayPal or credit cards. It also provides an escrow service that holds your money until you’ve received your order and are satisfied with it.
Here’s what you need to know about AliExpress before you make your next purchase:
- AliExpress legit online retailer owned by Alibaba Group, a publicly-traded company.
- AliExpress offers a wide variety of products at very competitive prices.
- AliExpress has an excellent customer service team available 24/7 to help with any issues you may have.
- Because AliExpress sells products directly from manufacturers, there is a lower risk of receiving counterfeit or inferior goods.
The platform also has buyer protection policies that ensure buyers get their money back if they don’t get their orders or don’t match what was described on the site.
Also, this shipping time depends on how close you are to China, where most Chinese brands and sellers are located. It also depends on your chosen brand and how good they are at their business.
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AliExpress Buyer Protection Program
If you’re shopping on AliExpress, you’re probably wondering about the Buyer Protection Program. Another feature of the platform answering your query, “is aliexpress legit?”. Here’s what you need to know about this program and how it can help you.
The Buyer Protection Program is a set of policies and procedures AliExpress has implemented to protect buyers. When you purchase on AliExpress, you’re covered by the program if there are any problems with your order.
So what does the Buyer Protection Program cover? If you don’t receive your order, if it’s not as described, or if there are any other problems, you can get a refund or replacement from AliExpress. The program also covers cases of fraud or identity theft. If there is a problem with an order, buyers can open a dispute within 15 days of receiving the item.
- Report to Aliexpress as soon as possible if your product is not satisfactory.
- If your seller is not cooperative with the situation, start a dispute.
- If the seller is inactive in dispute, Aliexpress will pay you all money. after the dispute, you will receive your money in 2 weeks.
No VAT for US Consumers Under 800-Dollar Mark
In recent years, their buyers have noticed a pattern in shipping practices among many of the marketplace’s sellers. Often, packages will be declared with a generic gift designation and at a low item value. This is done to avoid additional taxes on the purchase.
European shoppers can expect to see a new tax added on to their orders when they purchase from their website starting from July 2021. All online orders made with the AliExpress platform under 150 euros will have VAT automatically added at the checkout. This follows a change in legislation by the European Union (EU), which aims to simplify VAT for consumers and businesses alike.
The UK government recently announced that packages with a value over £135 must now have Value Added Tax (VAT) applied manually by the shipping company. This is instead of having VAT added automatically to packages over this amount, as was previously the case.
However, when ordering in the USA, you’re in luck! If your order doesn’t exceed USD 800, you won’t have to worry about paying any import taxes or duties. Things may complicate if your order exceeds this amount. In such case, you will be liable for 25% import tax over USD 800.
Warning: AliExpress Branded Goods, Memory, and Graphics Cards Not What They Seem
If you’re looking for branded goods, storage, memory, and graphics cards on AliExpress, there are a few things to consider. It’s important to ensure you buy from official stores or sellers on the platform. This can help guarantee the quality of the product and assures warranties.
It is common to buy a memory stick, RAM, and GPUs that report being one capacity, only to find out it’s much smaller than expected. Fraudsters on the platform hack firmware to change the capacity of storage devices – to sell. Known as ‘false capacity’ sticks, these counterfeits can cause significant headaches for consumers who don’t realize what they have purchased until it’s too late.
Use H2testw software to determine the amount of usable storage on the device you’re considering to avoid problems in the future. If you find that the product you received is not as advertised, file a dispute with AliExpress immediately.
My Personal Experience with AliExpress: Review
I’ve been using AliExpress for the past 5 years and am more than satisfied with my shopping experience. Only shipping time might be a concern for a few because the average delivery time of AliExpress for overseas shipments is around 14 days. Sometimes, they take even 45 days, depending on the country’s distance from China. But I have yet to experience a delay in delivering my orders. Because of free shipping by the company, you can save a few extra bucks and still get the product.
The quality of the items I’ve purchased on AliExpress has never disappointed me, and I’ve been shopping there for years. Whenever I shop, I only buy products with a rating of no less than 4 stars and from sellers with a good reputation. This ensures that the product will meet my expectations and be of great value for my money.
Only a handful of times I had to file a dispute, and they have a robust dispute resolution process that helped me get a refund. The AliExpress dispute team handled these requests with caution, and most of the time, I got a refund for the order and sometimes the product itself after a bit of delay.
I hope my experience with AliExpress will help you decide whether AliExpres is a a Legit platform to shop on. If you have any query do let me know in the comments section below.
