“Arrival at the distribution center” on AliExpress: What does it mean?

The “Arrival at the distribution center” in AliExpress is one of the different stages that your package goes through before being delivered by the letter carrier. It’s important that you know these stages and you can consult them both in the browser and in the mobile application.

In the following article, we’ll help you understand what “Arrival at the distribution center” means in AliExpress and thus, solve your doubts.

“Arrival at the distribution center” in AliExpress, do you know what it means?

The “Arrival at the distribution center” is nothing more than a notice indicating that the package is already in your country, so it’ll take a short time to be delivered to your door.

Determining how much time is left for delivery is a bit complicated. However, there’s a way to determine an approximate.

Once the “Arrival at distribution center” notice is given, your package will pass through a couple of centers, which are:

Mass Intake Centers

This is supposed to be the first place your package will visit upon arrival in your country. If your package has traveled by plane, it’ll arrive in a particular city, as it’s the center that processes the largest number of these; while if it traveled by sea, it’ll arrive in a city closer to shore.

Automatic processing centers

In the Mass Admission Centers, the packages are classified and distributed to smaller centers or better known as Automatic Processing Centers, which are distributed in various autonomous communities and their function is the distribution of packages in their areas.

What are the next steps to follow?

When the packages are sorted and sent to the local delivery offices, the letter carrier will be ready to deliver them to your home. In case you’re not at home while the letter carrier is making the delivery, stay calm, a second delivery will be attempted the next business day. If the second delivery is unsuccessful, the letter carrier will leave your package at the post office.

How to pick up my package at the post office?

To pick up your package we invite you to visit the post office within 15 days after the second failed delivery attempt by the letter carrier. Remember that deliveries will be made on business days and within the established office hours.

The post office won’t leave a notice in your mailbox, so it’s important to keep an eye on the status of the package, otherwise, it may be returned to China due to the impossibility to deliver it.

My order is handled by Sinotrans: How is the delivery done?

Sinotrans is a Chinese courier company that is actually, the most important in the country. Their shipments can be differentiated from the rest by the acronym “PQ” followed by a number.

This important company has an agreement with some countries, which favors customers who process their packages through it, as it allows them to be delivered up to 30% faster than the rest.

How do I manage my order with Sinotrans?

Sinotrans has notice policies. This means that, prior to the delivery of the package, an SMS will be sent to your phone, or you’ll get an e-mail with a link that will allow you to modify or manage the delivery. This is usually useful in case you’re not at home when the package arrives.

If the letter carrier has tried to deliver the package, and you’re not at home, a new notice will be sent to your cell phone or mail indicating when the new delivery will be made. As we explained above, if the second attempt is unsuccessful, you’ll be given the address of the office and their working days for you to visit and pick it up.

We invite you to check the status of your AliExpress orders at this link and check our article on shipping methods.