Sometimes when you purchase a product online, it may not turn out to be what you expected, and you may want to return it. That is, many times the item doesn’t match the description offered by the seller or you are no longer interested in it and want to cancel the transaction.
Although it seems complicated, you don’t have to worry. You can easily return your order since AliExpress has implemented a new function that allows you to reject orders for free.
So, if you find yourself in this situation, below you will find a detailed explanation of how to return your order for free. You can read more about it here.
Does my product have a free return?
Identifying a product with free returns on AliExpress is not very difficult. In fact, to do so, you only need to enter the product you are interested in buying in the search engine and see if the description contains the icon “Free return”.
Thus, if this symbol appears, it indicates that the item can be returned free of charge. There are only two types of orders on the AliExpress platform: those with free returns and those without.
Orders without free return, what does it mean?
It should be clarified that despite the fact that AliExpress offers free returns, most orders don’t have this option. Therefore, you should be attentive. If you choose a product, and you can’t return it free of charge, you’ll only be able to refuse it by paying the shipping costs.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to resign yourself to accepting a product that you didn’t like. Here’s a list of solutions to this problem:
- You can open a dispute with a full refund and no refund: Suppose you received a product in bad condition, damaged, or simply not what the seller had promised, you can request a dispute with a full refund to get your money back.
- Ask AliExpress for a dispute with a partial refund and no return: This action will be useful if the product you received fits the seller’s description and, even though it is not what you expected, you can use it, without having to return it.
- Generate a dispute with refund and return: As the last option, if the item you received is what was detailed, but you no longer want it, you can open a dispute with a full refund and return.
Among these three possibilities, perhaps, the last option is the most recommended if the order is really not to your liking, it’s useless to you and you want to get your money back. However, it’s important that you know that with this action you’ll have to pay the shipping costs which may end up having a high cost. Therefore, if the product is cheaper than this, it won’t be worth it.
How can I return a product?
In case you want to return your order and it doesn’t have the free return option, we leave you with some steps to follow so that the process is correct:
- First, log in here, search for the product and select the option to open a dispute. Once there, ask for a full refund with the return of the item.
- Then, prepare the package in its original box and write down the shipping address provided by the seller.
- Finally, ship the product and send it through a registered courier so that you can track the package and make sure it arrives at its destination.
- After these steps, provide the tracking number to the seller.
Tips you should know when returning a product
Here is our list of tips and recommendations that will help you when you decide to return an AliExpress product:
Request quotations from all courier companies
If you do this, you’ll be able to choose the most economical option that best suits your pocket. Now, remember that you’ll only have 15 days to make the return, so use this time to analyze prices and choose the one that suits you best.
Remember that once you have processed the return, AliExpress will refund you the money for the product in an estimated time of 3 to 20 days through the same payment method you used when you purchased the item.
If it’s a valuable product, insure it
At the time of shipping the product, you should evaluate whether it’s of value. If it turns out to be an expensive item, it’s preferable to insure it, since, in case of loss during the return, you could lose your money.
At this point, you need to understand that at the post office, for example, if they lose your package, they will only compensate you in the way they see most fit. On the other hand, if the return was made by an ordinary shipment, you will only recover the cost of the shipment.
Always choose a registered letter and not a registered parcel
You should know that, if your package is light and weighs less than 2 kilos, you can send it as a registered letter instead of a registered parcel. This way, you’ll reduce the shipping costs by half.
How to return AliExpress products for free?
Now, if luck played in your favor, and you purchased a product with free return, all you have to do is the following:
- Go to your user’s order history and click on the product you are returning. Then click on “Return Product”.
- Then, choose one of the reasons for the return.
- Finally, you’ll have to wait for AliExpress to accept the dispute. When this happens, you’ll have to enter the option “Get tracking number”, download the label, and send it to the seller.
- Also, download, print the label, and take the order perfectly packed to the nearest post office. Remember to save the label on your cell phone, send it to be scanned and send the item.
The last step will come when the seller receives your return. Once this happens, AliExpress will refund your money in an estimated time of 15 days.
How do I make sure that the product arrived correctly at the seller?
To find out whether the product reached the seller, you can check the tracking of the order. To do so, we suggest you check here.
Also, you should know that when you enter this link, you will be able to see two different statuses:
- Once you send the product, you’ll get this message: “The package is returned by national express and the collection is successful”.
- When the seller receives the item, you’ll see the following status: “The package is returned by domestic express and the merchant has successfully signed for it”.
Remember that when you see the second status, a few days will pass, and you’ll receive your money back.
How can I avoid paying for the return of my order?
There’s always a way to avoid paying the return shipping. Some time ago, AliExpress restored the PayPal payment system. Therefore, if when you bought the product to be returned, you used it, you will have an extra guarantee, and you will be able to claim directly to this company to refund your money.
This is because the PayPal payment system has excellent buyer protection and to make the claim you only need to access your account. Now, if you want to know more about this, we invite you to read our article “How to pay with PayPal on AliExpress“.
Answers to the most frequently asked questions
Here’s a list of the most frequently asked questions from consumers about returning products on AliExpress and their answers.
Is it possible to request a product exchange instead of a refund?
The answer is no. You won’t be able to request a product exchange instead of a refund. Therefore, if you plan to use a coupon or a discount code, you should make sure to read carefully all the product features in order not to waste it.
However, an intermediate solution is to wait for a refund and request a new product or size from the seller. This will probably take longer, but you’ll have a product that suits you.
Is it possible to return several products to one seller?
Here, the situation is more complicated, but there’s a solution. That is, if you want to return several items to the same seller or store, you should know that you’ll only be able to make one return because you probably received only one package.
In this case, you’ll have to open a dispute for each item you wish to return and generate a single label with one of the open disputes. Then, you’ll have to manually add the tracking number to the receipt, which will be given to you by AliExpress, for the rest of the products. Although this step is not mandatory, it will be the safest way to get back the amount you paid.
In this way, you will take only one package to the post office and deliver it the same way you received it.
What if I can’t generate the return label?
In principle, do not despair. In some cases, it often happens that when you request the return label, it’s not generated. This usually happens because the function is faulty. If this happens, you just have to wait until the system is restored.
Is it possible to refuse a free return order when it arrives at my home?
Yes, it’s possible, but you can only do this in cases where you have a free return, and you have reached an agreement with the seller. If you wish to reject a product, they will usually reply that you don’t accept the package when it arrives at your home, so that it can be returned directly.
Remember that once you cancel the order, you must open a dispute on AliExpress and request a refund.
Is it possible to return any product?
In this particular situation, you should be aware that some products can’t be returned to China. For example, you will not be able to return batteries and digital storage systems such as USB flash drives, hard drives, external drives, etc.
Now, if you bought the product in a local store, nothing will happen, but if you try to return it to China, you’ll run the risk that it’ll be rejected or confiscated by customs and, consequently, you’ll lose your money.
