One of the most frequently asked questions by the public is: Is it safe to buy on AliExpress?
A valid concern arises because we’re talking about a website with an infinite number of branded products, clones, and replicas almost exact to the original. To answer this question, we invite you to keep reading.
How does AliExpress work?
AliExpress is a company that was born at the hand of Alibaba, which is nothing more and nothing less than the Chinese e-commerce giant. It can easily be compared to Amazon. However, its main market is Chinese, so it’s natural that you don’t know it as well as other famous stores in your country.
AliExpress has a business model where the most important thing is the satisfaction of its users. It can be said then that:
- AliExpress is a website that allows you to purchase products without intermediaries and commissions, so prices are lower than on other buying and selling websites.
- AliExpress takes care of you at all times: this means that your money will be delivered to the seller once you give notice that you have received your order. Otherwise, it won’t happen.
- Sellers take care of what they sell and the service they offer, as they require good ratings for their sales to increase.
If you’re wondering what are some differences between AliExpress and Amazon, we can tell you, for example, that AliExpress has its own stock, something that does not happen on Amazon.
Is it safe to pay by credit card?
What most people who want to buy products through AliExpress (and other buying and selling sites in general) are afraid of is the privacy of their data. But you can rest assured: these types of companies invest in cybersecurity protocols that completely shield their users’ information.
AliExpress encrypts your data in VeriSign SSL encryption, which is currently the highest level of commercial protection, so it’s impossible for your data to be disclosed to third parties.
The second doubt that arises among customers is: will they be able to charge unwanted charges? The answer is no. AliExpress’ sellers can’t access your payment details. On the contrary, they’re stored securely on AliExpress itself. This means that they can only be used when you decide to make a purchase.
If you want to feel even more relaxed, every time you make a purchase you can delete the card used and add it to your next purchase.
How does the Buyer Protection System work?
The buyer protection system is nothing more than insurance that will allow you to receive a refund of your money when you’re not satisfied, the most common causes are:
- The order didn’t arrive.
- The order has arrived after the stipulated time.
- The product that arrived doesn’t match the specifications, descriptions, and features that were presented on the website.
- It’s a replica.
- The product is damaged or defective.
Even if a buyer protection system is in place, it’s not common to receive products in the aforementioned conditions. On the contrary: this happens in only 1% of the cases.
To make a refund request, you’ll have to resort to a process called dispute. Once you open a dispute, you’ll be asked to provide evidence and, if you’re right, AliExpress will refund you within the next few hours. You can always avoid opening disputes if you choose a good seller. In short, it’s safe to buy on AliExpress.
How to choose a good seller?
Main article: How to identify good sellers on AliExpress
To shop with a good seller you should consider the seller’s rating level and the rating of their products. This will tell you how serious they are, the quality of their products, and their customer service. With this type of seller, the probability of receiving unwanted or delayed products will be very low.
If their ratings are above 90%, you’ll have no reason to distrust them. On the other hand, as for the rating of their products, it’s not advisable to buy those that have less than 4 stars, since they may be products that are defective, flawed, or imitations.
AliExpress Reviews
Now, we’ll comment on AliExpress aspects that you’re probably interested in and that could be useful to you:
Shipping
Previously, AliExpress shipments were very slow: they could take anywhere from 60 days to months to arrive. However, this is a situation that isn’t common now. Several countries already have local AliExpress warehouses, and thanks to this, orders don’t tend to exceed 3 to 7 days.
Alibaba, on the other hand, has fully committed to fast international shipments. Therefore, day by day, delivery times from China are being reduced. It’s noteworthy that there are already countries that have 10-day deliveries available. And that’s not all. 72-hour international deliveries are being worked on, which will be revolutionary in terms of logistics.
Variety
It’s a bit complicated to find counterfeit products nowadays on AliExpress. Many are looking for replicas, but you won’t find them on the platform. However, there are many cheap alternatives to the most expensive brands.
Prices
In addition to its user care policies, AliExpress prices are incomparably low. In contrast to Amazon, where many times Chinese products purchased on AliExpress are resold.
Warranties
AliExpress offers strict warranties because its mission is to protect your investment. However, this has a short duration. After 15 days, the products are automatically marked as received. Therefore, you’ll have 15 extra days to open a dispute and come the 16th day you’ll be unprotected. The only alternative will be that the selected product has a free return from AliExpress.
On the other hand, many products today offer the option of hiring local repair guarantees. This has an extra price to the product but can be helpful in case you don’t receive your package or are dissatisfied.
Customer service
This aspect is a bit complex. If you want to open a dispute for cases such as the delay of your package, the product is faulty, broken, or is not what you ordered, AliExpress will agree with you and refund your money. But if it’s an extraordinary case, it’ll be almost impossible to contact a human operator to whom you can explain your situation.
Quality
To say that all AliExpress products are of high quality is an exaggeration. You can always find some that aren’t so good. However, they’ve worked to achieve, many times, the same quality as American or German products. We recommend you always check the reviews of the products before purchasing them.
