AliExpress is a very popular online marketplace in China.
It is one of the biggest sites to shop online.
You find the cheapest and value for money products here.
It is similar to Amazon but here all the sellers are third-party.
All of them come from China are listed on the platform and sell various goods, shipping them worldwide.
The tempting deals and dirt-cheap prices on certain products make you want to order them.
But you are concerned whether Aliexpres is a scam or a safe site to do shopping.
Your concerns are justified sinceAliExpressis not as popular in most countries as eBay used to be.
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Is AliExpress safe?
The offers and prices are cheap and often offer better value for money.
However, you are confused about whether AliExpress can be trusted for online shopping.
As a company, AliExpress is trusted, renowned, and safe.
But it is an online e-commerce platform, where sellers sell their products to you.
Once you are ready to order, then you have to pick the right shipping partner.
The average delivery time through the official courier is anywhere between 12 to 60 days.
How does AliExpress protect the customer?
Buyer Protectionfor unsatisfactory orders
The money you paid for the order is safe till you are satisfied.
You have 15 business days to raise a dispute after receiving the order to ask for a refund.
It starts from the time you have placed your order on AliExpress.
How to order safely on Aliexpress?
Check Sellers Rating and Feedback
Feedback for sellers is very important.
Customers rate the communication with the seller, shipper speed, and other parameters.
you’ve got the option to find it in Sellers feedback tab.
A general rule of thumb is to be worry-free with 4+ rating sellers.
you might read the sellers recent reviews and see how they are faring in recent times.
Product reviews
You have checked the sellers rating but now its time to check the product reviews.
The product you want should be properly received by the earlier buyers and must have positive reviews.
Look out for reviews with photos.
Along with that, check that to look for overly positive reviews.
There are alleged scams by a few sellers to boost their reviews by ordering their products.
Check for Prices
Does the price or the deal seem too good to be true?
chances are they are not genuine and can be a scam.
Compare the products prices in multiple places to see if the difference feels legit and possible.
For instance, a special Yoga mat on AliExpress is $30 while its original price is $200.
This is clearly too good to be true and the product can be a first copy.
You should avoid going for such deals.
Payment Methods
Always make payments through AliExpress.
This way you are secured and protected by AliExpresss buyer protection.
Never make any payment outside the platform to the seller, for any reason whatsoever.
That is not covered by the protection and you may suffer loss in case of fraudulent seller.
Record Unboxing Video
Record a video unboxing the packaging of the order and then the product.
you’re able to attach it to the order dispute for receiving the refund or a replacement product.
You are protected with buyer protection and money is in escrow account till the dispute is solved.
Common scams to avoid on AliExpress
1.
Generally what happens is when you buy a memory card, say 32 GB.
You receive it and plug it to find that it is only 8 GB in capacity.
Avoid buying expensive gadgets for cheap from AliExpress.
They are most likely first copies or duplicate products.
This is an exception to reputed Chinese brands that have official stores on AliExpress.
you might order from them after verifying their authenticity.
It is for tracking your order and you get an idea of when it will be delivered.
Some of the tracking number red flags include:
3.
Resending Scam
You open a dispute for being unhappy with the order.
The seller may contact you requesting to terminate the dispute and then offer to resend the product.
Sometimes even offer refunds outside the platform.
Once that happens, you cannot do anything and the seller may refuse to cooperate.
If this happens to you:
5.
Paypal Refund Scam
You raise a dispute for the problems with the order.
The seller promptly messages to refund the amount through PayPal, while requesting for closing the dispute.
The seller may ghost and not send the refund.
Another way is the chargeback fraud.
If the seller asks you to request money from them, then reject it instantly.
The seller can raise a dispute on PayPal and claim a chargeback for fraudulent transactions.
They get the money back while your PayPal deducts the refund amount.
Be alert while checking the seller and the product for reviews.
Always inspect the product before marking it as delivered.
source: www.techworm.net
