First time buying on Aliexpress? Here are some great tips for beginners:
1. Use a prepaid credit card or virtual credit card. This is optional of course, since you can pay with any credit card you want – but not with Paypal.
Aliexpress also offers “buyer’s protection”, which means that money won’t be paid to the seller until you confirm delivery. However, if you want to be extra safe, choose prepaid credit card or virtual credit card over your own regular card. Just make sure to keep all card’s details until you get all products, because in a case of refund, money will be returned to card used at checkout.
2. Buy only from high-rated sellers. You can see the seller’s ratings in the top of each product page. This represents the seller’s positive feedback, based on customer’s reviews. Personally, I would not buy from sellers that their ratings are lower than 96%.
3. Don’t pay directly to the seller. Basically, sellers on Aliexpress are not supposed to offer you any kind of direct transaction, as all transactions must be made via Aliexpress. However, some sellers may ignore this restriction, and try to convince you to pay them directly nevertheless. As mentioned before, Aliexpress offers “buyer’s protection”, which means that money won’t be paid to the seller until you confirm delivery. If you pay directly to the seller, you will lose this protection, and Aliexpress won’t be able to help you in case anything goes wrong.
4. Always read product’s reviews. Reading other people’s reviews can be very helpful when you consider buying a product for the first time. Pay extra attention to complaints about shipping times, quality of the product, seller’s response etc. If you’re shopping for clothes, pay attention to complaints about sizes and whether the product’s size was smaller or bigger than expected.
5. Know your sizes. If you’re thinking about buying clothes or shoes, you should take the time and measure yourself (bust, shoulders, hips, etc.). Respectable sellers will always provide size chart based on inches and/or centimeters. This should be the only way to choose your size, since Chinese sizes tend to be very small. Also keep in mind that “One size” items are usually very small, and are not recommended unless you’re super skinny.
6. Pay attention to the counter. After placing your order, you can see all of your orders under “my orders”. Each order has a small counter, with number of days left for Buyer’s protraction. If you’d like to open a dispute with the seller for any reason, you must do so before the time is up. Otherwise, once the time is up and you didn’t take any action, the deal will be considered finished and you won’t be able to make any complaints.
7. Trust your instincts. If you see an offer that’s too good to be true, you are probably right. We all look for great bargains, but at the end of day, the seller must also gain something from the sell. So, be sure to check all criteria and nor just the price.
8.Be patient . Items from Ali express can arrive up to 60 days after order. That’s right – 2 long months. This should be taken under consideration when you buy seasonal items, birthday or holiday gifts.
Also, don’t forget:
1. Always check VAT,duty and all other costs for personal import in your country before you place an order.
2. Always make sure that the products chosen are allowed for personal import in your country.
3. Make sure that shipping to your country is available before you start shopping.
You’ve Got some more helpful tips for shopping with Aliexpress? Some experiences you’d like to share? Don’t be shy, Tell us all about it in the comments!
