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I've ordered from Ali Express, but a few day to a few weeks later I get a message from someone who has not shipped my item and thinks my order and payment was t

I've ordered from Ali Express, but a few day to a few weeks later I get a message from someone who has not shipped my item and thinks my order and payment was the first step in a negotiation. Can you please tell me how to deal with Ali Express sellers? I have several hundred dollars of embedded systems parts on order from Chinese eBay sellers right now.

ssl-3 2y ago
With AliExpress, my orders never feel like a negotiation. I put stuff in the cart, eventually push the "buy this stuff" button, give them money, and stuff eventually shows up -- just as with other e-commerce sites for decades. Sometimes it's slower (months), and sometimes it's stupid-fast (a few days), but outside of things like Chinese New Year the sellers generally seem to be very prompt at handling the orders and getting things into the delivery stream. I've come to expect most things to show up in a couple of weeks (at least here in the States). I'm not doing anything particularly weird, I don't think. My order history consists of almost entirely of small electronics (sometimes components, sometimes populated PCBs) and 3D printer parts, from dozens of different sellers.
- waynesonfire 2y ago
  Just be aware, returns are essentially not possible. It's prohibitively expensive to send the item back to China.
  - ssl-3 2y ago
    While it is certainly true that shipping from the US to China is expensive, it is my understanding that returns for many kinds of items are free these days, using a shipping label generated by AliExpress. (How they handle that on their end is really not something that I think I need to worry about.)
  - dyno12345 2y ago
    they will generally refund you if you are unhappy
poyu 2y ago
That sounds more like Alibaba, where it operates like a B2B type transaction. In my experience, just talk to them, sure it might take more time but you can usually get a good price if you’re buying higher quantities.
janekm 2y ago
Pick the ones that give a delivery deadline (5/7 days). No problems at all (at least from UK), always arrives ahead of schedule.
KeplerBoy 2y ago
Never experienced that on AliExpress over the last decade. Nowadays it just feels like Amazon without the middlemen and slightly slower shipping. I usually receive my stuff within a week (central europe).

ssl-3 2y ago

With AliExpress, my orders never feel like a negotiation. I put stuff in the cart, eventually push the "buy this stuff" button, give them money, and stuff eventually shows up -- just as with other e-commerce sites for decades. Sometimes it's slower (months), and sometimes it's stupid-fast (a few days), but outside of things like Chinese New Year the sellers generally seem to be very prompt at handling the orders and getting things into the delivery stream. I've come to expect most things to show up in a couple of weeks (at least here in the States). I'm not doing anything particularly weird, I don't think. My order history consists of almost entirely of small electronics (sometimes components, sometimes populated PCBs) and 3D printer parts, from dozens of different sellers.

waynesonfire 2y ago
Just be aware, returns are essentially not possible. It's prohibitively expensive to send the item back to China.
- ssl-3 2y ago
  While it is certainly true that shipping from the US to China is expensive, it is my understanding that returns for many kinds of items are free these days, using a shipping label generated by AliExpress. (How they handle that on their end is really not something that I think I need to worry about.)
- dyno12345 2y ago
  they will generally refund you if you are unhappy

poyu 2y ago

That sounds more like Alibaba, where it operates like a B2B type transaction. In my experience, just talk to them, sure it might take more time but you can usually get a good price if you’re buying higher quantities.

janekm 2y ago

Pick the ones that give a delivery deadline (5/7 days). No problems at all (at least from UK), always arrives ahead of schedule.

KeplerBoy 2y ago

Never experienced that on AliExpress over the last decade. Nowadays it just feels like Amazon without the middlemen and slightly slower shipping. I usually receive my stuff within a week (central europe).