Buying from aliexpress is something that many still do not know how to buy from this huge Chinese site, or they are afraid to do so. So, today, we’ll walk you through the entire purchase process from beginning to end, as well as provide you with some basic facts..
What is AliExpress..?
If you are not familiar with this huge store, here is a simple and quick guide on how to buy from aliexpress. Ali Express is a massive online retailer owned by the Alibaba Group, a multibillion-dollar company that started as a corporate intermediary. After that, it expanded to include many services such as business services, individual services, cloud computing, and electronic payment services as well.
To give you an idea of the size of Alibaba, they recently stated that the sales volume was over $ 25 billion on November 11, 2017.
Why is AliExpress famous for being so cheap?
If you have browsed some of the products on AliExpress, you may have noticed that the prices are very low. Why is this? There are two different possibilities, both of which you will find on the site.
The first possibility is that you are buying directly from the manufacturer, and this reduces your selling cost. Production costs in China are somewhat lower than in many other countries, so these factors may also contribute to lower prices.
The second possibility that the item is too cheap is that it is either counterfeit, fraudulent, or semi-fake of poor quality. It is known that China is high in the production of counterfeit products, and Ali Express as well. Therefore, I will give you some tips and mistakes that many people make that will help you choose an appropriate product in terms of price and quality when buying from aliexpress.
However, Ali Express does offer some really good and profitable deals. You can get all kinds of fakes in this store, from electronics to clothes.
Create an account and buy from aliexpress
To be able to buy from “Ali Express,” you must first create an account, but remember that you can browse products and prices without registering. Here are the steps to making an account on the AliExpress website:
First: you go to aliexpress.com
Second: Then we click on Join at the top of the site.
Third: You will fill in the correct data such as your name and email, then the password, and click on “ create your account ” and thus you will have created an account on the site.
Fourth: Go to the Ali Express website and use the search to find the product you want to buy.
Payment methods available when purchasing from aliexpress
The site provides many payment methods available, whereby clicking on “Order Status” leads to the payment screen. Here, you will need to choose one of the payment methods available in your country, which are either:
- Card – credit or debit. It is the easiest way to use.
- QIWI Wallet is an electronic wallet that is easy to deposit in. It is an alternative option for those who do not want to purchase using cards.
- WebMoney or Yandex.Money – They are dedicated electronic payment systems and are a very convenient option when buying from aliexpress.
- Western Union – by going to a Western Union branch and requesting a transfer of an amount to the Chinese company, Alibaba, and you must have their account number.
- Bank transfer – you click on “ Bank Transfer ” and print the data in it or write it on a piece of paper because you will need it when you go to the bank to transfer the amount to Ali Express, where the amount is transferred to the site and not to the seller, and when you confirm receipt of the product, the site pays the seller and you pay the costs Transfer where the required amount must be received in full.
The card payment method is a great method and the most popular and completely reliable method. All your payment data is sent through a secure and encrypted connection. This data appears only to the site and does not appear to the seller, and we recommend that you use it.
Which cards are the best when buying from aliexpress
Visa and MasterCard are the best as these cards support all online payments. You can always pay using cards, as many banks have Internet cards for use on the Internet only, as they are designed specifically for shopping and buying from the Internet. Virtual cards can also be used. Before you pay for the goods you order, you need to know some of the following details:
- Card number – these are the numbers written on the card itself and they are 16 digits.
- Card Validity – The month and year the card will expire. They are 4 digits on the front of the card like 12/19.
- CVV Code – This is a 3-digit security code located on the back of the card. For virtual cards, you can find the code in the application or website that provides you with this service.
How do you pay
Choose your payment method as “card” and proceed to fill out the form. Just enter the card number, whether it is Visa or MasterCard, then the expiry date, CVV code, and the name of the card owner.
Click on the “ Pay Now ” button, the page of your bank will open, where you will need to enter the transaction confirmation code or the so-called OTP (it will be sent in a message to your number registered with the bank or via the bank’s application on the phone). It depends on your card type as some banks do not provide this security feature.
If you do not make any mistake in any of the payment steps, you will be informed that the payment has been successful. The card number can be saved and linked to your Alipay account, where you will not need to enter payment information again. This will save you some time when you buy again but it is not necessary.
What after buying from aliexpress..?
How long should you wait to receive the shipment?
All products on AliExpress have a delivery time specified on the product page itself, usually anywhere from 20 to 60 days. Yes, two months is a very long time to wait for something you bought online! In my experience, it took about two weeks, but you need patience because you buy directly from China.
But be aware that it will be a little slower than expected, especially in times of celebrations and holidays, where the delivery will be somewhat delayed, and this is on almost all shipments (even shipments with free shipping), as once the seller ships it, a tracking number is sent to the shipment, which may be delayed a whole week Until this figure appears. After that, you should be able to follow the shipment as it goes around the various Chinese postal centers and then arrives at the customs clearance office in your country.
And if you do not have a tracking number after 10 days of ordering the product, you must contact the seller, and if the product does not arrive, you will not be able to open an official non-delivery dispute until the maximum delivery time is exceeded.
The bottom line is that the goods are picked, ordered and paid for, the most important thing is to wait for delivery, and after a few weeks of waiting, the parcel will be at your post office and you can go and pick it up.
Exchange or return products when purchasing from aliexpress
In some rare cases, the product is defective, and in this case, AliExpress is allowed to return the products, but in any other case, you must communicate with the seller and explain to him the reasons for returning the product and communicate with customer service as well. In many cases, you will reach one of the following two options:
- Either you keep the product and get back part of its value, in agreement with the seller.
- Or you can return the product and get a refund.
Tips and mistakes to avoid when buying from aliexpress
It is also known that some sellers on the site defraud buyers by deceiving them and asking them to pay outside the site. In the end, the buyer is surprised that he bought a product that is not suitable for sale or use and cannot be returned, and this depends on your choice of sellers from whom you will buy the goods. Here are some points that you can look at and take into consideration:
1. When you purchase and ship products more than 3 times a year, you will be considered a merchant, and customs fees will increase to you.
2. Many people when buying from the aliexpress website click on the confirmation of receipt of the shipment before the shipment arrives, and this is a big mistake because if anything happened in the product and it did not reach you, you cannot contact support. After all, you have confirmed receipt. It is true that when you receive the product, you check it and make sure that it is safe from defects, and then confirm receipt.
3. Before buying from aliexpress or any other online store outside your country, search for the product you want on local sites and compare prices with each other, as sometimes it is less expensive and saves the time it takes for international shipping and customs clearance.
4. Remember to read the seller’s reviews before buying from him, and it is preferable that his rating not be less than 94%, because this guarantees you a safe transaction and avoids fraud.
5. It must be taken into account that there are products whose import is prohibited in your country, or that there are specified quantities when importing for personal purposes.
6. Do not rush to choose the product, as you can read the specifications carefully and review the buyers’ opinions about the product, and compare them with others within the same site.
7. It is preferable to use the site in English, although it supports Arabic because the names of the products are translated and this does not give a meaning to the product.
With this, we have mentioned many tips and some mistakes and important points that the buyer falls into when buying from the aliexpress website, so you can refer to this topic and apply what is in it to make sure of the seller’s safety and get a successful and profitable deal.