Is AliExpress Legit & Safe?

Last Updated on September 23, 2022

If you study dropshipping blogs and online courses, you might at one point or the other come across AliExpress. It’s one of the most recommended markets for dropshippers. Is it, however, secure and trustworthy? How can you use it without having problems? 

If you’re a private buyer on AliExpress, you might want to know if you can trust the company. After all, they appear to be far lower prices than those on Amazon and eBay, making you wonder,  “is AliExpress legitimate?”.

For more information on AliExpress, continue reading. After reading this article, you’ll understand why AliExpress is so inexpensive, if it’s safe to use, and how to prevent AliExpress scams when purchasing AliExpress products.

What Is AliExpress?

AliExpress is an online marketplace where people from all around the world may buy wholesale goods directly from Chinese manufacturers, and it was launched in 2010. AliExpress is a massive online marketplace with over 100 million products for sale. Alibaba owns AliExpress, which is like an Ebay service located in China.

You can get trending products at a lesser price on AliExpress because most sellers on the platform are overseas manufacturers. Women’s fashion and jewelry, as well as gadgets and home décor, are all available. If you want to sell things online, it’s a terrific site to look for products. AliExpress, unlike other marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, offers a unique infrastructure that is suited for dropshipping order fulfillment. 

The majority of AliExpress vendors are from China, but there are also many from Vietnam and Pakistan. As a result, delivery times may be longer than on Amazon.

Nonetheless, AliExpress has fantastic bargains, which is why so many dropshippers use it as their primary source of merchandise.

How Does AliExpress Work?

To use AliExpress, you must first create a free account by clicking on the sign-up link in the top-right corner of the AliExpress website. Create a new account by typing in your email address in the sign-up form or checking in with your Google or Facebook account.

AliExpress will ask for your personal information once you create an account, including the shopping categories that you are interested in so that they can present you with appropriate products. You can browse AliExpress and search for products using the search box at the top of the page once your profile is set up.

The ‘Buy Now’ button can be used to make bulk purchases, or the ‘Add to Basket’ button can be used to add items to your shopping cart. AliExpress’s purchasing experience is fairly comparable to that of most other online retailers like Amazon and Target.

It’s time to look around now that you’ve logged in! On the left side of the screen, there is a category menu. There are hundreds of categories to pick from, as you’ll notice.

Click on a category to see its subcategories and expand it. To see the products available in that category, click on the one that interests you. You can also search for a specific item by typing its name into the search field if you know what you’re looking for. To see the results, click the search button and scroll down.

Use the filters on the top or left side of the page to narrow down your choices. To find the best possibilities, sort the results by best match, new products, the volume of orders, or price. 

Is AliExpress Safe?

AliExpress is a safe place to shop. It wouldn’t be one of the most popular online stores or shopping sites in the world with millions of users if it weren’t for this. Every day, hundreds of thousands of orders are successfully processed and shipped to customers all over the world.

All safeguards are implemented for every user automatically. You don’t need to do anything additional as a buyer. No matter what you buy on AliExpress, as long as you make your purchase straight through the platform, you’ll be safe.

A typical e-commerce model is used on the website. When you buy something on the site, you obtain a tracking number, which you can use to trace your package and get a full refund if it arrives damaged, late, or not at all.

AliExpress is also secure in terms of users’ data protection. Surprisingly, Alibaba Group, the firm’s parent corporation, is behind the Alibaba Cloud security service. Other small businesses can use its advanced AI technology for security identification and risk analysis. Obviously, their internal services are subject to the same stringent security regulations. 

When people ask you, “Is AliExpress safe to buy from?”, you should have an answer for them too.

5 Reasons Why Aliexpress Is So Cheap

AliExpress in comparison with other online stores/marketplaces has its own advantages and one of such is that it is so cheap. Here are a few reasons why it is so cheap:

• Due to the fierce competition on the platform, everyone is frantically attempting to get the attention of potential purchasers.
• Getting more business and also to sell products is beneficial to both AliExpress and the vendor.
• The majority of the merchants sell things that were made and stored in China.
• The website operates in a direct-to-consumer format, eliminating the need for middlemen.
• China has a solid business environment, minimal taxes and levies, and competitive currency practices, all of which help to keep production costs low.

AliExpress Buyer Protection

Buyer Protection is a period of time during which AliExpress allows buyers to assert their rights. If something goes wrong, the seller or AliExpress staff will support you as long as there is still some time left.

Customers’ rights are limited to some extent by time limits, although this is entirely fair. After all, the vendor should not be held liable endlessly for the item. After the money has been processed, the AliExpress Buyer Protection time frame starts. You can always see how long your personal account has left. If it’s about to expire, you can extend the date to avoid any immediate concerns.

AliExpress buyer’s protection will be useful if your products were damaged on arrival, if there was a difference between what you ordered and what was delivered to you, or if you didn’t get your order during the expected delivery window.

Resolving Disputes

Before we go into opening and resolving conflicts, we’d want to point out that this isn’t always the case. The majority of concerns may be simply resolved by communicating openly with your merchant. Sellers are usually eager to establish a positive business relationship without resorting to more formal inquiries.

Let’s say your order hasn’t arrived by the confirmation date (maximum of three days) despite the seller’s assurance that it has been dispatched. Or it wasn’t delivered in good working order.

If a disagreement arises, you should take the following steps to resolve it:

• Sign in to your AliExpress account and then select My Orders from the main page’s upper toolbar.
• You’ll be able to see all of the orders you’ve placed. Select the Open Dispute option.
• Click Submit after filling out the pop-up options that best explain your issue.
• If you have any evidence to back up your claims, such as photos, videos, or chat logs, attach it.
• The vendor will be given 15 days to respond and provide you with a solution.
• Meanwhile, you can make changes to your Dispute Request and try to come to an agreement.
• After the 15-day timeframe has passed, the issue becomes a claim, and the situation is escalated to AliExpress.
• AliExpress will now adjudicate the dispute, often siding with the buyer.

How to Buy Safe on AliExpress & Protect Yourself from Fraud

If you’re using AliExpress for the first time, it may take some time to figure out which vendors to trust and how to make sure you get the right item. However, as previously said, the site is generally regarded as legitimate and trustworthy. 

Choosing the proper provider is the most critical aspect of shopping on AliExpress. Scammers and middlemen are the most serious impediments to locating them. It’s not difficult to avoid fraudsters on the platform. There are a few ways to go about it.

Read Reviews 

This should be your primary priority. Check the seller’s page for customer reviews if the product you’re interested in isn’t accessible everywhere. The more reviews a store has, the more likely it isn’t a one-off reseller.

It’s like gambling to buy something without reading a review. You have no idea who the vendor is, what the product’s quality is, or if it will reach the buyer.

On AliExpress, you will find two categories of feedback. First and foremost, each product is given a score. If there is a lot of negative feedback about an item you wish to buy, you should reconsider. Furthermore, vendors have reviews, so if Aliexpess seller has a high rating and a lot of positive comments from customers, you may trust them.

Why Do Some Aliexpress Products & Sellers Have Bad Reputation?

The most common reason for this is that customers had unreasonable expectations about the goods. When you shop in a typical store, you’re looking at things that have undergone multiple quality inspections. However, because you’re buying directly from a manufacturer, you should be prepared to dig a little deeper from time to time to uncover genuine diamonds. 

This is, incidentally, why many people say AliExpress Dropshipping isn’t a sustainable business strategy to manage because of quality control issues, excessive shipment waits, and poor customer service.

However, AliExpress offers a wide range of excellent products and is still one of the most reliable online marketplaces.

If the Price Is Too Low – Look for other Sellers

It’s definitely advisable to walk away if you notice super-expensive things for unnecessarily cheap prices. AliExpress is a website where you may find good products at reasonable costs. However, you should always be skeptical of pricing that appears to be too good to be true.

Products with prices that are too good to be true should be avoided by all means. They could be fakes and the vendor would want to sell them off immediately. Don’t be too greedy to fall for ridiculously low prices. It’s a trap, don’t fall for it.

Check the Seller’s Reliability Before Buying

Examining a seller’s past is the simplest way to determine whether or not he is trustworthy. Go to any seller’s page on AliExpress and click on the Feedback tab. You’ll get a detailed breakdown of their previous performance under the Feedback page. 

Consider paying attention to the following when looking out for the seller’s reliability: responsiveness of the seller, image of the products, number of products in the store, location of sellers, and their product descriptions.

Check Seller Guarantees

Check some guarantees offered by sellers like delivering products on time, if your money will be returned in case of any problems, domestic returns, and guaranteed originals are among the guarantees offered by authentic merchants. They may not apply to the complete inventory of a seller, so double-check for the item you’re about to buy.

It’s also a good idea to read the entire item description, which includes information such as the type of product, including the current state of the product, accepted payment methods, and shipping time.

History of the Store

This information indicates when the seller first opened their doors. If it’s been more than two years, they’ve established some credibility and, to some extent, durability. If it has been operating for less than a year, its quality has not yet been established. So, if you’re buying something pricey or technologically related, you should go with an AliExpress store that has been for a little longer.

Contact the Seller Before Shopping

Before making a purchase, you can get in touch with the seller. Inquire about the material’s quality, guarantee, return policy, and any other thing you wish to find out about. If the product description isn’t complete, sending a message to the seller is the way to go. Confirm product details with the vendor, including material, size, features, and shipping costs.

Check Your Order Carefully When You Receive It

Check your delivery thoroughly and notify the website if any items are defective. This is very important for escrow users. Include as many facts and a photo of the merchandise as possible in your report. Adding a picture as evidence will do a lot of good.

Is It Safe to Use a Credit Card on AliExpress?. 

Yes, using a credit card to make purchases on AliExpress is safe. SSL protects any personal information, including your bank account information. Nowadays, practically all websites share this, but those that ask for money or personal information stand out.

Use It Before Confirming

Take your time when providing product feedback. Given those inexpensive and phony goods frequently malfunction, it is worthwhile to examine the items for several days. Use the remaining time to your advantage if there is still time before the AliExpress customer protection period expires.

Is AliExpress legit?

Despite some restrictions, a large majority of products on AliExpress are legit. Given that it is operated by the Alibaba Group, one of the world’s largest internet companies, AliExpress is unquestionably legitimate. Like with most eCommerce sites, the validity of AliExpress is largely dependent on whether or not the platform’s vendors act morally.

AliExpress Shopping Tips

Shopping on AliExpress can be difficult sometimes. That is why we have prepared a shopping tips list for you below.

• Never Buy Branded Goods on AliExpress

Don’t buy branded products. In the majority of nations, brands are given extra protection. If you buy products that are phony and your shipment is inspected, they will be seized, regardless of whether you care about whether a thing is real or not. Expect a knock on the door from customs officers if you purchased a lot of those items and it appears like you could be trying to sell them. 

• Be Careful with Storage and Memory Components

Buy only from legitimate merchants or listings with positive feedback. False copies frequently have insufficient storage space of maybe 64 Gb instead of 128, and improper clustering, which leaves data gaps.

• Taxes & Customs

A set of trade laws established by the nation in which you currently reside will govern your transaction. Despite the particular agreements in existence for North American nations, customs will nevertheless need you to pay the applicable import taxes and VAT. Typically, they will demand payment when your delivery is delivered. 

However, if you have fake products, missing documents, or contraband products, you will have issues with customs. 

How to Get a Refund on AliExpress?

1. Log in to your account on AliExpress
2. Locate the order for which you seek a refund by clicking on “Orders”.
3. Click on “open a dispute”.
4. Give the order’s information in full.
5. Include images, videos, and messages to back up your assertion.
6. Hit “Submit.”

Use Alitools for AliExpress Seller‘s Safety Check

Consider installing the Alitools browser extension, which will look for the seller, reviews, and best rates for you.

The procedure is simpler than ever. Click to install the extension, then visit AliExpress and make your purchase based on the price, seller, and product comparisons. It’s been taken care of, so you won’t have to worry about whether it’s secure to purchase from AliExpress or this specific seller. The browser plugin is free, which is the nicest part.

FAQ

Why is AliExpress so cheap?

China is the world’s largest supplier of a wide range of commodities, and AliExpress enables manufacturers to sell their items straight to customers without additional fees or markups, which accounts for the low prices. On AliExpress, however, a suspiciously cheap price can be a symptom of fraud, just like on all other marketplaces. For this reason, it’s crucial to use programs like Alitools to spot dishonest sellers. These tools assist in avoiding making poor purchasing decisions by showing the current market price of the product.

Are iPhones from AliExpress Reliable/Legit?

Buying iPhones from AliExpress is legit. Although it’s not the website’s most popular phone brand, you can undoubtedly locate genuine goods. Always examine the seller because it’s possible to find refurbished or put together from multiple broken phones, drowned, or shattered iPhones.

Are Earrings from AliExpress Safe to Wear?

Yes. They are just as secure to wear as any earrings you get from a regular shop. It’s important to keep in mind that AliExpress is a large online store with a variety of merchants, making it difficult to guarantee the quality of each individual seller. However, it will be alright if you discover a reliable supplier.

Is Free Shipping in AliExpress Safe?

Yes. Almost all shipments, including those that are transported for free, will have a tracking number after they are delivered. As a result, you can always find out where your package is. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about it being free because the cost of the product will likely offset the cost of shipping. 

Can I Buy a PC from AliExpress? Is This Legit?

There are vendors supplying high-quality products and those that don’t, just like in any other marketplace. Many thousands of individuals have purchased hardware and computers in the past with no issues. Simply use good judgment when choosing your shopping locations. 

Is it safe to order from AliExpress?

It is legal and safe to shop on AliExpress. Due to its escrow system, AliExpress is a trusted and secure platform for both buyers and sellers. You can request a refund if your product is delivered damaged or missing thanks to AliExpress’s safe buyer protection program.

Does AliExpress sell fake stuff?

Although not all the things on AliExpress are authentic, there are still some excellent prices to be had. There are numerous counterfeit goods there, ranging from clothing to electronics.

Is AliExpress standard shipping reliable?

Yes, AliExpress standard shipping is quite reliable. In fact, most AliExpress sellers use this shipping method to ship their items. That said, there can be occasional delays with standard shipping (as with any shipping method), so it’s always best to check the individual seller’s policies and estimated delivery times before making a purchase.

How do I know if an AliExpress seller is legit?

One way to tell if an AliExpress seller is legit is by whether they offer a payment method that provides buyer protection, such as PayPal. Another way to tell is by reading the reviews other buyers have left for the seller. If a large majority of the reviews are negative, it’s likely that the seller isn’t legitimate. Finally, you can also contact AliExpress customer service to ask them if they have any information on the seller in question.