It won’t be wrong if we call AliExpress the Amazon of China. AliExpress sits in the second place in the e-commerce market, right after Amazon, having more than 150 million active buyers worldwide.
What makes it so popular is its extensive range of products (from electric equipment to fashion and furniture) at a very low cost. Moreover, you can register yourself as a seller and start selling things. However, before using, you must ensure whether AliExpress is legit and safe or not.
It’s famous that doesn’t mean there isn’t any drawback. More importantly, there are certain risks you must consider before shopping online. In this article, we’ll explain whether you should use AliExpress or not, the frauds you need to look out for, and its alternatives.
What is AliExpress?
AliExpress is an online marketplace owned by Alibaba Group and founded in 2010. It is an online B2C platform that sells goods primarily produced in China to buyers across the globe. It has become one of the largest e-commerce platforms, having more than 150 million active buyers from all over the world.
It offers an extensive list of products, including home goods, fashion, electronics, furniture, and more. Moreover, you can register yourself as a seller and sell products. AliExpress operates exactly like other e-commerce platforms, allowing users to search products, read reviews, and purchase products directly from sellers.
It is considered the retail section of Alibaba and has a primary goal of consumer satisfaction. Alibaba is a much larger platform operating as a B2B; thus, AliExpress focuses on smaller businesses and demands.
How does AliExpress work
AliExpress functions like most other online marketplaces, but the closest example is eBay. AliExpress does not produce the products on display; it lets sellers list their products using its platform. The products can’t be customized, there is no minimum order quantity, and you can buy single units of any product you want.
The price of the product you see on the listing is what you will pay, and you cannot ask for a sample before making a purchase. And finally, the prices are much lower than most other online marketplaces.
Is AliExpress legit?
Yes, AliExpress is a legit site where millions of users from all over the world buy and sell products. Alibaba Group, an online retail giant that offers products at a low cost. Despite its production in China, the platform has an international customer base.
While the platform’s massive popularity and positive reviews prove that it is legit, it has both satisfied and unsatisfied users. Like other online e-commerce platforms such as Temu, AliExpress has several third-party sellers. Also, it may not always verify all products. Instead, it relies on customer reviews to assess a seller’s credibility and trustworthiness. As a result, users should remain cautious of fake or deceptive product listings.
AliExpress offers personal data security comparable to other major online retailers. While it is generally safe to use, your privacy is still at stake if you don’t take the necessary security measures.
Is AliExpress safe?
Before you rush over to AliExpress, we still need to answer the question of the safety of the shopping platform. You will be glad to know that it is safe to purchase items from AliExpress, but it has risks. These include counterfeit goods from fake vendors and stalled deliveries.
AliExpress is a very famous online shopping platform that allows third-party vendors to sell their goods for customers to purchase. It is responsible for shipping, which it usually does via Cainiao, an Alibaba-owned shipping service.
The platform is also responsible for the payment process, holding consumer payments in escrow accounts to be released to the vendor only when the delivery is completed.
How is AliExpress so affordable?
While low prices can mean low quality, this is not the case with AliExpress. Here’s why the goods are so affordable:
- Most displayed products are from China, meaning the labor and production costs are much lower than in other locations. Mass production will also greatly reduce the overall cost of each item.
- Since you are buying from the manufacturers or suppliers in most cases, the cost of retailing is not included. If you purchase wholesale, the cost is further reduced.
- Lastly, since the sellers are small-scale businesses, they can’t always charge too high for their products.
Pros and cons of using AliExpress
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lower prices | Products can’t be customized |
| No minimum order quantity requirements | Poor quality control |
| A large number of vendors | Some vendors sell counterfeit products |
| Effective buyer protection program |
What types of scams are on AliExpress?
You may experience the following scams on AliExpress:
Fake product listings
This involves sellers using fake photos or descriptions that are not of the actual product, leading buyers to receive items that aren’t what they ordered.
Counterfeit products
This scam includes retailers selling products that appear to be of high quality and top brands but are fakes and counterfeit. These items are mostly of low quality compared to the actual product.
Phishing
Phishing involves scammy or unauthorized websites or emails that appear exactly like AliExpress to steal financial or personal information. These scams trick buyers into providing sensitive data by mimicking legitimate sites.
Non-delivery scams
In this scam, users pay for an item that never arrives. You will be provided with a fake tracking number or told that your item was lost.
Price manipulation
Scammers often attract buyers with unusually low prices, only to raise the cost later or tack on hidden fees. This misleading practice can trick users into spending more than they anticipated. Always be wary of deals that appear too good to be true, and review the total price carefully before finalizing your purchase.
Drop shipping scams
In this scam, sellers don’t have inventory; instead purchase items from third parties or other sources. This leads to a delay in delivery and receiving lower-quality products.
Fake reviews
Sellers usually show fake reviews to mislead users into a positive image of their items. As a result, users are attracted to the products and buy fake or lower-quality products.
Hidden charges
Hidden charges refer to unexpected fees, like additional shipping costs or customs duties that appear after the purchase. Since these costs aren’t clearly disclosed upfront, buyers often face unpleasant surprises at checkout or delivery.
Helpful tips to avoid scams on AliExpress
To have a safe shopping experience on AliExpress, it’s important to follow essential security guidelines. Below are some tips you should remember while purchasing anything from AliExpress:
- Check users’ reviews: Before checking out or making a purchase, always check users’ reviews and ratings. Positive reviews and high ratings from users show a reliable seller and product.
- Beware of hidden charges: Some sellers usually show you low prices at the time of order. However, when you receive or make the payment, you will be charged extra money. Ensure the actual price before purchasing.
- Don’t buy famous and name-brand products: Don’t buy expensive brand products like Samsung, Apple, or Adidas. These are counterfeit products and offer suspiciously low prices.
- Enable order tracking and alerts: Only buy products from retailers that allow tracking. You can also enable notification alerts to keep track of your order.
- Use secure payment methods: Only use secure payment methods that AliExpress recommends, such as a credit card or PayPal. Sticking to the AliExpress recommended payment method will reduce the chances of being scammed.
The safest payment option for AliExpress
AliExpress users are protected from card fraud, whether debit or credit card. As the law states, you have a liability limited to only $50 in the event of any unauthorized transactions on your credit card. The liability is valid if you file a dispute within 60 days.
For debit cards, the maximum liability for unauthorized transactions is $500 only if you file a dispute within 60 days. But if you notify your debit card issuer within three days, the liability is only $50.
Most credit and debit card issuers allow zero liability to their users; it requires a lot of work and time, and you’d still need to request a replacement card. The only true means of avoiding the hassle is not to allow your card to get compromised in the first place. To do this, never store your card details on AliExpress or any other shopping platform.
How does AliExpress maintain its safety?
Here is what AliExpress does to ensure its customers are always safe.
Buyer protection
Buyers face a few snags online, including defective goods, fake goods, false deliveries, and even low-quality items. However, AliExpress has ways to ensure the buyer always gets the best product, thus protecting their interests. They are as follows:
- Verification badge: AliExpress grants every qualified vendor a verification badge. This badge ensures that your order will be delivered at the stipulated time. The badge also means you can issue a complaint if your order is incomplete, and you will get a refund from AliExpress.
- Refund policy: If you get a defective product from the vendor or due to an accident during shipping, you are entitled to a full refund. You will also get a refund if the product is a dud or fake. The only problem with this is that the process can drag on since you’d need to file a dispute, and the chances of a full refund can also greatly vary. AliExpress will resolve the issue if no resolution is reached within 15 days.
You can only file a claim for an unreceived order when the buyer protection period expires. This period is 75 days, which means you may have to wait up to 90 days if you factor in the 15-day refund period before you get your money back.
Payment information security
Since AliExpress is responsible for handling payments, it would be natural for you to harbor some concern over the safety of your payment info. The platform allows you to pay with your debit or credit cards using Alipay or AliExpress. And since AliExpress runs both platforms, it’s important to check for safety measures put in place to protect buyers.
- Card transactions: Whether you use debit or credit cards, AliExpress will record your payment details. Thankfully, only AliExpress has this record, and the third parties can’t see it and thus can’t keep any records. You can also choose not to store your payment details on the platform. We recommend this option as it protects you from any data breaches. This would mean you must enter your details whenever you need to pay.
- Using AliPay: AliPay is AliExpress’s secure payment service that works like Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App. All you need to do is deposit money into your AliPay account and pay from there. This service is great for privacy because it guarantees that even AliExpress cannot see your payment details, making it much safer.
While the payment options commonly used are card or AliPay, AliExpress does allow the use of PayPal for purchases. PayPal is equally safe and secure with end-to-end encryption. But it is not available on all goods and services.
How to stay safe on AliExpress
While AliExpress has claimed it is very safe for buyers, it is still not perfect, and there are still some bumps along the way. Below are some things to look out for
Fake products
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, AliExpress is single-handedly responsible for a large influx of fake products into the global market. So, purchasing from AliExpress comes with some risk of getting counterfeit products.
AliExpress is not quiet; they are taking steps to curb counterfeiting, like granting intellectual property rights that allow original creators to report any violations of their intellectual property.
As a buyer, you can contribute to reducing the outgoings of fake goods, and here’s how you can do this:
- Don’t fall for prices that look too good to be true.
- Do not purchase branded items; they are almost always fake. If you need to, then go to the brand website instead.
- Always check and confirm product reviews, especially the star rating, and look out for overly positive reviews, as these might be inorganic.
- Check for Buyer Protection badges; this way, you can always return the product if it turns out to be fake.
Deceptive listing
Due to the intensely competitive nature of the AliExpress marketplace, it is not uncommon to see fake listings designed to pull buyers in.
A very common trick is when vendors list prices that are unrealistically below MSRP. Vendors are allowed to add variations when they list the products, and they utilize a loophole to list an accessory to the product instead of the actual product. The accessory would be much cheaper, making the main product appear available at that price.
The real danger with this is that you can’t use the money-back guarantee since the listing is technically accurate. To avoid getting misled and left with a product you don’t want, you must be very careful when reading the description.
Brushing scam
A brushing scam involves the creation of a fake AliExpress account with details of a real person. Another form of a brushing scam is to hack a user and hijack the account instead.
The vendors would order their goods with fake profiles or hacked accounts. They could use your payment options if they can access them, but mostly, they pay for it themselves.
The product gets delivered to you, and the vendors leave a review with glowing comments and rate it 5 stars all the time. These reviews will be in a verifiable name, your name. This act will not translate to immediate results, but will give the illusion of sales and positive reviews, and thus encourage people to make real purchases.
You receive these products for free, and the vendors can attract more buyers, which, on paper, should be a good thing, right? Well, not really. It simply means your information can get easily stolen and used for any activity.
If a vendor in China can easily access your info, think of how easy it can be for scammers to do the same. Because of this, we recommend taking your digital security seriously. This means using unique passwords, staying away from dodgy sites, and never storing sensitive data on sites you visit.
Some apps help reduce the chance of your identity getting compromised; these include Aura and Identity Guard. These apps can monitor your sensitive data, inform you if there is a likelihood of theft, and scrub your info from data brokers.
You can also use trusted password managers; for example, Norton Antivirus Plus has one built in to save you the stress.
Is AliExpress privacy-friendly?
While AliExpress is a relatively safe platform, privacy may not be its strong suit. This is not an indictment on them, but since it requires you to share private data, is it safe?
Here’s what is collected from users according to AliExpress’s privacy policy:
- Contact info includes your full name, email, and house address.
- Billing information, which includes the method of payment and the delivery address.
- Information on the content of your purchases
- Any extra info required during customer support
These are what any other online marketplace would require from users, so it is definitely within the realm of safety.
Checking the privacy policy revealed that it shared user data with sellers, third-party service providers, logistics partners, credit risk assessment providers, business partners, and subsidiaries of the Alibaba Group. These are also expected with an online marketplace and pose no harm to your privacy.
The real concern would be that AliExpress shares user data with marketing partners and advertisers. By doing so, they expose users to targeted ads, which can attract intrusive ad campaigns to them.
AliExpress online reviews
AliExpress has an average star rating of 2.6, translating to many dissatisfied customers. This can result from low-quality products, fake goods, and deceptive listings.
Below is a chart showing the rating for AliExpress on a few review websites:
| Review website | Score | Total number of reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Sitejabber | 2.97/5 | 7,615 |
| Trustpilot | 2.6/5 | 137,593 |
| Better Business Bureau | 1.08/5 (D-) | 178 |
| Reviews.io | 1.5 / 5 | 2,374 |
Alternatives to AliExpress
While AliExpress is a great and relatively safe online platform, there’s no harm in diversifying your options. Below are a few alternatives you can use in place of AliExpress:
1. Sup Dropshipping
It is a Hong Kong-based company that handles dropshipping. This company also has considerable connections with major suppliers located in China, including 1688 and Alibaba.
Sup Dropshipping does not have an MOQ for many of its products, and discounts can come into play with an increased quantity ordered. Unlike AliExpress, you can modify and customize the products you wish to purchase.
2. Alibaba
Alibaba and AliExpress are part of the same company group but operate differently. Alibaba is a B2B wholesale platform that links buyers with global suppliers. The platform offers wholesale product purchase options. Thus, most products have an MOQ limit. But this does not apply to other products; you can purchase per unit at a higher price.
You are also afforded the option to customize or add a brand logo or name. Whatever you wish to have on the final product, Alibaba lets you. And this is an edge over AliExpress and its lack of customization.
3. Banggood
Banggood is a marketplace that operates as a “direct-to-consumer.” It has a massive catalog of products, numbering in the millions. This platform is also based in China and does not use third-party suppliers, greatly reducing the possibility of fraud and scammers infiltrating.
Banggood is also considerably faster than AliExpress, shipping in less time than the latter. They use Expedited, Priority, and Standard, ensuring it takes less than 14 days to get your order delivered to the US from China. This time is further reduced if you factor in overseas warehouses.
4. Temu
Temu is a great alternative to AliExpress in the US. PDD Holdings, a sister company to Pinduoduo, a Chinese shopping site, owns it.
Temu has an impressive collection of products, including electronics, makeup, and apparel. These products come in from China at a low, affordable rate. You can also expect free shipping on most of these listed products. Temu is a great choice if you want cheap prices and fast shipping.
5. SHEIN
SHEIN is a fashion retailer with an impressive collection of clothes, accessories, and the like. You can find just about anything you want, regardless of your preference. It is user-friendly and affordable, making it a solid choice for drop shippers and interested buyers.
If you wish to win the competition, SHEIN can offer you much-needed speed, options, and cost-effectiveness.
6. Made-in-China
It is a trade brand that helps connect suppliers in China with global buyers. It deals in a select product, including industrial and electrical supplies, and often has a low MOQ.
Made-in-China is a much better option if you want a professional platform for purchasing electrical products. Also, this platform creates a communication channel for its buyers and suppliers to set up negotiations.
FAQs
A large number of the sellers on AliExpress are from China, but there are also vendors from other locations, including Spain, Turkey, and Italy.
It is only safe to purchase branded products from AliExpress if the seller is authorized on the platform and has ample documentation as verification. But we recommend using the website linked to the brand instead.
There is no official record of data breaches about AliExpress. User data is relatively safe on the platform and can be assured of privacy.
Yes, the platform has its payment method, known as AliPay.
