Buying from aliexpress, alibaba

11 replies
I dont really know alot about these sites and was wondering if I should buy from them? I want to buy a golf club from aliexpress but i dont know if i will because i dont want to be scammed and im worried about getting into trouble with customs. Will customs confiscate say a ping or taylor made golf club? Im a beginner when it comes to this stuff.
#alibaba #aliexpress #buying
  • Profile picture of the author davidsu
    Banned
    Aliexpress is sister website of Alibaba. Both of them are reputable wholesale website that sold chinese products. You don't need to be afraid to buy from both websites. They reputation has been equal with eBay.

    Just see the seller's feedback and rating, and ask the seller whether the products are replica or not. Most sellers will answer this question honestly.

    Also, you could use the escrow that the site's provide. So, if there's a problem with the custom, your money is still safe.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6383463].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tad 100
    Alibaba is a little bit better because you can deal directly with manufacturer. Aliexpress is also good but you will pay higher price.

    Start from the sample and pay with paypal.

    Don't order products with brand names.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6393438].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author FreeMeal
    I bought something from aliexpress the other day. It arrived safely in about week and that was with free shipping.

    I believe you can get stung sometimes with customs charges, but I'm not 100% sure.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6393496].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author arrival7
      Yeah, I agree do not buy anything name brand! You will get your merchandise confiscated by customs and you will loose out. Another problem you may have is sometimes your first couple transactions are smooth when you order small quantities but as soon as you increase your purchasing order a lot of suppliers will send you low quality unsellable crap! Those suppliers will send lots of international customers through that cycle all to profit on the larger crappy quality order. Good luck.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6527122].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Alibaba is good site to get a good deal on. I know a guy who used Alibaba to get MP3 players, and then sold them on ebay. Dude was making a killing, then Ebay banned his account for no reason.

    Despite the story, Alibaba is good. See if your suppliers are willing to pay through "escrow".
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6527734].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
    Golf Clubs are Commonly confiscated from most Customs, due to them being counterfeit. Just wanted to let you know that. If you are buying something of any actual value with pre-established distribution dealers, it's a good chance that whatever club you are buying is going to be fake even if the seller on Alibaba says otherwise.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6527792].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author actornlc
    Alibaba, global sources are all good sites - however never pay via western union as thats where you get stung.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6527829].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author maz1207
    I would stay away from Alibaba as i read many bad things about their website. A lot of people have been complaining that they have been scammed by premium (paid) users/sellers from that website. Try to Google for "Alibaba scam" and you'll see for yourself. Aliexpress is associated with Alibaba but i think that they are more trusted than Alibaba. They offered Escrow payments to protect the buyers (Aliexpress will hold your money and once you confirm you receive your purchase, then they will release the money to the seller). I bought a few things from MiniInTheBox.com and satisfied with their services, they are selling China products too but they are reliable. MiniInTheBox is also associated with LightInTheBox but i never use LightInTheBox to make any purchase. Hope this helps.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6528232].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JudyKarmann
    Learnt some new things about Aliexpress and Alibaba, thanks for sharing that guys!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6528710].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Norman
    There are good and bad suppliers on Alibaba / Aliexpress. Always try to pay via Escrow or Paypal to protect your funds in the off chance the supplier is a scammer. As someone mentioned earlier, the first small order may be good but a large order may not. The majority of 'name brands' are fakes. Copyright in China literally means "You have the right to copy".

    If you have your doubts about a listed supplier, it may be worth paying a verified company to check out the supplier etc.

    Check out Taobao (another sister site) as you can buy single items at cheaper prices than Alibaba and Aliexpress, although you may need to get someone that speaks Chinese. Most sellers will send to Western Countries at discount shipping rates as well.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6528854].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author minihillier
    all this advise is very helpful! thanks
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6531959].message }}

Trending Topics