Whatever you buy, it’s going to take forever to arrive. That’s the main thing you have to be okay with. Other than that, Aliexpress is a website where you can find a lot of different types of goods from clothes to furniture.
Aliexpress is affordable and cheap, and they often have the knock off versions of a lot of brand clothes and makeup. I’ve been shopping there myself for years, and I have picked up a few tricks here and there on knowing what’s okay to buy and avoiding getting scammed.
1- Check the Reviews
This one might seem obvious, but I’m absolutely serious. There will be over 1k reviews, but you still have to read a few of them. I personally check the review options so that it shows me reviews from customers living in the United States because they’re the ones that will tell you how long it takes to arrive. Also, check the reviews with photos! They’re the ones that will show you how the product looks once it arrives.
If you can’t wait the amount of time a review said it took or you think the product looks too small on other people or too tacky, move on to the next item!
(Photo courtesy of Aliexpress)
2- Stolen Art
Aliexpress is full of stolen art. A lot of it.
As a person who spends a lot of time on Etsy supporting artists, it’s weird to find their artwork in pins, patches, and wall art on Aliexpress for less than half the price. Buying things from Aliexpress such as pins and art comes down to your morals. I personally don’t buy pins and patches from there because I would rather support the artist that came up with the design and that did not consent for their art to be distributed on Aliexpress. But if you don’t care and want the cute cat pin for 80 cents instead of $10, go for it. Just know that they’re stealing from an artist.
3- Know Your Measurements
(Photo courtesy of Aliexpress)
If you’re going to buy clothes, knowing your exact measurements is going to help you so much! Their sizes run a lot smaller because the clothes is coming from China, but their sizing charts tend to be really accurate. Their sizing charts have saved me so many times. I’m a M in the United States, but if their sizing chart tells me I’m an XXL, I believe it. Don’t be surprised if the clothes is much smaller than expected if you don’t check their sizing charts. If the product doesn’t have a sizing chart, skip it or pay close attention to the reviews.
4- Arrival Time… If it Arrives
Out of 32 orders throughout four years, only one didn’t arrive. It was a couple of pens that I bought for $1.89 that I completely forgot about. I could’ve opened a dispute, but I didn’t even realize they didn’t come in until this month. I ordered them in 2017.
Aliexpress also gives you estimated arrival times, and they have buyer protection. If anything happens, sellers and Aliexpress are willing to help you out. Just remember that sellers don’t have control over how long it takes for the item to get to you.
(Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash)
5- You Get What You Pay For
You really do get what you pay for. If the shirt you spend $7 falls apart in two washes, I hope you took a picture with it at least. Sometimes, the cute sticky notes you order for $1 won’t stick at all or the stickers you bought are slightly deformed. That’s why I look carefully at picture reviews because those are the most honest ones.
Overall, don’t be afraid of Aliexpress. Just be a little more careful about what you purchase because I’ve personally have gotten a lot of great things from there.