|
|
Post by stevepn on Feb 9, 2022 19:17:51 GMT
Is Ali Express a safe site to buy off, I was looking at graphic cards?
|
|
|
|
Post by captainconfident on Feb 9, 2022 19:29:36 GMT
I bought a musical instrument through Ali Express. There was a key missing that meant that it was unusable. I needed this small machined part to be sent. All correspondence has to be through Ali Express, not directly with the supplier. While the Ali Express people will always reply promptly, the one thing they won't do is contact the supplier with your query. Their replies were of this sort: Check the packaging carefully for the missing part: Contact the delivery company and see if they can find the part. Check whether this instrument requires the part etc. Polite, infuriating, untouchable.
You have no recourse in law if anything goes wrong and I still have the instrument in the loft and it never made a single note. I wish you the best of luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by mfaxford on Feb 9, 2022 21:15:38 GMT
Whilst I'm not sure I've ever bought via them I know people that have. I've also used similar places.
If things work they're generally good and cheap (although sometimes a longer wait). When things go wrong it can be more hassle.
I'm not sure what the rules around Duty and VAT are it's possible you might have to pay (although I've not had to with anything I've bought from those types of places).
|
|
|
|
Post by Penny Pincher on Feb 10, 2022 9:49:43 GMT
I've made a handful of purchases from AliExpress and have lived to tell the tale. All arrived but one took months and a couple of nudges. Personally, I only buy cheap stuff, where quality isn't of great importance and of a value that I can afford to lose. I probably wouldn't buy a graphics card but then I wouldn't be looking for a high performance card that would be expensive in the UK. I've always used PayPal.
|
|
keitha
Member of DD Central
2024, hopefully the year I get out of P2P
Posts: 3,875
Likes: 2,313
|
Post by keitha on Feb 10, 2022 11:02:45 GMT
A lot of ali express stuff is copies ie pattern parts or whatever.
Not always the best build quality and if things go wrong it can be a nightmare, I know someone who bought a camera put it on the camera and it worked great, unfortunately it jammed in place as the release mechanism was slightly misaligned, the lens had to be dismantled to remove it from a very expensive camera.
|
|
agent69
Member of DD Central
Posts: 5,625 
Likes: 4,195
|
Post by agent69 on Feb 10, 2022 11:30:06 GMT
A lot of ali express stuff is copies ie pattern parts or whatever. Not always the best build quality and if things go wrong it can be a nightmare, I know someone who bought a camera put it on the camera and it worked great, unfortunately it jammed in place as the release mechanism was slightly misaligned, the lens had to be dismantled to remove it from a very expensive camera. Never heard of Ali Express so thought I would have a quick look at their site.
I thought the local pound shop had a load of  for sale, but they can't hold a candle to this lot.
|
|
keitha
Member of DD Central
2024, hopefully the year I get out of P2P
Posts: 3,875
Likes: 2,313
|
Post by keitha on Feb 10, 2022 11:35:50 GMT
Where do you think the pound shops get stock from, often the same place as supply Aliexpress
|
|
|
|
Post by stevepn on Feb 10, 2022 14:48:56 GMT
The graphics card I was looking at had a VGA connection which the card was never supplied with, so I went on youtube and found the card I was looking at is just a GTS450 with a flashed bios and a fancy plastic case.
|
|
mogish
Member of DD Central
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 500
|
Post by mogish on Feb 10, 2022 15:58:46 GMT
A lot of the stuff is cloned copies.
I recently bought some bike bits and they are as good as the real deal but branded with some chinese name.
Other stuff I've seen has even had the name of a german company still on it so I guess they are made in China obo of xxx.
It's a bit of a gamble as some items look really nasty but photograph well.
As mentioned earlier if its low value it's worth a gamble.
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,895
Likes: 2,768
Member is Online
|
Post by michaelc on Feb 10, 2022 16:22:36 GMT
I've bought a handful of stuff and all was good until recently.
I bought a smart phone which was faulty. I paid by Paypal. Unlike in the UK, if a product is delivered faulty you have to pay to get it returned (to China in this case). I returned it, they accepted it was faulty but said some of the packaging was missing and wanted a £45 deduction for it. I went straight to Paypal and got the full refund by opening a case.
So in summary I think its usually ok but you have less rights than in the UK and I'd advise to buy via Paypal (or at least a credit card with known good customer service so you can open a dispute if you have to)
|
|
mogish
Member of DD Central
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 500
|
Post by mogish on Feb 10, 2022 16:30:11 GMT
Dear friend..... bought some chinese copy stuff on ebay recently. Arrived ok but wouldn't fit, the castings just needed a clean up with a file and was ok.
Advised seller and got a discount paid back via PayPal.
Doubt that would happen in ali Express.
|
|
benaj
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,884
Likes: 1,603
|
Post by benaj on Feb 11, 2022 14:37:42 GMT
Is Ali Express a safe site to buy off, I was looking at graphic cards? Is it safe to buy? Probably yes, you won’t get covid and you don’t have to quarantine. Would I buy a graphic card on the platform? only if you are willing to wait or there are not other option getting the graphics card. Most parts are made in the “world factory” and there is “buyer protection” if you pay it right. Would I buy bulk? not unless I trust the merchant.
|
|
|
|
Post by stevepn on Feb 12, 2022 11:17:15 GMT
Thanks for all the replies, I decided not to get the GPU after looking at the photos on the AliExpress website, very tempting as GPU's are very expensive at the moment.
|
|
|
|
Post by overthehill on Feb 18, 2022 9:50:34 GMT
Alibaba and Tencent sites added to US 'Notorious Markets List'
Ali Express is Alibaba. Looks like an interesting read at 50 pages if you have the stamina. No mention of the sunglasses street sellers in Teneriffe ?
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,895
Likes: 2,768
Member is Online
|
Post by michaelc on Feb 18, 2022 23:06:19 GMT
Alibaba and Tencent sites added to US 'Notorious Markets List'
Ali Express is Alibaba. Looks like an interesting read at 50 pages if you have the stamina. No mention of the sunglasses street sellers in Teneriffe ?
Nice and timely link but I would say there is just as much hooky stuff on Ebay. This reads to me like one superpower attacking another. That said, as I said above, we in the UK are protected less if we buy from Alibaba/Express than if we buy from the American tech giants. I don't know if the converse holds.
|
|
for sale, but they can't hold a candle to this lot.