Chinese Ebay sellers, don't deliver and reluctant to refund.

[Susco]

49 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

I don't trust Lazada either.  I recently ordered a 2 meter charging cable (specific 6A 30W).  What I got was two 1 meter cables which does nothing for me.  The seller apparently has gone out of business and cannot be contacted. Lazada wants me to take pictures, get packaging and pack it up  for a pick up. Way too much work to make it worth my while.

Lazada is a big scam platform, full of fake sellers, listing items they don't have, and seller selling counterfeit items, and Lazada does nothing about.

 

- I ordered for almost 2000 Baht of batteries of 3 brands from 4 different sellers. When they arrived they were ALL counterfeit, which was confirmed to me in writing by the concerned companies.

 

Lazada first wanted me to send back the goods for a refund so they could "check", although I had sent them all the evidence already, which I refused.

 

I made a big fuzz of it on their own FB page, and within the next 6 hours the whole lot was fully refunded, and kept the items, plus some extra vouchers for the trouble, while I kept all the goods.

 

They said they take counterfeit serious, but now 4 months later those same sellers are still selling the same fake items.

 

- I ordered an Android device from China, which never arrived because it was never shipped. Lazada advised to order again, and again it was never shipped. In fact the seller obviously has never shipped anything to anybody, but is still active.

 

- I ordered a 220V timer switch with dust cover. Seller sent me a 12V version without dust cover, and refused to accept return. Lazada sided with the seller.........until I took the matter to their FB page for everyone to read.

 

- I wanted to order a glucose meter, but saw in the reviews that there was only Chinese manual included, so I contacted the seller and asked if he would include English manual. His answer was that he would send it to me AFTER I had received AND PAID for the item. Yeah right.

 

 

Now whenever I have an issue, which are plenty, I don't bother with their chat anymore but take to their FB page and make a <deleted>load of posts replying to their own posts.

 

Refunds are issues in no time.

 

But you know why they don't care?

 

Because they are owned by

Edited September 30, 2020 by Susco

[Kerryd]

On 9/25/2020 at 9:01 AM, Pilotman said:

I order a lot from Lazarda, but only local Thai suppliers. If it comes from China I don't bother.

 

On 9/25/2020 at 1:18 PM, stouricks said:

And from where do the Thai suppliers get their goods?

Almost everything on Lazada is sourced from China. Of the last 50 orders I've made, maybe 10 things were stocked in country (but no doubt originated in China). Except for the dark roast coffee I've been getting from Chiang Mai (ground to order so I can finally get some decent coffee that works in my percolator). (That coffee accounts for 3 of the 10 things that were "in country" when I ordered it.)

The usual process is the Lazada vendor takes your order, then makes their own order on AliExpress.

After a day or two, they update your order with something like "package handed over to logistics partner" which usually means the AliExpress vendor has confirmed their order. A day or two later you may see "Your parcel has departed the logistics facility from China." followed by a "Your parcel is currently undergoing export customs clearance, awaiting departure to Thailand." then a "Your parcel has arrived in Thailand."

(Yeah, those updates are copied from some of the numerous items I currently have on the way.)

Another update will say the Lex has picked up your package, but it's actually in Thai Customs. Once it clears Customs it will go from the Airport to a sorting center (Samut Prakan) to a distribution hub (Sri Racha) to a delivery center (Chon Buri) to a local delivery station (Bang Lamung) and finally to you.

Even small things like phone cases and electrical fan switches and micro-ssd cards end up coming (most likely) from AliExpress. I have a sneaking suspicion that the majority of (small) vendors on Lazada don't have any stock of anything they list on the site. (Why spend your money on stocking something that might not sell quickly when you can usually just order it and have it delivered in less than a week, then repackage it and send it to your customer.)

The big, name brand places will of course have stock (usually).

I had a small camp stove delivered the day after I made the order which was a pleasant surprise. On a couple other occasions I've had stuff (computer, computer parts) delivered within 3 days but I knew those items were in stock as I'd been in contact with the vendor before ordering.
The coffee I mentioned usually arrives within 3 days as well. (The first order came with a bonus coffee cup and saucer. The last couple of orders were smaller and came with a tiny little cup that looks like it would be suitable as a shot glass. ("shot cup" ?) (That vendor is pretty responsive to messages as well.)

I will order direct from AliExpress once in awhile. Depending on the item and how fast I want it. Their search engine and filters (or lack thereof) sucks wang though. They do the same BS of listing something as shipped when in fact all they've done is reserve a shipping number in the system to make it look like they are on the ball.

I have a pair of shoes I ordered from them on 19 Sept. On the 22nd the order was marked as departing a "local sorting center" and 13 minutes later arriving at a "regional sorting center" and the tracking shows it as "Delivering" even though it hasn't left China yet (or even the factory I suspect). Other tracking sites show it as still in "posting/collection" which means it hasn't even been picked up by the courier yet.

(Another item I thought was on the way is now marked "closed" and it says I will get a refund in 6-20 days as the seller did not ship the item on time. I guess they forgot to "reserve" a shipping number in the system to make it look like they were shipping it. Good thing I checked the statues as AliExpress never bothered notifying me about it.
 

[RocketDog]

On 9/25/2020 at 8:57 AM, giddyup said:

Why hasn't Ebay woken up to this scam, or maybe they just don't give a sh*t.

You learned your lesson. Order from Lazada and pay COD only. 

[Kerryd]

I rarely use eBay. Had issues with them when they first started and now I use them only as a last resort. 

Only had one problem with AliExpress, when a vendor supposedly shipped an item, then cancelled it and tried to tell me it was "held up in Thai Customs".

After I showed them screenshots of the China Post and Thai post tracking pages that showed "shipment cancelled by vendor" (before it ever left China) they told me to cancel the order and they would process the refund right away. Which they didn't.
I opened a dispute with AliExpress. The vendor again tried to claim the item had been sent and I again posted the screenshots. Took a long time (almost 90 days) but I finally got my refund.

Lazada is usually much better. I've had items cancelled and automatically refunded before I even knew the order was cancelled. I've had vendors ask me to cancel an order (because they'd already sold the last item - or never had it to begin with) and Lazada has process the refund within hours.

However, I am having an issue with them right now. I ordered a "waterproof" bag from a vendor. It was updated (like the ones I noted in my previous post) except that after the item cleared Thai Customs at the airport, it shows as going to a "logistics facility" and then a "delivery failed - unable to reach customer/customer not home". 
It seems the item has disappeared between leaving the airport and arriving at the sorting facility and someone tagged it as a failed delivery (and it says the item will be returned to the seller) !

I can't cancel the order because "it has been shipped" and the delivery window runs to 6 Oct. I've tried to contact the vendor (in Thai) but they haven't responded.
The only thing I could do was leave "feedback" on a link that goes to a survey site, so I doubt Lazada or Kerry or LEX or (whoever) will see it.

I will contact Lazada directly on 7 Oct (assuming the thing doesn't make a miraculous appearance before then). I had one other item disappear at the airport a couple years ago and Lazada actually contacted me to ask if I wanted it refunded before I even knew it was missing. It seems they knew it had disappeared and proactively contacted me while I thought it was still on it's way.

eBay though. Meh. Especially when ordering 2nd hand/used parts because the originals are no longer available or are too expensive. Like seats and saddlebags for Softail Harleys. Having some experience with those things, I have a fair idea what to look for when I'm browsing a site like eBay. 
Too often you see listings with lots of pics that look great, but for some reason they don't include pics of the critical areas (like the inner wall of the bags or the mounting brackets).
There is probably a good reason why they won't show those (which is probably also why they are selling them in the first place). 

I've learned to be wary of pretty much everything being sold on eBay. I'd really have to need the item, as in, stuck without it and in a hurry, before I'll order from them.

Lol - I ordered 2 of an item on AliExpress awhile ago because they were offering a 10% discount on the total. I was going to keep on and give the other to a friend. Apparently the vendor didn't factor in the shipping costs and was going to lose money on the deal so they cancelled it.

I looked at a similar item to see what the shipping costs were. 

Surprisingly, if I selected FedEx IP, it would cost $22 and be delivered in 8-13 days.
AliExpress Standard shipping, which should be cheaper, says it would cost twice as much and take twice as long to deliver.

Lol - the UPS "Express Saver" option costs $152 and delivery would be 8-18 days. 3 times the cost of the item and slower than the option that costs$130 less.

[tifino]

1 minute ago, Kerryd said:

Only had one problem with AliExpress, when a vendor supposedly shipped an item, then cancelled it and tried to tell me it was "held up in Thai Customs".

those shaky Purchasing Venues such as Ali-Express don't have the same protection safeguards that eBay has... Use Ali Exp and you may as well throw your money loose upwind with Western Union... 

[Kerryd]

55555

As I was typing the last post I received two emails from Lazada. 
One was to tell me that the waterproof bag that was supposedly a "failed delivery" has been cancelled - because they were unable to deliver it !
The second email was to tell me that my refund was being automatically processed.

Oh joy. Now I have to go find a new source for that and for the item that was cancelled on AliExpress.

[Kerryd]

Browsing Lazada now and it is apparent that a lot of vendors are actually the same vendor, with different "stores" selling the same thing(s), often at the same price (or slightly different). Same descriptions, layout, photos, delivery and even discounts. 

Going to contact the vendor(s) first this time before ordering though I suspect it won't make any difference. No matter what it says on their page, they'll probably still order the item from China and hope it arrives.

[bodga]

On 9/25/2020 at 2:00 PM, PatOngo said:

Well done! 

i gave up 15 years  ago after some shoes never  arrived and after either alipay or whatever Chinese  ebay type  site it was at the time  sided with the seller saying i was a competitor trying to slag off their  good  name, pathetic.

I let the Thais take the import risk and buy off them. Years ago there used to be websites set  up with a list  of all the fake  companies you could check before  buying to see if they were a  real  company.

Edited September 30, 2020 by bodga

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

You learned your lesson. Order from Lazada and pay COD only. 

I pay using my K-Bank card, and I never ever have any problems with refunds. If you want a refund for some reason COD is not the best choice. 

[Max69xl]

22 minutes ago, bodga said:

i gave up 15 years  ago after some shoes never  arrived and after either alipay or whatever Chinese  ebay type  site it was at the time  sided with the seller saying i was a competitor trying to slag off their  good  name, pathetic.

I let the Thais take the import risk and buy off them. Years ago there used to be websites set  up with a list  of all the fake  companies you could check before  buying to see if they from were a  real  company.

I have bought stuff from ebay for years and my refunds have always been paid back within a few days. Never ever had a problem if something I ordered didn't arrive. 

[Thomas J]

I have not bought from Chinese sellers on ebay but have numerous times on Shopee and Lazada.  All have been prompt with delivery.  With Ebay you are protected if the item does not show a tracking number that the item was delivered to you.  Also if you pay via Paypal which most do, they also guarantee delivery.  

[Peterphuket]

4 hours ago, douglasspade said:

In Thailand I never had issues with Alibaba/Aliexpress or Lazada that was not sorted out in a timely manner. Had stuff gone missing from Ebay UK and Amazon USA numerous times. Mostly shipping and not supplier related.

Sinds 10 Augustus last I'm waiting for a camera with a value of $450, the seller say it is already at customs in Thailand, it must be there now for more than 6 weeks, I thinking, it is still in China.

I get also really p*ssed off about Ali express.

And you'll have to wait for 90 days before you can ask your money back!

Edited September 30, 2020 by Peterphuket

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, lesmac said:

I stopped as well I only buy COD

Which Ebay doesn't do.

[giddyup]

37 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

I have bought stuff from ebay for years and my refunds have always been paid back within a few days. Never ever had a problem if something I ordered didn't arrive. 

But who wants to wait for two months, item doesn't arrive, then you can claim. Two months wasted.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

You learned your lesson. Order from Lazada and pay COD only. 

Agree.

[phantomfiddler]

I ordered a digital thermometer, an empty box arrived and my letter of complaint went unanswered. No more chinese sellers for me ????

[4evermaat]

15 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

I ordered a digital thermometer, an empty box arrived and my letter of complaint went unanswered. No more chinese sellers for me ????

On lazada?   Did you use the easy return process.

[bodga]

3 hours ago, Max69xl said:

I have bought stuff from ebay for years and my refunds have always been paid back within a few days. Never ever had a problem if something I ordered didn't arrive. 

I never  said it was E  bay It was some thing like alibaba as this was 15 yrs  ago

[warcy]

On 9/25/2020 at 8:57 AM, giddyup said:

Why hasn't Ebay woken up to this scam, or maybe they just don't give a sh*t.

Lazada is also owned by Chinese sellers.

 

I ordered something from them that is imported from China, it came within 2 weeks. It's cheaper than the things sold in the shops.

[RocketDog]

4 hours ago, Max69xl said:

I pay using my K-Bank card, and I never ever have any problems with refunds. If you want a refund for some reason COD is not the best choice. 

Good point about refunds. I never consider that because I know it will seldom happen or be worth the effort. When something I buy turns out to be junk I just sigh and toss it. I never buy anything over $30 mail-order. 

COD saves me the trouble of paying for something I never received though. 

[The Theory]

On 9/25/2020 at 8:57 AM, giddyup said:

Why hasn't Ebay woken up to this scam, or maybe they just don't give a sh*t.

No wonder many Americans prefer "American sellers" even though the product is the same (Chinese) plus higher price. 

[RocketDog]

6 hours ago, Susco said:

Lazada is a big scam platform, full of fake sellers, listing items they don't have, and seller selling counterfeit items, and Lazada does nothing about.

 

- I ordered for almost 2000 Baht of batteries of 3 brands from 4 different sellers. When they arrived they were ALL counterfeit, which was confirmed to me in writing by the concerned companies.

 

Lazada first wanted me to send back the goods for a refund so they could "check", although I had sent them all the evidence already, which I refused.

 

I made a big fuzz of it on their own FB page, and within the next 6 hours the whole lot was fully refunded, and kept the items, plus some extra vouchers for the trouble, while I kept all the goods.

 

They said they take counterfeit serious, but now 4 months later those same sellers are still selling the same fake items.

 

- I ordered an Android device from China, which never arrived because it was never shipped. Lazada advised to order again, and again it was never shipped. In fact the seller obviously has never shipped anything to anybody, but is still active.

 

- I ordered a 220V timer switch with dust cover. Seller sent me a 12V version without dust cover, and refused to accept return. Lazada sided with the seller.........until I took the matter to their FB page for everyone to read.

 

- I wanted to order a glucose meter, but saw in the reviews that there was only Chinese manual included, so I contacted the seller and asked if he would include English manual. His answer was that he would send it to me AFTER I had received AND PAID for the item. Yeah right.

 

 

Now whenever I have an issue, which are plenty, I don't bother with their chat anymore but take to their FB page and make a <deleted>load of posts replying to their own posts.

 

Refunds are issues in no time.

 

But you know why they don't care?

 

Because they are owned by

I've had similar experiences with Lazada including the long chat sessions, taking and uploading pictures, waiting for responses, etc. 

Now I accept ordering anything from them mail-order is a <deleted> shoot and if it works 90% of the time I'm doing good. 

I always use COD and never spend any money I can't afford to lose. More than once I've opened a package and immediately thrown the item in the trash knowing it will prolong the agony to do anything less. 

 

I generally assume what I buy will be counterfeit. If I'm really concerned I call the manufacturer and asked if their store on Lazada is legitimate. Sometimes it actually is. 

 

Maybe I'm just getting old and tired of fighting these things. I do know too that buying something from Amazon in the USA is often a <deleted> shoot too. 

 

Almost every product now is built to have a service life of a few months to a couple of years. It's correspondingly cheaper and people just accept that they will be buying another one soon. In many cases in LOS one simply cannot find better products at higher prices because few people will buy them. We settled into a world of mediocrity and disposable goods.