Possible to shop Ali Express online from Thailand?

[Cake Monster]

20 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I ordered over the years probably hundred or more parcels from AliExpress.

In my experience most deliveries are between one and two weeks to Bangkok, sometimes longer.

Extreme seldom tax and duty has to be paid.

I think I had it one time that something got lost. That was easy to track and I received a replacement without hassle.

Another time something was not sent and I canceled the order. No problem. 

I try to buy local because it is faster. But I don't hesitate to buy it from AliExpress.

 

Important for newbies: AliExpress is like Lazada not one shop. It's an interface for many shops. There are reputable shops and bad shops. Obviously it makes sense to look at the details of what you actually order. And if it sounds too good to be true than likely it is too good to be true.

With realistic expectations many shops on AliExpress are fine.

If I am not sure then I use the chat function to ask some question, basically any question, to see how fast and how competent they reply.

 

I have used AliExpress for Years now , for hard to find spares for an old Chinese 4 wheeler.

Ali has everything I need from multiple suppliers and the the prices are so much better than Thai prices.

Just be aware that some of the " Free Delivery " times can heave long lead times,

I have never had any issues other than my own doing in choosing a free delivery that took 6 weeks.

Usually about 20 Days or less.

[OneMoreFarang]

41 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

I have used AliExpress for Years now , for hard to find spares for an old Chinese 4 wheeler.

Ali has everything I need from multiple suppliers and the the prices are so much better than Thai prices.

Just be aware that some of the " Free Delivery " times can heave long lead times,

I have never had any issues other than my own doing in choosing a free delivery that took 6 weeks.

Usually about 20 Days or less.

Almost always I use the cheap or free delivery option. Because almost always then I don't have to pay tax or duty. And most of the time I can wait.

[mikebike]

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Your comment does not make sense.

I have lived here for more than 20 years and I too have never used Ali Express.

No need.

I can get pretty much everything that I want from Thailand.

I do not see the need to fund the CCP in its ambitions.

Where the heck do think most of the products you are buying in Thailand are manufactured? Borneo? 

[patman30]

Aliexpress is fine to use, always check reviews/feedback

FYI
Both Aliexpress and Lazada are owned by Alibaba Group

[Kerryd]

I've ordered a number of things from Ali over the years. Some things arrive quickly and hassle free. Other things never show up.

Note with Ali. When you place an order, the "vendor" is supposed to process the order within a certain time limit so they almost immediately tag the order as "Packed" or even "Shipped" when they haven't actually done anything at all.
What this does is maintain their "order response" level and keeps you from cancelling the order, The system thinks the order is on it's way to you.

But on Ali, that means they have something like 3 MONTHS to actually get the item to you (after it's been tagged as shipped).

And you can't raise a dispute until AFTER the 3 months have passed !

For example, on 17 January I ordered a set of replacement tent poles.
According to Ali:
Expected delivery date:  Jan 20, 2022 - Jan 24, 2022

When you check the order details:
Awaiting delivery

If you do not receive the order within 26 days , you can open a dispute.

So I have to wait until mid-April and if they haven't arrived by then, I can go through the dispute process. (Note that the tracking number they assigned to the order "can't be found". That's because all they did was reserve a number, but haven't actually registered it in the couriers tracking system.)

Beware though.
I had another set of poles on order and after a month they were still listed as "shipped" even though they hadn't left the factory yet. (I was watching the "tracking number" and it hadn't moved. Sometimes they'll tag a package as being "sent to sorting center" or something and then "returned from sorting center", meanwhile, on the tracking website of the actual courier, it shows that the tracking number has only "been assigned" (or reserved) but isn't actually active in the system, which would trigger timing flags to prompt the courier to move the item.)

I sent a simple message to the vendor asking them the status of the order.
They responded by telling me the order had been shipped and the delay was caused by Customs (in Thailand) and then accusing me of doing "exceptional harm" to their business by opening a dispute.
I responded (harshly) that I had not opened a dispute, I had asked them (not Ali) a simple question and there was no way that would have done "exceptional harm" to their business in less than 9 hours as no one but them knew I'd even sent the message.

They responded the next day to inform me that they had checked the warehouse and didn't have stock of the item and asked me to cancel the order.
(After telling me the day before that they'd shipped it and it was held up in Customs which I knew was a lie.)

I tried to cancel the order. Many times. I used Ali's "chat" (repeatedly). Linked the order. Linked the message from the vendor. Never heard anything back.

Couple weeks later I noticed that the refund hadn't been processed. Went to Ali only to find they'd marked the order as "delivered" and because it was past the 15 day limit, I couldn't open a dispute !!! 

It's not always like that though.

At the same time I ordered the (2nd) set of poles, I also ordered a tent. After 6 weeks of nothing happening, suddenly it started to move and it arrived 2 weeks later. Maybe the poles (I no longer need) will eventually show up as well.

Lazada is much better if you can find the item you are looking for.

Note that many vendors on Lazada have zero stock of the items they list in their store. You order from them, they order from Ali (normally) and have them ship it to you. However, a "Lazada vendor" seems to get a higher priority on orders on Ali than "Joe Blow from Isaan" does.

Tip. If you find something on Ali, copy part of the item description and then search for it on Lazada. Many of the vendors (on Lazada) simply copy/paste the information directly from Ali (pictures and all). 
(Which is also why you see the exact same listings for an item over and over again, exact in every detail except for the price and name of the "shop" selling the item. I'm certain that a lot of "shops" are set up by one person who lists the same things with slightly different prices so that no matter which one you pick, he makes the sale.)

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

I've ordered a number of things from Ali over the years. Some things arrive quickly and hassle free. Other things never show up.

Note with Ali. When you place an order, the "vendor" is supposed to process the order within a certain time limit so they almost immediately tag the order as "Packed" or even "Shipped" when they haven't actually done anything at all.
What this does is maintain their "order response" level and keeps you from cancelling the order, The system thinks the order is on it's way to you.

But on Ali, that means they have something like 3 MONTHS to actually get the item to you (after it's been tagged as shipped).

And you can't raise a dispute until AFTER the 3 months have passed !

For example, on 17 January I ordered a set of replacement tent poles.
According to Ali:
Expected delivery date:  Jan 20, 2022 - Jan 24, 2022

When you check the order details:
Awaiting delivery

If you do not receive the order within 26 days , you can open a dispute.

So I have to wait until mid-April and if they haven't arrived by then, I can go through the dispute process. (Note that the tracking number they assigned to the order "can't be found". That's because all they did was reserve a number, but haven't actually registered it in the couriers tracking system.)

Beware though.
I had another set of poles on order and after a month they were still listed as "shipped" even though they hadn't left the factory yet. (I was watching the "tracking number" and it hadn't moved. Sometimes they'll tag a package as being "sent to sorting center" or something and then "returned from sorting center", meanwhile, on the tracking website of the actual courier, it shows that the tracking number has only "been assigned" (or reserved) but isn't actually active in the system, which would trigger timing flags to prompt the courier to move the item.)

I sent a simple message to the vendor asking them the status of the order.
They responded by telling me the order had been shipped and the delay was caused by Customs (in Thailand) and then accusing me of doing "exceptional harm" to their business by opening a dispute.
I responded (harshly) that I had not opened a dispute, I had asked them (not Ali) a simple question and there was no way that would have done "exceptional harm" to their business in less than 9 hours as no one but them knew I'd even sent the message.

They responded the next day to inform me that they had checked the warehouse and didn't have stock of the item and asked me to cancel the order.
(After telling me the day before that they'd shipped it and it was held up in Customs which I knew was a lie.)

I tried to cancel the order. Many times. I used Ali's "chat" (repeatedly). Linked the order. Linked the message from the vendor. Never heard anything back.

Couple weeks later I noticed that the refund hadn't been processed. Went to Ali only to find they'd marked the order as "delivered" and because it was past the 15 day limit, I couldn't open a dispute !!! 

It's not always like that though.

At the same time I ordered the (2nd) set of poles, I also ordered a tent. After 6 weeks of nothing happening, suddenly it started to move and it arrived 2 weeks later. Maybe the poles (I no longer need) will eventually show up as well.

Lazada is much better if you can find the item you are looking for.

Note that many vendors on Lazada have zero stock of the items they list in their store. You order from them, they order from Ali (normally) and have them ship it to you. However, a "Lazada vendor" seems to get a higher priority on orders on Ali than "Joe Blow from Isaan" does.

Tip. If you find something on Ali, copy part of the item description and then search for it on Lazada. Many of the vendors (on Lazada) simply copy/paste the information directly from Ali (pictures and all). 
(Which is also why you see the exact same listings for an item over and over again, exact in every detail except for the price and name of the "shop" selling the item. I'm certain that a lot of "shops" are set up by one person who lists the same things with slightly different prices so that no matter which one you pick, he makes the sale.)

 

When you write this happens then I guess it happens. But at least for me with hundred + orders it never happened. So it is definitely not something that happens often.

[Woof999]

On 3/19/2022 at 2:02 AM, asiacurious said:

Dirty little secret about some sellers on Lazada (and I presume, Shopee).....

 

Some vendors on Lazada appear to sell products THEY order from Ali Express... after you place your order with them (the Lazada seller).  I bought something on Lazada from the only "local" shop that was selling it.  Price was 2X the price of Ali Express shops but I didn't want to wait 2-3 weeks for delivery.  The Lazada shop said they had it "in stock" with delivery in 2-3 days.  A few minutes after ordering, the order was marked as packed and ready to ship.  Can only cancel if shop agrees at that point.

 

Several days passed and it didn't ship.  Via chat they said they were hoping to ship out by the end of the week.  I pressed them another few days later that and they said they were waiting for shipment from their supplier in China.

 

It's pretty clear the game they were playing.

 

Yes very annoying. Happened to me a few times and Lazada will do little if anything about it.

[Tarteso]

This is what I read today waiting for a item from Ali express..

 

 

[Ralf001]

Purchased some 3D printer spares and consumable 3 weeks ago.

 

It arrived today.

 

no issues.

 

Paid with Thai credit card.

 

I buy often from aliexpress.

[Rimmer]

A troll post and a reply have been removed