AliExpress

[sturdyd]

The mods can stick this where ever it belongs, but here's the question:

 

How the heck do I order something from AliExpress? I'm having a devil of a time. The AliExpress website is a morass, at least for me. I've tried two separate US issued credit cards, both refused. I see no way to transfer direct from my bank to AliExpress as I can do with Lazada or InvadeIT. I've got a debit card from my Thai bank, but they're directing me to something called Maestro -- what is that?

 

Anyway, the whole process is making me pretty antsy, so if anybody can clue me in, I'm receptive.

 

Oh, by the way, Kaspersky AV is telling me the authenticity of the domain is suspect. What's up with that?

 

Edited November 12, 2016 by sturdyd

[impulse]

I've been ordering a bunch of stuff from AliExpress for the past 6 months or so.  All smooth and all as advertised.

 

I use my Kasikorn Bank debit card in BKK.  I suspect they're reluctant to ship to Thailand for any purchases made with a US based credit card.  I would be, too.   Too easy to buy stolen card info and sell it into a country with weak enforcement.  

 

It's possible to get an AliPay account for Thailand, but it's not been possible to top it up here, so it's been pretty useless.  Strange that I've recently seen AliPay stickers in 7/11's so maybe they've got that figured out, too.  Once I figured out the K-Bank debit card worked, I haven't pursued AliPay any more.

 

For years, I had the same issues as the OP, but they seem to have straightened out the payment system and clamped down on vendors who won't honor their listed price, or sell from an empty wagon and start manufacturing after you order.  Over a dozen orders and around $2,000 worth of stuff later, I've been pleased with AliExpress.  Shipping and duties included, it beats Amazon or EBay on every item I've shopped on all 3.  Sadly, it doesn't have the same selection of western name brands, though

[The Dancer]

Just got some stuff through AliExpress. Like impulse I used my KBank CC. No hassle except the delivery took more than 2 weeks which got me antsy thinking why so long for a short flight. In any case, what arrived was exactly as ordered.

[uglybob]

I downloaded the app for AliExpress yesterday for the 11.11 sales. I brought 4 items from 4 different sellers. I paid for it with my bkkbank Visa debit card. It was a somewhat easy process but there was a delay in processing your order of 2 hours due to so many ppl using the app. 

 

Im using china mail registered air freight for mail service. No point paying extra and using DHL as they just pass your parcel off to another delivery service when it gets to bkk. 

 

I found that  using AliExpress is far easier for single items then alibaba. 

[Pib]

Assuming you are ordering from Thailand with a shipping address to Thailand it's not uncommon for AliExpress to reject a card from another country.  You can google it and see it happens a lot when people buy something in one country but use a card from another country to pay for it.  On the AIiExprss web site they talk a little bit about how this can happen due to their efforts to prevent fraudulent transactions...and how AliExpress has a process to validate "you" are really the owner/in procession of the card you are trying to use but they rejected. Basically you should get an email from them explaining the process.   

 

Happened to me on my first (and last) AliExpress order a couple of years ago.  Ordered a tablet battery, the order initially seemed to process fine, then 24  hours later it was cancelled due to them not accepting my U.S. credit card.  And the pending/temporary charge did hit my credit card account confirming my credit card did not reject the order and stayed there for a few days before falling off when AliExpress didn't follow through in fully processing the order.

 

AliExpress said I would need to provide a copy of some kind of ID, the front of the card, and the last card statement.  I did some more googling and found this had happened to numerous other folks.  I emailed them the requested info with key portions of the copies redacted/blacked out as requested.  About 24 hours later I got an email from AliExpress I could not use that card to make orders.  I replaced the order using the card and the order went fine...got the battery a few weeks later.  I haven't used AliExpress again simply because I only used them that one time because I simply could not fine this particular tablet battery on Ebay or locally here in Bangkok.   Ebay has a much better money back guarantee, easier, and faster refund process than AliExpress.

 

Below is a partial snapshot of an email I got from AliExpress regarding validation of my card for future orders.

 

Edited November 13, 2016 by Pib

[impulse]

27 minutes ago, Pib said:

Assuming you are ordering from Thailand with a shipping address to Thailand it's not uncommon for AliExpress to reject a card from another country.  You can google it and see it happens a lot when people buy something in one country but use a card from another country to pay for it.  On the AIiExprss web site they talk a little bit about how this can happen due to their efforts to prevent fraudulent transactions...

 

In fairness, I recall my frustration with a lot of EBay vendors who would only ship to my validated Paypal address.  I used to get sent out on months long assignments within the USA and often wanted to buy something and have it sent to my hotel or my office at the other location.  Rarely worked out, but that was up to individual vendors.  

 

On AliExpress, it seems to be centrally managed.  If it's like Lazada, AliExpress collects the payment and they only send it to the vendors after there's delivery confirmation.  That's a great protection against dodgy vendors.  Without that policy, I doubt AliExpress or Lazada would work at all.  I know it was a huge problem for EBay when they tried to enter China.

[Pib]

For me out of the hundreds of Ebay buys I done using my Bangkok soi address only around two would only ship to my registered address (a U.S. address).

And in many cases although some where in the ad they said they will only ship to your PayPal registered address during the payment process using PayPal the buy/payment continues fine even when using a different shipping address...and they ship the item without question. And that's because even though the ad had some only words talking shipment to your registered address only the seller didn't properly setup the ad payment settings to limited shipping/payment to registered address only.

[keeniau96]

My experience after many buys from aliexpress is the same as Impulse, above. Kbank "shopping card" works easy even with larger purchases (10k+ baht). I always look for the free shipping and make sure it is China Post air, so usually about 2-3 weeks to my house in Phuket. Singapore Post also OK. 00Definitely avoid DHL and similar couriers.

[Sure]

My experience - ordered on Saturday. Today got a message from the supplier saying they don't have the size I ordered, am I ok with the smaller size? I replied no, please cancel the order. She said ok. But now it's been shipped and I have to raise a dispute when it gets here. Won;t be using AliExpress again.

[uglybob]

Does china air act as a customs broker and freight forwarder like DHL? From what I have read about DHL is that they are very strict with import regulations and declare everything. My wife used DHL last week and the parcel arrived in BKK and it was passed off to another delivery firm. 

[impulse]

On 11/14/2016 at 1:31 PM, Sure said:

My experience - ordered on Saturday. Today got a message from the supplier saying they don't have the size I ordered, am I ok with the smaller size? I replied no, please cancel the order. She said ok. But now it's been shipped and I have to raise a dispute when it gets here. Won;t be using AliExpress again.

 

You may want to check to see if it's actually been shipped, or if the vendor gave you a bogus tracking number to stay out of trouble with AliExpress.  To stay in good graces, they have to ship within a deadline, and China Posts' tracking website explains that it's very common to get a tracking number long before the item is actually presented for shipping.  

 

I'd go to AliExpress and start the dispute right now.  You may get a pleasant surprise.

[Sure]

Thanks Impulse, I will try. I really don;t want to pay possible import duties and return shipping costs before getting a refund.

[Sure]

So I chatted with the Ali Express customer service and they said they will tell the vendor to refund me. If that happens then all good.

[sturdyd]

Follow up: Okay, done! I got my BKK debit card approved by laboriously slogging through a back and forth process of silly -- often confusing -- steps on phone, website, phone, website, rinse and repeat... you all know how it goes. In any case it seems that my order finally went through. We'll see. Thanks for the encouragement everybody. Like so much over here, if you beat your head on the wall long enough it may just give way.

[jadee]

I've been using Aliexpress for 3 years, I found that signing up with my Bangkok Bank debit card was easy, I don't understand what issues you had. Maybe they've changed the sign-up process since I joined but I remember it being easy to add a card. Who did you have to phone? 
The only issues I've had is that with free shipping, some orders take forever to arrive. And some things are cheap because they are low quality. 

[sturdyd]

Well, I spoke too soon. I had an email from AliExpress this morning ststing "We are sorry to inform you that we have to cancel your order for security reasons. To make sure your transaction is secure, please provide us with documentation by clicking My Appeal for further verification."

 

The appeal process requires me to send them a copy of, "Identity Card, Driver License, Social Security Card,Passport, etc." and "At least one set of payment card and the bank statement. Upload picture of card. Upload picture of statement."

 

Uh, no. Screw that. They have nothing I want that badly.

 

And Jaydee, here's the process I followed regarding BKK: Call the service registration number, enter my card number, enter my PIN, create a "Reference Code". Get online to complete the process. Do much silliness online ("Set a Personal Assurance Message"?), cutting and pasting not allowed so very carefully check and recheck information. Finally finish process! Successful? Let's try! Get on with AliExpress, reenter order information. Get SMS on phone from BKK for verification. Enter verification on AliExpress website.  Says order accepted!

 

Except, according to most recent email, it was not. So sometimes if you beat your head against the wall long enough, the wall stays intact, but your head explodes.

 

[Sure]

So 2 weeks after my order, the goods are marked as shipped but still in China. Have spoken to Ali express customer service 3 times, they're just all talk no action. I am now able to open the dispute but am told I may have to pay for return shipping (and import duty probably). What a joke of a service.