I will never use AliExpress again

[schmitt trigger]

Paul;
Now that you have solved the issue, do you think that you would take your chances to re-order the same item from AliE?

[tecman]

That's a big NO.  Since I thought the load was a loss, I picked up an Itech 8500plus electronic load.  Suffices my needs.  maybe not as cool as the Miniware unit, but ultimately more useful.  As for Ali, I will look on eBay or Bang Good as a first choice.  If Ali is the only reasonable choice, and the cost is low enough to survive a loss I may give Ali another chance.  Time will tell

paul

[dorkshoei]

I purchased my ITech 8211 from AliE.   Perfectly fine transaction.

I've probably filed 30+ disputes over several hundred transactions. Not lost one yet (100% refund record) including a couple i thought I'd only get a partial.

A hour spent researching how to determine good sellers and how to navigate their odd dispute process will pay dividends when buying on AliE.  Else stick to eBay or Amazon

[ralphrmartin]

I have mixed experience with Ali - some low cost items (<10$) never arrived and I was never refunded. Once I bought a ceiling lamp which came broken.
I complained and sent the pictures of the package, which was OK, and the item itself. It was obvious item was packed broken.
They simply decided that 50% refund should do and closed the case. Now I am short of 65$ and have a lamp which I can throw into garbage, what I did.

I've argued with Aliexpress when a similar thing happened to me, saying their response was completely unacceptable and asking for a supervisor / manager to review my claim and evidence,. I then got 100% refund.

[shapirus]

Glad to hear it finally resolved in your favor.

While Ali has some great deals, they are sometimes at great risk.

It's not precisely about "great risk". In a sense, yes, but it's really more about understanding the pecularities of how it operates and what to do when things go wrong. It needs attention to a lot of details, including the seller's reputation, reviews, how credible the product description and price are (do other sellers sell the same thing? check them too) and much more. It requires experience.
It's somewhat similar to buying on the black market. You can't just assume that everything will automatically be fine.

Once that's in place, shopping on Ali becomes, generally, a good experience. Disputes are usually solved correctly and, often, quickly (again, once you grasp how they work, how to properly specify the reason etc. etc.)

That still leaves room for bad experience, of course. In my personal case, however, and I make dozens of orders per year, I'd say that success rate was probably on the order of 98% in the last few years.

[GigaJoe]

"
I've argued with Aliexpress when a similar thing happened to me, saying their response was completely unacceptable and asking for a supervisor / manager to review my claim and evidence,. I then got 100% refund.
"


Wonder how .....
There is no way to pass a chat robot, as well no phone #

[dorkshoei]

Wonder how .....
There is no way to pass a chat robot, as well no phone #

The reference was likely about arguing with AliE within their return/dispute system.  You don't need to accept an AliE resolution, just reject and you'll go another round with them.

To bypass the chatbot type "I do not understand the Ali agent". It'll get you to an human agent who is unfortunately likely to be utterly useless and you'll understand why the idea of phone conversation is comical.

[ralphrmartin]

Wonder how .....
There is no way to pass a chat robot, as well no phone #

The reference was likely about arguing with AliE within their return/dispute system.  You don't need to accept an AliE resolution, just reject and you'll go another round with them.

Indeed, I did not accept their resolution.

[GigaJoe]

did try just now for pass the robot ... no way ...   2-3 years back someone responding ; now impossible

and for a case - "insufficient evidence" - and you boot out. appeal usually same result.

what would i say for delivery - it has many ways, including "seller method"
apple express, cainao  something else -  for urban delivery they do not use average parcel service, using owns delivery net , similar to amazon.
and "delivery attempt fail" usually driver agent simply screw up to find an address.


ahh ...  you open chat bot window for a long time, 10-15 min,  and typing gibberish ,  then small icon appears below defining chat agent and you have to click ...

[dorkshoei]

did try just now for pass the robot ... no way ...   2-3 years back someone responding ; now impossible

The method I outlined previously works for me.  I tried it last night before I suggested it and again just now. AliE app and desktop browser (Firefox).

[TomWinTejas]

My issue was moreso with the USPS, which was infuriating.  I had a shipment from AliExpress that was marked as delivered by USPS and I contacted USPS to tell them that I had not received the package and had video footage of the entire day proving that they did not deliver the package.  A week later a postal investigator got back to me to let me know that the mailman delivered it to the wrong address and would try to get it back and redeliver.  Another week passes and I had enquire about the status and was told that the package was delivered to a house nearby on the day the people were moving, and the family moving dropped the package off at another post office and now the package is missing.  USPS says sorry, contact the shipper for a refund.  AliExpress says sorry, contact USPS, we delivered it to them and it's not our fault.

It's months later and no resolution.  USPS basically admits they messed the whole thing up, but accepts no responsibility since there was no insurance.  AliExpress says they fulfilled their responsibility and it's all on USPS.

[shapirus]

AliExpress says they fulfilled their responsibility and it's all on USPS.

Interestingly, aliexpress advertises "full refund if not received", which is obviously a false statement. If they claim that, then they must cover everything, including last mile.

[dorkshoei]

It's months later and no resolution.  USPS basically admits they messed the whole thing up, but accepts no responsibility since there was no insurance.  AliExpress says they fulfilled their responsibility and it's all on USPS.

@TomWinTejas

Unfortunate story.   Can you provide more details as I'm curious.

As I mentioned early on I'd been told by AliE to obtain "lost mail" documentation from USPS.   USPS told me they could not provide it since they'd never been in possession of the item (true,  it was lost by shipping partner) but this implied it was technically something they could provide.

In your case did you attempt to obtain documentation to forward to AliE?      Looking at the Missing Mail page on the USPS site it says "A search will continue to run for matches in the Missing Mail system until it expires. If a search request is unable to connect to any matches and eventually expires, then you will receive an email notification indicating that your item was unable to be found. Unsuccessful searches status will change to Expired".     

This doesn't however sound like some formal "lost mail" letter.

[TomWinTejas]

It's months later and no resolution.  USPS basically admits they messed the whole thing up, but accepts no responsibility since there was no insurance.  AliExpress says they fulfilled their responsibility and it's all on USPS.

@TomWinTejas

Unfortunate story.   Can you provide more details as I'm curious.

As I mentioned early on I'd been told by AliE to obtain "lost mail" documentation from USPS.   USPS told me they could not provide it since they'd never been in possession of the item (true,  it was lost by shipping partner) but this implied it was technically something they could provide.

In your case did you attempt to obtain documentation to forward to AliE?      Looking at the Missing Mail page on the USPS site it says "A search will continue to run for matches in the Missing Mail system until it expires. If a search request is unable to connect to any matches and eventually expires, then you will receive an email notification indicating that your item was unable to be found. Unsuccessful searches status will change to Expired".     

This doesn't however sound like some formal "lost mail" letter.

I had e-mail correspondence with the USPS postal investigator which I forwarded to AliExpress and it didn't make any difference.  AliExpress said that USPS was in possession of the package and it was out of their hands, that I needed to get a resolution from USPS.  I can understand their argument, the tracking info shows that the AliExpress vendor shipped the product and USPS took possession, so why should they be liable? 

I just chalked it up to a learning experience.... I am fine ordering $5-10 small parts from AliExpress and have USPS handle the shipping.  But I recently ordered a soldering station and would only use DHL for shipping.   

[KungFuJosh]

only use DHL for shipping.

I'm generally happier when DHL is used shipping stuff from China. DHL express is FAST.

[PlainName]

the tracking info shows that the AliExpress vendor shipped the product and USPS took possession, so why should they be liable?

Aliexpress are liable because they failed to ship successfully. The choice of shipper was theirs; they are the shipper's customer, and they are the only ones that can deal with their shipper not providing the service they expected. As much as you might like to be, you are not the customer of USPS, merely the destination for Aliexpress's delivery.

Having said that, it's probable that Aliexpress did not in fact know or decide that USPS would do the final mile - it is often the case that a sender's local shipper will get the package to another country, and then the default shipper for that country will take it over. USPS is presumably the default for the US. However, it's still Aliexpress's problem because they chose to ship that way, and until it gets to you it is still notionally in their hands. They should hassle the shipper they had the contract with, who should then hassle USPS.

But good luck trying to get them to take responsibility - it is easy to shrug and move on when a problem is in another country and the person inconvenienced is without any means of hassling you.