AliExpress is a global marketplace offering items from every retail category from sellers from around the world. It is known for low prices and a huge choice of items.
Sometimes shoppers can be wary of ordering from AliExpress so we put together this guide to help you find the best deals at AliExpress and shop safely.
Before you shop: Check out Aliexpress' weekly deals!
Pretty much anything! AliExpress hosts items ranging from fashion to electronics, homewares, sports and fitness equipment, jewellery and beauty products.
AliExpress
AliExpress
AliExpress
Yes, AliExpress does deliver to the UK. Delivery costs and times will vary depending on the seller. Many items offer free shipping via standard delivery, although wait time can be between 20 and 40 days.
Payment methods at AliExpress usually depend on the seller of the item you’re trying to purchase. Some sellers do accept PayPal as a payment method, although AliExpress can charge a fee of US$0.83 for doing so.
Where AliExpress doesn’t accept PayPal, you can pay with the below methods instead:
AliExpress is an online retail service based in China, owned by the Alibaba Group. Launched in 2010, it is made up of small businesses in China and other locations, such as Singapore, that offer products to international online buyers. Lots of items hosted on AliExpress are stored at warehouses around the world and some items have the option to choose where the item is shipped from. This allows you to choose a country closer to your delivery address to speed up delivery.
Visit the AliExpress website and go to the “my orders” section. Next, select the order you need and click the details link. The details of the order will be displayed on the opened page. You can then copy the tracking number provided in and track your parcel’s status and current location. Please allow a week from purchase for these details to be updated.
AliExpress’s standard currency is US dollars, which means you’ll have to take currency fluctuations into account when comparing prices. While you can pay in US dollars or pounds, paying in pounds means AliExpress is doing the conversion. If you choose to pay in US dollars then the conversion will be up to your bank. You might want to take these sums into account if you’re buying expensive items.
Just like sellers on Amazon and eBay, many sellers set their own returns policies, so you will need to contact the sellers directly if you have any issues. Sellers on AliExpress are running their own companies and many consider customer satisfaction as a key part of their business. These sellers can offer generous returns and refund policies. The returns policy for a particular seller on AliExpress will be shown on the product page. It is also worth noting that if you do decide to return an item, if you are responsible for the return postage cost you can often be out more money than the refunded item is worth.
If you can’t reach an agreement with a seller regarding a refund or return, AliExpress can intervene and review the evidence provided.
As with any online marketplace, there are always going to be unscrupulous sellers who are out to make a quick buck. But there are genuine business people operating on AliExpress too and some of the deals available are really too good to miss!
As with any marketplace, we recommend that you take the proper precautions when shopping on AliExpress. Here are some top tips for safe shopping:
Finder’s shopping expert Georgia-Rose Johnson answers
AliExpress has a pretty great review system. Popular items often have thousands of reviews that include the customer’s home country, colour ordered, shipping option chosen and overall star rating. Lots of the reviews include the customer’s own photos of the item so you can see if it matches up with what the advertised product looks like. In general I’d recommend only purchasing items that have an overall rating of 4 stars or more and ideally more than 100 reviews. Also make sure you do a scan of the reviews themselves and look out for important words like “value for money”, “arrived quickly” and “I would recommend”.
AliExpress has lots of incredibly low prices on items across all categories. But are these prices too good to be true? Maybe, but also maybe not! I recommend searching for the product you’re thinking about ordering on a search engine like Google and also on some other marketplaces like Amazon and eBay then comparing prices. If you’re seeing a vacuum cleaner for £20 on AliExpress and the exact same one is on Amazon for £250, that’s a red flag. But if the same vacuum is on Amazon for £40 or even £50, you’ve probably scored a great deal!
Make sure you know what you’re ordering. Some of the items on AliExpress have long and slightly rambling product descriptions, but they’re still worth reading through to check the product is what you think it is. Remember also to check the shipping price, approximate shipping time and the seller’s returns policy before you click buy.
This is very dependent on the seller and the item you’re purchasing. AliExpress is known for its super low prices so you probably shouldn’t expect super high quality in return! Be sure to check product reviews for the specific item that you’re ordering to see what other customers thought about the quality.
Yes! Thousands of items at AliExpress are offered with free shipping. It won’t be fast though, with some items taking up to 40 days to arrive.
You can delete your AliExpress account by following the below steps:
More often than not, AliExpress has lots of discount codes available and huge sales and discounts across different departments. Sometimes the codes are for as little as $1 or $2 off the order value, but when we’re talking about super low AliExpress prices that’s still worth applying!
Yes! AliExpress is global and you can shop from anywhere.
In general, yes. We recommend only buying products with good reviews (and lots of them) just to lower the risk of receiving a product that is drastically different to what you wanted.
It is possible, but unlikely, to get scammed on AliExpress. If you are at all unsure abouy a product than it’d probably best to not buy it. Before you buy anything be sure to check both the product and seller reviews and ask yourself if the price you’re paying matches the expectations you have for the item.
The simple answer to this is: Volume! AliExpress hosts sellers based all over the world, the majority of whom are located in China. Manufacturing costs in China are much lower than in the UK and sellers are able to benefit from bulk wholesale pricing which they then pass along to buyers on the AliExpress platform.
Before you shop: Check out Aliexpress' weekly deals!
Up to £3 discount for new customers
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