Has anyone shopped from AliExpress?

[user1482949820]

Hi everyone. I have just discovered that Ali Express is not just a wholesaler but a retailer too. There are a couple of dresses and tops that I like. But I've heard horror stories from cheap China-based online retailers, namely that what you get is far from what was shown in the picture. Has anyone shopped from this specific site? If so I'd love your feedback. Thank you.

It's hit or miss with the different items as they are all from different sellers. I have bought clothing for my dd's dolls from there which were fine, haven't bought any 'real' clothing though!

I've only ever used it for beads and jewellery findings. Never had a problem with them.

I bought imitation gymshark leggings. Approx £10 a pair. Everyone in my exercise class went and bought them then as they weee so impressed with mine. Still wearing them a year later. Look for ones with good reviews.

I've bought a few bits like screen savers and charging cables. Very cheap but very long delivery times so far. On the few things I've so far received, the quality seems good

I had issues with them. One item arrived, the second part of the order got lost. They promised me a 50% refund which I never received. Their customer service is poor.

Hit or miss, only order if an item has reviews with photos. In general, I would avoid clothing on there as it tends to be low quality or cut very small (both size and height-wise).

I’ve bought a few things including clothes. I had an idea about some of the clothes as I’d bought similar from markets in Asia. All have been fine.
I did once buy something that never turned up but got a refund no problem.
My only rule is don’t spend more than you can afford to lose - I imagine returns are difficult and refunds many not be as easy from all sellers!

I've bought all sorts of things - hair accessories, stationery, kitchen stuff, inexpensive jewellery, bags, scarves, mobile phone cases, a Bluetooth speaker and a dress. A couple of things did not arrive, I reported to the site and got a full refund. Really happy with 90% my purchases and they were all far less than they'd cost here, even with postage.

There's a lot of choice on the site, shop around, read reviews and keep an eye on the frequent discounts too. I wouldn't spend a lot on any item, buy anything important, or fitted clothes such as jeans, a suit or an evening dress!

Assume anything branded (from electronics to trainers) is likely to be fake.

As others have said, hit and miss. Some stuff is really good, some absolute rubbish. The sellers are usually happy to refund though if you're not satisfied.