It's difficult to just ignore the low pricing of goods available on AliExpress, particularly electronics. In fact, there are lots of products that are only available from that marketplace.
You're taking your chances buying there, though. If everything works, it's great and you save a lot of money. If it doesn't, you're on your own.
AliExpress support is non-existent, and if you run into a scam vendor, you won't get any help.
I had one mediocre experience there a while ago with a cell phone, but since it basically worked and did what I wanted, I let it go.
Since then, I've had nothing but good experiences, mainly with ham radio gear, until recently. I wanted to upgrade my smartwatch to something with more storage space. Prices were incredible, almost too good to be true. And they were (too good to be true, that is).
I paid for and was supposed to get a watch with a large battery and 128GB storage - I actually received a watch with a small battery, 16GB storage, and software on the watch that was hacked to show the larger amounts. It's the latter that proves the vendor was a scammer, and that this was not just a mistake.
AliExpress said I had not provided enough proof of the issue, even though I sent in photos of hardware check apps (downloaded from the Play Store) that clearly showed the correct amount of storage, which was not as advertised.
I'm currently dealing with Paypal, but if necessary, I'll do a credit chargeback on my card.
I present this experience here in the hopes that if you're tempted to purchase from that site, proceed carefully. If the vendor is legitimate, it's all good. But if they aren't, you'll be out of luck and you'll have to take the steps I'm taking to get your money back.
For myself, I'm not going to deal with them again. The money saved isn't worth the hassle. I'd rather pay more on e-bay and know that I'm fully protected. If you purchase something on e-bay that isn't as advertised, the vendor is forced to take back the item (paying return shipping in the process) and issue a full refund. That's the main reason prices are higher there for the same goods. Makes you think, eh?
In the end, however, I think I'm going to cut back on online purchases substantially, and carefully consider the age old question - do I need this item, or do I just want it?
@artisan-radio Thanks for posting this caution about AliExpress. Although I was unfamiliar with the site it might be only a matter of time until someone tips me off about 'buying opportunities' and I'd stick to the glue-paper and have a paddle with no creek. I tend to order small batches of stuff from Amazon and have had good luck.
AliExpress is basically a Chinese marketplace. Prices are less, and you can purchase items internationally that you can't get in your local market.
However, there's a reason why Amazon & even e-bay prices are higher. You have to take into consideration service - the ability to return your item if it's defective, or, in the case of Amazon, for other reasons as well.
This time I was really burned with a blatant fake. Luckily I paid by Paypal and ultimately a credit card, so I have multiple options to get my money back.
But no more for me. It's not worth the time spent after the fact.
Turns out that I spoke too soon.
Immediately after contacting Paypal, AliPay (where my payment went to from Paypal) said that I could return the watch, but to China (not to Toronto, where they're located) and at my expense. Paypal took the path of least resistance, and accepted it on my behalf. I had no recourse.
I certainly wasn't going to throw any more good money after bad. There would be no guarantee that AliPay would issue a refund, even if I did spend half or more of the original transaction to send the watch back to China with tracking. I'd end up with half my money back, no watch, and the vendor wouldn't lose anything (as they could resell the watch to another unsuspecting chump).
My only recourse now is to do a credit chargeback. But the companies make it extremely difficult to do so, and it apparently takes months. I may decide to do it, or not - I could just cut my losses, as it's just a waste of time for what I'm going to get back. The only thing holding me back is that's what these companies rely on.
The best choice in the future is to choose very carefully where I (and you) purchase. Even if it's a few dollars more, it's worth it overall to get something from a company that allows you to return fraudulent (or defective) merchandise at no expense. E-bay is probably the best; there's a reason that the same goods are more (and sometimes much more) expensive there, as companies have to deal with returns (whereas they can just blow you off elsewhere). Amazon is another. Or, if you're lucky enough, a local brick and mortar store that you trust.
One final piece of advice. Check feedback for all vendors, if it exists, very carefully, particularly the negatives. If I had done more than a cursory check, I would have discovered that my situation wasn't unique with this vendor - there were a handful of negative feedback posts from people who had also received fake watches. And probably a lot more than that had them, as there's a 30 day window for feedback with AliExpress, and most people wouldn't fill up the 16GB of real storage in that time, and/or know how to even check to see if they really had what they paid for.
It says a lot about AliExpress that they allow this vendor to continue to sell on their marketplace. The market promises total customer satisfaction, which is similar to vendor promises. And in fact, most of my purchases there have been just fine. But you're on your own if they're not.