You’re looking at a product on AliExpress. Maybe it’s a phone case for $2, or a dress for $15, or electronics at half the price you’d pay locally. And you’re thinking: this feels too cheap. Is this real? Will my package actually arrive? Am I about to get scammed?
Fair questions. AliExpress has been around since 2010, ships to over 200 countries, and processes millions of orders daily. But that doesn’t automatically mean your specific purchase will go smoothly. The platform is legitimate. Some sellers aren’t. Some products are great. Others are garbage. The shipping works, until it doesn’t.
So let’s talk about what AliExpress actually is, how it works, what can go wrong, and how to use it without losing money or sanity.
TL;DR
AliExpress is a legitimate marketplace owned by Alibaba Group (one of the world’s largest companies). It connects you directly to manufacturers and sellers in China, cutting out middlemen. The platform itself isn’t a scam, but individual sellers can be unreliable. You’re protected by buyer protection policies, dispute systems, and refund guarantees, but only if you understand how to use them. The real question isn’t “Is AliExpress legit?” but “Is this specific seller and product worth the risk?”
What AliExpress Actually Is (And Why It Exists)
AliExpress is owned by Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce giant that also runs Alibaba.com and Taobao. It launched in 2010 specifically to let Chinese manufacturers sell directly to international customers without needing warehouses or stores in other countries.
Here’s the business model: factories and suppliers in China (and increasingly other countries) list products on AliExpress. You buy directly from them. AliExpress takes a commission on each sale and provides the payment infrastructure, dispute resolution, and buyer protection. The seller ships from China (or wherever they’re based) directly to you.
This is why prices are so low. You’re buying at near-wholesale prices because there’s no retailer markup, no brand tax, no local distribution costs. You’re also waiting longer for shipping, dealing with potential quality issues, and taking on more risk than buying from Amazon or a local store.
The platform makes money by facilitating transactions, not by scamming you. Alibaba is a publicly traded company worth hundreds of billions. They don’t need to steal your $20. Their incentive is to keep you shopping so they keep collecting commissions.
That said, AliExpress doesn’t own or verify the products. They don’t inspect shipments. They don’t guarantee quality. They provide the infrastructure. You’re still dealing with individual sellers who vary wildly in reliability.
The Real Risks (And They’re Not What You Think)
People worry about the wrong things with AliExpress. The platform isn’t going to steal your credit card. Your package will probably arrive. But here’s what actually goes wrong:
1. Quality is unpredictable. Photos can be misleading. Product descriptions can be exaggerated. What looks like leather might be plastic. What looks like a brand-name item might be a knockoff. Reviews help, but they’re not always reliable either.
2. Shipping takes forever. Standard shipping from China to most countries takes 15 to 45 days. Sometimes longer. Sometimes it gets stuck in customs. Sometimes tracking stops updating and you just have to wait. If you need something quickly, AliExpress is the wrong choice.
3. Some sellers are dishonest. Most aren’t. But some will send the wrong item, ship something broken, or just never ship at all and hope you forget to open a dispute. This is where buyer protection matters.
4. Returns are a nightmare. If you want to return something, you often have to ship it back to China at your own cost, which can cost more than the item. Sellers know this. Some will offer partial refunds instead. Some will argue endlessly. Some will just ignore you.
5. Customs fees can surprise you. Depending on your country and the item value, you might owe import duties or taxes when the package arrives. AliExpress doesn’t always warn you about this upfront.
The scam risk is low. The hassle risk is high.
How Buyer Protection Actually Works
This is the part most people don’t understand, and it’s the most important.
When you place an order, your money doesn’t go to the seller immediately. AliExpress holds it. The seller only gets paid after you confirm you received the item, or after a certain number of days pass without you opening a dispute.
This is called buyer protection, and it typically lasts 60 to 90 days depending on the shipping method. During this window, you can open a dispute if:
- The item never arrives
- The item is damaged or broken
- The item doesn’t match the description
- The quality is unacceptable
When you open a dispute, you upload evidence (photos, screenshots, tracking info). The seller responds. If you can’t agree, AliExpress steps in and makes a decision. If they side with you, you get a full or partial refund.
Here’s the catch: if you don’t open a dispute before buyer protection expires, you lose the right to a refund. The money gets released to the seller automatically. A lot of people miss this deadline and then complain they got scammed. They didn’t get scammed. They just didn’t use the protection system.
You have to be proactive. Track your orders. Check delivery dates. Open disputes early if something’s wrong. Don’t wait.
How to Actually Evaluate Sellers and Products
Not all AliExpress sellers are equal. Here’s how to spot the reliable ones:
Seller ratings matter. Look for sellers with 95% positive feedback or higher. Check how many transactions they’ve completed. A seller with 500,000 orders and 98% positive rating is safer than one with 50 orders and 92%.
Read the negative reviews. Don’t just look at star ratings. Read what people actually complain about. Are they complaining about shipping time (expected) or fake products (red flag)? Are complaints recent or from years ago?
Check the product photos in reviews. User-uploaded photos show you what actually arrives. Compare them to the listing photos. If they don’t match, that’s a problem.
Look at the return rate. Some sellers show a “dispute rate” or “return rate” on their profile. If it’s high, avoid them.
Start small. If you’re trying a new seller, buy something cheap first. If it goes well, buy more. Don’t drop $200 on your first order from an unproven seller.
Use the “Choice” program. AliExpress has a program called “AliExpress Choice” where they verify certain sellers and products for faster shipping and better reliability. It’s not perfect, but it’s a useful filter.
Country-Specific Realities
Where you live affects how well AliExpress works for you.
United States: Shipping is relatively fast (2 to 4 weeks for standard, 1 to 2 weeks for expedited). Customs fees are rare for low-value items. Delivery success rate is high. Main issue is shipping time.
United Kingdom: Similar to the US. Customs fees apply on items over £135. Tracking is reliable. Delivery works.
Brazil: Shipping can take 30 to 60 days. Customs is strict. Import taxes apply. Packages sometimes get held up. You need patience.
Nigeria: Shipping is slow (30 to 60 days). Customs can be unpredictable. Import duties may apply. Tracking often stops updating once it enters the country. Delivery success rate is lower than Western countries, but still workable if you’re patient.
Spain, France, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Korea: Generally reliable. Shipping times vary (2 to 6 weeks). Customs rules differ by country. Check your local import limits.
Point is: AliExpress works globally, but the experience isn’t uniform. Know your country’s logistics reality before expecting Amazon-level service.
When AliExpress Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)
Use AliExpress for:
- Cheap accessories (phone cases, cables, small electronics)
- Things you don’t need urgently
- Items where quality variation is acceptable (craft supplies, decor, tools)
- Testing products before buying expensive versions locally
- Hard-to-find niche items
Don’t use AliExpress for:
- Time-sensitive purchases
- High-value electronics where quality matters (laptops, cameras)
- Safety-critical items (car parts, baby products, medical devices)
- Branded goods (high counterfeit risk)
- Anything you might need to return
What to Do When Things Go Wrong
If your package doesn’t arrive: Wait until tracking shows “delivered” or until buyer protection is about to expire. Then open a dispute. Upload tracking screenshots. Request a full refund. AliExpress almost always sides with you if tracking shows no delivery.
If the item is broken or wrong: Take photos immediately. Open a dispute. Explain clearly what’s wrong. Upload evidence. Sellers often offer partial refunds (keep the item, get some money back) because return shipping is expensive. Decide if that’s acceptable.
If the seller is unresponsive: AliExpress steps in automatically after a few days if the seller doesn’t respond to your dispute. They’ll make a decision based on your evidence.
If you miss the buyer protection window: You’re out of luck. AliExpress won’t help. This is why tracking your orders matters.
Takeaway
AliExpress is legitimate in the sense that it’s a real platform, owned by a real company, with real buyer protections. You’re not going to lose your money to some faceless scam website.
But “legitimate” doesn’t mean “risk-free.” You’re buying from individual sellers who range from excellent to terrible. You’re waiting weeks for shipping. You’re gambling on quality. You’re taking on more responsibility than you would shopping on Amazon or in a store.
The platform works if you understand what you’re getting into. Use buyer protection. Read reviews. Start small. Don’t expect miracles. Treat it like a tool, not a magic solution for cheap stuff.
It’s not a scam. It’s just a different model with different tradeoffs. Know them, and you’ll be fine.