Terms of Use

1. Definitions

In these Terms, the following definitions apply:

• “Site” means the website affordablething.com and all its pages, subdomains, and associated content.
• “AffordableThing”, “we”, “us”, or “our” means the operator of the Site.
• “User”, “you”, or “your” means any person who accesses or uses the Site.
• “Content” means all text, articles, guides, images, graphics, data, and other materials published on or accessible through the Site.
• “Affiliate Links” means hyperlinks on the Site that, when clicked, may result in AffordableThing receiving a commission from a third-party retailer or marketplace.
• “Third-Party Sites” means websites, platforms, and services operated by parties other than AffordableThing, including AliExpress.

2. Acceptance of terms and eligibility

By accessing any part of the Site, you represent and warrant that:

• You are at least 13 years of age, or the minimum age required by applicable law in your jurisdiction to access digital content, whichever is higher.
• You have the legal capacity and authority to enter into a binding agreement.
• Your access and use of the Site complies with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.
• You will use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

If you are accessing the Site on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

Users under 13 years of age (or the applicable minimum age in their jurisdiction) are not permitted to use the Site. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a minor has used the Site in violation of this provision, please contact us.

3. Permitted use and prohibited conduct

3.1 Permitted use

You may access and use the Site for your own personal, non-commercial purposes to read, research, and reference our published content. Subject to Section 4 (Intellectual Property), you may:

• Browse and read the Site’s content for personal informational purposes
• Share links to specific pages on the Site via social media, email, or other communication channels
• Quote brief excerpts from our content for purposes of commentary, review, criticism, or journalism, provided attribution to AffordableThing and a link to the original source are included
• Print or save individual pages for personal, non-commercial reference

3.2 Prohibited conduct

You must not use the Site in any way that:

• Violates any applicable local, national, or international law or regulation
• Is fraudulent, deceptive, or harmful to AffordableThing, its users, or any third party
• Involves systematic copying, reproduction, republication, downloading, or distribution of substantial portions of our Content without our prior written permission, including by automated means
• Involves scraping, data mining, or extracting our Content using bots, spiders, crawlers, or similar automated tools beyond what standard search engine indexing permits
• Attempts to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Site, its underlying systems, databases, or server infrastructure
• Introduces viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs, or other malicious or technologically harmful material
• Attacks the Site via a denial-of-service attack, distributed denial-of-service attack, or any other attack that impairs availability or performance
• Uses our Content, brand name, logo, or domain in any way that falsely implies affiliation with, endorsement by, or authorisation from AffordableThing
• Frames or mirrors the Site or any part of it on another website without our prior written consent
• Uses our Content for AI training, machine learning datasets, or large language model training without our express written permission
• Transmits any unsolicited commercial communications (spam) through or in connection with the Site
• Engages in commercial exploitation of our Content, including creating derivative products for commercial sale, without our prior written permission

4. Intellectual property rights

4.1 Our intellectual property

All original Content on the Site, including articles, guides, text, graphics, logos, page layouts, and databases, is the intellectual property of AffordableThing or its respective authors, unless otherwise indicated. All rights are reserved. This Content is protected by copyright law, trade mark law, and other applicable intellectual property legislation in the UK, US, EU, Australia, Canada, and internationally.

The “AffordableThing” name and any associated logos or trade marks are the property of AffordableThing. You may not use our trade marks in any way that suggests official status, partnership, or endorsement without our express prior written consent.

4.2 Licence to use

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Site and its Content for your own personal, non-commercial informational purposes. This licence does not include:

• The right to resell or commercially exploit any Content
• The right to create derivative works based on our Content without permission
• The right to reproduce Content in bulk or systematically
• Any rights in our trade marks or logos

4.3 Reporting copyright infringement

If you believe that any Content on the Site infringes your intellectual property rights, please contact us via our Contact page with details of the alleged infringement. We take intellectual property claims seriously and will investigate and respond promptly.

For licensing enquiries or requests to republish our Content, contact us via our Contact page.

5. User-submitted content

If you submit content to us via our contact form, email, or any other communication channel (such as suggestions, corrections, feedback, or questions), you:

• Grant AffordableThing a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, reproduce, and display that content in connection with operating and improving the Site
• Represent that you own or have the right to submit that content and that it does not infringe any third party’s rights
• Confirm that the content is not defamatory, fraudulent, threatening, or otherwise unlawful

We do not publish user-submitted content without permission. Contact form submissions are used only to respond to your enquiry and to improve our guides, not for publication.

6. Content accuracy, completeness, and currency

We make reasonable efforts to ensure the Content on the Site is accurate at the time of publication. However, we provide no warranty or guarantee that our Content is:

• Accurate, complete, or up to date at the time you read it
• Free from errors, omissions, or typographical mistakes
• Suitable for your specific circumstances, country, or use case
• Reflective of the most current AliExpress policies, pricing, or platform features
• Reflective of the most current tax, customs, or import regulations in your country

All Content should be treated as general information only. For decisions with significant financial, legal, or regulatory implications, always verify the relevant information from official sources and seek professional advice where appropriate. For our detailed content disclaimer, see our Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure.

7. Affiliate links and commercial relationships

The Site contains affiliate links. When you click these links and make qualifying purchases, we may earn a commission from the retailer at no cost to you. All affiliate links are disclosed in accordance with applicable advertising regulations.

We also display advertisements via Google AdSense. Neither our affiliate relationships nor our advertising arrangements influence our editorial content. For full details, see our Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure.

You acknowledge that we are not responsible for the content, terms, pricing, fulfilment, or any other aspect of transactions you enter into with AliExpress or any other third-party retailer. These transactions are governed entirely by the retailer’s own terms and conditions.

8. Third-party websites and content

The Site contains links to Third-Party Sites. These links are provided for your convenience and to help you access resources and information relevant to the content of our guides. We do not control any Third-Party Site and are not responsible for:

• The availability, accuracy, or content of any Third-Party Site
• The privacy practices of any Third-Party Site
• Any transactions you conduct on any Third-Party Site
• Any products or services offered by any Third-Party Site

The inclusion of a link to a Third-Party Site does not imply our endorsement of that site, its operator, or its content. When you leave our Site by following an external link, you do so at your own risk, and you should review the applicable terms of use and privacy policy of that site.

We are not responsible for Third-Party Content embedded on our Site, including Google AdSense advertisements, social sharing buttons, and embedded tracking scripts from Microsoft Clarity or Google Analytics. Each of these third parties is responsible for their own content and behaviour.

9. Disclaimer of warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Site and all Content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement
• Warranties that the Site will be available, uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components
• Warranties that the Content is accurate, complete, current, or reliable
• Warranties regarding the results that may be obtained from following advice on the Site

We do not warrant that defects in the Site will be corrected, that the Site or its server is free of viruses or other harmful components, or that the Site will meet your specific requirements.

This disclaimer does not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable law. Certain jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, in which case the above exclusions may not apply to you to the full extent stated.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, AffordableThing and its owners, authors, contributors, affiliates, and licensors shall not be liable for any:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenues, data, goodwill, or business opportunities
• Financial loss arising from purchases made on AliExpress or any other platform
• Losses arising from reliance on information on the Site that was inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date
• Losses arising from your inability to access the Site or any part of it
• Losses arising from third-party actions in connection with your use of the Site

In all cases, our aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from these Terms or your use of the Site shall not exceed the greater of £50 (or the equivalent in your local currency) or the amount you have paid to AffordableThing in the preceding 12 months (which, given that the Site is free to use, is likely to be zero).

This limitation of liability applies whether the claim is based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), statute, or any other legal or equitable theory, even if AffordableThing has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some jurisdictions do not permit limitations on liability for certain types of damages. In those jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any other matter that cannot be excluded by law.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless AffordableThing and its owners, authors, contributors, affiliates, licensors, and service providers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, losses, costs, expenses, and fees (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Your infringement of any third party’s intellectual property, privacy, or other rights
• Your use of the Site in any manner not authorised by these Terms
• Any content you submit to us that is fraudulent, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful

12. Governing law and dispute resolution

12.1 Governing law

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law. The primary jurisdiction is determined by your country of residence, subject to the mandatory consumer protection provisions in Section 13.

12.2 Informal resolution

Before initiating any formal legal proceedings, you agree to contact us via our Contact page to describe your complaint or dispute and give us a reasonable opportunity to resolve it informally. We will use reasonable efforts to address your concern within 30 days of receiving a detailed written description of the issue.

12.3 Formal dispute resolution

If informal resolution is unsuccessful, any dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the applicable jurisdiction, subject to the consumer rights preservation provisions in Section 13 and any mandatory arbitration requirements that may apply in your jurisdiction.

13. Consumer rights preservation

Nothing in these Terms is intended to or shall limit, exclude, or modify any statutory rights you have as a consumer under applicable mandatory consumer protection law. These Terms are subject to any consumer protection legislation that cannot be waived by contract.

14. Modifications to the Site and Terms

14.1 Changes to the Site

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Site or any part of it at any time and for any reason without prior notice or liability to you. We may update, change, or remove Content without notice. We may add new features, tools, or sections at any time.

14.2 Changes to these Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We may also, but are not obligated to, provide additional notice of significant changes through a notice on the Site’s homepage or within the Site.

Your continued access to or use of the Site after the effective date of any modification constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Site.

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically. We will maintain a note of the last update date at the top of this page.

15. Termination of access

We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to terminate or restrict your access to all or any part of the Site at any time and for any reason, including if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms, applicable law, or any third party’s rights.

We are not required to provide advance notice of termination, though we will do so where practicable. Upon termination, your licence to access and use the Site ceases immediately.

Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12) shall survive any termination or expiration of these Terms.

16. Severability and waiver

16.1 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable for any reason, that provision shall be deemed severable from the rest of the Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions, which shall continue in full force and effect.

16.2 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce that or any other provision in the future. No waiver of any breach shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by AffordableThing.

16.3 Entire agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure, constitute the entire agreement between you and AffordableThing in relation to your use of the Site. They supersede all prior agreements, representations, or understandings relating to the subject matter.

17. Contact

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to these Terms, contact us via our Contact page. Select “Something else” as the topic if none of the listed options fit your enquiry.

We aim to acknowledge all enquiries within 5 business days and to provide a substantive response within 30 calendar days.

For privacy or data-related enquiries, refer to our Privacy Policy for the appropriate contact process and your rights.