AliExpress is an eCommerce marketplace that is a main competitor to Amazon and other popular eCommerce marketplaces.
It brings together businesses from throughout China as well as from Singapore and other countries.
You can find anything from games to jewelry on the site.
The marketplace usually offers cheap prices which might make some people wonder how legit the site actually is.
Buyer protection policies, a legitimate parent company, and seller metrics are some of the reasons why AliExpress is legit, but here are a few more reasons.
Is AliExpress Legit? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Consumer Reviews
One of the reasons AliExpress is legit is because it lets you leave and read consumer reviews.
It isn’t a marketplace that hides customer reviews.
This is important because it lets you read reviews about past experiences that customers have had with the sellers.
If a buyer feels like a seller did not communicate effectively or even sent them a counterfeit item, then they’ll probably mention it in a review.
Reading the reviews on a seller’s product helps you understand if you’re buying from someone who is credible or trying to sell fakes.
In most cases, if a seller is trying to sell counterfeit items, then you’re probably going to see a lot of reviews discussing the fake items that buyers received.
This can act as a red flag and help you avoid making the same mistake that other buyers did.
China has lax laws regarding intellectual property and copyrights.
Because of that, it’s common to find sellers who have fake items for sale that they claim are a specific name brand.
For example, you might find Nike shoes on the site for an extremely low price.
These are most likely counterfeit since Nike doesn’t sell on AliExpress.
The great thing about AliExpress is that it helps protect its customers by allowing them to leave reviews.
By reading the reviews, you can steer clear of possible problems.
If AliExpress wasn’t legit, then it would probably try to hide the problems that customers have with its sellers.
It wouldn’t make buyers aware that some of its sellers are scammers.
AliExpress is aware that some of its sellers are scammers.
To protect them, they allow customers to leave reviews that can warn other buyers from doing business with the seller.
AliExpress is legit because it allows legitimate consumer reviews.
2. You Can Wait To Pay
AliExpress is also legit because of its unique payment system.
Unlike in other marketplaces, you don’t immediately pay for the item that you buy.
Instead, you make a purchase and AliExpress will put the funds in escrow.
They remain there until you confirm with the site that you received your item.
It’s only after that confirmation that AliExpress releases the funds to the seller.
This makes the website legit for a few reasons.
The first is that it protects the buyer.
If you end up buying an item and discover that it’s fake, then you can report that to AliExpress and open a dispute.
You’ll receive a refund, and AliExpress becomes aware that the seller is trying to sell counterfeit items.
It also protects the buyer because it keeps sellers from receiving your money until you have received the item and are happy with it.
A seller is unable to pocket the money and run, for example.
They have to wait until you receive your item and ensure it is up to your standards.
They know that if you become aware that the item isn’t authentic or isn’t the item that you bought, then they’re not going to receive any money.
There’s less risk because you don’t have to worry about your money disappearing into the seller’s pocket right after making the purchase.
Finally, AliExpress also uses this method to help remove scammers from its site.
Scammers are less likely to use AliExpress because of the escrow system.
They know that it’s very unlikely that they’re going to end up getting the money since you’re going to discover the item that you bought was fake before they can run off with the funds.
Since it’s harder for them to scam people, fewer people try to scam on AliExpress.
There are certainly scammers on the site, but AliExpress makes it difficult for them to be successful.
AliExpress is legit because it doesn’t release the money to the sellers until you receive your item.
3. 15-Day Dispute Window
Another great thing about AliExpress which helps legitimize it is the fact that it has a 15-day dispute window.
Not every marketplace is willing to give you that much time.
Some might give you as much as a week after receiving your item to submit a claim.
AliExpress gives you half a month to decide whether to open a dispute or not.
This makes it more legitimate because it shows that it wants to help protect buyers.
Life can get busy, and you may not even open your package until a week after receiving it.
At other marketplaces, the window to file a dispute might have closed by then.
You end up stuck with an item that’s broken, fake, or isn’t what you ordered.
At AliExpress, you have a bit more time to get your life in order and then start the dispute process.
This shows that AliExpress is legit because it doesn’t have anything to hide.
If a marketplace wanted to support its sellers, particularly its scammers, then it would have a short window in which you could file a dispute.
They’re banking on you being too busy to be able to file a dispute.
Or they’re hoping that you may not receive the item in time to file a dispute.
If you run out of time to file a dispute, per their policy, you’re unable to get a refund.
As such, the marketplace and the seller gets all your money despite selling you an item that is fake, broken, or isn’t correct.
That isn’t the case at AliExpress.
AliExpress is legit because it protects buyers with its 15-day dispute window.
4. 90-Day Delivery Window
Along with its 15-day dispute window, AliExpress also protects both buyers and sellers with a 90-day delivery window.
One of the complaints about AliExpress is how long it takes the item to get delivered.
There are several reasons why it takes items from AliExpress so long to arrive.
For one, they tend to use logistic companies that are native to China.
They have their own logistics systems in China that might not be as fast as what you’re used to in your native country.
Sometimes the seller also must order or make the product if it’s a handmade item.
That takes time to assemble.
Finally, customs can take a long time.
Your item might end up sitting in customs for a few days before it can finally cross into the United States.
To help ensure that you get your item and also ensure that you’re able to file a dispute if the item is incorrect, AliExpress has a 90-day delivery protection program.
This means that if your package doesn’t arrive in 90 days, then you can get a full refund.
The exception is if the seller lists a specific date that you can expect it by.
In that case, that marks when you can apply for a refund.
Due to how the pandemic has slowed down logistics and supply chains, AliExpress might add extra days to the delivery window.
Regardless, if you receive your item outside of that window, then you qualify for a refund.
This makes AliExpress legit because not every marketplace offers that sort of protection.
Some might give you a refund.
Others might just say “too bad” and refuse to assist you.
AliExpress tries to protect both buyers and sellers with its delivery window refund policy.
It also helps sellers because it makes buyers wait before asking for a refund.
This can save sellers from headaches since they’re unable to control the speed of the delivery, for the most part.
AliExpress is legit because of its delivery window policy.
5. AliExpress Can Handle Disputes
If you decide to open a dispute with a seller, then you have the chance to talk with them directly.
Not every marketplace allows you to speak with the seller.
AliExpress does.
This is ideal because it can become a hassle trying to speak to a third party and gather all the information needed to move forward with a claim.
In many cases, you may find that the problem you’re experiencing was a simple mishap.
The seller is usually happy to correct the problem or find a suitable compromise.
AliExpress further makes the dispute process legitimate by also stepping if needed.
AliExpress prefers that buyers and sellers fix problems together.
However, if the seller or buyer is being difficult, unresponsive, or is clearly doing something wrong, then AliExpress can step in.
At this point, a representative will review the case.
Based on the information the representative has been provided, they’ll rule either in favor of the seller or the buyer.
This is ideal because it allows an impartial third party into the discussion when things hit a wall.
Without that, you might find yourself unable to get a refund because the seller refuses to speak with you.
Or you may have a situation where the seller refuses to give you a full refund even though it’s clear you should get one.
Without AliExpress stepping in, you might never get the justice that you deserve.
AliExpress ensures that disputes get resolved as amicably as possible by having a representative available who can rule and determine the outcome of the dispute.
This makes AliExpress legit because it further protects both the buyer and the seller.
6. Part Of The Alibaba Group
One of the first things you should do to determine if a website or marketplace is legit or not is to see who runs it.
AliExpress is a subsidiary of the Alibaba Group.
The Alibaba Group is a corporation that provides e-commerce services as well as infrastructure services in the technology industry.
It also has its own logistics network in a few regions.
The Alibaba Group has several subsidiaries that include:
It also has several businesses, warehouses, and other holdings in different countries.
Some of those countries include:
- Hong Kong
- China
- Taiwan
- the United States
- the United Kingdom
- Korea
- Singapore
- Italy
- France
- Germany
- the Netherlands
- Japan
- Australia
- New Zealand
Clearly, the Alibaba Group is quite large and successful.
A company like that is going to run legitimate businesses.
It would hurt their reputation otherwise.
Since AliExpress isn’t the only business that the Alibaba Group owns, the company knows that if AliExpress had a bad reputation then this reputation would also be associated with its other businesses.
It could end up causing the Alibaba Group to have to close certain businesses and rebrand itself.
To avoid that, the group does what it can to maintain legitimate business services.
AliExpress is legit because its parent company, the Alibaba Group, is a legit corporation.
7. Guaranteed Genuine Policy
Another reason that AliExpress is legit is because of its Guaranteed Genuine policy.
This policy means that if you receive an item that isn’t what you bought, then you will get a full refund.
It’s mostly to protect buyers who end up buying counterfeit items.
However, it’s also useful for those who mistakenly get the wrong item delivered to them.
To ensure you’re able to qualify for the full refund, one of the best things that you can do is film yourself unboxing it.
This proves to the representative handling your case that you didn’t switch the item and then claim it was fraudulent.
AliExpress also takes this a step further by allowing its sellers to verify their products through them.
When a seller proves that they’re selling authentic items, they get to label their products as “Guaranteed Genuine.”
When shopping for an item, you can look for products that have this tag associated with them.
It allows you to rest easy knowing that the item you’re buying is real.
That said, scammers will do what they can to pull the wool over people’s eyes.
If you still receive a counterfeit item despite it being a Guaranteed Genuine item, you’ll get a full refund.
AliExpress will also refund your shipping costs.
This makes the company legit because it adds yet another layer of protection for buyers.
A company that wasn’t legit might not offer a full refund to an unhappy customer.
It might also not give its sellers the chance to prove that the products that they’re selling are authentic.
Instead, it might allow the buyer to take risks without any guarantees of justice or reparations.
AliExpress is legit because of its Guaranteed Genuine policy.
8. It Uses An Internal Payment System
One red flag of a marketplace is when they don’t have an internal payment system.
They might instead have you send your payment information to the seller directly.
This is problematic because it gives total strangers access to information like your name, address, and credit card information.
This makes it easy to steal your identity.
AliExpress is legit because it uses an internal payment system.
The seller will never see important credit card information.
If they ask you for your credit card number, then you know that they’re a scammer.
They’re trying to steal your identity.
If this happens, then you can contact AliExpress and they can remove the seller from the marketplace.
The seller will never see any private information that they can use against you.
They only receive the necessary details to move forward with the order.
Since AliExpress handles sensitive information for you, it makes it more legit.
9. Seller Metrics
Another useful tool that further helps make AliExpress legit is its use of seller metrics.
You can see a few details about a seller like their overall review score and the number of orders that they’ve sold.
This information is useful because it can help you determine if the seller is authentic or a scammer.
Not every marketplace will give you this information.
They may tell you nothing about the seller, so it’s always a gamble when you buy something from them.
AliExpress lets you see how many orders they’ve sold which is helpful.
If they have a lot of orders, for example, then you know that they’ve likely been in the business for a while and people trust them.
If they don’t have a lot of orders, then it might be because they’re brand new or because customers have found them to be untrustworthy.
AliExpress is legit because it gives you useful information about its sellers.
10. PayPal Protection
A final reason AliExpress is legit is that it allows you to use PayPal to make payments on the website.
PayPal is a legitimate payment provider.
If it found AliExpress fraudulent or not legitimate, then it wouldn’t link its services to the marketplace.
That’s because PayPal also offers buyer protection.
If a large number of its customers who use AliExpress suddenly put in claims, then they’d lose out on money.
Since PayPal is offered as a payment provider, then it means they deem AliExpress legitimate.
Conclusion
AliExpress is a legit marketplace that features direct contact with sellers among other unique benefits.
While there are scammers on the site, the marketplace gives you the tools you need to tell a scammer from an authentic seller.
It also offers several types of buyer protection and will refund buyers who are unhappy or who have been scammed.
