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Is it okay to buy from Chinese online shopping sites?

For us in the Philippines, online shopping mostly revolves around popular sites like Lazada and Shopee. They offer plenty of products and ship locally. However, some products are not available on their platform but are in Chinese online shopping sites. The question now is, is it okay to shop there?

I made a few purchases last year mostly from AliExpress, Banggood and from GearBest the previous year. The items ranged from gadget organizers, accessories, and mechanical keyboards; I thought I might share my experience here and some tips as well for first-time users.

Start with smaller, less expensive items

If it’s your first time buying and you feel apprehensive about purchasing from an online shop from a different country, then you could try buying less expensive items first to try it out. In my case, I purchased gadget organizers and a few cables costing a little over PHP 1K, that way I wouldn’t feel terrible about the shipping costs.

When choosing products, please take time to read the product description, customer reviews and ratings before you put them in your cart.

Select your shipping method

Most of the sellers on the Chinese online retailers I mentioned offer free shipping to products above a certain amount (depending on the product), but you have to check the shipping method as it will tell you how long you should wait for your product. Free standard shipping usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, but there are options for faster shipping (10 – 17 days, or less) through couriers like DHL or FedEx. You’ll have to pay extra (around USD 15- 20+). You can also opt to purchase insurance in case your product gets damaged in shipping.

Also, take note of the processing time as some items are back ordered. It could take about only 24 hours to a couple of weeks before they ship out. In my experience, there was a time when the processing time got extended from 10 days to 15.

Take advantage of those coupons

Platforms like AliExpress, Banggood, and GearBest regularly give you coupons, and you’ll have a few especially if you just recently registered. Sellers also have their coupons that you can use but with some stipulations like minimum purchase requirements. If you have them, use them to bring down costs. The savings can also be used to opt for a faster courier service.

Prepare your credit card

Paying with your credit card is one of the primary methods of paying for purchases. But if you’re not comfortable, don’t worry as you can also use PayPal. A friend also said that GCash and PayMaya work. As for COD, it’s not widely available, but it is offered by some sellers and is available in select products.

The waiting game

You must understand that your product is coming from a different country so it might take a while as suggested by the processing time and shipping method you have chosen. The good news is, these platforms offer good tracking services and you can even chat with their customer service or the seller themselves about the status of your order.

The customer service

One of the things I like about these platforms is their customer service. You can leave a message, email, call them directly in China, or do a live chat which is available 24/7. In my experience, I inquired about a product I purchased that still hasn’t shipped despite the given processing time. After a few minutes, I received an update; then later in the day, I received an email from the seller detailing the status of my order. Knowing that you can quickly get in touch with someone gives an assurance that your purchase is in good hands.

Buyer Protection

Big Chinese online stores have policies to protect buyers like us. In the case of AliExpress, they have this Buyer Protection which gives you a Money Back Guarantee if you did not receive the product within the buyer protection period (usually 10 to 60 days) or if the product received is not as described.

I also like how they manage disputes. They will first let you and the seller resolve a dispute. If an agreement was not reached during a certain period, AliExpress will get involved and help you fix it.

Refunds are also not a problem in my experience. I canceled an order from Banggood which I paid with via my PayPal account that’s tied to my credit card. They refunded the full amount to my card in 5 business days.

Don’t expect it to arrive at your doorstep

Although you have provided your complete shipping address, the products you ordered won’t always arrive at your doorstep especially if you used standard shipping. Instead, it’s delivered to your city’s post office where you’ll have to pick it up after paying a fee. In my case, I had to use the tracking number and enter it in the PHLPost Tracking website to see if the post office has received my package.

In the case of COD, the package will be delivered directly to your doorstep. Just hand over the cash, and you’re good.

So far, my experience is good when it comes to shopping on Chinese online platforms, so I’m going to buy there again whenever they have special sales. I still have to be careful though and research thoroughly if the product and seller are good. The only issue I have is the shipping time which could take almost two months. I can opt for faster couriers, but it’s expensive, so patience is the key.

And there you have it. We hope that this article can help you get started with shopping online. If you have done this before, feel free to share your experiences below.

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Avatar for Diangson Louie

This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

9 Responses

  1. Avatar for 32red casinos 32red casinos says:

    If someone ever said make fish an online video slot was fixed, then I would seriously wonder about the player who just won on the million pounds playing one.
    Then the pinball machine company Bally, invented a whole new slot machine which had both electronic AND mechanical parts.
    The the latest fashion is online slots when the stories and animation from video slot devices are
    put into online venues.

  2. Avatar for asdasd asdasd says:

    my shipping cost is always 1k+ wtf

  3. Avatar for Ron Ron says:

    Don’t buy from Gearbest. They are scam.

  4. Avatar for A.E. A.E. says:

    Does anyone know how much duties on a projector valued at 110k? Planning to buy through Bangood.

  5. Avatar for Paulkv Paulkv says:

    Yup, the article is very much informative.. Im an Ali Express user and so far my experuence with them is satisfactory…

  6. Avatar for basedonexperience basedonexperience says:

    please note that items that are 10k and above will be subjected to customs duties and taxes. na ibubulsa lang sa mga hayop na officers sa customs.

    and yes, shipping time is your enemy here unless your willing to pay more for faster shipping which sometimes cost more than your item.

    • Avatar for Brybry Brybry says:

      I just ordered last month from Aliexpress because i was really attracted with the cupon they’re offering. The total cost of my order was $1.91 minus the cupon wich totals to $0.01. And it is Free Shipping. I didnt know that this store is china based though. I shouldnt have ordered if i only know that this is china based because of the corona virus that is happening right now. By the way, I already payed it using my paymaya accnt. Do i still have to pay for other charges?

  7. Avatar for zzee zzee says:

    been eyeing on pixel 2 xl in V phone seller in aliexpress. but i cant be sure if its legit. it says brand new and it only costs 24k php. also, does the DHL deliver door to door in the provinces?

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