After being on this site for almost 3 years with 13 pages of orders, I've learned a few tips and tricks on how to buy on AliExpress. But first, I'd like to focus on the products and experiences I've had.
I like to go into detail, so there is also some information on how these stores on AliExpress work (shipping, shipping time, packaging, etc.)
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| Little baby me buying EXO sweaters in 2014 ;) |
This was my first purchase.
The store: As you can see, the store name is some randomly generated name. This is the sign that this store does not exist anymore. In fact, it "closed" down quite a while ago. I was sad to see it go, because they had some quality stuff on their store.
This store had the most reviews for this particular sweater, and the pictures and reviews all said was of good quality. I do not have access to my order details anymore (probably because the store closed down), but the estimated shipping time was 15-26 days. I think the package arrived around 20 days.
Shipping and Packaging: The sweaters were individually packed in those clear bags clothing come in, and both were put inside a gray shipping bag. This was fine with me, since these were sweaters and nothing much was going to happen to them. The bag also felt and looked waterproof. Since everything was being shipped from China, it would make sense that they cheaped out on the packaging (since shipping is high, but I pay nothing--the beauty of AliExpress).
The product: If you've worn a Gilden hoodie/sweatpants/etc., you will know how this sweater feels. The entire thing was thick and the inside of the sweater was soft and plushy like fleece. It did smell slightly of paint (from the print), but otherwise, the sweater was as good as I expected it to me. The only problem was the sizing. I measured myself and even ordered a size up, but I wish I got an even larger size to make the sweater even baggier.
The sweater was great for the autumn/chillier weather. I cannot say it would be enough for the snow, but layering on a warm coat will do the trick. After a few times in the washers/dryers, the inside of the material wasn't as soft anymore, but it was still a nice sweater. I actually do still have this sweater, but I don't wear it anymore. I think it shrunk a little bit from the dryer, and I accidentally got a paint stain on it.
I also got over EXO thus another reason why I stopped wearing it (sorry EXO fans).
Spiral Fake Ear Plugs/Studs
I saw a picture with someone wearing these spiral plugs, and I wanted them too. Do I actually wear them? No, but I love them.
The store: This store is actually still active, and if I was still into ear plugs, I would continue buying from them. I've made 2 purchases from them, and their items are definitely very good quality. I had one hiccup though, and they were able to talk with me to resolve the problem. More on it later.
I did a lot of research on gauge sizes, and I had to message the seller to make sure these would fit in my regular, pierced ears. These did kind of stretch them out, but it wasn't anything painful. It just took some time for the ears to adjust.
The product: The plugs felt very durable and strong, though I have to admit the screws to connect them together did not feel as durable. One end of the spiral has a tiny screw that connect to the other side; when you can't see behind your ear, it's hard to keep a steady hand while spinning something in the small space behind your ear. I have been careful though.
Packaging: Each pair of spirals was packaged together, and all of it was put in a tiny bubble mailer (if I recall correctly). This was reassuring to see after seeing the grey bag and showed that the seller does indeed care for their products and buyers.
I still have these gauges; I still do not wear them. I treasure them very much, and though they may look pricey, I think they were well worth it (for 2 pairs!). I don't know what else to say, so if you have any questions, ask in the comments!
Note: this item did not have any reviews, so I was one of the few to purchase it without knowing anything about the item besides what the seller wrote in their description box!
EXO Birthday T-Shirts
Does this store name look familiar? No? Well it's the same as the store that sold EXO sweaters! I was new to AliExpress, and they were the ones I could trust.
Sales/Discounts and Shipping: These looked cool and was on a huge sale (yearly 11/11 sale) for 50% off the original price. That meant each shirt was only around $7.50!!! Since this day equals sales on the entire site, traffic becomes hectic which means slow shipping times. I do not really remember how long this took to arrive, but a lot of my more recent purchases on this day take at least a month (up to 3 months).
Packaging: Either way, the shirts were individually wrapped and in the same, cheap (but seemingly waterproof) grey shipping bag. One shirt was for my friend, and two for myself. I still have my Chanyeol one in its package. Also, the package actually had EXO signatures on it (printed signatures, but they were legit because I remember EXO posting their signatures on the EXO-L website). It added a really nice touch.
The product: The shirts are not the most opaque, but for a white shirt, it is quite good (unlike the super thin clothes we have nowadays). The sleeves were 3/4 length, and the material was a nice, thick shirt that felt like it would actually last.
I have still kept my t-shirts, and I've tried my best to keep it as stain-free and as color-mix-free as possible (I used to mix whites, colors, and darks in the washer, sorry). I still find it to be as nice as when I bought it (besides from the usual wear from washing). The shirt wrinkles super easily (can be solved by hanging it up), but I've learned later on that I am super grateful the shirt was pre-shrunk before being printed on. The site or seller never advertised it, but I never had problems washing and drying this t-shirt in the machines.
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If you made it this far, thank you for reading! I ramble, but I hope these reviews were helpful and gave a bit of insight as to what you may/will deal with on AliExpress.
These three initial purchases were very happy and positive purchases for me. I left all of them 5 star ratings and huge reviews. Unfortunately AliExpress refreshes the feedbacks/ratings/reviews every 6 months (I think), so I can no longer find them.
I was very lucky that I was able to get such nice items without any experience on the site, but that is not exactly the case for the purchases following them. This does not necessarily have anything to do with AliExpress but more with the people that sell on it (the sellers/stores). Should I continue with my AliExpress Purchases (Part 2)?
Looking and thinking back, my overall review of AliExpress would be a 10/10!
Purchase (Customer) protection: 5/5, the information was clearly conveyed and very easy to figure out (would anyone like a post on how it works?)
Purchasing speed: 5/5, super quick! Usually the day of or next day of purchase. This means that seller gets notified quicker and can prepare shipment asap.
Usability: 5/5, the site wasn't perfect, but it did what it was supposed to and worked just fine for my needs. Of course, AliExpress has made huge changes to make it a lot better!
As mentioned before, I loved how there were things you wouldn't normally find in regular stores (such as anime merch or kpop merch). I think during 2014, the kpop/anime merch wasn't as wide-ranged as it is now in stores like Hot Topic. Lately, I feel like these types of merch have decreased widely on AliExpress which is quite depressing when I really want to get some cheap (but quality) merch.
Thanks again for reading! You are awesome! Not spons.
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