Alibaba anyone order stuff from here | GTAMotorcycle.com

Alibaba anyone order stuff from here

sburns

sburns

Well-known member
Hey all. Been exploring this site for some items. But I've never ordered from there, can anyone share their experience?

Thanks!
 
Slow shipping and cheap stuff. I’ve ordered a few obscure items that were hard to find elsewhere like some electrical switches/sensors for a fish tank monitoring system.
 
I can confirm long shipping times and junk quality but sometimes it pays off vs locally sourced stuff. You can check alliexpress and temu which are sometimes cheaper for similar stuff when not buying in bulk
 
Alibaba is more for purchasing managers, it's not really geared for small volume one off purchases , it more for businesses sourcing components or finished goods in volume.

The consumer face to Alibaba is Aliexpress. Quality is hit and miss, some stuff us great, sond you'll toss in the trash the minute you open the package.

I have found Amazon sellers offer a lot of the same stuff, you'll pay a few bucks more, but you'll get it in days... the Ali sites can take up 30 to 120 days.

Generally I've been happy with Aliexpress. You have to be patient and realize goods often come without instructions and are bear imposdibkevto return or get warranty service.
 
I have used AliExpress for some recent electrical modifications on the bike (see garage button thread) and others.

When you are browsing said item, it should give you an estimated shipping at the bottom of the listing.
The several items I ordered at the start of the winter all arrived within the estimated shipping times.
Some made it to my house within 7-10 days. Faster to get an item from China than from across the province with CP.

One thing to note is that some items have a lost purchasing cost but outrageous shipping charge. While other may cost a little more but either free or lower shipping.

The key is to find the right listing of said item that will meet your needs and budget.

The Amazon sellers that sell the same item may or may not offer faster shipping. Some Amazon listing also show a shipping of 3-4 weeks but the cost of the item is 500-1000% more than AliExpress
 
As others have said, consumers rarely want alibaba, they want aliexpress. Sure, I can get something cheap on Alibaba but minimum order is normally 10 or more. I don't need that many. I guess I could put the other 9 on amazon and hope to sell enough to cover my cost but that is a lot of money tied up for a long time.
 
Thanks all for the input, have a better sense of what this site is about. I'll see if Aliexpress has a similar item at a reasonable cost. If not I might try to purchase from Alibaba to understand the process better.
 
sburns said:
Thanks all for the input, have a better sense of what this site is about. I'll see if Aliexpress has a similar item at a reasonable cost. If not I might try to purchase from Alibaba to understand the process better.
Click to expand...

Check Temu as well, I find their prices a bit better then Aliexpress but their selection isn't as good. They have free shipping to Canada atm too.
 
I got my tinted windshield and kickstand foot from Aliexpress for my BMW. Both arrived within 10 days. Windshield is same quality as the oem screen that was on it but only cost $20 shipped. Kickstand thingy was like $10.
 
jc100 said:
Whatever you buy you’ll be inundated with e-mails afterwards with “Dear friend, we are blow mould special company for all your needs“ or similar.
Click to expand...
I seem to only get email from AliE on a daily basis.
Reminding me of some new products they just launched. A little annoying but easy to manage.
 
sburns said:
Thanks all for the input, have a better sense of what this site is about. I'll see if Aliexpress has a similar item at a reasonable cost. If not I might try to purchase from Alibaba to understand the process better.
Click to expand...
As mentioned earlier, Aliexpress is the consumer version. Lots of knock off stuff. Shipping times is hit or miss. Pre-covid and trade wars, I've gotten something in 3 weeks, and I've gotten something in 3 months. I've only ordered keytags from there recently and they arrived in 2 months. Great for cheap, disposable stuff. Alibaba is more for bulk purchases.

I've bought a tailbag from Aliexpress and it's worked out great. I've bought saddlebags and they ripped first use. It's give or take. Really though, if you are looking for something that's from production overrun, then it could be a great deal. If it's a knock off, beware. If it's extra from the production line with just the brand markings missing, then its often times as good as the real deal. Good luck knowing this from just the pictures.
 
Also, I must add.
I bought an aluminum radiator guard for my DL1050 from AliE. It arrived in the time frame they said it would. However it was slightly bent.
I filed a complaint and sent pictures. The response was something to the tune of.
"The slight bend can be bent back, but if you are such a perfectionist, you can send the item back."
I figured I wasn't going to send it back. Next thing I know, they refunded me the total purchase price. Approx. $48 CAD


I was pleasantly surprised.
 
Last edited:
oioioi said:
Also, I must add.
I bought an aluminum radiator guard for my DL1050 from AliE. It arrived in the time frame they said it would. However it was slightly bent.
I filed a complaint and sent pictures. The response was something to the tune of.
"The slight bend can be bent back, but if you are such a perfectionist, you can send the item back."
I figured I wasn't going to send it back. Next thing I know, they refunded my the total purchase price. Approx. $48 CAD


I was pleasantly surprised.
Click to expand...
I guess it pays to be a "perfectionist" ! :p
 
oioioi said:
Also, I must add.
I bought an aluminum radiator guard for my DL1050 from AliE. It arrived in the time frame they said it would. However it was slightly bent.
I filed a complaint and sent pictures. The response was something to the tune of.
"The slight bend can be bent back, but if you are such a perfectionist, you can send the item back."
I figured I wasn't going to send it back. Next thing I know, they refunded my the total purchase price. Approx. $48 CAD


I was pleasantly surprised.
Click to expand...
Just like Amazon, claims are paid out by aliexpress and passed on to the sellers. Its easy to get a refund cause its their reputation, not the seller's reputation.
 
Aens said:
Just like Amazon, claims are paid out by aliexpress and passed on to the sellers. Its easy to get a refund cause its their reputation, not the seller's reputation.
Click to expand...
I have also seen this with products from regular brick & mortar retailers.
I bought bouncy castle for my kids several years back, and some other items since then.
As soon as you open the packing, huge pice of paper with a warning.
"WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO NOT GO BACK TO THE RETAILER, CALL US AND WE WILL MAKE IT RIGHT"

Manufacturers really don't want a bad rep with retailed from high return rates. Also they don't want to deal with the logistics of said returns. Chances are if you complain about a "problem" you will get a new one at your door and get to keep the original.

Not that that is ethical etc etc,
 
Aens said:
Just like Amazon, claims are paid out by aliexpress and passed on to the sellers. Its easy to get a refund cause its their reputation, not the seller's reputation.
Click to expand...
Aliexpress is a little more aggressive with buyers if you have multiple claims. A few years back I bought a ton of Christmas stocking stuffer trinkets. They used to have a 90 day delivery guarantee, about 15 of the 50 items I ordered in August didn't arrive for Christmas. I filed claims on them, got the first 5 refunded, then I got a message that I was being blocked for claims abuse. No refunds, and no more ordering.
 
I use Aliexpress often, usually in waves. Like others noted expect a long delivery time so it is either plan way ahead or wait... Look at the seller's ratings and don't cheap out a couple of dollars (or pennies) going with a lower rated seller if a highly rated seller has what you are looking for, usually worth an extra buck or two. If I can get it through Amazon (fulfilled by Amazon and shipped from Canada), or a Canadian or other respected online retailer, etc. I will do that first, Ali will be cheaper but often not worth the savings time wise. Sometimes either it can only be found on Ali or the price is so low...

Things I have bought.... bicycle cable end crimps, cable housing end caps, tin signs, cordless tool battery adapters (use Dewalt in Bosch and Bosch in Dewalt), winter cycling clothing, carb o-rings/gaskets, various low use measuring or specialty tools, bicycle saddles, other bicycle parts, watch straps.... Always take a good look at the seller's ratings and product reviews.

While most people assume everything name brand is fake there are sellers that sell the legit Asian made items, you just need to do the research.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom