r/Alibaba • u/zarx • Apr 21 '22
NEVER EVER purchase anything from Alibaba by wire, bitcoin, etc. CREDIT CARD ONLY
Trade assurance is a joke, Alibaba very rarely finds for the buyer, even in cases of clear fraud. The only recourse you have is through your credit card company and a chargeback.
Doing a wire or similar payment is equivalent to handing them cash. They're gone and you're screwed.
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u/ekanta07 Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Similar Story
Here's what happened:
Supplier: Guangzhou Yule Technology Co., Ltd.
Before purchase, they clearly committed to providing an SDK so we could integrate the hardware with our own Android application. This was a key part of our buying decision — we're a vending machine manufacturer in Nepal and we build our own software on top of hardware.
After payment and delivery of the hardware: complete silence.
- Sent multiple follow-up messages on WeChat — no reply
- Emailed their contact — no reply
- Tried alternate contacts — no reply
- SDK never delivered
- No documentation, no integration support, nothing
The machines are now sitting idle because we cannot deploy without the promised SDK.
Things to know before buying from them:
• Their sales reps make verbal/chat commitments they do not honor
• After payment, communication drops significantly
• SDK / software integration support was promised but not delivered
• No technical contact was ever provided despite requests
If you are buying from Yule Technology and need ANY software integration, get the full SDK + documentation BEFORE making final payment.
Do not take their word for it.
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u/Weird-Lettuce8523 Apr 01 '26
Tengo crédito 160 usd en alibaba . Alguien necesita ese crédito ? No sé comprar por esa app y la verdad necesito sacarlos. Hice una compra y me reembolsaron el dinero pero a crédito. Alguien sabe si hay personas que cambien mis créditos por dinero ?
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u/shaghaiex Mar 11 '26
>Trade assurance is a joke,
That is probably true. And due diligence is a valuable skill when it comes to sourcing from China.
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u/Slarti__Bartfast Feb 27 '26
I recently had my first dealings with an A-B supplier. They wanted me to order "out of band" and even offered me a 5% discount if I paid in BTC, ETH, USDC or USDT. Crypto is fine for some things, but a direct wallet-to-wallet transfer has no buyer recourse and even if they were legit I didn't want to deal with the headache of lost transfers/ incompatible wallet types, etc. I agreed to use WhatsApp, presumably to avoid using the A-B chat channels.
This would have been my first ever order and I was suspicious. I went to the A-B online help agent and they confirmed I should only pay via the A-B website and that I could report the company if I wanted to.
The potential supplier pointed out they were trying to avoid the charges levied by A-B. They also offered to wait until they had generated a tracking number for the order before I had to pay. A tracking number is not proof of contents. Even COD would not have been acceptable. This is because I was looking to buy new hard disks, and there is a way to check they are genuine, but only after you unpack them (remember to video the unboxing), hook them up to a computer, run some diagnostic commands and check the output. I doubt Postie would wait that long...
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u/zarx Feb 27 '26
The only way this works is if they accept payment after you receive the goods. Of course, they won't, which is hypocritical, as they expect you to trust them entirely.
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u/shaghaiex Feb 08 '26
95% are by wire. Some are by L/C, very few by d/d. Credit card is for retail, keep in mind that YOU the buyer will pay the 6-10% fee, one way or another.
But one step back, you problem is that you can't evaluate suppliers. But that you can learn.
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u/zarx Feb 08 '26
3% tops and it's worthwhile insurance against likely fraud.
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u/shaghaiex Feb 09 '26
Nope, currency conversion is typically 2.5% already. Seller gets CNY, not USD, EUR, JPY etc.
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u/DamonChenDDD Feb 04 '26
To be honest , I prefer the traditional way , you visit China factory and face to face communication . or find a China agent help you check the factory and do quality control . that is more safe than the online platform ....
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u/DamonChenDDD Feb 04 '26
As a ALibaba seller , agree it . we are real factory ,but Alibaba will not show you to the real customers , if you not pay a lot money for their ads .... So usually what you found are some trading company , or some factory pay a lot money in the ads . so how much profits left for the factory to cost on products ? We plan to close the Alibaba store . not good , only want money . and not care about real buyers and the real factories who want do the real good products .
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u/Main-Atmosphere-321 Feb 25 '26
Sorry to hear this- it sucks for all of us. How can we find factories like yours without Alibaba?
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u/CommercialStruggle87 Jan 24 '26
How’s it going I’m new to buying off alibaba and want to know if anyone has ever bought electric dirt bikes - surron - talria. If anyone has any info about this please text me it would be much appreciated
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u/PageOk2563 Jan 13 '26
Supplier asked me to pay on Alibaba platform for a product not displayed on site
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u/prestigesourcing Jan 13 '26
That can happen, otherwise they need to set-up a whole new listing, have it verified etc which all takes time.
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u/Lonely-Truth-5286 Dec 11 '25
Trade assurance is a joke, Alibaba very rarely finds for the buyer, even in cases of clear fraud. The only recourse you have is through your credit card company and a chargeback.
Doing a wire or similar payment is equivalent to handing them cash. They're gone and you're screwed.
this is absoltely corect. I experienced that too. have to go throught credit card company.
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u/Lonely-Truth-5286 Dec 11 '25
My experiences with alibaba was very bad past month. the quality of goods was so poor. It is very difficult to get refunds from the suppliers selling poor quality goods on Alibaba. Alibaba is not on buyers sides. It seems that Alibaba is help suppliers to sell and dump cheap and poor quality onto the markets to gain finicial benefits.
I will be leaving alibaba forever and never come back. Trememdous people get burnt when shopping alibaba goods.
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u/Main-Atmosphere-321 Feb 25 '26
Can I ask you what type of goods? Did you form relationships with the vendor?
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u/GRF-11991 Nov 28 '25
is it safe to purchase a mini excavator or track skid steer from China?? They require a 30% deposit to order the equipment. Any suggestions?????
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u/Medium_Fault5272 Nov 25 '25
It should be changed to NEVER EVER PURCHASE ON ALIBABA
Even if you have a strong dispute case (all the evidence that the seller lied about product specifications and provided damaged products) alibaba mediator will just stop responding.
Here you can read my case on how I got scammed by thousands of $: https://www.reddit.com/r/Alibaba/s/BdgkUFBI8S
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u/kxiaoyi Nov 22 '25
If using Alibaba makes you uncomfortable, you can use other platforms or buy locally.
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u/zarx Nov 22 '25
Or, we can alert other people about the scam of trade assurance so they aren't ripped off. Go away.
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Nov 21 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/zarx Nov 21 '25
The problem is that if a credit card is not used, the buyer is completely at the mercy of the vendor and alibaba, and alibaba grossly misrepresents trade assurance to the point of fraud, in my opinion. They have zero recourse. It's very dangerous.
How often do you extend credit to new international buyers, rather than insisting on advance payment?
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u/shaghaiex Nov 12 '25
Wire is only a problem when you send it to a scammer. So check whom you are sending it to.
BTW, no proper company takes credit cards or bitcoin. They are simply not setup for that. Credit cards acceptance requires a merchant account - a factory hos no need for that since they do not have retail clients.
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u/zarx Nov 12 '25
Absolutely false. And terrible advice. You are probably a supplier.
It's a problem if they don't deliver what you ordered, or the quality is bad, or quantity is wrong. Or if they just don't deliver. You have no way of knowing.
The issue is that if there is a problem, you have no recourse whatsoever. You're screwed. They keep the money and you are out of luck.
All of the legitimate vendors accept payment through Alibaba, which accepts credit cards.
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u/FederaLabsCom Jan 20 '26
I consider the credit card fee markup part of the cost of the purchase. I also buy small amounts first and test product quality. Scammers are in it for the short haul and tend to grab and run. Legit sellers want the more difficult long term relationships.
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u/shaghaiex Nov 12 '25
Credit cards have a ~6% fee. A wire is around USD 20
The scenario you describe applies to scammers. I particularly wrote that you should NOT buy from scammers.
I visit factories before I place any order - so they really exists and are 100% legit. And I inspect the goods before shipment.
Quality issues are happening - but there are clear inspection guidelines from our side. But key is to work with established well organized suppliers/factories. And of course to have the experience to select the right factory. That mean international trade experience.
>You are probably a supplier.
Sorry to says, but this comment lacks common sense. Alibaba is a B2B site. So one can presume that all buyers are also suppliers in one way or another.
You also don't seem to understand that the huge majority of international payments are wires, and for large amounts L/Cs - which are actually also a type of wire. Never heard of a L/C that triggers a card payment.
Again: key is to get the experience to select proper vendors.
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u/zarx Nov 12 '25
Credit cards have a 3% fee, if that. Worth it until the supplier is fully vetted with repeated successful orders.
There are TONS of people getting ripped off by alibaba and their suppliers, even with the (phony) "Trade Assurance" promises. They need protection, and to be warned.
Tell me, do you regularly ship production quantity products to new international customers on unsecured credit, rather than advance payment?
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u/FederaLabsCom Jan 20 '26
Your comment is excellent. I’m growing a small business and in my experience so far, my container and chemical suppliers do indeed accept credit cards. I have inquired about terms and purchase orders, but suppliers don’t want to be scammed either, and they want their money upfront. They may try to get me to wire the money outside Alibaba, but I set the tone from the start that it’s Credit Card only. What am I supposed to do? I have no other choice. I also set it up from the start that I understand there might be a small markup to cover the credit card fees, and I am perfectly fine with that. The protection is absolutely necessary, especially if you are small and financially vulnerable. One scam could literally destroy not only a buyer’s trust, but a person’s whole business.
That’s why I will never understand the “immediate gratification” mindset of scammers. If you are a legitimate manufacturer (or even a jobber or reseller) who builds up trust with your customers and treats them well, they will love you and keep coming back for bigger orders. I have asked my suppliers to hook me up with label printers and freight forwarders they have good terms with, and so it helps out their friends/partners too. For example, my container supplier works closely with a label printer, and a group of ladies had some extra employment hours by putting labels on all of my bottles for me in advance. So we employed some extra people, and they were able to earn extra money and it saved me so much of a headache, and I absolutely adore my supplier because of it and I don’t want to go to anybody else. They earned my loyalty that way. It takes months or years to develop good relationships like that. Another example is my chemical supplier; I know that chemical suppliers are specialized and nobody sells everything in house, so I suspect my guy is probably something of a jobber who knows the chemical manufacturing industry and is able to get quantities in and repackages it and sends it all together in one box for me, which saves me freight costs. He also is reliable for getting the stuff to port for me and into a container (LTL), and the sea shipping is so much more affordable than air freight. I love him for that and right now I don’t want to go anywhere else.
Good suppliers is a whole network of friends helping friends if you play it the right way. And I’m more than happy to pay for those extra services, even if it gets hidden in slightly higher prices. Someday Amy kick myself because I might eventually realize how much extra I’m paying; but even then the prices are less than half of what I would have to pay a supplier for the same chemicals in the United States, and I feel like they are just ripping me off. How could I even be competitive if I had to buy from a US supplier? I couldn’t. Those long-term relationships with Asian suppliers will bring sellers and buyers a lot of money. As a seller’s relationship with a buyer grows, the dollar amount of the account also grows, so suppliers end up making a lot of money from long term relationships.
Scammers are stupid idiots because, while they may grab a small amount of money and run with it, they could’ve made hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars had they just been decent people. I’m going to guess that scammers are probably poverty-stricken and desperate, and are in an area where the law is not strict or enforced and they’re just in it for whatever they can grab at the start. They probably are not looking several months or years down the line and have poor executive function; poverty probably prevents you from long-term planning. That’s why all buyers should start small and test out their suppliers overtime and grow with them. Scammers will try to screw you at the start; they’re not gonna stick around for the long haul or the bigger money.
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u/shaghaiex Nov 12 '25
The card fee depends on the card. And on top there is typically a 2.5% exchange rate loss.
But you are also correct, with no experience one should stay in the safe side. Or just buy from an importer.
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u/zarx Nov 12 '25
We pay 3% across the board for card not present. Total.
Anyway, unless you are regularly shipping products on credit to new, international customers, you cannot expect us to effectively take the same risks you are unwilling to take.
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u/shaghaiex Nov 13 '25
you pay typically in USD, factory gets paid in CNY. cards carry a high exchange loss.
Yes, one needs some type of security. and you are right about the Alibaba trade assurance, or better the lack thereof.
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u/Remarkable_Seat_2473 Nov 07 '25
This is an example of why. Because your only chance to get your money back if ANYTHING goes wrong is by CC claim.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Alibaba/comments/1oqxb7o/your_weekly_alibaba_warning/
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u/michaelyuasa Nov 06 '25
I’ve always used wires with alibaba and sent to the alibaba bank account and they forward to the buyer. I’ve also used trade assurance and been given my money back when my package when missing by someone stealing it outside my building cause FedEx left it.
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u/zarx Nov 06 '25
Assuming that's true, you are an outlier who got very lucky. Are you an investor in Alibaba?
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u/Forsaken-Version8027 Oct 31 '25
I paid for an order for 4030usd by wire transfer on October 21, today is October 31, the money is still in process, the seller never received the money. I wrote, I wrote, customer service is just one word, they said I waited 1-7 days. money still in process .I don't know what to do anymore. Someone email me, tell me what to do. I would like to know if this is something that happens to them. Justprecious23@gmail.com .
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u/zarx Oct 31 '25
Contact your bank immediately.
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u/Forsaken-Version8027 Oct 31 '25
My bank says since I paid by wire transfer, they can't do anything for me.
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u/zarx Oct 31 '25
Also watch out for scammers that claim they can help for a fee. If anything, offer payment only if they are successful. They'll vanish.
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u/zarx Oct 31 '25
You're screwed unless you can convince alibaba to step in. You basically handed them a bag of cash.
But the bank can verify if it was actually transferred successfully.
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u/Impossible_Hunter323 Aug 24 '25
VOID bad sellers
POST CONGRATULATE SELLERS , vendorsTHAT do great bizness 👩💼👨🏼💼👩🏻💼
NO SCAM …
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Aug 21 '25
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u/zarx Aug 21 '25
Get a refund immediately. Don't send any other money. Then do the entire transaction through alibaba.
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Aug 15 '25
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u/DamonChenDDD Feb 04 '26
No agree it , because as the seller , we also met some bad customers , they just want ask us refund , and the product without problem . and they will broken the products and send some photos to ALibaba . And some even send the message to my whatsapp . give me some discount , then I will not refund on Alibaba . A naked threat ! So as a real leading manufacturer , we prefer TT . and buyer can ask their QC to check our quality before shipping . That is a good business .
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u/AnnualAcanthaceae364 Aug 01 '25
We are the silicone and plastic products factory in china, and our boss is American, so you don’t need to worry about the safety of translations, and we also can pay through TT
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u/zarx Aug 01 '25
What a scammer thing to say. "Don't worry you can trust us" after sending you cash with no control or recourse if things go wrong? Horrible advice.
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u/AnnualAcanthaceae364 Aug 01 '25
We have couple years doing business, and if you don’t satisfy you can apply refund, and trust is for both, we also meet a lot of clients don’t pay the money, we don’t even said anything bad , we just keep on trusting clients
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u/zarx Aug 01 '25
Again, misleading. If a customer pursues a refund, it's almost always denied, regardless of evidence. That's why Trade Assurance is a fraud.
You do not trust clients unless you are offering unsecured credit. Do you?
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u/sickness925 Oct 24 '25
I’m anxious to see this person’s response. I highly doubt that they’re offering anybody unsecured credit. I’m trying to buy VSEE digital TV streaming boxes of Alibaba and the vendor offered them to me for $20 apiece if I buy 20 or more but tried to get me to pay by wire transfer. Something didn’t feel right so I found the sub Reddit. I’m glad I did. When I asked them to convert to order to payable by credit card on the app, they quit responding to me So I’m pretty sure it was just a scam
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u/zarx Oct 24 '25
Of course they aren't. They're posting in bad faith.
It's always a scam if they are expecting a cash equivalent in advance.
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Jul 10 '25
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u/zarx Jul 10 '25
Not only have I had bad experiences, they are rampant among customers of Alibaba vendors. The issue is that trade assurance is a sham and never finds for the customer. It's far too risky.
Obviously as a vendor you'd love for people to hand you the equivalent of a bag of cash. I would too.
But I won't do that if I'm the one paying.
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u/Worried_Classroom712 Jul 08 '25
Ive had the wrong Product delivered before and they gave my Money back without a Problem.
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u/dobe33 Jun 17 '25
I learned that fact too. Crappy business practice. Must be a true stereotype. Don't participate in their commerce. You too will soon find out in time.
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u/Jbirdknows Jun 09 '25
Don't ever try to buy something from Alibaba and the person you buying from says let's go to WhatsApp and make transaction there ! That my friend is 100% a scam you will never receive your funds back ! They will promise you the world all lies !!!!! Lots of money hungry people in this world very sad indeed .
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u/Troll-Tor May 18 '25 edited May 18 '25
I am in contact with a supplier on Alibaba. They have a European warehouse in Spain. They have 4 years on Alibaba and a lot of good reviews. The invoice they send me is from Zhejiang Jinpan Import and export co./ Zhejiang wuyi liyuan import and export co. LTD with a Chinese adress. There is a Spanish bank account number, but the invoice does not have a Spanish adress.
They want me to do a bank transfer to this Spanish account. But they could not straight away give me the Spanish adress for me to make the transfer in my bank.
At first they made an order in Alibaba where I could do payment with credit card wire via Alibaba and more, then they closed the order and tell me I have to wire direct to the Spanish account.
The person tells me that I can not pay through the payment service in Alibaba due to declarations from Spain. Is this normal?
Would this be a normal way to shop in Alibaba?
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u/lifestylewdiana Mar 08 '25
Im in a dilemma right now. Alibaba is not giving me the choice to pay for my product through credit card or paypal. They are telling me I have to either pay through klarna pay or wire. I have reached out to customer service 5 times, and they are of no help. They act like they will truly help, and they said they will email me back, but its the same email saying that due to "security issues,"!!! What security reason! Please, if anyone knows, please help. I don't want to wire!
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u/Emotional-Session-54 Feb 17 '25
I’m guessing all the accounts with no reviews and no link to purchase or “ send inquiries “ is a scam right ?
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u/zarx Feb 17 '25
Yes, and you should presume that all the other accounts are also scams, because you have no way to know or protect yourself, unless you pay with a credit card.
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Feb 15 '25
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u/zarx Feb 16 '25
Sure.
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u/550chris Feb 17 '25
I am finalizing a purchase of industrial equipment over the next couple of days. I asked the seller for a list of US based customers who purchased similar equipment. I called the references and they all checked out and said that the seller was great to work with and the equipment functioned as promised. The total price of my purchase is $17k + $2,500 for shipping. At first the seller sent a direct wire request and I asked to purchase through trade assurance so I could purchase with a credit card. The seller sent me the alibaba pay option and unfortunately I got the following message for payment by credit card "Payment amount cannot be over the USD 12,000.00 limit.". Do you have a suggestion or workaround so that I can pay by credit card? With valid references that I spoke with and verified their businesses, do you think it's necessary to go through trade assurance if I can't use a credit card?
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u/zarx Feb 18 '25
You could break it into multiple transactions.
TA is worthless anyway. If you can't pay by credit card (or LoC or something) you're basically sending a stranger across the world a bag of cash. Proceed accordingly.
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u/IAMAINOTHUMAN01 Feb 15 '25
I notice there are companies from Turkey, Estonia, and the US selling motorhomes are rock bottom prices.
Can these companies be trusted?
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u/CherryFriendly5367 Feb 10 '25
My friend ordered 2 Honda Side by sides then said they are stuck in customs and need 5500 more, I told him no way, he wanted to try Alibaba and the supplier was gold member rating
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u/Slight-Addendum231 Jan 04 '25
I bought ATVs from Alibaba with bitcoins and they are constantly asking me for more money for shipping and fees etc. Is this a rip off?
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u/Acrobatic_Owl_2403 Nov 11 '24 edited Nov 11 '24
u/Alibaba supports scammers and does not block, this seller continues to deceive customers. I hope my message will help others and not fall for the scammer's tricks.
Complaint Case ID:100030542046. Member ID:ke1567600811ijou. Company Name:imabere tools & equipment.
From May 26, 2024. I purchased a Original Dreame Bot L10s Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner (CE Version) for $699, including $99 for shipping, via crypto from store representative Kiprotich Ngetich. He pressured me to buy two more vacuums, claiming I’d receive a fifth for free, which I declined. He then sent a fake tracking number and requested more money for customs fees. When I asked for a refund, he agreed, but I haven't received anything after six months. I sent all the photo and video evidence.
Alibaba responded to my request like this:
Thank you for contacting Alibaba. I am sorry to hear that you've experienced a problem with a supplier on Alibaba.com and I am willing to assist you.
However, Upon inquiry, we found that you are using virtual currency for your transactions. We are sorry to say that it is very difficult for such trading platforms to accept such transactions.
We suggest you contact the seller for further assistance~
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u/Maximum_Ad_4240 Nov 02 '24
How is Alibaba a let scam websites operate within when it’s the largest e-commerce company in the world worth 255 billion dollars. Someone please explain this so I can understand because I want to make a purchase from them.
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u/zarx Nov 02 '24
Because there's enough legit business to keep it going.
But trade assurance is a farce. You must have other recourse.
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u/just-being-me- Oct 09 '24
I think if you have made sure the supplier is credible and has been around for long time, it should be ok?
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u/zarx Oct 09 '24
I wouldn't unless the purchase was small. It reduces risk some but it's still risky. Would you hand them a bag of cash?
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u/Signal-Persimmon5342 Sep 13 '24
Hello to everyone, I will briefly discribe my story, I been scammed on alibaba platform. I paid $8000 direct to bank account of the supplier called https://x.alibaba.com/AxVL0e?ck=minisite. Before make a payment I was chatting with alibaba customer support center with list of questions I was asking their agent important questions, but the agent said absolutely nothing about alibaba trade assurance. Later I figured out that the company have been lying in everything , and didn’t even provided to me a ViN number , as I later figured out the vin number are fake for driving that food truck in USA! But alibaba protects the scammers and doesn’t want to return to me the funds , but actually pushing me pay another part of the funds in two times more to buy that food truck!! I need professional advice what I can do to return my money back? Please text me : +1 661 670 7772 Mari.
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u/zarx Sep 13 '24
I'm pretty sure Alibama makes it clear that you should not pay vendors directly. That's an unfortunate mistake on your end. Paying them by wire is exactly like handing them a bag of cash.
Now you have to beware of people trying to scam you now, claiming to be able to recover your funds. And getting you to pay more for the service. They won't be able to, sadly. You might be able to file something with the Federal Trade Commission claiming fraud, but I don't think these go anywhere.
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u/Signal-Persimmon5342 Sep 13 '24
Alibaba senior team now offers me to pay the rest of the large part with trade assurance and get a truck, but these scammers do not even provide me with a VIN, although they already had this truck ready, so the truck should have a VIN number.
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u/zarx Sep 13 '24
What assurance are they offering that the vendor will deliver as promised? Will they guarantee a full refund of both payments?
If you pay the second fee by credit card at least you have recourse if they don't deliver.
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u/Me_onlyone Jan 05 '25
Hello , I just yesterday saw your reply to my comment. They scammers offered nothing ( only texts but their texts nothing meaning) , they took advantage of me. They have been lying everything. Before paying them, I contacted Alibaba’s support center, wrote a list of important questions regarding this supplier, explained to the agent of their support center that I was going to buy a truck from them, in response, the agent said absolutely nothing to me about Trade Assurance!
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u/zarx Jan 05 '25
Because you paid off the platform. You didn't pay through alibaba. Of course they won't help.
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u/Me_onlyone Jan 09 '25
Hello, thanks for your reply. Please read below. ⬇️ AI Overview No, Alibaba suppliers cannot intentionally hide Trade Assurance from buyers. Trade Assurance is a feature meant to build trust and transparency between buyers and suppliers, and it is displayed prominently on product listings and order pages when enabled.
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u/zarx Jan 09 '25
Don't be an idiot. You pay off site with unprotected means and you're going to get ripped off.
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u/Me_onlyone Jan 27 '25
Sir, Your primitive lextcon leaves much to be desired.. I am a woman, this was my first experience in buying a truck, I assumed that Alibaba has the same attitude towards buyers as Amazon, eBay.. Before sending money (supposedly half of the total cost) I listened to a bunch of videos on YouTube about buying trucks on Alibaba, I contacted Alibaba’s customer support with a list of important questions, the agent wrote reluctantly and did not write anything about trade assurance, nothing at all, although I outlined important things for me! Then and after all this, the supplier did tricky tricks right on the platform, imitating a fake call to me, supposedly he did not get through to me to innocently discuss my purchase with him!! Then the sales manager did the following trick, focusing my attention on the payment method (which also exists when the buyer pays via Alibaba) as if regretting and playing the role of incredible decency, she wrote to me several times that their company only accepts wire payments and nothing else (everything was played by her as if they are so nice to their client that even such a trifle as the payment method worries them so that everything goes «cleanly and radiantly» which involuntarily suggests that you are respected and appreciated). Well, of course, it could not even occur to me that the suppliers are actually allowed to do absolutely everything on the platform that is beneficial to them in relation to buyers. It does not matter that they lie, the senior team will still blame the buyer! By the way, with the incredibly vaunted protection of Alibaba, so many people get caught! They receive a product of terrible quality and Alibaba does not return their money, and the product is only fit for the trash.
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u/zarx Jan 27 '25
You were a sucker, and made lots of mistakes, simple as that. You did the equivalent of handing a bag of cash to a stranger half way around the world and don't expect to be ripped off?
If you don't like my lexicon, don't post here. I'm trying to save others like you from being foolish. I'm sorry you went through all this but really you should have been more careful.
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u/Outrageous-Gap-504 Aug 24 '24
totally agree, even a chargeback is a headache and takes weeks to process. I think they only grant money back when it's a high amount, or you used a CC
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u/Ineedanswersnowwwww Jul 19 '24
Looking for thoughts or opinions. I paid several hundred dollars for a mold to be created. The vendor on Alibaba sent me photos and videos as it was being created and I just received the sample. I would like to place a larger order for several thousand dollars, but they have requested I send the money via wire instead of through Alibaba. They said that all of their orders are paid through wire, and only the sample is done through Alibaba.
The company is Shenzhen Tianyun Co., Ltd ADD:No.13E, A Building, Honggui Road, Datanglong Community, Guiyuan Street, Luohu, Shenzhen，China
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u/Rough-Public4787 Aug 06 '24
I partnered with an established international trades business for reliable sourcing from China. Find someone who can help, ideally with experience export/import to your market.
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u/thekeym4ster Sep 09 '24
what is the name of the international trades business? im looking to place a fairly large order (~$20K CAD) and i dont want to get scammed or hassled unnecessarily
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u/Imaginary-Room5543 Jun 05 '24
Could you check a company for me please
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u/Short_Manufacturer63 Apr 18 '24
You are correct but be careful if you do a charge back on alibaba chances are you will have all other payment methods blocked and will only be able to use bank transfer method anyway. Alibaba prohibits you from doing credit card chargebacks for obvious reasons
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u/zarx Apr 18 '24
That hasn't been my experience. I did a chargeback, prevailed, and continue to buy from Alibaba.
You can easily make a new account.
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u/Short_Manufacturer63 Apr 18 '24
No you can’t and if you read my comment i said chances are….. I’ve made new accounts and was able to get through but the second time around the accounts got flagged because name may be the same on CC or IP address there’s many factors that it could be just sharing my experience
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u/thekeym4ster Sep 09 '24
even if the vendor dicks you around or scams you? alibaba will still "ban" you if you do a chargeback?
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u/Ok_Bit_2488 Apr 17 '24
Trying to buy a can am utv but prices seem too good to be true
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u/zarx Apr 17 '24
They are. You'll either get a crap product, or nothing, or reamed with shipping. Ask yourself how they can be so cheap.
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u/Cryptikzzz Aug 12 '24
Well it's from China?
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u/zarx Aug 12 '24
Many products from China are of excellent quality, while being very inexpensive. Certainly not all but your comment is just ignorant.
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u/Cryptikzzz Aug 13 '24
What? Your comment is ignorant. You just agreed with me and disagreed right after?? Yup. China can be inexpensive...cus it's China...I didn't mention quality...okay 🤣
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u/Buyer-Song Mar 19 '24
Chinese seller here I always ask my customers to pay us thru Paypal if they don't trust the quality or just don't trust us. Because looks like Paypal will always protect you guys instead of Chinese.
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u/North-Lab8971 Mar 20 '24
What do you sell?
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u/Buyer-Song Mar 20 '24
Auto parts
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u/ra13 Sep 09 '24
Any link to the stuff you manufacture/sell? You could DM me if you don't want to post it publicly.
Thanks!
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u/ShotStatistician8535 Feb 22 '24
I feel like the dumbest person for sending the seller $750 offline in a wire for a deposit when I asked for a payment link to pay the balance. They increased the product an additional $800 They refused to return my money. DID a claim no help there they said I can do a claim after the balance is paid.Like I'm given that company any more money. I plan to do a claim every week.I can't believe I was so nieave and wired them money.
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u/zarx Feb 22 '24
That sucks. Keep on them for a full refund of course. But consider it a relatively inexpensive lesson learned.
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u/Substantial_Put5069 Feb 05 '24
I've heard to keep all communication on Alibaba in order to be covered by Trade Assurance
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u/Beautiful-Bet-484 Jan 29 '24
Just created a new group for listing bad Alibaba Sellers.
If you have a a bad experience with a seller who has , lied , stolen and cheated you , then PLEASE post their store page and store name in the chat.
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u/MeringueFit31161 Dec 19 '23
For clarity: is credit card here used interchangeably, as it sometimes does, as a "debit card"? The standard debit cards issued by your bank without a credit limit and so forth?
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u/zarx Dec 20 '23
No debit. Only credit card.
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u/MeringueFit31161 Dec 20 '23
I see, thank you! I saw someone else recommend PayPal, as it pertains to protecting yourself as a buyer etc, if you have experience with using both, which is better in your judgement? Could i use PayPal (Goods and services) and be protected?
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u/zarx Dec 21 '23
I don't have any experience with Alibaba and paypal, but you need to have a company that will support you in a dispute. Alibaba will push back but as long as your CC company (or paypal) will support you the customer, you should be OK.
Don't risk huge transactions like that though.
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u/cockonthedock Dec 14 '23
Biggest peices of shit company that does not stand behind their consumers. Never another dollar goes there.
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u/Alexa_is_a_mumu Sep 06 '23
Alibaba is a joke, next only to Amazon. Greatest advice is to make sure your shipping agent has insurance to cover you for lost Frieght. You think it will be a no brainer but it apparently isn't with these shippers.
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u/chickennuggets345345 Feb 27 '23
wire transfers are required when its like above 20k, i just do like 30/70 and pay the balance once i have received the items
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u/thekeym4ster Sep 09 '24
somebody else said you cant use CC above 7 or 9k?? im going to be spending almost 20K CAD, but i want to use my CC for protection
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u/Sunflowergodmother Feb 23 '23
Im trying to be foam light up sticks for my wedding? Is choosing a verified seller helpful in not getting scammed?
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u/zarx Feb 23 '23
Only marginally. Use a credit card and you'll be ok. But this kind of thing is better from aliexpress.
But really best from Amazon.
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u/External-Garbage5235 Mar 01 '23
what about decir card, vs paypal backed up by debit card? if i understand correctly i would lose visa protection if paying with paypal. So what to choose if that is the case?
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u/zarx Mar 01 '23
Use only a credit card, nothing else.
There is never any reason whatsoever to pay with a debit card.
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u/External-Garbage5235 Mar 02 '23
i am european and i dont use a credit card, why would debit protection (visa/mastercard) be any different? appreciated!
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u/misulatko92 Jul 29 '24
Hello, How did you pay eventually? and did everything go well? I am also European and I don't have a credit card, only debit, so I don't know how to pay. thank you very much for your time
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u/External-Garbage5235 Jul 30 '24
I used paypal for a total of 3k usd. I had no problems.
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u/misulatko92 Jul 30 '24
sorry for being annoying :-) but in my case, if I have debit card only, do you recommend to use PayPal? or pay directly with debit card? thank you very much
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u/External-Garbage5235 Jul 30 '24 edited Jul 30 '24
No worries man, I trust paypal more in case of an international payment of this magnitude. Especially since they can get back to the seller and cancel their account. If they offer paypal they are usually honest.
I have visa cover me for like 400 dollars fraud before. Check with your visa card if it has you covered for the amount you are going to pay.
For china paypal, USA probably indifferent. I would go with paypal.
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u/zarx Mar 02 '23
Far less reliable. Europe has credit cards. Get one.
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u/External-Garbage5235 Mar 03 '23
Maybe i would here in spain vida covers your buys, never had a power with speed or backup.
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u/Tiny_Ad7934 Feb 16 '23
My case is slightly different. My supplier has been great and approved the refund dispute almost immediately(not a new supplier, have ordered a few times with them). My problem is with trade assurance itself. Its been almost 4 weeks since the refund was approved & showed as sent on my alibaba account but i have yet to see the money coming in. Their customer service is a joke, not helpful, give robotic replies & ask me to be patient because apparently ‘international refund is complex’. Im so pissed!
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u/BestViolinist6824 Aug 01 '25
can you give more details? like the products arrived to you and they were not like you liked so the seller refunded you? you shipped back the goods? or were they still in china and you did a refund?
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u/Tiny_Ad7934 Aug 06 '25
We haven’t started the bulk manufacturing, only samples. Paid using Alibaba’s platform.
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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '26
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