Poor quality and faulty products are quite inevitable especially when you’re buying your goods online. AliExpress, one of the biggest e-commerce websites in the world, can’t always bring us what we expect every time we purchase products from them. Human and machine error especially for goods manufactured in bulk are prone to being faulty especially when poor quality assurance is observed.
If you have ever encountered these issues, you don’t need to be worried so much because AliExpress has its Buyer Protection Program. This program allows you to send disputes and report inconveniences and other mishaps to the seller.
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How to Open Dispute on AliExpress 2022
Before filing a dispute, it is important to let the seller know about your complaint first. Also, don’t honor it if they said that they will be sending you a refund outside AliExpress. Make sure to file a dispute directly with AliExpress. Here is the step by step process of filing a dispute on AliExpress:
Step 1: Select the Product
The first step is to log in on your AliExpress account and check your order through the “My Orders” section. Once you have found the product for dispute, click on the check box beside the product you wish to file a complaint on.
Then, you can click on the “Open Dispute” button to move forward with the dispute process.
Step 2: Choose The Claim
On filing a dispute, there are currently two ways that the seller can compensate you for the inconvenience and these are “Refund Only” or “Return of Goods and Money”. This is up to the customer’s preference, but in all honesty getting a refund equates to a much less hassle transaction.
For refunds, this a customer can either have a partial or a full refund depending on the severity of the case. If ever a customer never received the goods, they are entitled to get a full refund, if there are missing or incomplete items, a partial refund can be made.
The return of goods and money applies when the supplier is not at fault. On the other hand, you might have to settle the shipping fee yourself. This still depends on the case, and constant communication with AliExpress and the seller should always be done.
Step 3: Fill the Dispute Application
Now that you have selected the type of dispute you want to resolve, the most important part of the process is the filling up of the details. To successfully create your dispute, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Choose the expected result or outcome of the dispute
- Answer the question, “Have you received the goods?”
- Indicate the expected amount of refund - this cannot be more than the price of the goods ordered
- Emphasize and fully explain the reason behind the dispute. Include all necessary details like defects, item differences, etc.
- Add as many photos, screenshots and videos as possible
- Click on submit
When Can You File a Dispute on AliExpress?
Below is a list of all the valid reasons that you can consider to open a dispute on AliExpress.
Faulty Product
Electronics and regular home items are usually the items considered under faulty products. If the product that you ordered is not functioning properly, or not functioning at all, you can open a dispute.
It is highly recommended to fully justify the reason behind your dispute. You can include photos and even video clips to show that the product is indeed faulty. It is your choice if you want to have a replacement for the product or a refund.
Item Not As Described
Purchasing goods online comes with a risk, and one common issue from customers receiving their items is that it does not look exactly as it was described on the site. On the other hand, slight imperfections may not be granted as a full refund because you have to consider that manufacturing companies produce their goods by batch.
This can result into a slightly different item like a little difference in the color of the item. On the other hand, if you received an entirely different item, you can reach out to the seller and open a dispute.
You have to take photos, measurements, and screenshots of how the item was described on the seller’s page.
Incomplete Order
Bulk or wholesale orders on AliExpress are very prevalent since buyers are usually third party sellers from various countries across the world. So, if you are one of the business people ordering from AliExpress, it is highly important to always record yourself opening those big boxes as soon as they arrive.
Talking about buying in bulk, missing and incomplete items can sometimes be an issue. You must always do an inventory check as soon as the package arrives so you can let the seller know if there are any missing items.
The seller can give you a partial refund for the items that didn’t arrive, or you can request to have the rest of the items shipped depending on your preference.
Order Didn’t Arrive
In case your order didn’t arrive according to the estimated time of delivery, filing a dispute can be your best option. You can take a screenshot of your purchase indicating the date that it is supposed to arrive and add it on your dispute application.
AliExpress can grant a full refund of your payment when this is proven to be true. One more tip is to file a dispute before the Buyer Protection period expires. Filing a dispute past the buyer protection date might lead to partial refunds only.
Order Tagged as Delivered But Not Received
There are several reasons why a package is tagged as delivered but it has not reached your doorstep yet. Before you file a dispute, you might want to know the reasons as to why this can happen:
- Human Error: The courier might have tagged your item as delivered accidentally even if it’s still on the way to your address.
- Fake or Wrong Tracking Number: The seller might have given a wrong or fake tracking number to AliExpress.
- Received By a Different Individual: If the receiver of the package is not at home, a friend or family member can receive the package on his/her behalf. If the delivery is successful, the package would be automatically tagged as delivered.
- Expired Protection Period: The buyer would need to click the item as delivered if there are no issues regarding the items. On the other hand, buyers can sometimes forget to tag the items as received. Once the order is past the protection period (the time where you can file a complaint regarding your received orders), AliExpress will automatically tag your package as delivered.
In case this happens to you, the best course of action is to ask the seller first about the status of delivery. You can also track your package on the courier’s website and if it happens to be delivered at a different address, that’s when you can file a dispute to the seller.
Getting Something Not Ordered
If you received something that was not supposed to be delivered to you, you can also file a dispute. Of course, if you were supposed to receive a garment but you received a phone charger instead, this is indeed a legitimate reason to file a dispute.
Make sure to include photos of the item you received and the list of items that you were supposed to be receiving. Attach all your receipts and proof on your dispute and send it to the seller for a refund.
AliExpress Final Verdict
Now that you have fully processed the dispute, it’s time to know the outcome. There are several results that you might receive, and the results will be most likely sent on your email. Here are the possible verdicts of your disputes:
- Full refund: If the package was never received, this can most likely be the result of your dispute.
- Full refund with return of goods that does not look like as described: With liberal amount of proof, the seller can pay for the refund or ask you to ship the items back. The shipping fee will also be covered by the supplier.
- Full refund with the return of goods with shipping at the buyer’s expense: If the customer is at fault and they wanted to send the items back.
- Partial refund: In case the items have defects or some are missing, a partial refund can be given to the customer.
Customers must know that their disputes cannot always be granted, because it is still subject to thorough investigation and process. On the other hand, AliExpress sellers are very well known to live up to satisfactory customer service, so your complaints will definitely be addressed every time.
It is quite inevitable to never have any issues especially when you’re ordering online. But opening a dispute can really help you get the most out of what you pay for on AliExpress. Have you ever tried processing a dispute on AliExpress? Tell us about your experience below!
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