Home / Complaints, courts, consumer rights / Consumer rights
Back
Published: September 24, 2018
Reading time: 8 min
0
362
The work of Aliexpress is regulated by Article 23 of the Law of the Russian Federation of 02/07/1992 No. 2300-1 “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, Article 1221 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the online store’s own guarantee of return and delivery.
- Reasons for return
- How can I return an item to the seller? Opening a dispute
- Dispute decision
Often, it is the site’s own warranty that resolves all disputes that arise between the buyer and seller.
Returning goods to Aliexpress
The provisions of the Law on Consumer Protection of 1992 No. 2300-1 do not apply to purchases of goods from abroad.
Aliexpress is a Chinese online store and operates according to the laws of its country. Therefore, we need to seek justice differently.
Important! First of all, you need to notify the seller and platform employee about the problem. Don't even try to resolve the situation with the seller yourself. Ali Express support representatives are always on the buyer's side.
Depending on the situation, you must choose the appropriate return method.
Possible options:
- Refund without sending the goods
- Return of goods and money.
Let's consider which option is appropriate to choose in your situation.
Refund without sending the goods
You ordered a T-shirt. But instead of red it came black. The size matches. But I wanted red. But you can also wear black.
So, if the situation is not critical, then you need to inform the seller about it. Depending on how significant the error is, the seller will offer to return part of the money.
As a rule, the buyer can count on an amount from 30 to 90% of the cost of the goods.
At the same time, you are freed from shipping problems. And the black T-shirt is yours.
Return of goods and money
But here's another situation. You ordered a woman's handbag, but a man's hat came through. And now you don’t need it at all.
In such a situation, you will also have to open a dispute. Moreover, you must notify the seller that you plan to return the goods.
The funds will be returned to your account within 21 days. The period begins to be calculated not from the moment the goods are sent, but from the moment the seller receives the parcel.
Since August 2021, buyers from Russia have the opportunity to return goods from Ali Express even if they are of proper quality. In this situation, it is necessary to send the goods, the seller will return the money.
Important! It is necessary to first clarify whether the seller provides such a service. If such an opportunity is provided, a special free return icon is placed on the product page. Typically, this service does not apply to lingerie, custom wedding dresses and smartphones.
In addition, this opportunity applies to receiving goods. If the parcel contains another product or a substitution, it is necessary to prove the fact of violation.
Reasons for return
The online store provides guarantees for the return of goods and funds in the following cases:
- The purchase is very different from the stated characteristics on the website.
- The purchase arrived defective.
- The order was not received due to reasons beyond the control of the client.
- The order was not received due to the supplier's failure to pay customs duties.
- The client requested a refund using the opening of a dispute.
All these points are fixed on the official Aliexpress website in the “Buyer Protection” tab.
It is important to have photo and video evidence to confirm the purchase is inconsistent.
Who pays for shipping the goods?
Since August 2021, Ali Express offers free returns within 14 days.
To do this you need:
- open dispute;
- to get the code;
- present the code at the post office.
Funds will be credited to your account within 21 days from the moment the seller receives the package.
The list of returnable goods includes more than 10 million items. But that's not all yet. If your item is not returnable, you must return the item at your own expense.
The cost of a parcel depends on several criteria:
- weight of goods;
- region of the Russian Federation from which the shipment is carried out.
As a rule, residents of the Russian Federation use Russian Post to send parcels.
Before negotiating with the seller to return the goods, it is advisable to calculate the cost of shipping.
You can find a parcel cost calculator on the Russian Post website.
To make the calculation you need to follow 4 steps:
- Enter the address of the sender, recipient and weight of the parcel.
- Select a delivery method. Only expedited and EMS can be sent to China.
- Select additional services. It's really not worth it. This will increase the cost.
- Select parcel registration (online or at the post office without queuing).
After some simple calculations, it turns out that sending a package weighing 200 grams. from Moscow to China in 2021 will cost you 480 rubles. And the shipping period will be 11 – 14 days.
Is it possible and how to return goods to the store without a receipt? Step by step order
How to return a technically complex product? Step-by-step return procedure
Procedure and terms for refund
Refunds from the online store go to the account number from which the payment was made.
After the tracking number is sent to the seller, the timer will start for 30 days. After this time, the money will be returned to the client regardless of whether the package reaches the recipient or not.
The average time to return money to an e-wallet is several days, to bank cards - 7-10 days. It may increase due to the New Year holidays in China in February. This applies to cases where 100% compensation is provided.
If an agreement is reached on an incomplete refund amount when the goods remain with the buyer, then the money is returned by the supplier within 10 days.
Step-by-step instructions on how to issue a return
Aliexpress in 2021 is one of the largest online trading platforms. Therefore, the return rules are approved in great detail.
To get your money back, you must follow them strictly.
Stage 1. We do not confirm receipt
From the moment you receive the goods, you have 15 days to confirm delivery. But confirmation is a right, not an obligation, of the buyer.
As practice shows, the seller is more willing to make contact. Since this affects the store statistics.
Stage 2 Collecting evidence
Proving a defect or investment error is the responsibility of the buyer. Therefore, when purchasing expensive goods (electronics, smartphones, tablets), it is advisable to make a video recording of the unpacking. Moreover, preferably in front of witnesses.
So, your friend films the unpacking process on his phone, and you slowly remove the packaging and comment on each step. Be sure to record the parcel with the tracking number and the integrity of the packaging.
If we are talking about a wardrobe item, then show in the video holes, bias stitches, and show the discrepancy between the product model and the order.
If the product is electronics, then show how it works and whether it works at all. The more detailed the evidence, the greater the chances of receiving funds.
Important! It is necessary to make an unpacking video for each parcel. You cannot be sure of the quality and safety of the goods. And the video recording is practically the only significant evidence.
It is also necessary to take screenshots of correspondence with the seller. For example, he convinces you that a wedding dress will fit size 50, and a measuring tape shows a waist size of 20 cm.
Stage 3. Open a dispute
Instead of confirming receipt, you must click on the “Open dispute” button. In the form that opens, you must indicate what exactly you are interested in: a refund or a return of goods and money.
Important! A dispute can only be opened within 15 days of receipt.
If you are willing to consider a compromise, then indicate how much you expect. It is recommended to indicate an amount ranging from 30 to 90% of the cost of the goods. Remember, in this case, the received goods will remain with you.
Additionally, you must indicate the reasons for the dispute. Describe the situation and attach video and photos.
The situation with returning goods is more complicated.
In this case it is necessary:
- explain the reasons for returning the goods;
- demand a 100% refund;
- within 10 days, send the seller the tracking number of the parcel in which you sent the goods.
Information about problems with the product can be brought to the attention of the seller. Moreover, the message must be written in English. If you have problems with languages, you can use Google translator. But this is optional.
Stage 4 We are waiting for a decision
Within 5 days the seller must offer you a compromise. But you should not cancel the dispute until the funds arrive in your account.
If the seller does not get in touch, then the support service specialists will make a decision on their own.
Note! When corresponding with the seller in private messages or in a dispute, you must adhere to the standards of decency. We do not swear or insult the seller. Customer service reacts negatively to rudeness.
Possible nuances:
- When requesting a partial refund, the seller may ask to return the item. Agree, because the return is at his expense.
- The seller can negotiate the amount of compensation. Here the issue is decided at your discretion.
- The seller offers to refuse the dispute and guarantees a refund. Under no circumstances agree to this.
How to properly return an item to the seller
Refunds are made only with 100% compensation for the purchase. In case of partial reimbursement, it remains with the client.
An important factor in carrying out the transaction is the cost of shipping. Almost all sellers pass on the cost of shipping to the buyer, so in the case of an inexpensive product, the best solution would be a partial refund of the amount or a discount on subsequent purchases.
If the client wants to issue a return to the supplier, it should be done correctly:
- Get the exact address of the seller.
- Send the parcel within 10 days after providing the data.
- At the post office, carefully pack the parcel.
- Pay shipping costs (non-refundable).
- Send the tracking number to the seller . It would be a good idea to take a photo or video of the shipment and take a photo of the receipt in case the supplier wants to open a return dispute.
Opening a dispute
There is no point in writing to the seller in private messages. When the buyer pays for the order, the money is not transferred to the store's account. The seller can make a profit only after the order is confirmed by the client. Therefore, we cannot do without a dispute.
When opening a dispute, you will have to explain the reason. Don't write why. Keep it short and concise. The seller and the administration are not interested in reading other people's complaints. Provide evidence.
Stores with a good reputation will offer solutions right away. Fraudsters will start asking for the dispute to be closed and complaining about life.
Sending goods to China
It is important to pack the product correctly. We recommend contacting the post office. They know how to perform the operation correctly. If the purchase is packaged incorrectly, the seller will not agree to return the money.
It is not necessary to save tags and packaging bags if you bought clothes or household appliances. If the administration’s decision is incomplete and you need to send the item for diagnostics, you will have to try to collect everything that was originally in the box.
It is better to send the goods for diagnostics by a reliable courier service. No one monitors the product at the post office. The package may be damaged. The seller will accuse the buyer of negligence.
Attach the track number so the seller can track the parcel. The administration gives three days for this operation. After the deadline has passed, the buyer will not be able to prove that he poisoned the identification.
It is better to choose a partial refund. Sending goods to China is an expensive and unnecessary waste of time and money.
Cashback with Aliexpress
Aliexpress provides affiliate programs within which money is returned from the order amount, that is, the buyer makes a purchase on the site, and the service returns a fixed percentage to him. Cashback is external resources that work this way: the buyer selects a product on Aliexpress, follows the cashback service link to the store, makes a purchase, and after receiving the product, returns part of the money to him. You can consider cashback as a discount that is given not before payment, but after receiving the order. These services cause many buyers to doubt their reliability, and there are many such services on the Internet now. It is impossible to say unequivocally which cashback from Aliexpress is the most reliable, since different resources offer different percentages of returns. We recommend that before placing an expensive order on Aliexpress, you check the cashback on a cheap product, since the Internet has both truly reliable services and fly-by-night resources whose activities are not affiliated with Aliexpress.
Cashback, a popular saving method, is popular among online shopping enthusiasts. In order to use cashback on Aliexpress, you need to register on one of the appropriate resources or install the application on your smartphone. Then log in to Aliexpress and make a payment, after which you will receive a discount, which you can use only after confirmation of receipt. This cashback principle works on all services offering a discount on Aliexpress.
When will the money be returned?
Usually the money arrives on your card quite quickly. AliExpress itself states a period of 3–20 business days. The dispute is over and has not received a refund by credit card. When returning goods, count this period from the moment the seller receives the parcel.
If the money is not returned, take a stamped statement from the bank, mark on it the transfer you used to pay for the goods, and contact AliExpress customer service.
What to do?
If you carefully study the site, you can see the order protection period. During this period, the consumer can open a dispute and return the funds spent. Set a reminder in your phone. When the deadline passes, the administration will not be able to help the customer.
Do not contact the seller through personal correspondence. He may promise to fix the situation, but do nothing.
Preparation
Develop the habit of filming unpacking packages. There is no better proof. During filming, carefully examine the product and look for defects. If there is an unpleasant odor, it will not be possible to prove it. The administration will not believe the buyer. There should be no pauses in the video. No installation required. This will only confuse the site staff.
If the product was damaged during transportation, there is no point in opening a dispute. The post office is to blame and the employees will have to sort it out. If a defect was noticed in the department, unpack the parcel in front of the employees. Demand compensation.
One video is not enough. Take advantage of all the possibilities of modern technology. Take photos. If you ordered electronics, make a video of the device in operation. Prove your innocence.
Don't forget about buyer protection periods. Preparing evidence is important, but useless if opening a dispute is impossible.
