Good way to save money, but I don't like the interface and app-focus of the e-commerce site (some features are locked and only available via the bloated 100MB+ app that I don't want wasting storage on my phone), and it is very difficult to search without getting results from previous items you searched for and no longer care about. Selecting different sorting options sometimes yields no results, which is really annoying. The site also seems to not like Firefox, especially when the browser is configured to block trackers and prevent fingerprinting. I wish I could sort items by "price + shipping: low to high" like I can on eBay, but as other people have said, you will find various generic shops that are actually scams, so you need to be careful and find the direct manufacturer's store to avoid going through trouble. From what I read, AliExpress's return policy and money back guarantee is even better than eBay's. Also, during major sales, sellers will often skyrocket their prices, so it's good to use a tool like Pricearchive to see the price history on the item (you need to know the item in advance and enter it on the website so it logs the history, and then you have to wait for weeks or months before a sale to see if the price goes down enough to meet your budget). The sales can be worth it as the coupons can knock off the cost by a few more bucks than if you waited for the item during a non-sale when it was lower in price. I like that I am supporting Chinese businesses, though keep in mind Alibaba has R&D centers in Israel. Not sure why.
I ordered some soldering equipment during this last holiday, and I wanted some of NorthridgeFix's items, but I found the equivalent products for much cheaper on AliExpress and was able to save a lot of money. However, NF does quality checks on all of his items and also gets custom orders of the products he finds from sellers on AliExpress to adjust the tool to match the best features of all of the others he tested, which is why his items cost more. I tried to look for items that were likely not among these custom improved products, and I believe I made the right choices.
Good way to save money, but I don't like the interface and app-focus of the e-commerce site (some features are locked and only available via the bloated 100MB+ app that I don't want wasting storage on my phone), and it is very difficult to search without getting results from previous items you searched for and no longer care about. Selecting different sorting options sometimes yields no results, which is really annoying. The site also seems to not like Firefox, especially when the browser is configured to block trackers and prevent fingerprinting. I wish I could sort items by "price + shipping: low to high" like I can on eBay, but as other people have said, you will find various generic shops that are actually scams, so you need to be careful and find the direct manufacturer's store to avoid going through trouble. From what I read, AliExpress's return policy and money back guarantee is even better than eBay's. Also, during major sales, sellers will often skyrocket their prices, so it's good to use a tool like Pricearchive to see the price history on the item (you need to know the item in advance and enter it on the website so it logs the history, and then you have to wait for weeks or months before a sale to see if the price goes down enough to meet your budget). The sales can be worth it as the coupons can knock off the cost by a few more bucks than if you waited for the item during a non-sale when it was lower in price. I like that I am supporting Chinese businesses, though keep in mind Alibaba has R&D centers in Israel. Not sure why.
I ordered some soldering equipment during this last holiday, and I wanted some of NorthridgeFix's items, but I found the equivalent products for much cheaper on AliExpress and was able to save a lot of money. However, NF does quality checks on all of his items and also gets custom orders of the products he finds from sellers on AliExpress to adjust the tool to match the best features of all of the others he tested, which is why his items cost more. I tried to look for items that were likely not among these custom improved products, and I believe I made the right choices.