Buying from AliExpress; the Pro and Cons
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Buying from AliExpress; the Pro and Cons
The advantages and disadvantages of buying from Ali Express.
AliExpress is a huge distribution based in China, moving mostly Chinese goods to customers across the world.
The manufacturer is much closer to the sales platform, cutting out the middle man and passing on the cost saving from selling on ALiExpress to the customer. AliExpress can easily be the cheapest place to buy an Android Headunit.
There is a huge range of prices, specifications and models of Android Headunits on AliExpress, far more than any other retailer. This opens up the options and choices for the customer to find exactly what they are looking for.
It is very easy to order through AliExpress, just as easy as eBay and Amazon; just a few clicks can get the product sent to your door.
Most products are shipped from China. This can bring delays in the shipping (up to 30 days), and extra costs are incurred for expedited shipping. Some shipping methods attract the recipient countries' Customs inspections and additional charges to be paid by the customer before delivery will be made.
There can be local shipping from a container in your country when the customs duties have already been paid and delivery times are much reduced, but this doesn't help with returns.
If you are unlucky enough to have a dead-on-arrival (DOA) headunit, then you are due a refund or replacement on your purchase. The problem is the cost of sending it back. Even if your headunit was supplied from a local shipping container, the return will still go back to China with the high shipping costs involved.
If your head unit is not as advertised, has a minor fault or has suffered some damage that still allows it to function, you can complain, and the cost of returning it is prohibitively expensive. The offer could be a partial refund. The partial refund is sweetening the deal that was soured by the problems. It can be better to accept the partial refund, but will it affect any future warranty?
It can be very difficult to solve problems or tackle warranty issues when the company is based in China, and you can only chat with them in a small box on the screen. You may not speak Chinese, and they may not speak English as a first language. You may be unwilling to return the faulty headunit due to the costs, and the shop will try to avoid losing any money in the process. You are on your own if the shop won't engage with you over faulty, incompatible or miss-sold hardware.
.
AliExpress is a huge distribution based in China, moving mostly Chinese goods to customers across the world.
The advantages of buying an Android Headunit from AliExpress are:
Cheaper cost
The manufacturer is much closer to the sales platform, cutting out the middle man and passing on the cost saving from selling on ALiExpress to the customer. AliExpress can easily be the cheapest place to buy an Android Headunit.
Range
There is a huge range of prices, specifications and models of Android Headunits on AliExpress, far more than any other retailer. This opens up the options and choices for the customer to find exactly what they are looking for.
Easy Ordering
It is very easy to order through AliExpress, just as easy as eBay and Amazon; just a few clicks can get the product sent to your door.
The Problems of Buying an Android Headunit from AliExpress
China
Most products are shipped from China. This can bring delays in the shipping (up to 30 days), and extra costs are incurred for expedited shipping. Some shipping methods attract the recipient countries' Customs inspections and additional charges to be paid by the customer before delivery will be made.
Local
There can be local shipping from a container in your country when the customs duties have already been paid and delivery times are much reduced, but this doesn't help with returns.
Returns
If you are unlucky enough to have a dead-on-arrival (DOA) headunit, then you are due a refund or replacement on your purchase. The problem is the cost of sending it back. Even if your headunit was supplied from a local shipping container, the return will still go back to China with the high shipping costs involved.
If your head unit is not as advertised, has a minor fault or has suffered some damage that still allows it to function, you can complain, and the cost of returning it is prohibitively expensive. The offer could be a partial refund. The partial refund is sweetening the deal that was soured by the problems. It can be better to accept the partial refund, but will it affect any future warranty?
Warranty
It can be very difficult to solve problems or tackle warranty issues when the company is based in China, and you can only chat with them in a small box on the screen. You may not speak Chinese, and they may not speak English as a first language. You may be unwilling to return the faulty headunit due to the costs, and the shop will try to avoid losing any money in the process. You are on your own if the shop won't engage with you over faulty, incompatible or miss-sold hardware.
Overall
You can save a lot of money buying an Android Headunit from ALiExpress, and many have been successful. But this lowest price option is balanced with limited possibilities for the shop to provide solutions to problems you may have. If you don't want to take a potential risk, then AliExpress's high-value purchase may not be for you. But if you are willing to save some money in the hope that everything goes well, you read the reviews, checked your Customs rules and crossed your fingers, then AliEpress is the place to shop .-
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