Ordering off Aliexpress? Advice?

wawiel said:
Stay away from AliExpress. Put in an order and paid for it end of November 2025. Expected delivery 21 December 2025. I keep following up with no response. I filed for refund and get a dispute answer. By end January 2026 after numerous follow up on the website, I get this immediate automated responses that the case is closed. Too late in their terms for the refund. Responses looked like automatic replies. On the tracking it still shows that customs need to be paid, but I received no information. They have may email and mobile number.
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You can open a chargeback with your bank
 
I've had two successful AliExpress orders, an R36S Plus and an android auto/apple carplay module for my car.

My third order however has been stuck at an airport since December. With AliExpress "stepping in" and telling to ask for a refund. But the support chat and the seller chat that I check in with every few days is just an AI chatbot that says it's on the way don't be worried wait another 50 something days
 
josh-ct said:
@Jet-Fighter7700 AliExpress Standard Shipping these days means that they'll air-freight it and then a logistics company will do the customs processing and delivery to your door.

I just got scammed by Meili Logistics again.

Bought some RAM for R750 (+R96 shipping) and have now been charged 52% of the item cost: R393 by Meili Logistics.

Okay, now Meili have changed their label. Previously they used to label it as "Import duties and VAT"
But now they write "Local costs, including VAT and duty"
So now they admit that they're charging for delivery.
There's no duty on RAM. So the VAT is R113; which means Meili are charging me R280 for delivery.

Bear in mind that I already paid R96 for (supposedly) delivery.
So total delivery cost is R376; more than half the cost of the RAM.

Pretty wild.

Crazy that in AU, NZ, US, UK, CA etc. People can buy hardware for cheap and usually get free delivery.
We do have local markets here and with the prices we pay it might be worth trying to get stuff from FBM but I typically don't because of the time it takes to ensure the person you're buying from is not a scammer, selling you something defective or maybe wants to rob you or kill you etc.

Plus the need to go there and coordinate.

For that reason I typically buy the lower value items online exclusively. It just comes to my door. For the time it would take to deal with FBM, especially if it goes wrong and I buy 5hit that ends up not working etc...
It's better to just buy from a reputable seller and get fleeced on delivery.

Jeez the RAM just keeps going up hey.
It was R300 per pair when I looked a week ago. R350 when I bought 2 pairs.
Now R390 a week later. for DDR3!!! Nevermind DDR4 or DDR5. RAM is crazy.
View attachment 1883139

Somehow I feel hopeful that the situation will improve.
It's already so much better than suffering with the post office. I went through hell.

View attachment 1883140
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Seriously, **** these guys.
In the invoices they provided me, they charged just R100 for their fees. The test was for made up customs charges which they had to remove when SARS entered the chat.
 
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:
Fingers crossed, let us know.

What I've done a few times in the past with higher value items, is find one doing free/low cost shipping, get it sent to the Aramex Hong Kong address which is quick, then from there to me. That was ~ three years ago. Not sure how well it will work now.
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So I ordered the HBA controller on 29 January and received it just now via Buffalo Courier. That’s incredibly fast for a shipment from China. I didn’t select any specific shipping option when I bought the HBA controller, it was just the default shipment one. Maybe it’s simply how eBay handles these shipments? I don't know, but I’m very impressed.

I'm definitely going to buy some more in the future through eBay.
 
henkthehunter said:
So I ordered the HBA controller on 29 January and received it just now via Buffalo Courier. That’s incredibly fast for a shipment from China. I didn’t select any specific shipping option when I bought the HBA controller, it was just the default shipment one. Maybe it’s simply how eBay handles these shipments? I don't know, but I’m very impressed.

I'm definitely going to buy some more in the future through eBay.
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I've always liked buffalo courier. They've done banggood deliveries for decades.
 
henkthehunter said:
So I ordered the HBA controller on 29 January and received it just now via Buffalo Courier. That’s incredibly fast for a shipment from China. I didn’t select any specific shipping option when I bought the HBA controller, it was just the default shipment one. Maybe it’s simply how eBay handles these shipments? I don't know, but I’m very impressed.

I'm definitely going to buy some more in the future through eBay.
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That's very interesting that Chinese eBay sellers are now also using couriers for their free shipping, what was the import duties/fees like?
 
henkthehunter said:
So I ordered the HBA controller on 29 January and received it just now via Buffalo Courier. That’s incredibly fast for a shipment from China. I didn’t select any specific shipping option when I bought the HBA controller, it was just the default shipment one. Maybe it’s simply how eBay handles these shipments? I don't know, but I’m very impressed.

I'm definitely going to buy some more in the future through eBay.
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henkthehunter said:
I didn't pay any duties/fees.😅
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Glad it worked out so well. Also nice to know this is an option :)
 
mybroadband.co.za

Chinese online store bigger than Temu, Shein, and Amazon tested in South Africa

MyBroadband recently ordered a product from Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress and was impressed with the quality of our item, quick delivery turnaround, and frequent order progress updates.
mybroadband.co.za mybroadband.co.za

No link to forum, how surprising...

*edit* I take it back. Forum link is there.

Somehow, R75 duties on a R45 item is a good deal.
 
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DarkStarMonday said:
Temu actually started this whole 3rd party clearance agency type of ****. People wanted their **** quicker here and eventually it started with Buffalo Logistics, then moving onto others like Imile and SpeedAF etc.

It’s really there to speed things up tbh, unfortunately they need to take their cut for the services.
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I received items quicker through SAPO (via AliExpress) Than SpeedAF. I have 3 parcels with AliExpress (SpeedAF/Meili) currently that are at 13+ Days. With SAPO I would have had it at day 9. I order a lot from Ali (or used to until I had to deal with exuberant fees from SpeedAF/Meili), where as with SAPO (new pricing) I paid R85 for a small box and that was it.

I have items now coming from Ali where the fees to get it are more than the product itself.
 
B-1 said:
I've always liked buffalo courier. They've done banggood deliveries for decades.
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Buffalo is not the issue, I think we all can agree they do a good job. They also very good with communications, and I'm at the point where I know the delivery guy by name and we greet and talk to each other whenever we pass each other in the street or mall.
 
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jeevadotnet said:
I received items quicker through SAPO (via AliExpress) Than SpeedAF. I have 3 parcels with AliExpress (SpeedAF/Meili) currently that are at 13+ Days. With SAPO I would have had it at day 9. I order a lot from Ali (or used to until I had to deal with exuberant fees from SpeedAF/Meili), where as with SAPO (new pricing) I paid R85 for a small box and that was it.

I have items now coming from Ali where the fees to get it are more than the product itself.
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Well I understand more or less how it works as I worked in the shipping industry.

I bought a second hand switch from an online retailer last year and paid R250 for delivery.

I bought an anbernic handheld console from Ali and was charged R300 total for everything.

R50 ain’t gonna break the bank.
 
Phew.. I didn't get ripped a new one. Bought something for R157 and was dreading the fees payment when I saw it was allocated to iMile. Turns out it's a modest R92 which compares favourably to the SAPO fees.
 
calypso said:
mybroadband.co.za

Chinese online store bigger than Temu, Shein, and Amazon tested in South Africa

MyBroadband recently ordered a product from Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress and was impressed with the quality of our item, quick delivery turnaround, and frequent order progress updates.
mybroadband.co.za mybroadband.co.za

No link to forum, how surprising...

*edit* I take it back. Forum link is there.

Somehow, R75 duties on a R45 item is a good deal.
Click to expand...
That would be no different than SAPO fees.

Edit: Oh Christ the headline of that article. Jassis :ROFL:
 
abudabi said:
Phew.. I didn't get ripped a new one. Bought something for R157 and was dreading the fees payment when I saw it was allocated to iMile. Turns out it's a modest R92 which compares favourably to the SAPO fees.
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Unregistered SAPO still somewhere in UAE vs a very lucky iMile that's almost at my door. I can get used to this.
1771830146866.png


Has anyone else also gotten decent rates from Meili lately or was this all my luck used up for the month?
 
ninjaman509 said:
I've had two successful AliExpress orders, an R36S Plus and an android auto/apple carplay module for my car.

My third order however has been stuck at an airport since December. With AliExpress "stepping in" and telling to ask for a refund. But the support chat and the seller chat that I check in with every few days is just an AI chatbot that says it's on the way don't be worried wait another 50 something days
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Finally got my refund from AliExpress. Parcel still hasn't moved but that's fine. Will only stick to known trusted stores with proper tracking like BOYHOM that I got my R36S Plus from with no issues and fast shipping
 
Latest [ebay but it is relevant] order took 5 weeks to arrive via the Post Office. Very happy to pay R41.40 on the order of R1300 (roller consumables for equipment at work). Also first instance that I received an SMS collection notification.

Update : declaration printer parts, value 5USD. Package was 27cmx16cmx7cm. Would have preferred a honest declaration since a more deligent worker would have flagged it and demanded banking statement and screenshots etc. Checking the cupboard I see the previous package two years back was via Buffalo..
 
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