AliExpress Return Policy
By Corbin HartwickUpdated on March 11, 2022
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We hope it doesn’t happen, but there may be an unfortunate occasion when something doesn’t go quite right with your order from AliExpress. The item you get may be missing parts, not work properly, or be defective in some other way. You may get the wrong item, or your order may not arrive at all.
Fortunately, AliExpress realizes that mistakes do happen sometimes, and so they’ve put a system in place to help you work with sellers to reach a reasonable arrangement for returning, replacing, or refunding an item. This lesson will teach you all about how it works and how to use it.
What is the AliExpress return policy?
AliExpress sellers usually set their own return policies, so you will have to deal directly with them to work out returns, replacements, or refunds. If you can’t reach an agreement with a seller, you can ask AliExpress to intervene, and they’ll make a judgment based on the evidence provided.
More about returns, replacements, and refunds on AliExpress
You can see the return policy for a particular seller on AliExpress on the information page for any item in their store, as shown here:
If you have a problem with one of your orders on AliExpress, your first step should be to contact the seller (or sellers) who sold you the item(s) in question. Try to reach an agreement with them on what a reasonable resolution would be, and then go from there. If you reach an impasse, you can open a dispute with that seller (or sellers), which AliExpress will moderate and, if necessary, make a judgment on.
Your timeline for opening a dispute with a seller on AliExpress starts six days after the seller has shipped (or was supposed to have shipped) your order or item. The deadline for opening a dispute varies depending on which shipping option you chose for your order, as illustrated here:
- DHL, TNT, UPS, or FedEx — 23 days after shipping
- Japan Post EMS or SF Express — 27 days after shipping
- China Post or Hong Kong Post — 39 days after shipping
See our tutorial on how to buy from AliExpress for more on selecting shipping options.
How to return items on AliExpress
To return items to a seller on AliExpress, start by contacting the seller and working out the details of your return, replacement, and/or refund. If you can’t reach a fair deal, call in AliExpress and let them make a judgment call. Then simply apply proper postage to your order and drop it off at a post office.
How to contact a seller on AliExpress
1. Go to www.aliexpress.com and log in.
2. Move your mouse cursor over your name in the upper-right corner, and click My Orders.
3. Find the order that you’re having a problem with, and near where it says “Seller”, click Contact Now (you may have to move your mouse cursor over the seller’s name to see it, or click the seller’s name to go to their page and find it there).
4. Click in the box labelled “Message” and type in what you want to say to the seller. You can also click Upload a Photo, search for a picture of your order on your computer, and include it with your message. This may help the seller see the issue with your order. When you’re ready to send your message, click Send.
5. If you want to see any unread messages that you have received from sellers whom you have ordered from, move your mouse cursor over your name in the upper-right corner, click My Orders, and then click Unread Order Messages. Then simply click on the title of the message that you wish to read.
Repeat this process until you get something worked out with the seller! If you can’t, read on.
How to open a dispute with a seller
1. Go to www.aliexpress.com and log in.
2. Move your mouse cursor over your name in the upper-right corner, and click My Orders.
3. Find the order that you’re having a problem with, and click Open Dispute beside it.
(Image source: AliExpress)
4. You will now have to fill out a form detailing whether or not you have received your order yet, whether you want a full refund or a partial one, and whether or not you wish to return your order. You will also need to write a detailed description of your issue with your order, and why the problem cannot be resolved with the seller.
(Image source: AliExpress)
5. You will also need to provide pictures of your order to act as evidence in your dispute. Click Browse to open an explorer window, find the photo file on your computer that you wish to use, click it to select it, and then click Open. Then click Add Attachments. Repeat for as many pictures as you feel is necessary.
(Image source: AliExpress)
When you’re done, click Submit.
6. You and the seller will now communicate and negotiate, as you would have in the previous section. If you still can’t get your issue solved, repeat steps 1 and 2 in this section, click Disputes, and then click Escalate Dispute beside the order where negotiation has stalled.
(Image source: AliExpress)
7. If you are sure that you want to escalate your dispute, click Escalate Dispute on the next screen. Your complaint will be sent to the AliExpress Dispute Team, who will evaluate the evidence on both sides and eventually rule in favour of either you or the seller.
(Image source: AliExpress)
We’re sorry to hear that you had a problem with your order that caused you to want to return it. At least now you know the steps that you should take before making a return! Next up in our AliExpress course, we’re going to cover a more positive topic: how to use coupons save money on your orders!