How to buy from AliExpress without getting burned

Most bad AliExpress purchases are not scams. They are small misunderstandings about what was sold, what shipping actually costs, and who fixes it when the box arrives wrong. The platform is fine at refunds. The problem is that people only read the listing after they are disappointed.

This is the checklist we use before any product card goes on haulune.

Read the seller, not the hero image

Open the store page and look at three numbers: how long the store has been open, the positive feedback percentage, and the number of followers. A store with 2,000 orders and 94% positive is usually safer than a brand-new store at 100% with 12 orders.

Then sort reviews by with photos. The default sort shows the five-star reviews with the best lighting. Photo reviews show the object in someone's kitchen, next to a hand or a mug, which tells you the real size and finish. If every photo looks like the same studio render, keep scrolling.

Do the landed price math

The item price is not the price. Add:

• shipping, which can be free on one variant and $6 on another;
• the difference between the cheapest and the tracked shipping option;
• duties, if your country charges them on the declared value;
• the cost of a return, which is often more than the item.

haulune product cards show an estimated landed price for this reason. A $4 gadget with $9 shipping is a $13 purchase, and $13 changes whether it is a good deal.

Check the variant before checkout

Cheap listings often use one price for the smallest size or a single piece, then charge more for the version in the video. Click the exact colour, size and plug type. Read the variant name carefully. If the video shows a 6-pack and the default is a 1-pack, the price on the card is honest and your expectation was wrong.

Know what a dispute can and cannot fix

AliExpress buyer protection covers items that never arrive, arrive damaged, or are clearly not as described. It does not cover:

• ordering the wrong variant;
• buyer's remorse after the item arrives in good condition;
• damage caused after delivery;
• a colour that looks different on your screen.

Open the dispute with photos and a short video of the parcel and the product. Keep the packaging. Sellers respond faster when the evidence is already attached.

When to walk away

Skip the listing if the only reviews are in a language unrelated to the store, if the seller asks you to pay outside the platform, or if the product is a branded item at a price that cannot be real. Replicas are not a "good deal"; they are a refund, a customs risk, and a waste of a Saturday.

The short version: seller history, photo reviews, landed price, exact variant, and a dispute plan. Five minutes of reading saves most of the disappointment.