Ali Express

[Gunk]

Expensive clothes are also likely to use exploitation but you are paying extra for the branding on top.

My daughter works for a high end fashion label and this is definitely not the case, they only use certified fabric and suppliers. the suppliers/manufacturers are regularly checked and audited, but it means that the landed cost of each garment is significantly higher than most High Street brands.

 

[wafter]

Expensive clothes are also likely to use exploitation but you are paying extra for the branding on top.

I think this sums up the whole issue with most products from AE - often they're the exact same item as sold by a UK retailer; the only difference is the presence of a middle-man with his hand out driving the price up enormously.

That said, exploitation / environmental elements aside the advantage of said middleman is that you at least have some comeback under UK law if there are any issues.

Personally I'd be wary of buying anything health-adjacent (i.e. related to food, clothing etc) on AE as the Chinese seem to have a bit of a rep for putting all sorts of nasty stuff in their products..

 

[derrick]

My problem with clothing that cheap is the concern over origin and supply chain, you can’t guarantee that it’s free from child labour/exploitation and how the fabric is produced, lots of cheap producers in the far east pump dye into rivers.

Then a lot of worldwide companies buy from them and sell for inflated prices.

 

[derrick]

My daughter works for a high end fashion label and this is definitely not the case, they only use certified fabric and suppliers. the suppliers/manufacturers are regularly checked and audited, but it means that the landed cost of each garment is significantly higher than most High Street brands.

A bit like Mcdonalds burgers.

 

[FrankCrank]

A bit like Mcdonalds burgers.

Mistake people make is they throw away the box and eat the burger, 'stead of other way round

 

[sevenfourate]

I’m an Ali Express fanboi to some degree.

And last Sat or Sunday I noticed some items I wanted; were on sale in the ‘Choice offer’ (Buy 3 items totalling £10 or something - and get free and fast delivery. The deed was done 👍

Items were despatch lightening fast. And made their way across various Chinese warehouses and depots. Onto an Airport where they were loaded onto a flight pretty damned quick. U.K. Customs even pulled their finger out and recognised, processed and despatched them into the final couriers processing stream amazingly fast.

Only for Evri to fail to deliver - after being loaded onto a van yesterday Morning. So it could have all been wrapped-up on day 5 of this Parcels journey.....which would have been some going We’ll wait to see what actually happens from the UK organanisational stand-point now 🤦‍♂️

Typifies couriers. And Gt Britain that !

 

[wafter]

Well, I've just thrown caution to the wind and ordered ten stainless pedal washers for the princely sum of a quid, delivered.

They look good in the pic, have good reviews and probably come from the same source as the cheapest on ebay - which would have cost me about ten times that assuming postage was combined..

Shockingly these turned up in less than a week; apparently taking about the same amount of time to get from China (or maybe Hong Kong) to the UK as they did to reach me once in the country.

Can't really complain about them; typical sheared washers so a nice smooth rad on edges one side and a sharp transition on the other. I've had worse from UK supplier and suspect that what I'd have sourced from ebay would have been exactly the same.

I've now stoned the outer edges down at least and will start fitting them when pedals need to come off for other reasons

 

[wonderloaf]

My latest order has been delayed so Aliex have bunged me some money off coupons, 5 items, £1 off coupon each item = £5 off the next order. Thing is the whole order only totalled about £12 and is only one day late so I'm not complaining! Need some new bar tape so will come in very handy!

 

[gbb]

Notwithstanding the issues around labour in China, my son buys from Ali Express and has no problems. There used to be quite a shipping delay but he said even that has shortened to a more acceptable level.
He normally buys fishing equipment and comparing like for like, he's saving around massive % on retail prices.
Because of the price savings, plus the fact he's not spending big money he thought it was worth a punt. He's been pleasantly surprised.

 

[gbb]

Regarding Temu, regretfully my wife likes the prices and ease of use...particually for the kids clothes. But for me, the quality is awful the material isn't knitted, it's a really strange stuff, feels ok but horrible to iron, you think it's going to melt.
Some stuff she's got I've told her she may as well put straight in the bin.

 

[Animo]

Had a couple of good buys from Ali recently. The Weightweenies forum has a long thread with loads of recommendations on there.

Elita One carbon seatpost which was about £17.

Magene cadence sensors - two for £12.

 

[sevenfourate]

Had a couple of good buys from Ali recently. The Weightweenies forum has a long thread with loads of recommendations on there.

Elita One carbon seatpost which was about £17.

Magene cadence sensors - two for £12.

I’ve not bought any Carbon parts. But numerous ‘Aluminium’ parts for both bicycles and Motorbikes. Mostly parts / colours / sizes / Brand copies that don’t exist elsewhere. Inc motorcycle folding pegs, rear-sets, bicycle handlebars (Soaked up a hard Winter on the beater bike with no problems) blah blah….

I have had no issues in fitment or use (Or even concerns beforehand) with any. And I’m a mechanical engineer with an eye for detail. Although again…….I’m not a metallurgist.

Each to their own. And I know there have been ‘some’ Carbon failures. But I’ll bet there’s an inordinate amount of people scoffing Temu / AliExpress etc who’ve no real experience of ANY products per-se.

As ever: do your research, read reviews etc. But anyone idly scoffing the quality (I’m not interested in the politics) of everything sold on these places is a nonsense at best…..

 

[oxoman]

Just a heads up on both Ali and temu. Be very careful buying electrical items. As an electrician I've had numerous people ask me to pat test or repair various items and they get upset when I bin them. I've had things that come with 13a plugs that have no fuse or they've been connected the wrong way around and fused the wrong cable. Cable to strong enough to carry the load. I've recently had a colleague buying copy / look a like cordless power tools predominantly makita and dewalt and I can honestly say not one has been any good. The same goes with copy batteries, they're just not lasting or in some cases safe. Buyer beware, it's cheap for a reason.

 

[Drago]

My daughter works for a high end fashion label

Millets?