Motivated by a recent phone conversation in which we were asked to recommend a reliable seller on Aliexpress, we decided to write this text.
We actually don’t use Aliexpress simply because it’s not accessible from China – Chinese buyers actually have no way to access this platform. Another caller asked if they should buy an excavator from Alibaba, which was selling for €200.We can’t help you if you think this way! Ask yourself – is that even possible?
But that’s not the reason for writing this text.
We are writing because, in a relatively short period, we received three emails (from Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia), in which people complain about being scammed in one way or another.
What all three letters have in common is that the buyers made purchases independently, without involving us.
Here are those letters.
- "Hello, Mr. Glušac, We have a problem with this company because we paid for the goods, but they have not been delivered. To avoid being charged VAT on this amount (***** USD), we need to officially sue them in our local court. For this reason, we need to verify the information about the company. Can you help?"
- " Dear Sir/Madam, As you explained in your website, the same thing happened in my case. I ordered a mini excavator-loader, which you had inspected at the manufacturer. I am sending you the documentation attached. When the order arrived at the port of Koper, the agent notified me of the shipment’s arrival and the associated costs. The costs were incredibly high, and the intermediary ***** advised me to contact the supplier about any unclear or unexpected charges. However, the supplier provided no response, and this matter is relatively urgent. During the negotiation, I insisted that the delivery location be Z*****, which was agreed upon. All costs up to Z***** were supposed to be covered by the supplier, leaving only customs, VAT, and handling fees to me. I feel misled and deceived because I’ve now realized the importance of Incoterms, unfortunately too late."
- "Hello, following our phone conversation, I’m sending the documentation showing that we paid Mr. J***** J*****. Here’s the situation: we found a jet ski on Alibaba with a listed price of ****€ including doorstep delivery (so we were told), and the seller provided a quote for ****€ because we ordered two units. We were given a tracking number on www.*******.com with package number **********. When the package was supposed to arrive in Slovenia or near the border, the seller, J***** J*****, contacted us saying we needed to pay an additional 3800€ to bring the package to us, promising to return this money along with documents for the two jet skis. Since we didn’t understand why we had to pay this additional fee, we didn’t pay it, and within minutes, the seller’s account on Alibaba was no longer active, and we couldn’t contact him anymore. Therefore, I’m reaching out to you to see if you can help us at least get our purchase refunded. I also want to ask if it’s even possible that a single jet ski could cost ****€ with delivery, as shown in the quote? My question for you is whether anything can be done to renegotiate this, perhaps with the supplier, to share the additional costs?"
Losing money when making a small purchase as an individual – maybe a few hundred dollars – is not so serious.
However, fraud in bulk buying can be a major problem.
The largest fraud and financial loss we know of was a few years ago when a buyer from Sarajevo reported losing 50,000€ to a scam.
When you find yourself in such a situation, very little can be done. Not even we can help you at that point. You should have contacted us before making the payment.
So, if you’re buying on your own, be very cautious and pay close attention to what you’re doing!
Beyond helping you find better product prices and verifying goods and sellers, we’re dedicated to ensuring a safe trading experience with China to prevent these types of issues from arising.
