Not many know that AliExpress, Chinese e-commerce site of the Alibaba group, has a simple shipping process very accommodating and flexible to the needs of the customer.
Every salesperson will offer a certain amount of shipping types, so it is important to check which of these are available before purchasing the product you want. If the type of shipment is not specified on the buyer’s page, and especially if it should be free, the seller will probably choose the best method depending on the product and location of the customer who placed the order.
Clearly, the fundamental difference between the different types of shipping, apart from the price, is the waiting time that you will have to suffer before the coveted delivery and the possibility to trace the parcel and the packaging.
Shipping methods on AliExpress
Another consideration to make, before going into the details of the types of shipments available, is that if the buyer were to buy products from more than one seller, each one will arrive separately, even if ordered at the same time. This is because AliExpress does not deal with the sale of the products on the site even if you get a promo code, but rather connects independent Chinese sellers and buyers. However, in certain cases the site deals with the shipment of the products sold. In addition, the “protection” time – i.e. the maximum shipping times amounts to 60 days. Usually, the shipment is much faster, depending on the country where the product is to be shipped and the type of shipment chosen. The end of the year tends to be very busy, as well as Christmas. The shipping times could stretch to more than two months: so try to take care of Christmas presents in advance, or you’ll risk being strongly disappointed on the eve when you can’t place your packages under the Christmas tree!
Standard Shipping
As far as the majority of the products are concerned, shipments are completely free, although in the lately sellers have begun to incorporate a shipping price, in order to ensure that the products can be traced (impossible with the Free shipping) and therefore there are no situations where customers said they have not received the product and require a refund even after they have received it. This method is still cheaper than shipping by private courier, so.
Surely we should pay higher fees for shipping. However, now, the standard shipment is charged to the buyer, the least expensive shipping method remains: the fact that the product is registered also makes it less likely that it is stopped at customs. The price usually amounts to one or two dollars, and the quality of the packaging is excellent, considering the price paid for it. In addition, this will ensure that the customer receives the package, and that the chosen product is not lost. As far as AliExpress reimbursing the customer in this type of situation, you should then wait at least two weeks to finally get the product you want, and receive your refund!
We consider it necessary to specify again that AliExpress does not always deal with the shipment of products, but rather, in some cases the sellers, once they receive the order, have the responsibility to ship the product and make sure it arrives without delays or problems. For this reason, it is difficult to find the types of shipping usually used: There are thousands of shipping and handling companies that can be used by the seller. In any case, it is easy to find on the seller’s page whether the product will be shipped by Aliexpress or by the seller itself. To help the inexperienced to navigate the world of AliExpress, we will use three separate shipping categories.
Ordinary Shipment
This type of shipment is usually used for small products (such as letter-sized parcels), and does not include tracing. Once the product is shipped, the customer will not be able to check the location of the product nor will it be notified of his arrival. Usually, the mailman will leave the parcel in the letterbox and it won’t be necessary to sign to receive the product. Simple and economical, this method is also the slowest, but perfectly suitable for small economical products.
Certified Shipment
This is by far the most common method on AliExpress, probably because you can trace the shipment online, then check the location of our product and figure out how long you should still wait to enjoy your purchase. Easily identifiable, these products will come to you through the regular mail service (the same that you receive letters), but in this case you will be asked to sign a document on receipt of the parcel. If the postman does not find you, he will leave in the mailbox with notification, indicating to go to the post office to pickup parcel, usually the closest to your address.
The shipment of the product is managed by AliExpress partners and well-known couriers, such as Correos, places-Finland, SPSR, DHL and Direct Link, the most common and used in Singapore. If AliExpress is in charge of shipping the product instead of the seller, it will package the product, which is delivered to AliExpress Shipment Center. At this point, the dispatch center checks and delivers the products through its service. Then, as a buyer, you will receive the product after it is shipped from the dispatch center.
Shipping by private Courier
If the product you ordered is particularly heavy – or if you order a large number of products from one shopkeeper, this is the recommended method. Of course, this type of shipment is faster, but also relatively expensive. In any case, if the product purchased is valuable and voluminous, it’s a small economic sacrifice you surely won’t regret!
How to find the code to track your parcel
In the details of your order, you will also find the code needed to track the position of your product at any time: you will see the state in which it is located and the ones it has already crossed. Extra advice: There are a lot of smart phone applications that allow you to enter the tracking number and see where your parcel is: If you were to use a website, you can try 17track.net, one of the most famous and efficient. You say they gave you the last package? Maybe it’s time to buy something new!
