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AliExpress

In my experience, it all depends on what you bought, who you bought it from, how much you paid for it, whether it had free shipping, and where you live. It simply isn't true that there is one answer for everyone. And it certainly isn't like buying from Amazon or KBC Tools (just to pick two extremes - Free & $$$).

I think I can safely say that the majority of your ALI shipments will probably get delivered by Canada Post. Most Ali vendors are aware of the fact that Canada has a postal agreement with China. This agreement makes their shipping costs much lower than the actual cost - this has been discussed at length elsewhere on this forum. For most low cost shipments this has worked well for me. I often don't even have to pay HST. But that isn't true for more costly stuff that has to go through customs where it gets opened, rummaged through, often damaged, and sometimes lost - all for a nasty fee which you will have to pay in addition to your purchase cost or you don't get your item.

Something you need to know is that Ali isn't one big vendor for thousands of vendors like Amazon. Instead, it's more like an umbrella group where each vendor is free to do their own thing. Yes, Ali has rules for them but not nearly so controlled and strict as Amazon. Each vendor on Ali is very different and very independent. If you find an Ali vendor you like, try to stick with them. Doing so will provide a "LITTLE" more shipping certainty than hopping around will.

If your vendor chooses a non-national carrier all bets are off. This can be everything from one of the majors (UPS, FedEx, etc) to a slow boat passing through every 3rd world country on earth several times..... Free shipping is sometimes this last version. But even expensive shipping can be this last version.

If you have not guessed, shipping certainty isn't one of Ali's strengths. Throw a bag of dice in the air and pray. With some grovelling and a few sacrifices to the shipping God's you might get lucky!

To be very honest, shipping is one HUGE reason I like Amazon. Shipping is often a major decision factor for me.
I find this very surprising. Down here, south of the line, every order I have ever received came via USPS. Of course, I always choose the vendor who offers free shipping. Since the Chinese gov't subsidizes postal shipping, combined with the treaty mentioned elsewhere, it's just about the only way they can offer free shipping.

My more recent experience with custom tooling off Alibaba has been a different matter. Shipping cost more than 1/3 of the total price on my latest order, coming by FedEx. Still worth it.
 
Beg to differ, But you must choose CHOICE shipping, as at least select the items from a seller that has ALIEXPRESS STANDARD SHIPPING as an option, in the CHOICE section its normally free, otherwise you pay a small amount.

If you do those steps, your mail will arrive in less then 10 business days.

I can and have often been wrong. I've maybe ordered 30x from Ali and never saw that option. Of course, I almost always only look at stuff that has free shipping.

Your note isn't clear though. Are you recommending AliExpress Standard Shipping or Choice Shipping? Or is AliExpress Std a choice on choice?
 
Different items, different sellers sometimes offer different shipping options. Sometimes you will se an item with a 2 month delivery, another may offer it in 3 weeks for same cost. It might even vary by where your physical delivery location is within Canada. There is no consistent or unified shipping mode on Ali. But it has been getting consistently faster over the years.

The CanPost drama continues, they may strike, they may not...
 
I can and have often been wrong. I've maybe ordered 30x from Ali and never saw that option. Of course, I almost always only look at stuff that has free shipping.

Your note isn't clear though. Are you recommending AliExpress Standard Shipping or Choice Shipping? Or is AliExpress Std a choice on choice?
I almost always, buy from the CHOICE section of aliexpress. As anything above the 10 $ threshold gives you free shipping that comes with what they call aliexpress standard. That is either UNI express or Apple Express or some times it gets tossed to CP. Any of those 3 options and you get your package in about 10 business days.

If you choose to buy an item from a seller that is not what they call a CHOICE vendor, Then you will either get a free shipping options, or you pay a couple bucks on top and you get aliexpress standard, which of course by now you have guessed it. uni express apple express or CP.

I never buy outside of these parameters. I mean I don't care if it costs 5$ more if it means I get it in 1 or 2 weeks vs. 4 weeks or more.
Tracking is of course the highlight of the paid options!
YMMV
Gluck
 
I almost always, buy from the CHOICE section of aliexpress.

See. You are teaching me something! I didn't even know that a "choice" section exists. I don't know how to get to it either. Do you use the Ali App?

My use of Ali to date is based on links other members provide, Ali wide searches for specific things, and notifications that Ali sends me (which seem to be based on previous searches or purchases). If it doesn't say free shipping or virtually free, I move on. Based on your comments, I might be missing out.
 
you can also message the seller for different shipping options, i have done this when the seller only has a fast/expensive shipping option, and its usually not a problem
 
you can also message the seller for different shipping options, i have done this when the seller only has a fast/expensive shipping option, and its usually not a problem

Now that, I am used to. On bigger stuff, I also haggle. I've gotten some really good deals that way - especially at month end, quarter end, and year end.
 
I am very much a newby.
Well it was free shipping.
So I guess the real answer is "it depends". So I wait and see.

Yup. Other experience aside, Ali is definitely a weird place to shop. The translation of Chinese and English alone is a cross between entertaining and riddles. Where else is size a colour?
 
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