Yes, that was really my point. I've done really well with Ditron in the past.
Here is a little negotiating advice for others. My experience with vendors on Ali is a bit like shopping at a flea market. Direct questions about better prices get you no where.
I don't waste my own time negotiating on low cost items. There is no point wasting their time or mine for $20.
For more expensive stuff - say over $350 Cdn (the higher the cost the bigger the opportunity), you have to be conscious of their business cycle and create an investment scenario where they feel like they have invested time in you that they don't want to throw away. But don't over do it or they will drop you like a hot potatoe.
I usually begin by asking for their name and then asking them questions about the weather, where they live and work, and how their business is doing. I look for clues about how anxious they are to make a sale. Usually, the best opportunities coincide with month end, quarter end, and year end. That's when their sales performance is under the most pressure. And remember, there is no point negotiating with someone who is not empowered to negotiate!
Once I have the lay of the land, I get a starting quote. I moan and groan about how high the quote is for what I'm getting. Then I ask about better or more expensive products and options. If I get the sense that nothing will happen, I don't quit, instead I'll say I'll think about it and chat back later. Often, that alone will start a negotiation. If not, no biggie, I just put it on hold for a week or two. I often get to my target price by getting them to offer me free or included options. Ali vendors will almost always go for that because it is not tracked. Nobody knows what they did for you to get what you needed to reach a buy decision. So never start with what you want. Start basic and build up to what you really want.
If and when I come to know it can't happen, I make a decision to pay the price I'm at or walk away and shop elsewhere.
Sometimes it helps to ask about past and future sales events. Such sales provide lower price rails you can work with. If they cooperate, you both know the sale price is negotiable. If not, you know it will be more difficult but not impossible.
And, so it goes. The first trick to successful negotiation is understanding what the other party needs to be successful. The second trick is patience. These Ali vendors are basically pros. Just like at the fleamarket, but on a much longer time scale. These guys and gals do this ever day. While you are scoping them out, they are evaluating you too. They can smell weakness. The key to avoiding a bad outcome is know in advance what a bad outcome and a good outcome look like.
And something
@Dabbler said a while back that I really liked. "A good deal happens anytime that the buyer and seller are both happy".
So by all means have fun and enjoy the trip.
