Ali Express - What the 'eck is it?

[Ducky Spud]

I use Ali Express quite a bit, but a lot of stuff on there is tat. If my wife finds something on Amazon, the odds are that unless its a brand name item that I can get it on AliExpress for half the price!

Bought various items on there:

• Epomaker TH80 mechanical keyboard, along with some replacement switches and its absolutely fantastic compared to what you get for the same money in England.
• Various Xiaomi system smart home items, light switches, sensors, Yeelight bulbs etc and they've all been spot on.
• Remote control cars, bought several entry level hobby grade cars for around £80-100 each and they're fantastic. Some of them are literally bought from China and then rebranded by HPI etc, so going direct saves a fortune. Loads of spares and upgrade parts available as well.
• Phone cases - basic cheap stuff like this tends to be fine, about £2.50 including shipping from China and with me in about 10 days.
• Fountain Pens - bit of a side hobby of mine, but companies like Jinhao are will get you some great pens to get you started for sub £10. Great if you're unsure on what size etc you prefer and want to try a few.
• Fidget toys etc. My son has ADHD and these calm him down, can just bulk buy his favourites for a fraction of what they are here.
• 1/64 Model cars - another hobby, but some amazingly detailed models available by companies like Time Micro and Kaido House. Not as much of a bargain, but about 2/3 the cost of them in the UK.

Now don't get me wrong, there is some rubbish as well. I've bought a couple of t-***** and the fabric was absolutely awful, they went straight to the charity shop. I've bought two watches and let me just say the amount you pay is the quality you get, one I paid £140 and its spot on (Seagull 1963) and one was about £20 and absolutely awful.

It is just a case of organising it by order number and checking the reviews. I must have over 100 orders from them over the last 7 or 8 years and I'd say only 2 or 3 have been bad purchases in my early days of using it.

 

[Cromulent]

Fountain Pens - bit of a side hobby of mine, but companies like Jinhao are will get you some great pens to get you started for sub £10. Great if you're unsure on what size etc you prefer and want to try a few.

I bought a reasonably expensive fountain pen on Amazon and just had a look on AliExpress and while there is some good looking stuff I'm happy with the pen I have.

 

[Ducky Spud]

I bought a reasonably expensive fountain pen on Amazon and just had a look on AliExpress and while there is some good looking stuff I'm happy with the pen I have.

If somebody was after something a bit more expensive I'd advise them to purchase from within the UK and can give a few stores as suggestions. But when starting out and I wasn't sure if I wanted a nib that was fine, broad, stub etc I could spend £15 and get 4 pens with different nibs and to try out. If you're doing that in the UK, even with something basic like a Lamy Safari, you're looking closer to £80.

Thats all my point was. Great for basic versions of items (even more expensive ones like the entry level RC cars), but if you're after a premium/luxury product, I'd suggest elsewhere.

 

[Diagro]

The only thing I have an issue with China over is releasing the virus, which I personally believe came from their laboratory. Given how the West has sold their soul to China for cheap labour and hence cheap goods, I ain't living like a caveman to prove a point. But I suspect if there was a thread about how China treats whatever minorities "they" say they treat somewhat poorly, old dialup would be in there like a rat up a drainpipe saying how terrible the Chinese are.

Maybe I have it wrong and like me he isn't fussed about that aspect of China?

Tin foil hat, put it on.

Jeeeebus

 

[im4gine3]

isn't banggood a copycat of aliexpress. could use them too thought doesn't seem as comprehensive as Aliexpress

 

[Em3bbs]

Tin foil hat, put it on.

Jeeeebus

What is tin foil hat about that?

- it's become pretty much accepted now that the coronovirus that affected us all came from the coronovirus making lab in the same place as the virus was first found, what a shocker. This wasn't the case originally, when for some bizarre reason if you even suggested a coronavirus could have come from the coronovirus factory in the same place as the virus was first found, and where there had been leaks before, you were called a conspiracy theorist.

- Are you saying China doesn't sell cheap tat, and that the west doesn't rely on them for a lot of stuff now? That doesn't really sound conspiracy theorist to me.

- Are you saying that China doesn't treat certain demographics terribly? Have you heard of the Ughyur Muslims? Could be worth a google but that is one very famous example.