[icebraining]

On the other hand, that's exactly why I only buy cheap crap from Chinese online stores, while I spend real money on EU stores, since they provide safety and warranties. I quite like the balance, personally.

The shipping rates are certainly weird, and I do think they should be reviewed, although I think the internal rates are too high, but I admittedly don't know the cost structure.

[kogepathic]

> although I think the internal rates are too high

They would probably be cheaper if they weren't subsidizing postal rates for other countries.

I find it amusing when you have a problem on AliExpress and the seller suggests you mail it back to them. Unless the product has a very high value it almost always costs more than the product's value to send it back to China.

Luckily AliExpress customer service seems to realize this and will often grant refunds without requiring you to return the product.

eBay really sucks on this regard; it's very difficult to get a refund for a defective item without paying handsomely to ship it back.

[hackits]

Hint if you check out paypal you can get a free return postage for your item, its just hidden away on the web-site but they offer it.

[0care]

Is this with paypal everywhere or just through ebay?

[hackits]

Yes (everywhere) not just through ebay, URL (https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/returns)

Pay with your PayPal account and we can refund your return shipping costs if you need to send anything back – up to $45 per return and 8 returns each year.

[Freak_NL]

> I find it amusing when you have a problem on AliExpress and the seller suggests you mail it back to them.

Most of the sellers know this and simply ship you a new item or refund you though — at least for comparatively cheap items.

[donaltroddyn]

The problem is that you don't know who has plugged in a death trap transformer about to explode into flames in the apartment below yours, not to mention the numerous other ways that mains appliances can be unsafely wired.

[icebraining]

I also avoid buying stuff that takes mains voltage. But is the risk that they'll "explode into flames" a real concern? All house fires I seem to read about are a result of other factors (stove burners not closed, heating devices near flammable stuff, etc).

[donaltroddyn]

You're probably right, but I used to buy cheap USB chargers from Amazon and Deal Extreme, and had a couple fail with visible scorching and melted plastic.