My Experience Filing An AliExpress Dispute

This post will outline my experience with AliExpress's Buyer Protection program.  There will be detailed pictures of the full timeline at the end.

For anyone who doesn't know, AliExpress is like a middleman. They mediate transactions between a seller/supplier and a buyer to ensure that both parties are protected and treated fairly. AliExpress has become well known as a place to purchase affordable brand name dupes.  Most sellers on their website are based in China and ordering items from China can be hit or miss.  You never know what you're truly buying because sellers will usually use stock photos from the brand that they are copying instead of genuine product photos.  I love AliExpress for the fact that customers can post pictures with their reviews so if you look through the feedback section of a product, you'll be able to find real photos of the product you'll be receiving.  

Most people are skeptical about joining and ordering off of AliExpress, but I would say that it is as safe as ordering off eBay.  I've read many bad reviews about AliExpress, but I must say that I think the bad experiences could have been avoided with smart shopping knowledge.  Personally, I usually buy clothing items or accessories and I limit my spending to under $20 an item.  AVOID technology  or electronics!  You're just asking for trouble.  Most bad reviews complain that they've spent hundreds on electronics only to receive a cheap dud or not having received anything at all.  In the case where you are not happy with your purchase or feel like you've been scammed, you can file a dispute against the seller which AliExpress will mediate if you don't reach an agreement.  

I've seen many older complaints that AliExpress always sides with the seller and refuse to give refunds.  This may have been the case in the past, I can't say for sure. However, in my recent experience, I found that they were fair and ruled in my favor.   I think that if they want to thrive in a consumer market, they have to improve their reputation and create a just image.   

Now onto the core of this post:

There are many kinds of people in this world.  On AliExpress, there are those who believe in customer service and there are those who will try to take your money by any means possible.  I, of course, had the pleasure of dealing with the latter in this case. 

In May of 2015, I ordered a white floral kimono from a seller on AliExpress for $6.99 USD.  I was not satisfied with the product I received because it was defected.  Alterations are quite expensive where I live and return shipping would have costed $8.  It's completely unreasonable to have to pay more than you did for an item to have it fixed or returned for a refund when it is defected.  A defective item is the seller's responsibility. 

Timeline

• May 14, 2015. I ordered a white floral kimono cardigan.  The reviews all seemed to be in order so I ordered with confidence.  
• June 23, 20l5. I finally received the kimono, but upon inspection, the item was clearly defective.  The right side of the kimono was ~2.5 inches longer than the left.  There was also a finger sized hole in the back which was stitched back together. I promptly messaged the seller about the problem.  I was hoping to get sent a new one, or get a refund.
• June 25, 2015.  The seller finally responds, but is completely unreasonable and denies that anything is wrong with the item.
• June 26, 2015.  Being unable to reason with the seller, I decided to open a dispute.

Here is the photo evidence I submitted with my dispute:

• June 26, 2015 - June 29, 2015.  I tried negotiating with the seller for a refund, but they kept rejecting my offer and telling me to "return the cloth".
• June 28, 2015.  The seller tried trick me into cancelling my dispute by offering to send another kimono. YOU ONLY GET ONE DISPUTE PER ORDER!  Don't be fooled! It is clearly stated on AliExpress that you get one dispute per order.  If you were to cancel your dispute, you would lose your buyer protection and all of your rights to a refund.  This deception was the last straw!
• June 29, 2015.  I escalated my dispute and ceased communication with the seller.  
• July 8, 2015.  AliExpress replied to the dispute and informed me that they have ruled in my favor.  The buyer and the seller have a few days to put in a final word before the decision is finalized.  
• July 14, 2015.  The dispute was closed in my favor.
• July 16, 2015.  I received my refund.  

Here are the screen shots of my dispute progress and my communications with the seller.  The older communications get pushed to the bottom so I will post picture in order of what you should read first.

As you can see, the process was long and the seller was definitely frustrating to deal with.  Many people would say it wasn't worth it for $7, but I couldn't let them get away with it.  I was quite scared that I would lose the dispute because of all the negative reviews I saw on Google, but they were all from many years ago.  I believe they have stepped up their game since then. 

I hope this walk through is helpful.  Happy shopping!  ;)

Review: L'oreal's Voluminous Butterfly

L'oreal's Voluminous Butterfly in Blackest Black (waterproof)

THE GOOD
- Holds a Curl =D! This mascara holds a curl beautifully.  I would even say that my lashes did not droop at all!
- Length. I definitely get a lengthening effect from this mascara.  My husband has complimented my lashes for being fluttery and he would certainly call it a butterfly effect.
- The Wand. I love the wand for my right eye.  It's very easy to comb through my lashes and the small tip grabs the hard to reach hairs in the corners my eye.  It is much harder to flip the brush and coat my left eyelashes.  I'm afraid I'm just not that talented. I find that the tapered end does not make much of a difference so I suppose it doesn't really matter =P

On a little side not here, I have tried the newer Butterfly Intenza mascara because I liked this one so much, but the wand was an utter disappointment.

THE BAD
- Packaging. In my opinion, the metallic packaging is a little tacky and boring.  The print on the tube flakes easily (like the latex on a scratch card) so the tube gains an aged look quite quickly.

THE FENCE
- The Formula. I find that the formula is quite dry right out of the tube.  It can get spidery very quickly which I'm not a fan of.  Usually if you comb through with quick straight up motions, I find that it's not too bad.  It's like nail polish; you want to work quickly so that the nail polish doesn't get dry and gloppy creating ugly streaks.

I have yet to find a formula (waterproof or otherwise) that doesn't leave little dark smudges under my eyes.

OVERALL RATING: 4.8/5
This might be the one <3

Review: Revlon's Lash Potion

Revlon's Lash Potion: Washable formula

THE GOOD
- Packaging. I'm a packaging junkie and personally, I really enjoy this packaging.  The metallic twinkling design is very fitting for the potion concept.  It's very refreshing compared to the uber boring packaging designs that almost all Western make-up brands have.
- Length. I find that this mascara gives me a fair bit of length.

THE BAD
- Wand. The wand of this mascara was actually the selling point of this mascara for me.  I was really intrigued by the triple-groove illusionist concept. Disappointingly, the wand did not coat my lashes well.  I found that it kind of just slapped on the product without separating or declumping my lashes.
- Formula. As with all mascaras, this mascara started off quite wet, but dried out a little after a few uses.  The formula is very thick and somewhat dry making it very prone to clumping and spidery lashes, which is something that I can't stand.  It also smudges and flakes like crazy!  Flaking occurs almost immediately after applying.
 The formula claims to contain amino acids that coat lashes to help them grow long and strong.  Honestly, I think it's a gimmick.  I find that my eyelashes are more prone to falling out after wearing this mascara.
- Couldn't hold a curl.  I have somewhat short, stick straight Asian lashes so it's extremely difficult to find a mascara that will hold my curl. With this mascara, I could see my curled lashes fall quite quickly.  I actually used my finger to brush my lashes up while the mascara was drying so that they wouldn't point straight down.  After about 2 hours, they fell completely =(

OVERALL RATING: 2/5

Adhesive Bras

Today, I'm going to be talking about bras.  Specifically, I want to talk about the sticky bras that suction onto the breasts in order to provide coverage.  I currently own two of them and I would like to compare them for you.  Firstly, I will be covering the general pros and cons of the nude bra.  I will then discuss the details of each bra (brand, where I purchased them from and for what cost, a comparison of quality).

NuBra (left), "FreeBra" (right)
Both purchased in the size A

Overall, I think that the nude bra is great.  You don't have to worry about exposed straps and you can wear this bra with various different shirts and dresses.  They supposedly last up to 100 wears and are easily cleaned with a rinse of cold water.

Pros:

• They will definitely stay on all night if applied correctly
• A great bra to wear with strapless tops or sexy back clothing
• You can wear it under another bra to give yourself extra cleavage
• Comfortable (or at least I think so).  You don't have straps tugging everywhere

Cons:

• Expensive (a great investment in my opinion)
• High maintenance. You have to be careful when handling them or you'll ruin the stickiness.
• A bit of a hassle to put on.  You have to aim correctly or it will look a bit odd.
• Not an option for the well endowed.  Sorry girls; it doesn't defy gravity and give lift. 

 I know it seems like there are a lot of cons, but if you get the hang of it, it's really easy.  Also, if you don't like the look of bra straps, the benefits greatly outweigh the cons.

NuBra (left), FreeBra (right)

As for sizes, I got both in the size A.  

Now I'll talk about the 2 bras that I own.  The NuBra is the higher end brand that is pretty a well known brand in North America.  The FreeBra is one which I purchased on eBay from a Chinese seller.  I actually have a third silicon sticky bra that's branded as "Nude Bra", but it wasn't that good.  My mom bought it in Chinatown for ~$10.  It did the job, but I found that the shape was odd and the plastic around the clip started to rip.

The NuBra:

• Price: $60 from La Senza. Luckily, I bought it on a promotion (spend $100 and you get 50% off. So I got it for $30).  I've seen them on eBay for around $30 - $50.
• Colour: Nude
• I find that this has better shape.  The cups on the FreeBra are very.... round?   They don't have that natural finish
• OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

The FreeBra:

• Price: $11 on eBay
• Colour: Cheetah print
• My first impression was that this bra was a lot stickier than the NuBra.  
• The sticky film leaves a hard to remove residue (deal breaker).  I would only wear this if I were planning to shower straight away.
• OVERALL RATING: 3/5