Alibaba, AliExpress, DHGate, Wish, Taobao, Temu & more! - CHEAP CHINK SHIT GENERAL THREAD

[Monkey Pink]

So, I've been one who lurks on these types of sites more than actually getting anything from them because of quality concerns. What is and isn't safe to order from these places?

I've seen everything from makeup, to electronics, to clothing - I'm pretty sure /k/ even found cheap gun grips on Ali.

I have, however, gotten consistently good replica clothing through Taobao thanks to the FashionReps subreddit walking me through what to do. So I KNOW not everything there is poor quality. I just don't know where to begin to search for different items.

 

[MrB]

@NoReturn has some good posts about Temu on the Consoomer thread in Community Watch.

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/consoomers-consoomer-culture.85636/post-14593744

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/consoomers-consoomer-culture.85636/post-14513532

The FGC-9, one of the most popular and tested 3D-printed guns sources most of its non 3D-printed parts from AliExpress.

 

[Chongqing]

I'm excited for this discussion.

Things that are good:
Lenovo earbuds
Some Xiaomi Redmi earbuds
Showerheads
Bicycle accessories (like anything a bike shop would sell)
Any electronic device that isn't a phone or computer (flashlights, lights for the home, robot sweepers)
String lights, toilet lights, all kinds of weird, cheap lights
Programming boards (Chinese Raspberry Pi)


Things that can be good:
Sweaters, jackets and fleeces that you see also have Amazon Prime listings.
Camo, hunting and fishing apparel
Curtains, hats (including custom hats)
$200 shoes that have a short lifespan on the platforms. They used to have Nike Vapromax flyknits for around $40 to $60 when it was $200 retail. Nike Vapormaxes are long gone, but they have Hocka now and I'd like to try them.

Things that are not good:
Socks, t-shirts, pants, shorts, underwear
Watches
Phones
Sunglasses

Always check review photos and also be aware of nonsensical sizing.

 

[NoReturn]

@NoReturn has some good posts about Temu on the Consoomer thread in Community Watch.

Spoiler

Good video on the topic that I linked in that thread but put in a spoiler:

 

[Monkey Pink]

What offensive, horrible things could I engrave on a Chinesium knife?

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPa2bnq

Maybe if something is funny enough, I'll deliver.

 

[Yaks]

I've found most component parts for electronics are safe to buy off Ali. This is because they're direct from the manufacturers who make the shit that goes into all our electronics anyway.

Never buy a USB memory stick from them, though. Unless it's a very small size (say under 5gb), it could very likely be a hacked USB.

If you like old cart games, those tend to be pretty safe too. If you buy the right ones (like Harvest Moon 2-3 for the GBC) you can even reflash them with your own games. I've done this for indie run games that sell the digital rom file.

 

[Yeeted Teet]

Sunglasses can be acceptable quality depending on the style you like, I’ve always had good luck with aviators from Aliexpress. They’re not going to last like a pair from the optician will but they’re invaluable in situations where you’re likely to break/lose them, like a music festival.

 

[Kitty kitty cat]

What offensive, horrible things could I engrave on a Chinesium knife?

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPa2bnq

Maybe if something is funny enough, I'll deliver.

TTD would be my choice

 

[NoReturn]

Someone pointed out that the first cohort of "Unboxing video"-kids are now in their teens, and it explains a lot about why videos like this are so popular now:

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

I buy fountain pens and nibs from Aliexpress. The Chinese have been making pens forever and I have really liked all the Jinhao pens I've bought. I also like the Lamy Safari knockoffs for less than $3 (a Safari runs about $30).

I have bought washi tape from them and stitch markers for knitting. I bought a gorgeous desk mat that covers most of my desk for $15. Those desk mats start at $30 on Amazon for smaller ones and Amazon doesn't have nearly the same selection.

If you want Fandom stuff, then Aliexpress is the place to start. Copyright? What's that?

If I find a lot of obviously Chinese stuff on Amazon I'll go to Aliexpress to see if I can get the same thing cheaper. Sometimes what I'm looking at on Amazon is about the same price on Aliexpress, in which case I'll use Amazon because shipping is faster.

Somethings I can't find on Aliexpress at all. Like 12 x 12 scrapbook paper or the plastic boxes for storing scrapbook paper.

Sometimes you'll see a great price on Aliexpress but always look at the shipping costs. I've almost bought things that cost more in shipping than the item itself.

Aliexpress' search sucks donkey balls.

Don't buy purses from them. I bought a really cute bag and the strap broke off where it couldn't be repaired after only two months of use. I will stick to my Chinese brands off Amazon.

 

[Monkey Pink]

Don't buy purses from them. I bought a really cute bag and the strap broke off where it couldn't be repaired after only two months of use. I will stick to my Chinese brands off Amazon.

For good replicas, go to r/FashionReps (Yes, Reddit. Seriously.) and check out their guide to shopping on Taobao and Yupoo. I got my sister a really good replica Louis Vuitton bag for like $60 lmao.

 

[8mm Cunningham]

What offensive, horrible things could I engrave on a Chinesium knife?

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPa2bnq

Maybe if something is funny enough, I'll deliver.

The Tiananmen Square Massacre 反右派鬥爭

 

[Empress.]

Omg I was so deep into this I was using a middleman agency like superbuy to get the things I couldn't get straight from taobao or ali, then the pandemic happened and just made shipping and the hassle of it all not worth it , sucks to I found really high quality replicas of the designer goods I was searching for like I wasn't expecting it to be waterproof but it was! Sorry I'm just reliving my nostalgia now lol

 

[suspended animation]

I've been buying lightweight scarves for years now from various places (Amazon, Etsy, eBay, specific websites, local artisans), and the ones I bought off of Temu are the same quality, but much cheaper. I got 5 scarves for about $11. Cotton and polyester mostly (silk is not worth the hassle.)

Just make sure you check the reviews for the Temu shop before buying. Because it is so cheap, it is worth the risk to me in any case.

Also, it shipped from Canada, which surprised me.

 

[( . Y . ) ԅ(´ڡ`ԅ)]

Add Romwe and Shein to the list. For millennials and zoomers, but so many people buy their cheap shit.

 

[TapewormSalesman]

For any parrot friends out there, don't buy bird toys on Aliexpress, they often can have tiny nails in them, or the paint reeks like poison and is definitely not bird-safe.
Also, read the description very carefully, my uncle, who doesn't fully know how to English, ended up with an underwater fishing camera with no recording function, so he can look at the fish but he can never record the fish.

 

[southpawdagon]

sleep earphones are so cheap it is unreal, sound quality is just okay-ish but they are very comfortable to wear and you can fall alseep with them on. (only the one with soft earbuds)

 

[purpleflurp]

I've actually had really good success on Alibaba getting parts manufactured over the years. Off the top of my head:

-Hardcover art books: Image and color quality are both really solid from the manufacturers I've dealt with.
-Injection Molded Plastic: These guys don't give a fuck about IP laws, so I was able to get some molds for bionicle pieces. Wound up ordering a hundred pink McToran a few years back. Ask for some samples of the different colors and materials, since some materials get weaker with certain colors
-Board games: I get all my proxy magic decks from chinese manufacturers for ~$7/EDH deck. The downside is they know what magic cards are worth over here, so if you want them accurately printed it'll cost you an arm and a leg. If you just care about playing, just change the backs and sleeve em.
-Chips and circuit boards: Hit or miss, just keep an eye on reviews from the manufacturer before you commit to anything, and don't go above MOQ before you've gotten your hands on a prototype.

My one hope is I can either find or convince a manufacturer over in Chinkland to make me some bootleg Famicon Discs and 5 1/4" floppies.

 

[L'Jarius Sneed]

I've ordered a couple of $60-70 mechanical watches on aliexpress and I have zero complaints. They use reliable Japanese movements.

 

[Susanna]

I order stuff from aliexpress all the time. Mostly electronics, but sometimes other stuff as well. The trick is to remember the adage “you get what you pay for”, the Chinese really hold it in high esteem. If a price seems too good to be true, it is. You can get away much cheaper than western stores, but just consider “what is this worth” first. Most recently I bought a Bluetooth speaker for 75€, and it’s great. The same thing from a known brand in a local electronics shop would have been 200€, so I made a great savings. Also has a built in magnetic charger, so I can just slap my phone down on top and play music all day.

What I would advise against is cosmetics. I’ve tried ordering brands I’d bought and were happy with while in China, but the products I got over aliexpress were pure garbage. These were basically Chinese and Korean name brand products sold at local grocery store prices though, so I suspect what I got was actually just grocery store stuff in the brand bottles. Don’t try to save too much money, you’ll just waste your time instead. I’ve had better experiences buying from taobao.