AliExpress Shady Closed Orders and Requests for Personal Information Singapore Internet

I was excited to discover Aliexpress take advantage of ordering unusual and interesting items from China. I had the courage to place initial orders (10+) and was pleased for the most part with my merchandise. 

After the initial purchases, I made a second order of items. Initially I ordered a ring and was told that I needed to order a minimum of $10. I added merchandise and ordered from additional vendors. I received confirmation emails that my orders processed successfully, but shortly after received notification that my orders were closed for security reasons. This went on for three orders. Each time I contacted the cardholder services they assured me there was no problem on their end, as the transactions were approved. After three cancellations, I requested a refund for the ring, as I could not process the order to total $10. I was told by the vendor that I needed a PayPal account for that, and I should understand how AliExpress works. 

To make matters worse, it was requested that I send identification such as a credit card statement, credit card, or passport. This is extremely unsavory and suspicious, as no legitimate company would ask for such personal information. Well I provided a copy of my driver's license and they said they needed additional information!

It is a shame that this is a recurrent issue with many buyers around the world. Not only does AliExpress not care for vendors doing fair business with customers, it adds to the climate of mistrust of ecommerce. AliExpress has no bona-fide procedure to complain about issues. They will not answer any emails and the virtual chat feature does not work, adding to the level of distrust. 

I told many people about AliExpress after receiving my first order, but now I am hesitant to refer anyone else to this sham of a company. I will return to (((competitor'sname redacted))), as they have excellent customer service levels and actually work hard to resolve customer complaints.