Aliexpress disaster

[networkcameracritic]

If worse comes to worst you might as well use the camera even if its the wrong one...or resell it for more than $30.

What ended up happening with the Australian guy? did he return it to you on his own dime for shipping?

My normal support contact at ACTi here in So Cal was traveling that week to Taipei, closer time zone to OZ than here and she walked him through doing the repair himself as apparently a connector came lose.

 

[fenderman]

From what I read, the OP at the very top of the post was offered to either return the camera for a FULL refund or keep the camera and they will refund $30. My understanding is he inadvertently accepted the $30, but honestly, that's what I would have taken and then sold the camera I didn't want on eBay, after all, he went through all this to save a few bucks, now he has a camera at $30 cheaper, why couldn't he sell it on eBay, maybe turn a profit?

you are correct I misread that...

 

[icerabbit]

Yes, typically the buyer pays for return shipping if it is a warranty issue or change of mind. However if the item is DOA or the wrong item was delivered vs what was ordered, then that should be the burden of the shipper.

Otherwise it is at the mercy of the seller, or if they have some program where you can return items at no charge, no restocking fee, etc. YMMV. Etc.

I think we may need additional clarification from the OP and have him double check his aliexpress account. I get a sense now too, that maybe he was offered a partial refund of $30 and keep the camera versus ship it back for a full refund. Similar to what happened with dalepas purple fringe issue. Pay the premium return shipping via USPS etc. Or keep the item and get some money back or a future discount.

... it is showing i have to return the item AND I will only get $30 back. This is not what i meant to say, I obviously clicked wrongly.

Time to double check.

And, yes, if he got the wrong camera. Maybe he can sell it on Ebay or one of the forum members. I think many of the new people (like me ) have their eye on a few more cameras and would be willing to buy one from another forum member, and get it off of our wish list

 

[networkcameracritic]

I can't imagine that is even a choice and I've returned stuff on AliExpress when I got the wrong item and I paid shipping but typically, if the item has any substantial value, I'm offered a small fee, even on totally dead cameras. To me, that's the cost of doing business in China. The OP needs to get clarification from the seller, that he will provide a $30 refund and not have to return the camera.

The fault is really our government, Congress and USPS made an agreement to subsidize shipments from China to the U.S. called E-Packet. They can ship stuff to us for peanuts, but to ship it back can cost 20x more and they know that and leverage that against us as it doesn't make financial sense to ship anything back.

Chinese manufacturers and sellers consolidate their mail shipments into air containers that fly cheaply on various Chinese airlines. When the packages gets to the US, the postal service takes over and delivers via first class mail at rates that are far cheaper than what you and I pay. And, the ePacket shipping solution features free tracking and Delivery Confirmation in the Postal Service network for lightweight goods (under 2 pounds) and merchandise ordered by consumers in the United States from merchants in China.

I'm sure the OP would not be angry if he can pay the same price to ship the product back for a refund that the seller paid, probably a few dollars. Heck, it costs less for them to ship a product from China than we pay to ship that same package within the U.S. What we need to do as a group is demand from our representatives in Congress that we be given the same deal, that we can return an item to China for the same price they paid to ship it to us. Here's the link of email addresses for your representative in Congress - http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

 

[hmjgriffon]

I can't imagine that is even a choice and I've returned stuff on AliExpress when I got the wrong item and I paid shipping but typically, if the item has any substantial value, I'm offered a small fee, even on totally dead cameras. To me, that's the cost of doing business in China. The OP needs to get clarification from the seller, that he will provide a $30 refund and not have to return the camera.

The fault is really our government, Congress and USPS made an agreement to subsidize shipments from China to the U.S. called E-Packet. They can ship stuff to us for peanuts, but to ship it back can cost 20x more and they know that and leverage that against us as it doesn't make financial sense to ship anything back.

Chinese manufacturers and sellers consolidate their mail shipments into air containers that fly cheaply on various Chinese airlines. When the packages gets to the US, the postal service takes over and delivers via first class mail at rates that are far cheaper than what you and I pay. And, the ePacket shipping solution features free tracking and Delivery Confirmation in the Postal Service network for lightweight goods (under 2 pounds) and merchandise ordered by consumers in the United States from merchants in China.

I'm sure the OP would not be angry if he can pay the same price to ship the product back for a refund that the seller paid, probably a few dollars. Heck, it costs less for them to ship a product from China than we pay to ship that same package within the U.S. What we need to do as a group is demand from our representatives in Congress that we be given the same deal, that we can return an item to China for the same price they paid to ship it to us. Here's the link of email addresses for your representative in Congress - http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

I did notice that it said my camera came first class and I was like wow, how did they pull that off? Now I know, god, what a bunch of crooks, and we wonder why the Chinese are taking over, we are helping them, sadly we deserve everything we get.

 

[networkcameracritic]

I think if enough people complain to their representatives in Congress, something may be done. It's the squeaky wheel syndrome. They clearly think they did well, clearly they did not, but unless people complain, they will continue to think they did well. Just takes 2 minutes.

 

[bp2008]

I don't know about this. Wouldn't the volume of shipments be a whole lot smaller going back to china? That said they do have to get those airplanes back one way or another and they may as well be filled with broken Chinese merchandise.

 

[networkcameracritic]

That could be one way of looking at it, the other way is the cargo hold on the China Airlines flights gong back may be empty, any revenue they can make would be better than nothing. Also, what if you wanted to open a store in AliExpress selling something Chinese people want and can't get. Maybe Cronuts, Twinkies, Apple Pie, firearms and other things that make American's larger than life.

 

[paarlberg]

A guy in Georgia manufactures chop sticks and exports them to china.. and for cheaper. Not sure how he landed that idea, but it works for him.

 

[hmjgriffon]

A guy in Georgia manufactures chop sticks and exports them to china.. and for cheaper. Not sure how he landed that idea, but it works for him.

LOL That's awesome.

 

[paarlberg]

Oops..

Spoke too soon

http://www.americustimesrecorder.com/local/x2086601460/Georgia-Chopsticks-closed

 

[networkcameracritic]

Still be in business if he had e-packet from U.S. to China