As you may have noticed by now, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find replicas on AliExpress due to the restrictive measures that this marketplace has been applying for a number of years. Even so, China is still a counterfeit paradise and many sellers try to smuggle us in as original items that are not. Hence, we’re going to see a number of tips to make sure you’re buying something original.
This is How you Avoid Aftershocks in 2023
Choose trustworthy businesses
This is the most important thing when buying genuine products. Always choose stores with good buyer ratings that have photos, their experiences and also an age to confirm them.
How can I tell if a business is trustworthy?
Well, it’s simple: all you have to do is visit the store’s front page and look up for a summary of everything we’ve listed for you. In addition, many of these stores are labeled with the unmistakable “Superior Brand” or “Top Brand”.
What does it mean for a business to have the Superior Brand badge?
Only the best stores verified by AliExpress have this symbol of excellence that they have earned for their good reviews. In them make sure you are buying direct from the brand or an authorized dealer. In conclusion, buying from these stores ensures that the product you receive is 100% original
How to Distinguish a Replica
These are usually sold at a very low price in stores that are short on time (less than a year or even months) and that also have few reviews. As soon as AliExpress detects the scam, it immediately closes the store and also penalizes the seller. This does not mean shops with great antiquity or many reviews. You can also recognize many of these shops by the fact that they are called “Shop” or “Store” with a number code.
Products that normally raise doubts
In the comments, you usually ask us if some specific products are replicas or originals, so we’ll address them one by one:
Clothing and shoes (Nike, Jordan, etc.)
The price says it all: yes, the € 45 Nike Air Jordan sold in the 912311343 store are fake.
iPhone and other cell phones
As we told you in the post about iPhones on AliExpress, 99% of the time, these are original. Why are they so cheap? Because they are refurbished iPhones. The same thing happens with the other cell phones: They are practically always original.
Perfumes and Creams (The Ordinary, etc.)
If you find creams or perfumes that hide the logo or have a significantly lower price than normal (more than 20% cheaper), you are wrong. A good example is The Ordinary: a well-known facial care brand. Many sellers have products that are easily associated with this brand but are so awkward to hide the logo:
This is a fake and we do not recommend using your skin for experimentation.
JBL speakers
To date, there have been some fakes from JBL that are difficult to distinguish because they explicitly use their logo. To be absolutely sure that you are buying an original product.
And two more tricks:
- If the business is less than two years old, then it is wrong
- If you have an amazing discount (like 55%) it is a fake
Seresto
There are some sellers who have the well-known Seresto Flea Collar at a very, very affordable price. The normal would be to think it was a fake, but:
- These stores have been open for several years
- You have thousands of sales
- In the reviews, users assure that the product is original
Difference between Clone and Replica in 2023
There are also sellers of so-called “clones” or “dupes”: products that imitate the style or design of a well-known brand but are completely legal because they do not have a logo. An example are the clones of Zara, Pandora or Lego, which we have already talked about. But there can also be times when you buy something thinking it’s an unbranded clone and you get a replica with the logo on.
To avoid confusion, always ask the seller and read the item description carefully to find out if the item has logos or is a clone.
I bought and the Store Disappeared
If you’ve bought something with a brand and just found the store gone, it is likely because AliExpress detected an anomaly and automatically closed the store to selling replicas. Many replica sellers also use the tactic of opening and closing stores quickly so that AliExpress doesn’t have time to spot them.
First of all, calm down: even if you write to the seller to ask about your shipment, he will not be able to answer you because the messages cannot reach him.
What happens to my order
If your order has already been shipped, the process continues until it arrives at your home. If the order has not been dispatched, it is possible that the seller will dispatch it anyway, even if the store is closed (if it does not dispatch it, AliExpress will refund the money in a few days).
When you receive your package, it is up to you whether or not to open a dispute based on how satisfied you are or whether you were aware of it or not.
I am not sure if my order is original
There are many types of replicas, from the poorest (who imitate a product very poorly) to what is known as “original quality” (very difficult to see at first glance). When it comes to clothing or accessories, one reason to be suspicious is the quality of the material and the workmanship of the garment. Poorly made clothing with lots of loose threads and glue residue can be a sign that the product is not an original.
On the other hand, in the case of electronic products such as cell phones, you have to check whether the technical specifications really match what has arrived (megapixels of the camera, internal memory, operating system, device liquid).
For electronic products: check the serial number on the official site
For many branded electronic devices, you can verify authenticity by entering the serial number on the brand’s official website. With iPhones, for example, it’s easier to spot a mirror because the operating system will never be iOS unless it has an interface that simulates it and therefore you can never update it.
When you have it clear: open an argument
You already know that one of the advantages of buying through AliExpress is the buyer protection that it gives us. So, if in no doubt and what the seller offered you is not, open a dispute by showing all possible evidence.
