Does anyone understand AliExpress pricing?

It does seem bonkers.

Some stuff also seems to appear at a different price in my basket than it did on the shop page.  Sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Especially if you add it from the bookmarks, I suspect there's some demand pricing at work 

All the discounts are odd though, if I've got halfway through checking out a £4 Garmin mount, why reduce it? They already know I would have paid £4, why knock another few pence off?

I haven't even worked out how properly to search for stuff there, let alone understand pricing

... and the way each photo on an item's entry is actually a different variant took me a go or two to realise 😳 

Posted by: thisisnotaspoon

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Some stuff also seems to appear at a different price in my basket than it did on the shop page.  Sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Especially if you add it from the bookmarks, I suspect there's some demand pricing at work 

All the discounts are odd though, if I've got halfway through checking out a £4 Garmin mount, why reduce it? They already know I would have paid £4, why knock another few pence off?

I believe that's caused by fluctuations in the exchange rate.

To get the actual price I add it to the basket and go to checkout, making sure I apply any vouchers shown. Doesn't mean I have to buy. Doesn't mean I understand the pricing! Mostly things arrive 1-2 weeks.

Interesting thread. 

I've been buying a lot in the last month or so from Ali and it's a very odd experience isn't it? 

The trouble is, the prices are so bloody tempting. Staggeringly cheap for the exact same produce I can get on eBay or Amazon as long as I don't mind a 2 week wait and most of the time I don't. 

It really does give you an insight into just how dominant China is in manufacturing. It simply shouldn't be economically viable to ship individual items around the world to me at far cheaper prices than I can get locally but somehow it is. 

Oh, you also get some epic product descriptions on Ali too.👍

After all, who wouldnt want to feel like they are walking on shit when given the choice? Does what it says on the tin.

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Posted by: WildCamper

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"fluctuations"

Must..... resist........

Yeah their pricing is fubar. I've got some watches in my err.. watchlist. I usually look around the 200-300 AUS$ range but there's more than a few that have "doubled" and some nudging $1000 now. Same watches just different time of the year. At $250 I can justify that. At a grand? Fark, may as well buy a legit real one. 

.. . . as long as I don't mind a 2 week wait.

Small stuff is quicker than eBay. The blockage is . . . Evri. Waiting on some 13g spoke nipples atm. They were in the UK within 24 hours, but now stuck with Evri (AKA Neveri).

I did read somewhere that the Chinese state pays the export postage cost. Is this true?

Posted by: Poopscoop

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It really does give you an insight into just how dominant China is in manufacturing. It simply shouldn't be economically viable to ship individual items around the world to me at far cheaper prices than I can get locally but somehow it is. 

But the stuff you are buying locally has come from China on the same ships. What it actually demonstrates is what the markup / costs of all the steps in a normal retail model are assuming the direct model is making a profit on the factory gate price. 

Posted by: Poopscoop

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Oh, you also get some epic product descriptions on Ali too.👍

After all, who wouldnt want to feel like they are walking on shit when given the choice? Does what it says on the tin.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/FzWnRjfW/Screenshot-20251229-055434-2.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/FzWnRjfW/Screenshot-20251229-055434-2.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Username checks out 

I did read somewhere that the Chinese state pays the export postage cost. Is this true?

I thought it was funded via some UN development initiative, I'm sure someone even told me the Royal Mail wasn't paid for deliveries under the scheme? The original intention had been to get small businesses in the 3rd world exporting and bringing in foreign currency.

It's changed in the last few years, it used to be that stuff would arrive shipped directly from the factory, now at least they seem to ship it from the seller to some ali express warehouse, then it all goes into one package, along with however many other peoples packages into a larger consignment, then yodel deal with it when it gets to the UK.  The last few have had labels saying InPost via Yodel IIRC. 

ive discovered the 'extra x% off with coins' only works if you hit 'buy it now'  if you add to your basket with other stuff you don't get that saving. 

I'm now getting sucked into playing the various games to earn gems for more discounts and daily check in and browsing for more coins.... its all feeling a bit dirty somehow.... and im sure savings must cap out but.... I've a £101 telescope eyepiece I reckon i might get for £82 or less.  Cheapest i can get it in a normal UK online shop is £95.

Still my 10 and 8yo enjoy the silly g games!

Oh and evri have the stuff i ordered a few days ago.... its looking like they will deliver tomorrow.    Too fast!  It has come from China in a few days. 

The logistics seems scary good. 

Got to get me some of those insoles 😂

Posted by: neilnevill

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its looking like they will deliver tomorrow.    Too fast!  It has come from China in a few days. 

If it's arrived that quick and you didn't get emails saying it had cleared customs, then its probably shipped from the UK. Some of their stock is uk based.

Thing that I have to be careful of is the prices shown against the item on the listing may not be right - you have to make sure the listing pic and description match. Can't remember exactly what it was, but it was like I selected something for about £1 and when it appeared in my basket it was a different version for £5 

And the emails! Order 5 items, get 5 order confirmation emails, 5 order picked emails, 5 order being shipped, 5 order shipped, 5 passed customs, 5 it's in your country, 5 it's withyoulocalcourier,5it'soutfordelivery,5itsbeendelivered5pleaseconfirmreceipt5pleasereview....!!! Then the spam, which is difficult to filter as they keep using different addresses.. It's the main reason I don't order from them very often! 🤬 🤬 🤬 

Posted by: desperatebicycle

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you have to make sure the listing pic and description match

Very much this. I once wasted £2.85 🤷‍♂️

Oh definitely agree on checking what you're ordering very carefully,  and the emails.   Inbox currently flooded with all the aliexpress and Evri tracking. Yes,  I got the customs clearance ones.  First bits ordered 22nd Dec, expected 6 Jan, arrived at my door today.   Next order placed 24th had been shipped by two different factories and its in the country too.  Although I'm getting worried one may be going astray based on some of the tracking updates.