Buyers beware

[Magilla]

The warnings get put up often but people are still getting caught.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...tml?spm=a2700.10389535.c0001.9.23a4731dxoNRrg

 

[user 5263]

I think the clue is Alibaba, I am old enough to remember when it was "Alibaba and the 40 thieves"

 

[HarryHoudini]

umm and the buy two and get one free. I wonder how many they sell.

Sad really people get ripped off and then they try to sell them here.

Cheers

HH

 

[Wishfull]

This one from the same link. This one is a real beauty.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

Guys, paint me simple, I get it that you can be ripped off, but educate me further on this one please.

I would only buy this gear locally, but can you point me at the problems / complaints ?

 

[AngerManagement]

Guys, paint me simple, I get it that you can be ripped off, but educate me further on this one please.

I would only buy this gear locally, but can you point me at the problems / complaints ?

Ignore that one for the moment...

It is not so much getting ripped off as in people THINK they are getting a clone of a well know unit.

In fact they often get a poor external copy with the guts of a simple detector.... And in some cases the case and external bit are bloody good, but the internals are not up to scratch.

That is not to say that there are not some good buys, but a fool and his $ are easily separated. And so often the place selling waits until it gets a few orders and then attempts to make something...

I have had some quality stuff manufactured from some of the suppliers at reasonable costs as no one here would even bother. But there is a big difference between a manufacturer that make 100000000000s of connectors or other parts Vs some one that states they can make/sell a top end Detector. But there are people that are so focused on thinking they can make a few $$$$ at this end that they get caught... Seller or Buyer = who to blame ?

Just look at the expensive long range Gold detectors that people try to sell and at silly $$$ and you only need to catch a couple to put $ into the bank.

 

[Ded Driver]

very good reply there AM

 

[Magilla]

The payment method is also a red flag, Western Union, direct deposit and bitcoin? No comeback or protection through any of these, once they have your money you are on your own.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

This subject interests me as I am about to make a purchase thru Alibaba.com

It has been an interesting process, but there appears to be only 2x chief manufacturers of this kind of product I am chasing
and both do a different kind of gear, that do the same thing.

One wanting to not deal thru Alibaba and not providing technical detail or even some basic information - although listed on Alibaba as an A Grade manufacturer.

The other, clear information, answers all questions including technical and happy to transact thru Alibaba Assurance.

It has been an experience to negotiate and test as well as I can the Supplier to gather my balls and take the plunge,
luckily no where near these 'Detector' offers, but not a throw away $ either.
This is over 1-1/2 months now.

A friend of mine has had no problems with purchases in the past, but thru Ali-Express and small quantities, small values.

 

[Jaros]

If in doubt-get out!!

 

[HarryHoudini]

Ali express is one of the biggest online stores.
You just need to be careful.
If it is a real bargain and sounds to good to be true then run.

Just the usual deal really with anything online.
The other issue really is buying online and not getting the right product.
Returns are a real game changer.

Plus, one the other day buying something online and the site displays in stock and clearly all they
want is your money and they will source the product after your purchase. This means no stock is held by seller.

Cheers

HH

 

[Magilla]

I have bought heaps of items through Aliexpress, though mostly below $20, and not had a problem. Their items are usually well described and their payment system is efficient with the seller not getting your money until you contact them and tell them you are happy with the item. Their main down side is if you are unfortunate enough to get a bad item or one that doesn't fit you will have to return the original back to China at your expense which will likely be more than the purchase price. If the item is not as described they will give you a refund.

 

[Ded Driver]

I have bought an item from Alibaba before with no problem. Not every product & supplier is a scam.
You just need to do some research first, know your product & get a good idea if the manufacturer & supplier are reputable.
If in doubt don't do it, especially if there's are fair few $$ involved.
Detectors are 1 obvious area of scams

 

[Greenhornet_au]

Buying and selling overseas used to require a deposit held by a bank, and, once confirmed that the goods were indeed "correct" and
"on board" to be shipped, the funds would be released to the supplier.

Modern tech seems to have made that irrelevant, with overnight shipping from almost anywhere to anywhere.
So if doing BIG dollars, get an agent to do some work for you in the country of origin, could save you millions of heartache.

Alibaba.com does use an escrow account system with fee's that the seller passes back to you (as per my lengthy discussions)
Sounds like Ebay hey ? Once the satisfaction of product is there, proof of shipping and item, they pay the seller.
At least that is how it is meant to work.
So it has to be done with an Alibaba Assurance Order Form Contract to work that way, as I understand it.

I dont think Sellers like that Contract, and try to get around it.
Seems like if a Seller is prepared to use that Contract, they are more likely to be above board,
and you have some "insurance" as a buyer.

Will find out soon if my little investment arrives

 

[Guest]

Gday

These crooks have been my pet hate for years, they started selling the Gpx4500's some years back and almost destroyed the used detector market here in Australia because people were reluctant to buy anything even earlier models as they were affraid they were going to buy a fake, but the biggest hurt was on the buyers in Africa that were being ripped off by being sold duds out of China and I think Turkey, for hugely inflated prices, there were deaths and injuries when people were caught out selling them as you can well imagine, apparently they were just putting cheap vlf components into them so that they made a noise which convinced people to buy them.

There are not only minelab model detectors but also whites, fisher and some other brand ones as well that have been cloned as well, the problem is that although they may look the same on the outside they are not the same internally, and the later versions are very very good copies, the first chinese 4500 that I saw was such a bad copy that when you swung it from side to side the bottom shaft was so flimsy the coil would continue to move side to side after you stopped swinging like it was made of rubber, the colour of the box and such was not even close, but the dead giveaway was that the menu was in chinese :argh:

The price should be the first warning sign if you are looking at buying, the safest way is to either buy from a dealer or make sure you sight a receipt or call minelab and give them the serial number to verify its legit, they also introduced security stickers on the later release detectors but the chinese also cloned them and still caught people out, and there were also coils that were cloned as well some of the bigger later model coilteks and nugget finders too I believe, when the gold rushes were going on in africa the humble minelab 15x12 mono coils, that hardly anybody used here, were fetching up to $3000 or more on ebay here in Australia, and then being on sold to the Africans for many times more than that, as they believed they were the best coils they could get because someone found big gold with one I suppose?

But the very worst thing about these dud detectors and what annoys me the most about them is that the people that buy them from the likes of the forty thieves are either ignorant of the fact that they are duds and are just thinking they are getting a bargain or a**holes that know they are duds and just wanting to sell them for a huge profit over here, and the worst part is that when the people who are ignorant buy them and then when they realise they have been duped then try to on sell them to another unsuspecting bunny who wastes time and money walking the goldfields with a dud machine, and so on they just change hands, I have even seen a dud gpx5000 in a cash converter store and on telling the attendant that what they had was a dud all I got was a shrug and a who cares attitude, so some sucker got screwed. 8.(

cheers

stayyerAU

 

[thedigger]

I have bought a lot things through Alibaba,couple jaw crushers,muffle oven,plating machine,and quite a few smaller things with no problems.

 

[Redfin]

I know many, many people that have purchased diesel heaters for their camper trailers/caravans etc from Alibaba and allied express.
Average cost $175 to $250, compared to a Webasco or similar in Australia which cost in excess of $1500.

Just use some common sense and use you due diligence when researching and purchasing.

 

[Jaros]

Well advised. erfect:

 

[HarryHoudini]

you only really hear of the nightmare sales
but buyer beware

hh

 

[Redfin]

A good example of buyer beware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApakOCUqNFU&feature=youtu.be