The Basic Bro on AliExpress

Since AliExpress has started sneaking its way into being a household name, it's fascinating hearing different perspectives about the site from different social groups. My new weekly highlight is my Retail Marketing lecture/workshop, which is ripe for discussions about online shopping and contains a group of very talkative bro-friends. These two factors coincide quite nicely.


In between talking about the cricket, the trio of Basic Bros (the male version of the Basic Bitch) had a chat about AliExpress. It went something like this...

Bro 1: This guy got some AliExpress shoes this morning.
Bro 2: Brooooooo.
Bro 3: Yeah, and they fit real well!
Bro 1: Broooooooooo.
Bro 2: I bought some sunnies off AliExpress on a Friday, they arrived on the Monday. It's crazy, Brosephs.
Bro 1: Dude.
Bro 2: I might buy a jacket I found on there. It's crazy how good the prices are. Bro diggity.
Bro 3: Cricket sports points.
Bro 1: Beer.
Bro 2: Bros 4 life.



Yeah. So, that's what your typical Kiwi 20-something year old is doing on AliExpress, in case you were curious.

 Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Also, if you are one of the aforementioned Bros, maybe spend less time online shopping and more time doing the fucking assigned reading before class. Missed my bus because of you slow fuckers.

Online Shopping Gems: Wall Decals

Wall decals/stickers are amazing. Especially when they're under $10!



On with the show....



Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Pearl of Wisdom: When Things Don't Show Up

I bought a dog camera online. You attach it to their collar and it films what they get up to. It was $17 USD. I've been excited about it for a month and a half. I just wish it would actually, you know, arrive.

The risk with online shopping is that there's often an ocean between you and the thing you just bought. You've sent your money off into the ether and have to basically sit and wait for the dividends.

I've had about 5 items just never show up. At first I'm always annoyed, then I feel embarrassed for being so stupid and then I feel kinda happy, because I have too much stuff anyway.

I've never not gotten a refund. That's maybe just me being lucky, but I've yet to experience a seller on any platform who doesn't take responsibility for an item not ending up on my doorstep.

If you think you're in a no-show situation, contact the seller right away. The system is in your favour and most of the time there's a way to resolve it nicely.

Write a sassy letter if you like. On the computer. Just never use typewriters, they're extinct for a reason.
If the seller is silent or refuses to compensate you, when you've waited long enough to be certain that the item isn't going to turn up, contact the relevant platform authorities. AliExpress have an "Open Dispute" option, for example. If you're buying online, only ever use sites that have systems in place for when things go wrong. Be proactive. Feedback systems are pretty good at keeping people honest, but there should also be a way to get the site's actual employees involved to resolve things.

Before you buy, also be sure to check the guarantees. Many seller will offer full refunds, but only if the item is not received within a certain time period, eg, 35 days. Personally, I think this makes no sense at all, because it means I could ask for a refund if the item doesn't show up after two days. I've had things take almost two months to get to me!

In conclusion, be proactive. If you're spending more than $10 online, check all relevant fine print, such as the refund policy and feedback of the store. If less than $10, then they'll happily just chuck you a refund, it's so inconsequential, and it's a cheap life lesson if they refuse.

Let's all just hope and pray that my dog camera shows up. Because I really, really want it to!

If you want some specific advice, do utilise our long-suffering forum. It's really just there for support. We wanted to give you a place to ask for help from us people who waste far too much money online and so have a good idea of how to deal with shonky sellers!

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Review: Flower Chain Necklace


I paid a bit more for this necklace (Product Page) than I'm normally happy to spend on AliExpress. But I fell fully in love with it, so I had to have it. That said, it was only $7.70 USD, which is still really cheap.


It's a stunning necklace, but it's actually a total nuisance. Firstly, it's heavy. Secondly, the flowers don't sit right and need constant readjusting to get the little red ones to sit in front of the big yellow ones neatly. Thirdly, it's too bright for my skintone- I think this would look stunning on peeps with darker skin than me, but it overwhelmed my complexion.

I took plyers to it and removed the flowers, leaving only the blue chain behind. I totally adore it now, and I have some cool flower charms I can use for something else! Huzzah!


Note: the eyelets are still on in these photos because I removed them all later. They needed to be pried quite far apart to come off.


Note 2: That's my adorable kook of a cat, Izzy. She looks grumpy, but if I wasn't holding her, she'd be on the ground meowing at me to pick her up for a cuddle. Cats are weird.

Speaking of cute weird things, here's Dusty modelling the necklace before I improved it:




Two points to Gryffindor if you spotted that my pets are colour-coordinated!

 Ratings
Product Quality: 4/5 (The paint or whatever it is comes off when scraped, which is something I'll have to watch out for)
Accuracy of Description: 4/5 (The colours are brighter IRL and it looks just a bit difference overall on the product page)
Similarity to Original: N/A

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

AliBaba & The Vibrant Future of AliExpress

Since AliBaba has taken Wall Street by storm over the past month, breaking the record for the biggest IPO in global history, I figured it was about time Absolootely went a bit deeper into the world of AliExpress and its sister sites. I'll try make this super easy to read, because there's some pretty technical information I'd like to include.



The AliBaba group is China's biggest online commerce company, and also probably the biggest in the world ever. Here's a fantastic explanation by the Wall Street Journal, with lots of pretty pictures and infographics, that sums it up nicely.

AliExpress is one of their sites that specialises in selling Chinese products to Global consumers. Businesses wanting to buy wholesale goods in bulk buy from AliBaba.com, generally.

Proportionally, not a lot of people know about AliBaba in the Western world, but that is going to change. AliBaba is connecting Chinese producers to consumers worldwide, cutting out intermediaries, ie the retail sector. It's a recipe for success in this globalised world.

Before we discuss what AliBaba's success in Wall Street means, we'll have to do some learning. I've done a Finance 101 paper, so I sort of understand this stuff, and hopefully can translate money talk into simpler language.

AliBaba recently issued what is called an Initial Public Offering (IPO), which means it is now possible to buy 'Shares' of the company. A Share, or Stock, is an investment in the company. You pay them for the Share and receive payments as they use all the money collected from selling Shares to grow as a business. As the business grows, they can afford to start paying you back for investing in them. If they do well, you'll earn more than what you paid for the Share. If they don't do well, you'll make a loss. Also, a Share enables you a say in the company's operations, one vote per Share.

The IPO is a big deal because a company stands to earn a lot of money from selling Shares, and it shows how much confidence financial experts have in the business. AliBaba raised BILLIONS. Like, MULTIPLE BILLIONS. About US$21.8 billion on its first day of trading.



This means two major things for us AliExpress fans: 1) AliBaba have the funds to sustain and majorly improve AliExpress and other sites, and 2) People who know a thing or two about companies are predicting that AliBaba is going to be around for a while, doing some seriously major scale business.

Some companies don't have a big IPO and still go on to become massive, such as Google, and some companies offer IPOs when they're already a big deal, such as Facebook. It can mean a lot of things, but the main thing it will provide is opportunities for AliBaba to tighten its hold on the e-commerce market. AliBaba is now one of the biggest tech companies in the world and is going to be a huge part of the expanse of the Technological Age we're living in.

As for Absolootely, it means we totally jumped aboard the right bandwagon.

If you're interested/as big a business nerd as me, here's AliBaba's IPO Prospectus, which has some details as to how the company plans to expand and other such insights.
Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Review: Adorable Planet/Rocket/Parachute Embroidered Tee

I'm not a huge fan of basics like striped t-shirts, but I do love a cute tee. And this is the cutest cute tee of all the cute tees.



I bought this for about $8 (USD) from here, which is cheaper than any current versions I can find. Searching "parachute stripe" under Woman's T-Shirts seems to be the best way to find it on AliExpress.

Mine's a size Large, which is about a size 10 UK. That is, of course, not remotely Large, but that's AliExpress for you. It has a tight fit and is actually pretty flattering, though it's just a lil' bit short. Best worn with high-waisted bottoms, unless you like showing off that awkward bit of stomach just below your belly button.


I'm so in love with the little embroidered balloons, parachutes, hearts, planets and rockets! They're subtle enough that you can wear the tee with basically anything, but add some whimsy to an otherwise plain outfit. It's a really good design, I'd be surprised if it wasn't ripped off some fancy label. I can't find evidence of an 'original', so I'll have to give credit to an anonymous wholesaling company.

Much as I love this top, there is, however, a flaw. The neck ribbing is a bit loose, so it sticks out and doesn't sit nice and flat. It was much worse before I sewed it in at the shoulders, but I didn't quite manage to fix it completely. As with the dupe leggings we reviewed earlier, I do recommend this t-shirt, but only if you don't mind doing a bit of tweaking. It's a pretty simple fix, really.

That damned collar ribbing!

I got the Black version, but it also comes in Green and Blue. I ummed-and-ahhed for a while before choosing a colour, because they're all so cool!

Blue & White
Green & White
Seriously, I want 'em all. I wish they were still available for under $10! The cheapest I could find was $13 (USD), which is still very reasonable, I suppose.

 Ratings
Product Quality: 4/5
Accuracy of Description: 3/5 (The photos are a bit misleading, the fit and the neck are quite different.)
Similarity to Original: N/A


Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Pearl of Wisdom: The One Store System

Recently, I received a box of jewellery. I'd picked out each piece and it all came to about $15, which is about how much each would cost individually in any chain store. It was The Best parcel to receive and unpack, as you can probably imagine.

Mail Order Treasure Chest!
The trick, I find, to buying jewellery online is to pick a single seller, on eBay or Aliexpress, and select from their products. Most stores have a "minimum order" for small, cheap items like jewellery, so this gets around that, so long as you buy enough items to reach the minimum order price. It's cheaper if you buy in bulk anyway, due to the shipping costs.

If you are buying something cheap off of Aliexpress, it is worthwhile to have a look through the store and add something else to your cart from the same seller. Aliexpress and eBay both have really good systems for purchasing multiple items from a single store, allowing you to pay for them all at once. It's also great to have one package for multiple objects!

Browsing through stores also gets rid of pesky duplicates and gives you a random array of items to chose from, which is fun!

Also, if you've had a really good experience with a seller, do favourite their store and try to buy from them in future. There are some dodgy stores online and sticking with the ones you trust is a great way to ensure you continue having good experiences with online shopping.

I'm going to give a shout out to DX Jewellery, who I bought my bulk lot from. Each of their items are amongst the cheapest options for identical products on Aliexpress and they are good with shipping/packaging. Their minimum order is $9, which is really easy to hit with a mixed order.

Other Aliexpress stores I recommend are:
Red Blooded Woman
Tomato Clothing Store
Hangzhou Weido Apparel Co.
Elizabeth's Wonder Store
Jewelleries4U
Hottest Girls' Choices

Over the next few months, I'll be reviewing some pieces of jewellery I've bought (Absolootely has a one-month-use-before-review guideline, so I can't review them straight away). Keep an eye out for that!
Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Fool's Gold: Return of the Pizza Necklace

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a Fool's Gold comparing a very expensive Pizza Necklace to a cheaper alternative. In that post, the necklaces were quite different, though similar in pizza-ness.

Browsing an Etsy store, I stumbled across the exact same necklace as the Aliexpress one, but for twice the price and far fewer the quantity!



Here's the one sold via ShopSpaceTrash:


Not only is it supremely cheeky that they sell 5 for around $40 (USD, inc shipping costs), they also sell ONE necklace for around $15ea! It's likely that they bought these necklaces from a wholesale site like Aliexpress, so the sheer amount of profit they make per purchase is ridiculous.

Here's the one sold via Aliexpress:


See, it's exactly the same!

Over Aliexpress, 20 pieces will cost you $22 (USD, inc shipping).
Over ShopSpaceTrash, 20 pieces will cost you $156.

That's a difference of $134! And on ShopSpaceTrash, you can't even buy 20 so easily, as they have a maximum order of 3 sets of 5. ShopSpaceTrash is a very popular store, and just the 5 piece Pizza Necklace set has over 100 favourites on Etsy. But they are really having a laugh with the price tag.

I love Etsy, but a lot of the stuff for sale can be found for much cheaper elsewhere. They buy in bulk, take nicer photos and sell amongst their handmade guff. All is fair in love, war and e-stores, and it's not illegal, just good marketing. However, we're on the consumer's side, so screw it, it makes us angry.

ShopSpaceTrash, consider yourself absolootely called out.

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Review: Dupe Leggings

Aliexpress is pretty well known for doing dupe Black Milk leggings. If you want to have a look at some of the best ones on there, check out this Gems post. As with most Gems posts, we can't account for the quality of each product. But I have gotten my hands on two pairs of leggings, so I can give an overview of what to expect from these lower quality, cheap knockoffs.


I bought these excellent nautical tights, and my friend bought these skyline ones. We're both happy with the look of them. Hers are slightly more pixelated than mine, but it's because the image is a lot denser and more detailed, so it matters less. I was really impressed, actually, at the crispness of mine! They're very nice!




The reason I have my friend's tights in my possession is I refused to let her wear them until I fixed the crotch for her. I got my leggings before her and after only a day of wearing them, there was a hole in the crotch! She wore hers for about an hour after receiving them and they also were starting to come apart at the seam, so I think it's a problem the majority of these types of tights will have.

Crotch hole alert!
You can see where the stitching has come undone.
If you buy a pair of these leggings, I highly recommend reinforcing the crotch before wearing them. It only takes a couple of lines of stitching on the sewing machine. Since it's a very stretchy fabric, you'll want to use a zigzag, or preferably an overlock stitch, like the one my grandma's sewing machine can do (see photo below). Go further than the problem area, just for extra reinforcement.


The weak crotch problem wasn't an issue for me, because I'm an avid sewer, and it really is the only flaw I've had so far. I love my tights and I'm really glad I didn't buy the originals, because I will certainly not get $100 worth of use out of them. I only have, like, one top I can wear these with, they don't go with very much! Once I fixed the crotch (how many times can I write 'crotch' in one post...), they were totally worth over the $7 (USD) I paid for them.

Also, note that neither of us bought Free size. A lot of these leggings only come in one size, which might seem reasonable because they're very stretchy, but it's best to look for variations that have multiple sizes.

Ratings

 Beige Nautical Tights
Product Quality: 3/5
Accuracy of Description: 5/5
Similarity to Original: 3/5 (the brown is slightly more purple, the images bigger and the fabric is cheaper. But pretty good still.)

NYC Skyline Tights
Product Quality: 3/5
Accuracy of Description: 5/5
Similarity to Original: 3/5 (the image is much more pixelated and the fabric is cheaper, but also still pretty good.)

UPDATE 3/8/14: Prone to shrinking dramatically in the washing machine!

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Online Shopping Gems: Camisoles & Tank Tops



Since I got some permanent shoulder decoration, I've been all over the interweb trying to find some tops that will show it off a bit. I don't have a lot of spaghetti straps, halter necks, tank tops, camisoles, etc. That's going to change!

Since camisoles (that's the best word to describe them, right?) are pretty flimsy and light, it's not really something worth shelling out for. I wore a camisole to an Arctic Monkeys concert last month and it barely survived! Glad I paid under $10 for that one!

There are some uber cute tops over on Aliexpress, here are my top finds! I basically included everything that has straps and is a top. It's not a very specific collection...



Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Review: World Map Watch

Photo from Product Page


Travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody’s looking for something
- Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams -

I featured this world map watch on my own blog back in April, when it first arrived. Since then, I've worn it a few times and have received many a compliment on its unique design. The stock photo is quite true to the real deal, the print on the watch face itself is slightly blurrier and the strap feels flimsier than the photo would suggest.




My own photos

The one fault is in the quality of the strap. I noticed a little loose thread a few days ago, which I pulled gently and it seems to have split the side of the strap a little. With time, the strap will definitely fall apart, although I can always replace it.

I don't think the strap is a deal breaker though considering it only cost me a few dollars and the weight of the watch face makes up for it. I'm really keen to try out more watches from AliExpress now.

World Map Watch available in brown, black and white

Ratings
Product Quality: 4/5
Accuracy of Description: 5/5
Similarity to Original: 3/5 I can't tell if it's just a coincidence that it looks very similar to the Around the World watch from Urban Outfitters


Contributor: Rachel, @RachelElsewhere

Review: Ferret/Fox Blouse

I've already done a review of a cute printed shirt, and there are several more to come. I'm so obsessed with the range of $10-ish blouse sold via eBay and Aliexpress!

This blouse is pretty widespread across Aliexpress, and the page I bought it from can be found here. It's covered in little yellow ferret-like creatures, with their shadows also crawling around. It's bloody delightful, basically.

Photo from product page

This is one of my fave online buys, because it was super cheap and it's really great quality. The fabric is more of a polyester than the light, cheap feeling chiffon, which actually makes for a very crisp print and a soft feel. The white is a cool white, not remotely beige, and the yellows and blacks are vivid.

Are they ferrets?! Foxes? Weasels? Stoats?

As white as a Springer Spaniel's nose, which is pretty damn white.
The cut and fit of the skirt is pretty good. I got a Large, which is, as per usual, not a Large at all. It's a UK10. It's has actually got a very nice fit to it, being a little towards the snug side without being tight. It isn't very long, hitting just above the waist.

Not that the shoulder hem sits a bit forward, which is pretty clever in terms of fit.

So pretty! I'm really impressed by the vividness of the colours.
 Overall, I'm really happy with this shirt. It's very easy to wear and it just doesn't look like something you can buy for under $10 (USD)! If you are considering buying it, do be careful with the sizing, ok?

Ratings
Product Quality: 5/5
Accuracy of Description: 4/5
Similarity to Original: N/A, I think. I have been searching for the original with my trusted advisor, Google's Search by Image function, but I can't find it. I'm sure this is a dupe, because the photos of the model wearing the shirt look very professional.

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Fool's Gold: Dupes vs Originals



Rachel and I regularly swap examples of items that are $10 on Aliexpress and up to 10x that price on other sites, so we thought we'd share our finds and show how savvy shopping can save you some serious cash.

Sometimes it is worth buying the original. If you're buying foundation, don't skimp on quality, for example (read about that Pearl of Wisdom here). Things like a good pair of jeans cannot be replicated at the same quality for $10. However, there are companies such as Black Milk that sell novelty clothing for $100 a pop, which is too much to spend on a gimmicky, wear-once-a-year item for us poor students.

We'll also feature examples of online sites trying to rip you off majorly by selling dupes at inflated prices. When we find them, we'll call them out for sure.

Here are some dupes that we think are worth buying over the originals (or 'Fool's Gold', because even though it ain't 'real', in this case it's still gold). Click here to view the full collection and price details over on Polyvore. Note that all prices are in $US, with shipping not included in the price...

                                    Original                                                             Dupe

Review: Black Bag with Heart Clasp

Handbags are expensive. And it seems the smaller they get, the more they cost. I don't want to fork out $50 for something I won't use everyday and that doesn't even hold more than my phone and wallet.

Luckily for me (and you!), bags from online shops are super affordable. Like this blue satchel bag or a darling fox bag. I've had nothing but good experiences buying handbags online and I needed a black one. Black goes with everything. Fact.


I decided on this black bag with a heart clasp because it's different to everything else I own and looked pretty classy. And it was only $11NZD (a semi permanent discount of 49% off on AliExpress)! It's also available in cream, brown and lavender.



Within the main structure, the bag has three internal pockets, including one zipped, and an extra zipped pocket on the back. This I love because I hate leaving my keys in the same section as my phone so it's nice to have a pocket for everything. Although the heart clasp looks more gold in the photos, it's actually a light yellow with the word MINK in gold. Is this a brand name? I don't know.

The trick for young players is to let the bag air out for a few days after it arrives, to get rid of that Chinese factory fragrance and restore its shape. I've found is that the lining fabric in bags from China tends to feel very stiff and cheap and some of the zips tend to feel a little flimsy. This isn't an issue for me personally, I got what I paid for and I promise I'll be careful zipping it up. 

All in all, I'm super happy with this purchase. I would have to pay a lot more for something similar in a store here and in my mind, quantity over quality for handbags. Always.

Ratings
Product Quality: 4/5 (cheap lining and delicate zips prevent this bag from scoring full marks)

Accuracy of Description: 5/5

Similarity to Original: N/A. As far I can tell, this bag isn't a dupe but a true original. Just like me.


Contributor: Rachel, @RachelElsewhere

Online Shopping Gems: The Cat Trend

I must admit, I am a MASSIVE fan of this new craze. Cats are the best.
However, I'm not paying any more than $20 for pair of novelty cat shoes (cough, cough, Charlotte Olympia...)
Touche, Grumpy Cat
Here's a collection of Purrfect, aMeowzing products with kitties on them:

Pearl of Wisdom: Cheap Cosmetics

As photos for this post, I started looking at vintage makeup ads. Vintage images are on the whole prettier, and they're also great value for a bit of eye rolling.

You would meet a lot of people if you literally smeared pancake on your face everyday.

Review: Black Corduroy Skater Skirt

Finding the perfect black skirt is a bit of a mission. You have to find one with a cute cut, perfect flare, flattering fit and, toughest of all, in some great fabric that just goes well with everything in your wardrobe.

This one is pretty fantastic. And it's super, super cheap


I was a bit trepedacious going into this purchase, because corduroy has little stretch, so if it was a size too small for me, it would really be too small. I got a Large, which is a UK10. As it's a skater skirt, you just need to be a 10 at the waist for it to fit well.

Online Shopping Gems: Shirt Dresses

Since there are a bazillion cute, cheap dresses on Aliexpress, I'm going to be as specific as possible when it comes to categorising these gems. 'Shirt' Dresses are amongst my favourite breed of dress. As per usual, as of the time I posted this, everything is under $20, probably by a lot, and in a selection of sizes. Zooey Deschanel and Alexa Chung are some very fashionable ladies who totally rock these dresses regularly, so take inspo from them and grab yourself a preppy-meets-quirky frock!

(Click photo to view product page. A lot of these dresses are available in multiple colours/patterns, go check them out!)

Pearl of Wisdom: The Shopper's Checklist

It's really easy to be hasty or flippant with online shopping, especially when it's a mega-bargain that you're worried might just be a glitch so you have to buy it NOW. Here's a checklist I recommend we all memorise and go through every time we want to buy something. A couple of seconds of extra research can make a huge difference down the line.



-Check the measurements! Have a tape measure nearby, or a record of your measurements. Don't leave it to chance.

-Check if it's on sale and, if so, for how long. Also, sometimes sites like Aliexpress have a sales festival that affects a lot of stores, so if there's an upcoming sale then wait for it, just in case.

-Don't 'Buy Now', Add to Cart and then sit on it for a few days, give yourself some time to rethink. If you're considering buying multiple items, just chuck them all in your cart so you can see how much they total to and avoid getting too carried away. 

-Check out the feedback for the product, if there is any. 

-Search for the cheapest option. I almost bought a dress for $16 US the other day, thinking that was cheap, until I threw the keywords into the search bar and found that the very cheapest one I could buy was $5 less! 



Have any pre-purchase rituals of your own? Please care to share, help out your fellow shopaholics!

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Pearl of Wisdom: Aliexpress 101

This site is based on one online store in particular, so I thought it'd be a good idea to introduce you to the world of Aliexpress.com incase you're confused by what it is.


Basically, it's a factory-direct, wholesale marketplace. If you're familiar with eBay, you know what I'm talking about. Everything is very cheap and most of it is cheap for a good reason.

However, I've found so far that I haven't bought anything that a chain store such as Glassons or TopShop would beat in quality. It's all the same stuff, ultimately. And a lot of the time, those stores are over charging me for a novelty blouse I'm only going to get $10 worth of wear out of.

As far as service goes, it varies shop-to-shop on the site. We're very quick to be suspicious of Asian based online stores, when it's not like we're getting good customer service closer to home. In my experience, they're actually a whole lot nicer and much more willing to sort out a solution. Don't let Pidgin English scare you!

I mainly use the site for clothing and jewellery. I don't know what most of the site is like, and I don't really feel the need to know. Apparently most of the purchases off the site are consumer electronics, and I guess it's good for that, but Absolootely is about fashion and so we'll just skip over that.
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