I’ve got a few antenna projects in the pipeline, but before construction starts, a few things about buying radios and radio parts online from AliExpress. Unless you live near an electronic parts store, you’ll probably be buying parts online, like I do.
The cheapest place I found to buy most consumer-type radio parts is AliExpress. They have a lot of small hardware and cables a ham radio or SDR operator would want. In the past month or so, I’ve bought a fair amount of connectors, cables and a couple radios. Sounds good, but there’s more. There are some things you should know about shopping there.
AliExpress is in China. The situation between the United States and China is going to change. What that will be like, I don’t know. What will remain the same is that you must be very careful shopping at AliExpress. You pretty much have to use the AliExpress phone app. Give only information needed to buy things. Use a business address or post office box if you can. Don’t save your credit card number on the AliExpress app. Other than the chat feature of the app, there is no contact information for AliExpress or their parent company. This is a big red flag.
When shopping for electronic and radio hardware, know exactly what you want. There’s a lot of stuff with unbelievable low prices because they are fake. Stick to the connectors and cables you need.
The limit for free shipping at AliExpress is $10USD, at least for now. I would advise keeping purchases as close to that amount as possible. That way, if an order is lost or sent to the wrong address, you’re only out ten dollars. Refunds and returns with AliExpress are a nightmare, it’s better to eat the ten bucks and not waste your time.
Over a few months, I bought two Quansheng UV K6 and a TidiRadio H 3 handheld ham radio from AliExpress. The first UV K6 arrived with the wrong charger. I contacted AliExpress and asked to return it. The said only refunds through the AliExpress app, which I couldn’t install on the phone. I had to file a dispute with my credit card company for the amount of the radio. About a month later, the dispute was settled in my favor. A bad first time purchase experience.
I needed some radio connectors and was hoping the initial AliExpress customer experience was bad luck, so I started buying the parts I needed about ten dollars per order. After a few successful $10 orders, I bought a couple more radios. I was stoked thing were going well when I noticed in the stack of small parts that a few of them were sent to my billing address, where I am not, instead of my shipping address, where I am. All the other AliExpress merchandise has been delivered to the correct address.
Long story short, AliExpress app or not, the return/refund procedure is terrible. I pity their customer service reps. The stuff was delivered to the wrong address. Thankfully, it was only one of the ten buck orders. The return process is a real hassle, especially the second time around.
That was enough for me. I cancelled another ten buck order and after all the things I paid for arrive or don’t arrive, I will probably delete all my information and delete the AliExpress app. Like I mentioned earlier, the situation with China is going to change, who knows what is going to happen but look for it to get worse instead of better.
Everything is a gamble, remember that if you shop at AliExpress. Spend what you’re prepared to lose. You can buy a lot of small components for $10. Don’t spend much more than that unless you are prepared to lose more money. You will pay more ordering from an online radio or electronics store in the US, but you will have more options if there are problems. Somewhere in the middle is Ebay. Vendors on Ebay buy from AliExpress and add middleman markup. I would say that the buying experience on Ebay and AliExpress is similar, with the exception of AliExpress being in a country that is somewhat adversarial to the United States and thousands of miles away.
If you need one or two small electronic or radio parts and you are going to purchase online, buy them from Ebay. Usually, shipping is free. You’ll pay a little more than AliExpress, but you’ll be a little safer. If you are buying a larger item, like a radio or anything over $10, try Amazon or online retailer like GigaParts.com or DXEngineering.com. You’ll pay more, but if there is a problem, you can return the item(s). The only way you will get a return/refund from AliExpress is by disputing the item with your credit card company. AliExpress is the absolute last resort.
It’s tough being a consumer these days and it’s going to get tougher. Hope this information helps you keep from getting ripped off.
Done dealing with sketchy internet companies on the other side of the planet and now it’s back to the radios!