You Don’t Always Get What You Pay For



Sylvester Franklin, of Savannah, Ga., did what millions of Americans do every year: he bought something online. After deciding it was time to buy some new tools, Franklin logged on to AliExpress and ordered a power drill. What he wound up getting was merely a photo of the drill he ordered. Since November, Franklin has been going back and forth with AliExpress, but still hasn’t received a refund. In 2021, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) added AliExpress to its list of Notorious Markets for Counterfeit and Piracy. The website has a BBB rating of D-, and the State of Georgia’s Consumer Protective Division has received complaints against the company. One consumer paid $400 for an item that was sent with a fake tracking number and was never delivered. In all instances, shoppers tried to get their money back from AliExpress, but none did. Franklin tried to get a chargeback from his bank, without success. The only thing he can do now is file a complaint with the Consumer Protective Division and hope for the best. His is a cautionary tale for consumers to make sure they check out the companies from which they plan to order products and services.