Online shopping horror stories are nothing new, but one Georgia man’s experience is leaving people shocked. Sylvester Franklin, of Savannah, says he ordered a drill and other tools from AliExpress in November, only to receive something that has him shaking his head in disbelief—a printed photo of the drill instead of the actual tool.
“They sent me this. A picture is what they sent me,” Franklin told WTOC.
Unfortunately, Franklin’s troubles didn’t end there. Other items in his order were reportedly just as bad. “I paid $22.47 for a pressure washer, and this is what I get,” Franklin said, holding up a single screw. After spending around $40 in total, Franklin has been fighting with AliExpress for months to get a refund but says he hasn’t had any luck.
AliExpress, a subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant AliBaba, is often referred to as the “Amazon of China,” but its reputation has been questioned in the U.S. In 2021, the Office of the United States Trade Representative added AliExpress to its list of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. The Better Business Bureau has given the platform a D- rating, and in 2024, Georgia’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) received three complaints about the company.
One complainant said they “never received the item purchased,” while another reported being out over $400 after receiving a fake tracking number and no product. In all three cases, shoppers said they struggled to get refunds until they escalated their issues to the CPD.
Franklin has tried everything he can think of to resolve his issue, including contacting AliExpress customer service and even attempting to get a chargeback through his bank. So far, none of his efforts have worked.
“This is not good. This is real bad,” Franklin said, expressing frustration with the process. “Don’t scam nobody. I don’t like to get scammed because if you spend your money, you want to get what you paid for.”
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