Has anyone consider buying a software or laptop from Alibaba or AliExpress? I see some affordable software I would like to get from Aliexpress but I am unsure if it will work properly upon reaching me. Of course I want to avoid the trauma of viruses if the software is corrupt. The company appears to be reputable and they have hundreds of feedback. Of course you are going to see some negative comments but the bulk of the responses are positive. I don't want to have an experience of ordering overseas and get a crappy item. What are your experience, if any, from ordering any electronic device or software from international destinations?
I would say that try to not trust those sites because they will sometimes day too long for the product to come. I say to check their reviews before purchasing and if you cannot find any reviews then just go and google and try to find reviews on the product.
When buying electronics better buy from home. There'd be no reason to take unnecessary risks buying from say, a Chinese seller and upon realizing that you've got a defective product must ship it back . . . No matter how cheap the laptop or whatever it is you're buying might be, it's much better to be safe than sorry. Buy from a local store. Price differences never are that huge especially when you are buying online.
Avoid refurbished products, because you will never know when they will conk out on you. I bought a smartphone that was "brand new", well it looked like it, but it only lasted 8 months. Don't buy expensive electronics online unless the brand and seller is reputable.
Refurbished products aren't so bad really but it's up to you how you handle it and it depends on what purpose you have for it. As for the international thing, well to be honest with you I'd rather purchase locally. Yes it can be cheap but they will cut you down with the shipping and you can't be sure if your item is really how it looked like on the online catalog.
I got burned by some Chinese vendors but should have totally knew better. They are some respectable vendors in China, but you have to do your research. I would be comfortable buying phones and tablets but I still wouldn't expect them to last long. It's just the nature of doing business there. They reverse engineer everything and use sub par parts for the product.
Alibaba is pretty legit, it's like the eBay of China. So long as you find a licensed vendor, and are fluent in Chinese (make sure to read all the fine print, terms and conditions etc.) I believe that you can get a good deal on quality products.
