I do. Through eBay and my experience has been great because I had a lot of cheap things like they're really good sellers. They also will solve a problem. I don't know about the scams though. It exists everywhere.
I typically avoid purchasing things from China online and even in the stores generally. This is because many of the products that I've bought break within the following few days, which is a huge waste of money. I've also heard of so many scams. But, if its something with little value, like a phone case for $7, then I would go ahead with that (depending on the reviews). But again, I avoid most of the time and purchase something worth more and a good rep.
Many dropshippers who sell through eBay and other online auction sites use to buy their products from Chinese manufacturers and yet hide this fact. So you think to be buying an original product, or a close-to-original, but not always realizing it is from Chinese origin. It's curious that the bad reputation of bad quality that China made tons of decades ago, prevails despite the economy of China is totally different today,when is seen as one of the tops economically leading countries. I have found both good and bad products made of China, so I couldn't generalize on this topic.
I tried once. I found these really cheap Kale seeds on eBay, but the seller was from China. It took a while - three weeks I think before the product reached my country. I was happy though because I wasn't scammed unlike some other sellers on eBay who, despite being from other countries, still scam people.
Yes, I very often buy items from China, mostly from websites like buyincoins.com and miniinthebox.com since these are the only two ones which actually delivered my items without any hassle whatsoever. But don't take my happy experience for granted though. Be careful that, depending on your location, the waiting time might vary from 3-30 days, which is huge IMO. But the items and cheap and most qualitative, so... it's worth, if you look at the glass half full situation.
@rightct That's great. I've never heard of these websites but that seems really interesting. I myself have used eBay and almost all items that would be bad quality I would be refunded without having to send the items back, but it's rare since all of their products are actually quite good. They're cheap for a reason though, it's because of their economy which is an advantage to those living out of china.
Places like Alibaba.com sell Chinese products at a laughable low price, kind or price tag you cannot believe if not associate with poor quality products. However many of the products that people buy in eBay and other online sites come from Alibaba, so if you think their price is low, sometimes you may not believe the wholesale price. And this is it, to get those articles so cheap, Chinese manufacturers request an upfront payment for a shipment which quantity may vary depending on the product, but that is tagged in several hundred dollars for the minimum delivery. This strategy, buy from Chinese wholesalers via Alibaba is common among drop shippers selling on eBay.
You have my seal of approval that these websites are legit and will deliver your items in-full. Their refund policy is quite harsh though... they won't approve any unless the received item is damaged and can prove it was faulty not because you deliberately did it, but because it was shipped that way... which is very hard. But you don't really have to go through them. Just ask the refund to PayPal and you will get it with the proof those sites would normally reject. It's a guarantee.
Yes, there are reputable websites offering purchasing guarantees and a safe environment to do your transaction. This may not happen when dealing directly with Chinese wholesalers though. I have heard horror stories form drop shippers placing an order, sending hundreds of dollars and never receiving their products. However searching for a seal or guarantee on site, with the endorsement of a reputable company always contribute to avoid being ripped of.
