We all know about websites like dealextreme.com or buyincoins.com. They offer cheap items, from electronics to clothing, you name it. I successfully bought kitchen items from those sites, good quality and they lasted long. But never did I buy electronics. I see inexpensive phones or even laptops - are they any good? What experience do you have with buying electronics from similar websites?
I am actually experimenting this right now. I do stay away from cheaper products, but sometimes they are just as good. I find quality things in dollar stores for a bargain price. I decided to give it a shot on a different site I posted on freebies a while back. I am expected to see my items within this or the following week. I ordered an iphone 5s case, iphone 5s usb charger and a pair of aviator sunglasses. I am really hoping that all my items come in one piece. If it survives the long distance shipping then it is probably a worthwhile investment. I will return with an update. I have also never purchased any electronics from China but I will remain optimistic for the time being. Has anyone purchased anything from TVC-mall? I am satisfied by their website, it was relatively easy and safe - I was able to purchase with Paypal. It is worth a look.
I would buy anything Chinese except for electronics, even extension cords are a bit of a stretch for me. I don't trust them. I once bought an Android phone, it was a generic one pretty good quality and performance but it came with a charger that is faulty almost started a fire.
As a general rule, I don't buy electronics that are made in China. They don't really last long with the quality next to being the disposable type. My father bought a Chinese-made mobile phone online once. It was shipped successfully. However, it only lasted for a couple of months until it stopped charging properly. I only buy clothes and unbranded bags from online stores like those two you mentioned.
I sometimes buy things like camera bags/phone accessories etc. as these items tend to be overpriced over here in the UK, and the ones built in China are actually decent. But I don't think I would buy electricals off an online Chinese site, as there are a lot of clones and most of the time, its worth just spending a few more bucks on the same item at a local store in case of faults and have the peace of mind.
I'd rather not wait weeks for my items to arrive, and I'm not so frugal that I find it necessary to buy items priced so low from another country. I'd rather buy something that I can simply drive to and pick up. I wouldn't trust Chinese electronics, although some Chinese smartphones are actually decent devices for the price. They tend to be knock offs of popular devices here, and they tend to feature lower specs, so they're not flagship devices. They're decent devices in their own right, though.
I think I was sold a refurbished rather than a brand new Sony Ericsson W995, and it only lasted 8 months. The motherboard got broken. I bought the phone in Ebay from a Chinese seller. They offer warranty, but I never bothered shipping the item back. So I would not trust the Chinese when it comes to electronics unless it's a physical store. Over here I saw a Huawei shop in one of the malls. It is a good brand, so I can buy there. When it comes to other things like phones cases, bags or pouches, I will buy from them.
I think it's safe to buy clothes from China. I've seen a lot of great designs. However, I wouldn't buy clone phones or other electronic gadgets and would also stay away from bright colored toys (some say it might contain lead).
I buy things from China dealers all the time and they have been very reliable so far. Most of them are dealers running a small online store but they always deliver the goods as shown. My experience with them have been good so far. Price is a lot cheaper from what I can find locally and delivery is on time. I've also dealt with buyincoins a few times and they offer great service.
