If you love online shopping. Aliexpress just made it easier for you to start shopping online.
We all know by now that Aliexpress is cheap compared to local prices in Lebanon, easy as they deliver your products to your doorstep and safe, you can get your money back if you never get a product or if you receive defective products. But if you have not been able to purchase products earlier because you don’t have a credit card. Well you can pay on AliExpress using western union.
Here are some tips to shopping online from Aliexpress to Lebanon to make the whole experience more enjoyable & easier:
Choose a trustworthy seller. I would suggest to go for sellers with at least 100 orders on a specific item.
Check the average rating. An average rating of 4 stars or more is generally a safe choice.
Keep an eye on the protection period. If the period is going to end and you still don`t have the products, ask for extension of this period or open a dispute if the seller isn’t responding. This is the only way to ensure you are safe.
Check if there’s a size chart. Sizes are different than those in Lebanon.
Check the shipping cost. Go for aliexpress standard shipping or china post registered air mail which is usually cheap or free. If it’s a small package shipping can take up to 3 months, bigger products require usually less time.
Do not confirm receiving any product unless receive it & check that it is exactly like you ordered. Or else, if the product has any issue and you have already marked “Acknowledgement of goods acceptance,” then you can’t open a dispute
Make sure you are very clear when adding your address details.
Shipping usually takes a minimum of 1 month and a maximum time of 2 months. Most products arrive earlier. However, sometimes your product can be shipped in one week only!
In Lebanon:
Liban post will deliver your products to your assigned address at no extra fees.
Sometimes customs clearance takes up to 2 week so you need to wait. Use the tracking code to check your product arrival date. Tech gadgets require further clearance inspection.
You will pay taxes if you purchase smart phones, 10 items or more of same product or products above 100$. However you can’t know how much you will end up paying as the calculation of customs charges is not announced.
You must open a dispute when you don’t received your parcel within 60 days and before buyer protection expired. There are multiple reasons for your product not to be delivered: product is not allowed to be shipped to Lebanon, product is lost, or refused by customs in china.
I am not surprised that AliExpress is becoming the preferred shopping platform in many countries around the world. Share with me your shopping experience, if you have been ordering products from the Chinese giant eCommerce Website or other local websites in Lebanon as the online shopping market in Lebanon is growing rapidly as well!
PS if you are looking to ship a huge number of products you need to check Alibaba the Wholesale marketplaces.
The Online shopping Market in Lebanon is booming. While I have compared AliExpress & Lebanese online shopping websites years ago. Back then, most Lebanese have never heard of the Chinese online shopping website. Today, everyone is shipping products from AliExpress to Lebanon.
In 2014, the number of products shipped from AliExpress reached 20K orders a month (according to one of the logistics companies in Lebanon). Prices were cheap, you could literally find any product you’d need (even ask for a customized one) and Liban Post was delivering packages to a users address without charging any fee.
Although, tax rules were applied on packages and parcels arriving from AliExpress, it was still the cheapest shopping website available. Back then, no local online shopping website was selling similar products with acceptable prices, shipping terms or secure payment methods.
I’m a big fan of AliExpress (a diamond member with 993 orders) and although some stores in Lebanon, are still shopping from AliExpress and selling the products in Lebanon for premium prices (double/triple). Lebanese now are aware of the opportunities available online and are going to local eCommerce websites & businesses on social media for their purchases.
The number of cards issued for online usage by Lebanese banks in the past couple years has increased a lot. I’ve been using BankMed’s Cards for all my online transactions especially when I’m not sure about a Website’s trustworthiness.
The online shopping market in Lebanon continues to mature. Today Lebanese are accustomed to the “online shopping experience”. The total number of eCommerce websites in Lebanon has grown significantly similar to Ishtari, and HiCart ….and daily deals websites that were booming years ago like makhsoom is shifting to selling products online while others like scoop city has closed.
However, the online shopping market in Lebanon is no longer restricted to eCommerce websites. Even individuals are selling products online through Instagram & Facebook especially when it comes to the fashion industry from shoes, clothes, handmade crafts, accessories…
The social networks are providing exposure to any target market, cheap advertising cost, easy customer engagement tools. Logistics services in Lebanon have grown as well to meet the demand of speedy cheap delivery with an average of 5$ around Lebanon, and cash-on-delivery is the payment method that can launch your business almost immediately.
The rise and rise of online shopping market in Lebanon will open doors to new business opportunities across different industries. The fashion industry has shown continued increase in its online sales driven by overall growth in the online fashion market and other markets will gradually move its focus online.
According to mastercard, more than half of online shoppers in Lebanon use the internet to buy airline tickets, book hotels, shop for clothes, and more.
PS Be aware of your privacy and security when shopping online.
If you are planning to buy a product from an online shopping website in Lebanon make sure to check AliExpress before purchasing, so you don’t end up paying double and triple the actual price. Here’s how to buy products online from AliExpress to Lebanon.
The online shopping market in Lebanon is growing rapidly. We have seen many Lebanese E-commerce websites selling products online that pretend to be cheap when compared to the prices of the same product in the Lebanese market. But If you heard about AliExpress, then you know those websites offering supposedly “cheap products” are considered really expensive compared with AliExpress.
Below is the result of the research, same product, some quality but different prices. First screenshot, taken from the most popular websites in Lebanon and the second screenshot is exactly the same product presented by AliExpress.
Website 1
Website 2
Website 3
Website 4
Website 5
Website 6
Website 7
Shipping from AliExpress takes around 15 days to two months, you can find the same product presented by different sellers, each seller has a different rating, always check the feedback before the seller before purchasing. Regarding the shipping costs, China Post Air Mail is the best shipping method requires more time but is usually free and liban post will deliver your product to your doorstep at no additional cost.