Open the dispute before your buyer protection period expires. That single decision matters more than anything else on this page. Once the window closes you have no route to a refund through AliExpress, regardless of how clearly you were wronged.
You can always cancel a dispute if the parcel turns up. You cannot reopen an expired one.
Know your deadline
Buyer protection runs from the date the order was placed, and the exact length is shown on the order page — commonly 60 to 90 days, but it varies by seller and shipping method. Find it before you need it. A customs delay does not pause it, and neither does a seller promising to look into things.
Before you open a dispute
Message the seller first. Most cases resolve here, and a documented attempt to resolve helps if it escalates. Give them three to five days to reply.
Gather your evidence now. Screenshots of the tracking, the listing photos, the item as it arrived, and any seller messages. Collect these before opening the case, not during it.
Check the tracking one more time. Confirm with an independent tool rather than relying on the app alone — parcels frequently move under a local number the AliExpress view never picks up.
Opening the dispute
Open the order, choose Open Dispute, then pick either a refund only (for a parcel that never arrived) or a return and refund (for an item that arrived wrong or broken). For a lost parcel, refund only is almost always the right option — returning to China costs more than most orders are worth.
What actually wins a case
| Situation | Evidence that works |
|---|---|
| Never arrived | Tracking screenshot showing no delivery scan, plus the date buyer protection ends |
| Says delivered, nothing received | Carrier's GPS scan location, safe-place photo, written statement from you |
| Wrong item | Photo of what arrived beside the listing screenshot |
| Damaged | Photos of the item and the packaging, taken before disposing of anything |
| Not as described | Listing specification screenshot against a photo or measurement of the real item |
| Fake or counterfeit | Clear photos of markings, logos and serial numbers |
Practical rules that improve your odds
Photograph everything before you unpack destructively. Cut tape, do not tear packaging. Damage claims are frequently lost on missing packaging evidence.
Be specific and unemotional. "Listing states 316L steel, item is magnetic, photo attached" beats a paragraph of frustration every time.
Ask for a partial refund when the item is usable. Partial claims are settled faster and are accepted far more readily than full refunds.
Escalate if the seller stalls. If no agreement is reached, escalate to AliExpress. Cases sit for a set period before you can escalate, so do not wait passively.
If your parcel is simply late, not lost
Most parcels that feel lost are in the air or in a customs queue. Before disputing, check the day counts in our guide on tracking that is not updating, and run the number through the tracking tool — a parcel handed to your national carrier often reappears under a new number.