pantsonfire
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Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
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Post by pantsonfire on Aug 31, 2023 21:57:10 GMT
What should I expect from Ali Express as far as shipping and quality? I saw a KS Crafts die that I would really like to have and want to place an order. How long is shipping? I see it says Sept 20. Is 3 weeks normal?
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Post by MichyM on Aug 31, 2023 22:07:12 GMT
Being on the west coast is an advantage when ordering from AE. I often have received orders within 3 weeks. They clear customs in LA, and then continue (cheapest way possible) to you. Since you're in CA, you'll get your order even more quickly. That said, I haven't ordered in probably 6++ months, so hopefully they're still as fast. As to quality, it REALLY varies. Their dies are super cheap IMHO, and often portions of the die don't cut all the way through. For me, they're not worth the hassle of poking/cutting the problem areas. For super simple dies like shapes, usually they're fine. Triple check sizing so you know what you're getting. That said, a lot of people like them, so YMMV  |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Aug 31, 2023 22:23:09 GMT
Keep in mind AliExpress is a platform. It's not a store with one big assortment but a huge variety of smaller vendors bringing their own selection of goods to the table. It's a big, big market, essentially. Quality will definitely vary and I am yet to figure out the rule to know when it's going to be good, when it's going to be a dud. Some clues are give-aways but still, to this day, I have the odd bad surprise. It just happens. I've been buying regularly for years now (not just craft supplies). When buying multiple items from different vendors around the same time, AX tends to get the items that were shipped in the same timeframe sent to their consolidation warehouse in China where they will bundle several small packages into a larger order. It's been like this for me for the past year or so. Shipping time can vary. In my extreme Western European nook of the Eurasian plate, it's not unusual for things to reach me in 2 to 3 weeks' time although there are different shipping methods and some can be very slow. AX's predicted delivery date is usually a solid indication. It should reach you by the date they mentioned upon purchase (at worse, a few days off). Things have changed: nowadays, all vendors accept Paypal whereas it used to be only select ones (this is a positive improvement). The payment platform is Alibaba's (AX belongs to Alibaba). It's reliable and safe although I've seen Peas claim they had their card information stolen and suspected it was AX. I doubt that, personally. Alipay has been the single largest payment platform worldwide for 10 years now. Over 1.3 billion people use it across the world. I've never had an issue and I have literally hundreds of orders (for years, I was the go-to person for friends and family when they needed something from AX). Check users' comments for the product you want to buy. Check if anyone has uploaded photos of the product they've received (you can filter out comments on whether a photo was attached). Check the vendor's general feedback score (it'll show you their score out of 5 for several aspects including speed of shipping) and comment section. And give it a try! You won't know until you've tried.  ETA: Captain Obvious hat here but you'll get a copy, not the actual same product. There are some instances where I know things came from the same Chinese manufacturer the OG goods are from but for most stamps and dies, it's a copy. This means you might not get the exact same dimensions as the original one, for ex. (I would not suggest mixing an OG stamp set with, say, "matching" dies from AX.) |
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leeny
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,800
Location: Northern California
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Jun 27, 2014 1:55:53 GMT
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Post by leeny on Aug 31, 2023 23:21:11 GMT
What should I expect from Ali Express as far as shipping and quality? I saw a KS Crafts die that I would really like to have and want to place an order. How long is shipping? I see it says Sept 20. Is 3 weeks normal? They don't sell the actual real die, but a cheap copy. In fact the photos they show are not what you will get but they life photos from the real product. I ordered in the past and threw away a stack because they didn't cut correctly. Make sure you use a payment option that gives you protection as well. I've heard that some people have had issues with fraud on credit cards. |
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pantsonfire
Drama Llama
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 6,291
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Post by pantsonfire on Aug 31, 2023 23:25:26 GMT
Oh wow. So the KScrafts die on Ali will be different than the die on Amazon by same company?
There is a crafter I follow and she has some new KScrafy dies and everyone even her links to Ali not Amazon.
I haven't bought it yet and won't now. This die isn't on Amazon yet only Ali but yeah won't be buying.
Thanks for the information everyone. Really appreciate it!
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pinklady
Drama Llama
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Post by pinklady on Sept 1, 2023 0:04:24 GMT
I guess I’ll be the lone dissenter. I regularly purchase from a handful of particular AliExpress vendors I trust and I very rarely have issues with my dies. I’d say 98% of what I buy cuts perfectly, is good solid metal and is exactly the same design as the US company’s version.
I’ve never purchased from KSCrafts but if I have the company correct, I think their designs are their own originals and not knockoffs of US companies.
Once an order is shipped, it usually takes about 2 weeks for me to get it. I buy from one vendor who TAKES FOREVER to get it out the door. A couple other vendors get it out the door in a couple days.
Unless the seller on Amazon is KSCrafts, it’s a knock off of their die. If the person you follow links to KSCrafts store on AE, you will get the same die they had. If it’s a different vendor you may or may not get the exact same design.
Stamps from AE is a whole different story. They sell clear acrylic stamps not clear photopolomyer stamps. The quality of stamps from AE is complete crap so don’t waste your money.
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Post by 0612 on Sept 1, 2023 0:48:37 GMT
I have brought a lot of dies from Ali and really had just a few that didn't cut well. Also I’m gotten a lot of stamps from them and most stamp well with Tom Holtz stamp platform. One in awhile I put a thin close of my heart foam under my card stock, then they stamp ok. Most of the time I get dies within 2 weeks 3 at the most.
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FurryP
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To pea or not to pea...
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Jun 26, 2014 19:58:26 GMT
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Post by FurryP on Sept 1, 2023 1:42:58 GMT
I purchased from KS crafts in the last few months. Everything cut fine. I think (don't know for sure), that KS Krafts have their own designers for their dies. It took about 2-ish+ weeks to get to me. No problems at all with them, and I would not hesitate to buy from them again.
Not sure why they would make a different die for Amazon then for the AE platform, so I don't believe that about them. For sure they cost more on Amazon but that is more likely because they can sell it for that higher price.
ETA: I did have one die from another vendor that was missing the pin hole on one section to be able to punch out the the die cut and it was super easy and fast to get a refund from AE.
ETA again: About "the cheap copy". To be more clear I think what they are saying is the if you see for example a picture of a TH die, you will not be getting a genuine TH die, you will be getting a self-made copy. But you do have to watch the dimensions because the copy MAY not be the exact same size as the genuine TH Sizzix die. But they are all labeled witht the dimensions so people just need to read before they buy. As booty stated with her captain comment, it is kind of assumed we all know this about it being a copy.
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Post by jill8909 on Sept 1, 2023 3:44:20 GMT
You should expect to receive a version of designs that the vendor has stolen from primarily American designers. I'd rather give up crafting
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Post by sleepingbooty on Sept 1, 2023 7:48:02 GMT
I meant copies for big brands like, say, Sizzix when I mentioned copies. For KSCraft, you'll get it straight from the brand on AX so same as Amazon but cheaper. 😉
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Post by tealpaperowl on Sept 3, 2023 13:50:53 GMT
I love Ali. No issues and I"ve placed thousands of orders. Just know shipping can be like 2-3 weeks
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Post by MichyM on Sept 3, 2023 18:47:44 GMT
I guess I’ll be the lone dissenter. I regularly purchase from a handful of particular AliExpress vendors I trust and I very rarely have issues with my dies. I’d say 98% of what I buy cuts perfectly, is good solid metal and is exactly the same design as the US company’s version. I’ve never purchased from KSCrafts but if I have the company correct, I think their designs are their own originals and not knockoffs of US companies. Once an order is shipped, it usually takes about 2 weeks for me to get it. I buy from one vendor who TAKES FOREVER to get it out the door. A couple other vendors get it out the door in a couple days. Unless the seller on Amazon is KSCrafts, it’s a knock off of their die. If the person you follow links to KSCrafts store on AE, you will get the same die they had. If it’s a different vendor you may or may not get the exact same design. Stamps from AE is a whole different story. They sell clear acrylic stamps not clear photopolomyer stamps. The quality of stamps from AE is complete crap so don’t waste your money. You haven’t noticed a decrease in the quality of the dies over the last year or so? I was really happy with AE a year or so ago, but really have had noticed a problem with their dies more recently 😯 Especially anything with detail or thin bits (stems, leaves, that sort of thing). Maybe I need to branch out from the shops I have purchased From in the past. Does the quality truly vary from one vendor to the other? |
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pinklady
Drama Llama
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Post by pinklady on Sept 4, 2023 4:03:18 GMT
MichyM I stick to Piggy Crafts, Addy Crafts and Handmade House and I truly have not had any inferior products. Everything cuts great and are sturdy metal dies. I have noticed the prices at Handmade House are higher than other stores but I really trust/have had good luck with them so I stick with them.
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beatrix
Junior Member
What does your heart tell you?
Posts: 66
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Post by beatrix on Sept 4, 2023 18:42:18 GMT
What should I expect from Ali Express as far as shipping and quality? I saw a KS Crafts die that I would really like to have and want to place an order. How long is shipping? I see it says Sept 20. Is 3 weeks normal? 3 weeks is normal, although you might get it sooner than that. KS Crafts dies on Ali are the same as the ones on Amazon; also they are original designs. I have bought dies on both places, but mostly through Amazon. Shipping usually takes about 3 weeks to get to the East Coast (where I reside) when buying through AE. KS Crafts' owner's name is Hannah. She has a very active YT channel KS Crafts YT where she unveils new releases every month as well as tutorials/news. I haven't had a single issue with any of her products. The designs are very pretty, especially the 3D ones. Hope this helps  |
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Post by papersilly on Sept 5, 2023 18:11:46 GMT
Being on the west coast is an advantage when ordering from AE. I often have received orders within 3 weeks. They clear customs in LA, and then continue (cheapest way possible) to you. Since you're in CA, you'll get your order even more quickly. That said, I haven't ordered in probably 6++ months, so hopefully they're still as fast. As to quality, it REALLY varies. Their dies are super cheap IMHO, and often portions of the die don't cut all the way through. For me, they're not worth the hassle of poking/cutting the problem areas. For super simple dies like shapes, usually they're fine. Triple check sizing so you know what you're getting. That said, a lot of people like them, so YMMV i'm in los angeles and i'm surprised to receive anything in 3 weeks from them. they are so slow!! on the other hand, TEMU has super fast shipping. always within 2 weeks or they give you $5 credit. the quality of stuff from Temu and Ae are the same since they probably get it from the same sources but Temu shipping is no much faster and shipping is free with $10 min purchase (not hard to do. LOL). i don't think i'll ever shop at Ae again if i can find it on Temu. |
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Post by MichyM on Sept 6, 2023 1:28:26 GMT
MichyM I stick to Piggy Crafts, Addy Crafts and Handmade House and I truly have not had any inferior products. Everything cuts great and are sturdy metal dies. I have noticed the prices at Handmade House are higher than other stores but I really trust/have had good luck with them so I stick with them. Thank you, I know you recommended the first two to me before. I’ll look into all three of them 🤞🏻 |
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