Are AliExpress Products Fake?

Launched in 2010, AliExpress is one of the most successful subsidiaries of the popular Alibaba Group. It happens to be one of the largest eCommerce marketplaces in the world. The platform is particularly renowned for offering a diverse range of products at the best price points.

This alone makes it a preferred marketplace for drop shippers from all parts of the globe. That said, the listing of counterfeit products on AliExpress by some unscrupulous suppliers continues to be a major concern for foreign buyers. However, the listing of counterfeit products on this platform has reduced significantly in the recent past.

This may be attributed to the efforts by the Alibaba Group and the Chinese government to combat counterfeit products. As of now, about 6% of the products listed on this website at any given moment are counterfeit. Get to know what counterfeit (Fake) products are and how you can avoid buying them on AliExpress.

What Are Fake Products on AliExpress?

Fake consumers goods are the products that have been manufactured and or sold under a legitimate brand’s Fake consumers goods are the products that have been manufactured and or sold under a legitimate brand’s name without authorization by the brand owners. Counterfeit goods on AliExpress are often manufactured to resemble/imitate the appearance of products by the legitimate brand in question.

In most cases, this is done to mislead the buyer(s) into thinking that they are buying the original branded product(s) while they are actually getting a fake. Counterfeit, in this regard, includes the unauthorized production and sale of items that are already protected by intellectual property rights—such as trademark, copyright, and trade name.

By so doing, the sellers of fake products on AliExpress may infringe on the brand owner’s copyright, patent, or trademark. Counterfeits on AliExpress exist for almost every product type and category, ranging from fashion products to electronics. When buying items from this marketplace, expertise due diligence to ensure that you buy original products.

Note: Counterfeit products are not the sale as “Knock-Offs”—products that are designed to resemble branded products, but are not sold under the legitimate brand’s labels. Knockoffs, in most cases, do not, violate another brand’s trademark.

Why are There Fakes Products on AliExpress?

Despite stringent regulations by the Alibaba Group and AliExpress branded product replicas are still finding their way to the marketplace. So, why are fake products still being listed on AliExpress? To begin with, hiding behind a reputable brand like Nike guarantees a ready market and high demand.

This makes the sale of counterfeit products a lucrative venture for the unscrupulous sellers on AliExpress. In other words, manufacturers of fake products are intrigued by the existing demand and popularity of the products they are faking. This makes it easier for them to push substandard items—purporting them to be genuine branded products—to unsuspecting buyers.

As odd as it may sound, there is also a considerable demand for counterfeit products by shady resellers–mostly drop shippers and retailers. The truth is that some resellers visit AliExpress specifically to buy fake products mainly because they are very cheap. They then sell them to unsuspecting consumers and make huge profits.

Based on statistical findings, counterfeiting was the largest criminal enterprise globally in 2018, boasting between $1.7 trillion and $4.5 trillion in sales. This figure is projected to hit the  $2.8 trillion mark by 2022. All these—to some extent—explain the continued presence of counterfeit product listings on AliExpress.

Legalities of Copyright Infringement (Selling Counterfeit Products)

Dropshipping counterfeit products promise abnormally-high profit margins for your business. However, it is illegal and can have damning consequences for you and your business. Here are some of the things you are likely to face if your choose to source fake products from AliExpress:

1. Problems with the Payment Gateway

Most payment service providers are against the use of their gateways to process payments for the sale of counterfeit products. Such transactions expose the institutions to a considerable level of reputational risks that may be triggered by consumer injury.

If they suspect that you are selling fake goods, the leading payment processing companies may ask for a reseller agreement. This is a document that demonstrates that you are selling genuine products and have permission from the brand owners to do so.

If you are dealing with counterfeit items, you will not be able to prove this. In such an eventuality, you will be blocked from using the provider’s service gateway. This means that you can no longer accept payments from your online customers.

2.  Media Account Problems (Facebook and Instagram)

The leading social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, prohibit the advertisement and sale of fake items on their platforms. Facebook particularly has a clear policies that ban the publishing of content that infringes another person’s rights.

If you are caught advertising fake products for your dropshipping store on these platforms, your account may be permanently terminated. This can be a huge setback for your business, considering the much effort and time it takes to grow a considerable following on social media platforms.

3. You Will be Penalized

The sale of fake products is illegal in most countries, particularly the US and EU.  Federal laws on patent and/ or copyright infringement in such countries often stipulate hefty penalties. In the US  for instance, you may be imprisoned for 10 years and charged up to $2 million in fines if you are caught selling fake goods.

This can deal a death blow to your dropshipping business, don’t you think? Despite the promise of higher profits, it may be wise for you to steer clear of counterfeit merchandise altogether.

4. Your Store May be Closed

Similarly, the leading eCommerce marketplaces do not tolerate the sale of counterfeit products on their platforms. If the brand owner happens to report you for copyright infringement on these platforms, you will be required to remove the products in question from your listing.

In severe cases, your eCommerce store may be closed permanently. Bearing this in mind, buying counterfeit products on AliExpress to sell on your dropshipping store may not be worth the risk, right?

Is Aliexpress Shopify Dropshipping Dead Because of Fake Products in 2022

Absolutely not, AliExpress continues to be one of the trusted marketplaces for drop shippers, business owners, and individual buyers alike. The remarkable success and growth rate recorded by this platform can only mean one thing, that most of their buyers are satisfied with AliExpress products and services.

Generally, AliExpress is a great place to source your merchandise only if you know how to find genuine products on the site.

How to Avoid Counterfeit Goods on AliExpress

The last thing you would want as an online or even a brick-and-mortar business owner is to be caught selling counterfeit products. While AliExpress is a preferred online marketplace for businesses across the world, fake products are still being listed on the platform.

So, how can you ensure that you only buy genuine goods on AliExpress? As hard as this may sound, it is possible to purchase genuine products on this marketplace. Discussed below are some of the tips that will help you accomplish just that:

a) Try to Avoid Branded Products on AliExpress

Counterfeit manufacturers and suppliers on AliExpress often target the trending branded products. This being the case, it is advisable to avoid buying branded products on this platform. Unless you are certain that the supplier is an authorized brand dealer and has papers to prove this, just avoid their products.

As you may be aware, infringing brand copyright is a serious offense in many countries. If the products are found to be counterfeit during an inspection, they may be seized by the relevant authorities. Even if you get a refund from the supplier, this could land your business in trouble with the authorities.

b) Review Seller’s Feedback and Ratings by Previous Customers

Set aside some time to verify the seller’s reputation before buying a product on AliExpress. The best way to ascertain this would be to check their history. To do this, navigate to the seller’s page on AliExpress, then select the “Feedback” tab. This will display a detailed breakdown of the seller’s history, including reviews by the customers they have served in the past.

Each supplier or manufacturer on AliExpress is assigned a Positive Feedback percentage as well as a Feedback Score. The Feedback score is essentially a total of the seller’s ratings that have been converted into points. In this regard, four and five-star ratings are equivalent to one point, while three-star ratings are converted to 0 points.

One and two-star ratings on AliExpress translate to -1 points. These popularity scores will help you understand how satisfied other buyers are with the supplier. For easier comparison, AliExpress breaks the ratings further into several categories, including:

· Communication

· Item as Described

· Shipping Speed

These illustrate what previous customers are dissatisfied or satisfied with when it comes to that particular supplier. If a supplier has a history of selling fake items, you are likely to find this information on their feedback page.

As a rule of the thumb, always buy from sellers with a good rating and feedback percentage. Additionally, it is advisable to opt for suppliers with many reviews as they give you a better idea of what to expect.

c) Check The Number of Items Sold

In addition to the ratings, this platform also allows you to see how long a seller has been in business and the number of products they have sold in that period. Basically, it is safer to buy from sellers that have been in business for a longer period—say year or two.

You also need to consider the number of products they have sold for the product listing you are interested in.  For instance, you should not buy a trending product from a supplier that has only sold a few pieces.

In AliExpress, you can view the number of products sold by each seller just beneath the product title.

d) Check Out the Seller Guarantees Offered

Think of seller guarantees as safeguards against loss in the event that the products are not satisfactory. The reputable suppliers and manufacturers of genuine products in AliExpress back their products with multiple guarantees.

The more the guarantees a seller has to offer, the better as it shows their commitment to deliver satisfactory goods. However, the fact that a seller offers multiple guarantees does not necessarily mean that the assurance applies across their catalog.

As such, you should check whether the provider only offers guarantees on a per-item basis. If so, ensure that the products you are interested in are covered by those assurances. These are the common types of seller guarantees on AliExpress:

Ø Returns and Refunds – this assures you of a full refund if the product(s) you receive is not as described on the seller’s listing.

Ø On-Time Delivery – with this guarantee, you will get a full refund if the product(s) fails to arrive within the stipulated time frame. Some suppliers even allow you to monitor delivery progress through services like pkge.

Ø Domestic Returns – products covered by this guarantee can be returned to the seller’s warehouse within your country. As such, you won’t incur such costs as shipping and customs fees if you choose to return the products.

Ø Guaranteed Genuine – this means that the product(s) has been verified by AliExpress to be genuine. This assurance is a must when you are sourcing expensive items on the platform.

To check which guarantees are offered for each item, navigate to the “Buyer Protection” page from the “Quick Info” section of the product page. Alternatively, you can access this information by clicking on the “Seller Guarantees” tab just below the product picture.

e) Carefully Inspect the Products Upon Delivery

In an effort to curb fraudulent behavior by sellers, AliExpress uses the Escrow Payment system. With this system, you are required to enter your card details and checkout as you would on any other online marketplace. However, your payment will be held in escrow until you have received the product(s) and are satisfied with it.

This is today that the seller will see that you have made a payment, but cannot access it until you have received and inspected the ordered item(s). Once you receive the product(s), you need to inspect the thoroughly. The main objective here should be to ascertain whether the product is genuine and is as advertised by the seller  

If not, you can raise a complain with AliExpress for a full refund.

f) Use Bestfulfill to Avoid Counterfeit Goods on AliExpress

The best way to avoid buying counterfeit products is to have someone in China to handle your sourcing and quality inspection needs. At Best Fulfill, we have over six years of sourcing and order fulfilment experience. In addition to AliExpress and 1688.com, we are knowledgeable in dealing with some of the leading manufacturers in the country.

This way, we not only guarantee you genuine products, but also ensure that you get the best quality at the right price. Our agents on the ground will find the most appropriate product to suit your order requirements in a day or two.

We inspect all the items in-person to ascertain whether they are genuine and of the desired quality. With regards to fulfillment, you can have us ship the products directly to your customers or to your warehouse. This is, without a doubt, the easiest, most convenient, and affordable way to avoid fake products on AliExpress.

Final Verdict

The number of counterfeit products listed on AliExpress has reduced significantly in recent months. Even so, some shady traders are still finding ways to sell fake products on the platform. Dropshipping fake products may appear to be lucrative, but can actually land you and your business into a lot of trouble.

Despite the presence of a few fake product listings, you can still find genuine products that meet industry standards on AliExpress. To find these genuine goods, you need to be very careful and apply the above-discussed tips.

Better still, you could use a third-party dropshipping sourcing and fulfilment agent in China. One such agent is Best Fulfill—guaranteeing you swift sourcing and fulfilment of genuine and high-quality products.